前に出して / アリみたいに... / 変なところ / の / 優しい

[eeky]

Hello,

1. This is a description of an alternative way of making the "チョキ" shape in the "rock, paper, scissors" game:

チョキは指先を全部合わせて前に出して、まるで鳥のく ちばしのような形を作ります。

I understand the part about it being just like a bird's beak, and about putting all one's fingertips together, but I'm not sure about 前に出して. Does it mean something like "point (your fingers) forward in front of you"?


2. The author is musing about how an ant could be imagined to beat an elephant in a variant of the "rock, paper, scissors" game:

アリみたいに小さくても大きいものを倒すことができる ところがおもしろいです。

My translation: "It's interesting how something small like an ant could defeat something (so) large."

Is アリみたいに小さくて(も) the subject of 倒す? Is that grammatically possible? Or perhaps there is no explicit subject of that verb?

Also, I don't really understand why ところ is used. What are its connotations here versus, say, こと?


3. 一度書いたあとで、変なところがないか先生に見てもら いました。

My translation: "After I had written (it) once, I had the teacher look (at it) to see if there was/were any '変なところ'"?

How would you translate 変なところ here?


4.

A: 「山田さんのどんなところが好きなんですか」
B: 「とても優しいところですね」

I am very unsure about this exchange. My default guess is:

A: What sort of places does Mr Yamada like?
B: Very 優しい places.

In the first sentence, what is the grammatical function of の? I'm wondering why it doesn't mean "Which of Mr Yamada's places..." (or maybe somehow it does?)

In what sense is 優しい being used?

 

[Toritoribe]

1. This is a description of an alternative way of making the "チョキ" shape in the "rock, paper, scissors" game:
チョキは指先を全部合わせて前に出して、まるで鳥のく ちばしのような形を作ります。
I understand the part about it being just like a bird's beak, and about putting all one's fingertips together, but I'm not sure about 前に出して. Does it mean something like "point (your fingers) forward in front of you"?

Hmm, yeah, it's a bit confusing explanation. Your interpretation seems reasonable.

2. The author is musing about how an ant could be imagined to beat an elephant in a variant of the "rock, paper, scissors" game:
アリみたいに小さくても大きいものを倒すことができる ところがおもしろいです。
My translation: "It's interesting how something small like an ant could defeat something (so) large."
Is アリみたいに小さくて(も) the subject of 倒す? Is that grammatically possible? Or perhaps there is no explicit subject of that verb?

It can be considered that 何か/それが is omitted.

（たとえそれが）アリみたいに小さくても大きいものを 倒すことができる.

Also, I don't really understand why ところ is used. What are its connotations here versus, say, こと?

ところ has a nunce of "point" here.

3. 一度書いたあとで、変なところがないか先生に見てもら いました。
My translation: "After I had written (it) once, I had the teacher look (at it) to see if there was/were any '変なところ'"?
How would you translate 変なところ here?

weird/awkward/odd parts

4.
A: 「山田さんのどんなところが好きなんですか」
B: 「とても優しいところですね」
I am very unsure about this exchange. My default guess is:
A: What sort of places does Mr Yamada like?
B: Very 優しい places.
In the first sentence, what is the grammatical function of の? I'm wondering why it doesn't mean "Which of Mr Yamada's places..." (or maybe somehow it does?)

（ウ） 抽象的な箇所を表す。点。部分。

彼には人をひきつける―がある

小説のおもしろい―だけ話す

「ところ」の検索結果 - Yahoo!辞書

"Part" would be more close than "place".

の is the possession particle. The subject is "you". I suppose this is the key point of your confusion.

In what sense is 優しい being used?

gentle/tender/kind

 

[eeky]

Hi Toritoribe, taking into account your comments, does #4 mean something like this?

A: What parts of Mr Yamada (i.e. Mr Yamada's character) do you like?
B: The fact that he is very kind (lit. (I like) his very kind parts).

 

[Toritoribe]

Yeah, that's correct.

どんな/どういう + ところ/部分/場所 is basically asking about the matter/state of it, whereas どの部分/場所 is for the location, as in "体のどの部分が痛いですか？". ところ can't be used with どの.

 

[eeky]

Thanks! ところ should be added to my list of un-favourite Japanese words!