電源を差せたみたいに

zuotengdazuo

Sempai

8 Dec 2019

830

19

• 14 Mar 2020

• #1

バッテリー残り二%のスマホにギリギリで電源を差せたみたいに、みるみる元気が湧いてくる。

Hi. Why is the potential form 差せた instead of the plain 差した used here? "We are able to plug it into a power source" sounds strange.
Thank you.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 14 Mar 2020

• #2

"As if I can barely do it (before the battery is completely dead)" doesn't make sense yet?

 

zuotengdazuo

Sempai

8 Dec 2019

830

19

• 14 Mar 2020

• Thread starter
• #3

Thank you. I forgot to include "as if" in my translation. It makes sense but it seems to me that "as if I managed to plug it into a power source" is better. Though I am not sure how to say "manage" in Japanese.

 

Toritoribe

松葉解禁

Moderator

Fifteen-year veteran

22 Feb 2008

18,266

4,926

• 14 Mar 2020

• #4

Yes, "to manage to do" is exactly what it means. The potential form is used for this meaning in Japanese; ギリギリで/なんとか/どうにか/かろうじて～できた.

 

zuotengdazuo

Sempai

8 Dec 2019

830

19

• 14 Mar 2020

• Thread starter
• #5

Thank you again. I wasn't aware of the nuance.