まともじゃない/ 入らない

[eeky]

Hi


1. 「ああ、連中の考えることときたらおまえ、まともじゃ ない」

I understand the first part of this but I am stuck with おまえ、まともじゃない. What is that about?


2. 郵便受けに入らないので、ドアの下から押し込まれたり 、横のすき間に差し込まれたり、・・・

Is there any reason why it says 入らない not 入れない? Would the latter be a better fit?

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
おまえ is used as an interjection. 連中の考えることときたら、（おまえ、）まともじゃない makes sense?

2)
The subject is 手紙, and はいる is intransitive. 手紙 can't enter by itself, so the potential form can't be used.

 

[Glenn]

Also, 入る means "go in", so if it doesn't go in, it's like saying it doesn't fit.

 

[eeky]

1. Thanks, sorry I do not understand まともじゃない. I do not even know how to parse it, except that I recognise じゃない, of course. I do not know what まとも is grammatically, or what it means.

2. Just to be clear, I thought 入らない was はいらない, but I find it hard to distinguish between 入る（はいる) and 入る（いる） except that I think I was once told that 入る（いる） is mostly used in set phrases, so unless it looks like a set phrase I assume はいる; is that right?

I thought it was intransitive and the subject was 手紙, as you said. Is it not semantically possible to use the potential form? Is it because the letter doesn't have the possiblity for volition or something?

 

[Toritoribe]

1)
まとも【正面】の英語・英訳 - 和英辞書 - goo辞書

2)
Your interpretations are all correct. Especially, 入らない is almost always はいらない. いらず is often used for the negative of いる, as in a proverb 虎穴に入らずんば虎児を得ず, probably because いる is a bit classical. When necessary to express "possiblity", （手紙を）いれられる is used.

 

[eeky]

Does it mean that 連中の考えること is not まとも in the sense of "proper" or "right"?

 

[Toritoribe]

That's right.