にしてみた / かなと思って / らしくていい / ね / 使わせてもらう

Hi,

1. A student has given his "host family" (the family he is staying with in Japan) a present of a university T-shirt:

僕の大学のスクールカラーは赤なので、赤のTシャツにしてみたんですけど。

My translation "My university colour is red, so ..."

... then what does the next bit mean? I know it's obviously something about a red T-shirt, but I'm stuck on にしてみた.


2. The student continues to talk about the T-shirt:

僕の大学でしか買えないので、それがいいかなと思って 。

I can't quite get the sense of それがいいかなと思って. Literally I translated it as "I think I wonder if it (the T-shirt) is good", but this hardly makes any sense in English.


3. The conversation continues with:

ホスト（母）： ああ、確かに、テレビで見るアメリカ の学生がよく着てるわね。
ホスト（父）： アメリカらしくていいね。

What does アメリカらしくていい mean?


4. 僕ね、この週末に行ってきたんだ。

(New conversation, talking about visiting 京都)

Does ね here have the usual meaning of "emphasis, request for confirmation, etc.", as it would at the end of a sentence?


5. The speaker has just been given a present of a 湯のみ and has been asked if it's something he will want to use.

使うよ。このごろ日本茶が好きになってきたから、これ 使わせてもらうよ。

My translation: "Yes, I'll certainly use it. I've recently got to like Japanese tea, so ..."

Then I'm stuck on これ使わせてもらう. What does this mean?

eeky said:

1. A student has given his "host family" (the family he is staying with in Japan) a present of a university T-shirt:
僕の大学のスクールカラーは赤なので、赤のTシャツにしてみたんですけど。
My translation "My university colour is red, so ..."
... then what does the next bit mean? I know it's obviously something about a red T-shirt, but I'm stuck on にしてみた.

Click to expand...

～にする is often used to express "to decided on ~".
赤のＴシャツにしてみた＝赤のＴシャツを選んでみた

～てみる means "to try something to see if it works, etc."
"My university colour is red, so I chose the red T-shirts for you (hoping you would like the idea/T shirts)."

related thread from archive:
「とする」と「～てみる」

eeky said:

2. The student continues to talk about the T-shirt:
僕の大学でしか買えないので、それがいいかなと思って。
I can't quite get the sense of それがいいかなと思って. Literally I translated it as "I think I wonder if it (the T-shirt) is good", but this hardly makes any sense in English.

Click to expand...

～かな expresses light assumption.
"I think it (the red T-shirt) would be OK (= perhaps you'd like it) as it is something available only at my university."

eeky said:

3. The conversation continues with:
ホスト（母）： ああ、確かに、テレビで見るアメリカの学生がよく着てるわね。
ホスト（父）： アメリカらしくていいね。
What does アメリカらしくていい mean?

Click to expand...

アメリカらしくていい ＝ アメリカらしい＋て＋いい
アメリカらしい typically American
て (stating the reason)
いい good

eeky said:

4. 僕ね、この週末に行ってきたんだ。
(New conversation, talking about visiting 京都)
Does ね here have the usual meaning of "emphasis, request for confirmation, etc.", as it would at the end of a sentence?

Click to expand...

Yes.

eeky said:

5. The speaker has just been given a present of a 湯のみ and has been asked if it's something he will want to use.
使うよ。このごろ日本茶が好きになってきたから、これ使わせてもらうよ。
My translation: "Yes, I'll certainly use it. I've recently got to like Japanese tea, so ..."
Then I'm stuck on これ使わせてもらう. What does this mean?

Click to expand...

～てもらう is a polite express for ～する.
もらう means to receive a favour, as if getting permission to do something.
The speaker got a 湯のみ and says that he'll use it under the permission of the person who gave it to him, if literally translated.
In daily conversation, it simply means a polite way of ～する to express respect, gratitude, etc.

undrentide said:

アメリカらしくていい ＝ アメリカらしい＋て＋いい
アメリカらしい typically American
て (stating the reason)
いい good

Click to expand...

Thanks @undrentide . I think understand your analysis, but I cannot see the overall purpose of the remark, nor so I see how to translate it into an English phrase that could be used at this point in the conversation. Do you have any ideas?

undrentide said:

～てもらう is a polite express for ～する.
もらう means to receive a favour, as if getting permission to do something.
The speaker got a 湯のみ and says that he'll use it under the permission of the person who gave it to him, if literally translated.
In daily conversation, it simply means a polite way of ～する to express respect, gratitude, etc.

Click to expand...

Right, I get what you say about もらう, but why the form 使わせて? Does this mean "allow to use"? Would the whole thing then literally mean "I receive the favour of your allowing me to use the cup"?

Also, is there an omitted を after これ?

eeky said:

Thanks undrentide. I think understand your analysis, but I cannot see the overall purpose of the remark, nor so I see how to translate it into an English phrase that could be used at this point in the conversation. Do you have any ideas?

Click to expand...

How about this?

"It's very American and I like it."

eeky said:

Right, I get what you say about もらう, but why the form 使わせて? Does this mean "allow to use"? Would the whole thing then literally mean "I receive the favour of your allowing me to use the cup"?

Click to expand...

してもらう: to recieve a favor of you/someone to do something
させてもらう: to recieve a favor of myself to do something with your permission(too literal,though)

Thus, してもらう is used when the doer is you/the third person, whereas させてもらう is for when the doer is the speaker.

使ってもらう: you/the third person use(s) it.
使わせてもらう: I use it.

eeky said:

Also, is there an omitted を after これ?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Toritoribe said:

How about this?
"It's very American and I like it."

Click to expand...

I see this now, thanks.


Regarding the other business, is the following correct?

1. これを使わせて = You allow me to use it.

2. これを使わせてもらう = I receive the favour of (1); that is, the favour of your allowing me to use it.

(I understand that in English this phrasing is far too laborious to be usable as a translation; my only goal here is to understand the literal meaning of the Japanese.)

eeky said:

Regarding the other business, is the following correct?
1. これを使わせて = You allow me to use it.
2. これを使わせてもらう = I receive the favour of (1); that is, the favour of your allowing me to use it.
(I understand that in English this phrasing is far too laborious to be usable as a translation; my only goal here is to understand the literal meaning of the Japanese.)

Click to expand...

これを使わせて = Please allow me to use it.(soft command)
これを使わせてくれる = You allow me to use it.

これを使わせてくれる and これを使わせてもらう is almost the same in meaning. The former fucuses on the causer or "you", and the latter is on the causee or "me".

（あなたが私に）これを使わせてくれる
（私があなたに）これを使わせてもらう

Your interpretation "I receive the favour of your allowing me to use it" is correct. That's exactly the original meaning. And you can think ～させてもらう is a polite/humble expression of ～する, as undrentide-san explained.

I think I see it now. Thank you for your patience.

I just remember this thread. ～させていただく is a more polite/humble form of ～させてもらう.