し|ことがある|ことはある and more

ledojaeger

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Hello. I was wondering about the uses of shi, koto ga au, and koto wa aru. Also, how to say 'I miss you', and a certain grammatical question about how to say 'I like it' minus the noun.
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1)「し」の使い方
I pieced together my own understanding of shi after hearing it many times and speaking it with friends. Correct me if I'm wrong: 'Shi' is kind of like making a list. In a sense, like 'kara' and 'node' in their explanatory nature, but maybe a bit more casual. For example, perhaps when apologizing to a friend, 「ごめんね、雨よく降ってるし、スーパーに行けないし、今日はケーキ焼けないね。」(Intended meaning: Sorry, it's raining a lot, and I can't go to the store, so I can't bake the cake today.) Do I have the right idea?

2)ことがある
This is just to make sure I have then right idea about verb forms and meanings.
行くことがある - occasionally/sometimes go
行かないことがある - don't usually go
行ったことがある - went/have been to (経験)
行かなかったことがある - occasionally/sometimes didn't go

3)ことはある
This one I'm less familiar with. What happens when I play with verbs like I do with koto ga aru above?
行かないことはある - does this mean 'I never go'? I faintly remember something like that from a textbook.

4)'I miss you'
After some searching, I still haven't found a definitive way to say I miss someone/something in Japanese. I don't think there is a word for it like we have in English and it may depend on context. The closest I remember is 「寂しくなる」, 'become lonely', or 「(友達)がいなくて寂しくなった」(You) aren't there so I got lonely. Is this the closest way to express that?

5)(私は)(何かが)好きです。
My question is this. I know you can omit 'watashi wa' and simply state, say, パンケーキがすきです!And the 'I' is kind of obvious (unless you really want to emphasize that -I- like them). Let's say we already know the subject is pancakes. Presumably, you could affirm and say 好きです by itself to just throw in that you like them, too. But if you say 私は好きです, first, is that correct to say, and second, does it carry an emphatic -I-, as if to say, 'Well, you may not like them, but I like them!'
A lot of my guesses are just that: best guesses.
 
1)
Yes, but you need to use から to the last clause since they are the causes/reasons. Furthermore, 雨よく降ってる is also the cause of スーパーに行けない, so 雨が強くてスーパーに行けないから is the most natural in your example.

2)
行かないことがある - occasionally/sometimes don't go (= usually go)
The rest is OK.

3)
は performs as a contrastive marker there, thus, it implies 行かないことはある(が、普通は行く). You can think it's an emphasized form of 行かないことがある.

4)
Yes, that's right. (名前)がいなくて寂しい works fine, too.

5)
Your understanding is perfectly correct. The following threads might be somewhat helpful to ascertain the function of the contrastive marker.
は, が and を what's the difference between the following sentences? | Japan Forum
 
1)
Yes, but you need to use から to the last clause since they are the causes/reasons. Furthermore, 雨よく降ってる is also the cause of スーパーに行けない, so 雨が強くてスーパーに行けないから is the most natural in your example.

As, so is there a shi-shi-kara sort of pattern? Like toka-toka-nado.
Would you say that using shi is more like giving scattered explanations that may be unrelated? Like saying, 'I want to go to Japan, BUT I have no money (shi), I'm busy with school (shi), etc.'?

2)
行かないことがある - occasionally/sometimes don't go (= usually go)
The rest is OK.

Ahh, so if I use ~nai koto ga aru, it means that I usually (do something) but sometimes don't for some reason? Like, 私は毎金曜日あのレストランに行かないことがあるけど、今週はだめです。I usually go to that restaurant every Friday, but this week is no good.
But, your explanation of 3) seems a little bit like that too (contrast - I usually go, but I can't this week).


4)
Yes, that's right. (名前)がいなくて寂しい works fine, too.

Is it acceptable to say in a casual manner, like you would say to a friend? 'I miss you, I hope we can see each other soon!' That sort of effect? (名前)がいなくて寂しいですよ。また会いたいと思います。
 
1)
Yes, that's right.

2)
私は毎週金曜日あのレストランに行くけど、今週は行かない/行けない。
毎週金曜日行かないことがある doesn't make much sense, since "every" and "sometimes" are semantically inconsistent with each other.
But, your explanation of 3) seems a little bit like that too (contrast - I usually go, but I can't this week).
That's why I wrote "You can think it(=行かないことはある) is an emphasized form of 行かないことがある."

4)
If it's written by a non-native Japanese speaker, it would be interpreted as a translation of "to miss", but I would just say また会いたい.
 
I'll look more into the differences and develop better questions/examples.
What would be a better example for ~nai koto ga aru in a sentence?

Also, thank you for your help with 'mata aitai'.
 
毎朝ジョギングするけど、日曜日はしないことがある。
I jog every morning, but (as for) on Sunday I sometimes don't.
 
Hmm, that makes sense. I'll try to make example sentences. Please tell me if I'm on the right track. As with any example sentence I make, it be error-riddled, so I apologize in advance.

Test Sentences
- ~ru koto ga aru
字幕なし日本の映画を見ることがある。I occasionally watch Japanese movies without subtitles.

- ~nai koto ga aru
体に良い食事を食べないことがある。 I sometimes don't eat food that's good for me.

- ~ta koto ga aru
秋葉原に二回行ったことがある。I've been to Akihabara twice.

- ~nakatta koto ga aru
毎日勉強しなかったことがある。I sometimes didn't study every day. (Implication: I do now)
 
字幕なし日本の映画を見ることがある。
The use of ことがある is correct, but it should be 字幕なし日本の映画を見ることがある。. で indicates the state of action, as in "watch with / without subtitles".

体に良い食事を食べないことがある。
What you want to say is understandable, but 体に良くない食事を食べることがある。 is more commonly used to convey that meaning. For instance, 朝食を食べないことがある。 sounds natural since it connotes that the subject usually 朝食を食べる, and it's ordinary for people in general. 体に良くない食事を食べない is as well. Whereas 体に良い食事を(毎日)食べる is not so common. That's the difference.

秋葉原に二回行ったことがある。
OK.

毎日勉強しなかったことがある。
It's odd as same as 毎週金曜日行かないことがある. 前は毎日勉強しなかった is used for "I didn't use to study every day (but I do now)."
 
The use of ことがある is correct, but it should be 字幕なし日本の映画を見ることがある。. で indicates the state of action, as in "watch with / without subtitles".

Thank you!


What you want to say is understandable, but 体に良くない食事を食べることがある。 is more commonly used to convey that meaning. For instance, 朝食を食べないことがある。 sounds natural since it connotes that the subject usually 朝食を食べる, and it's ordinary for people in general. 体に良くない食事を食べない is as well. Whereas 体に良い食事を(毎日)食べる is not so common. That's the difference.

Ahh, that makes a lot of sense!! A lot of it is just context.


It's odd as same as 毎週金曜日行かないことがある. 前は毎日勉強しなかった is used for "I didn't use to study every day (but I do now)."

Oh wow, I didn't even think about that - it's clear I need some work to understand that.
But, 朝食を食べないことがある makes perfect sense. The one I tried to do, I didn't even consider that I was making a contrast (I didn't before; now I do).

In that case, are these usages and translations correct:
朝食を食べないことがある。I sometimes don't eat breakfast.
朝食を食べなかったことがある。I sometimes didn't eat breakfast. (If this is correct, does that also imply the speaker doesn't skip it as much as he did?)
 
Yes, the speaker usually ate breakfast. You can also use 朝食を食べないことがあった。 instead.
 
It's said that "present or past form + ことがあった" has a nuance of reminiscence more strongly, but the difference is often subtle and therefore ことがある and ことがあった are often interchangeable.
 
Thank you so much toritoribe. I can't express how much of a help you are all the time to me and so many others.
 
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