も: how best to translate?

[xminus1]

Hello!

I have a question about this sentence:

昼の桜もいいですが、夜の桜もとても綺麗です。​

​

I've bolded the もs, which I am particularly interested in.

It seems to me the もs are being used correlatively, to emphasize a comparison between cherry blossoms during the day and at night.

The second も can easily be rendered "also" or "too", (I think), but what is the best translation for the first も?

Thank you!

 

[bentenmusume]

Are you specifically asking a translation question or are you unsure about the meaning/nuance of the first も?

I mean, this is just the basic "even/also/in addition to" meaning of も. The use of も doesn't map 1-to-1 to the English "too", because it can be used in cases where no explicit parallel example has been given to suggest that you did other things in addition to that, i.e.

イタリア旅行は楽しかったですよ！美味しいものもいっぱい食べたし、友達にもたくさん会いました。

In English, you'd just say, "I had a lot of fun in Italy! I ate a lot of delicious food, and I met a lot of my friends, too!" but in Japanese, you can stick the も on both elements to emphasize that they're in addition to other things. The first も doesn't necessarily show up in an idiomatic English translation, but the meaning is quite clear, I think.

That said, in your example, there are plenty of ways to convey it in translation I think.

"Cherry blossoms by day are nice, too, but they're really beautiful at night as well!" or what have you.

 

[xminus1]

Hi, bentenmusume-san!

The use of も doesn't map 1-to-1 to the English "too", because it can be used in cases where no explicit parallel example has been given....The first も doesn't necessarily show up in an idiomatic English translation

This, (as illustrated by my own emphasis of your response), is exactly what I was wondering, and you answered my question to perfection.

Thank you so much!