としている / 尋ねなければ

E

eeky

先輩

8 Jun 2010

2,431

22

• 12 Oct 2013

• #1

Hi,


1. いったい自分は何をしようとしているのだろう？

I get the general meaning of this OK, but I am hazy about the exact role of としている. What is it adding? Also, would いったい自分は何をしようのだろう？be grammatical?


2. 誰かに尋ねなければ・・・

Does this specifically mean 誰かに尋ねなければならない, or is it vaguer in its implication?

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 12 Oct 2013

• #2

1)
～（よ）うとする means "to try to do" / "to be about to do". ～（よ）うとしている is the ～ている form of it. Therefore, 何をしようのだろう is wrong.

2)
Usually, it's 尋ねなければならない. It can be a conditional, but the omitted part must be "something bad will happen", so what the sentence expresses is almost the same as 尋ねなければならない, anyway.

 

E

eeky

先輩

8 Jun 2010

2,431

22

• 12 Oct 2013

• Thread starter
• #3

Toritoribe said:

1)
～（よ）うとする means "to try to do" / "to be about to do". ～（よ）うとしている is the ～ている form of it. Therefore, 何をしようのだろう is wrong.

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Thanks, I am somewhat familiar with those general meanings, but I still feel a bit unsure in this case. If it is translated as "What on earth was he going to do?", would you say that としている adds the idea of "going to"? I was thinking along those lines, but I don't really understand why 何をしよう by itself doesn't mean that, and why you need としている at all. Can't you say 何をしよう to mean "What (is he) going to do?"

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 12 Oct 2013

• #4

何をしようとしている expresses the present state. The speaker is not wondering what he should do, but is confusing about what he is going to do or can't undersatnd why he is going to do so.
BTW, the subject is 自分 "the speaker himself", as you might know.