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Another odd phrase in my textbook, and a question about ~shika

fixelbrumpf

先輩
16 Sep 2003
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Hi, everyone. My finals are drawing near and I'm still unclear about the meaning of this sentence in my textbook: "mou osoi kara issho ni kaerou".

I take it "mou" probably means "again" in this case? I'm not really sure, frankly. What I really don't get is the placement of the "kara".
But then again, it could have the causal meaning in this case, right? If that's true, would "we're already late, so let's go home together" be the gist of the sentence? At least that's what my guts are telling me. Can "osoi" be used like that?

And here's my bonus question about ~shika meaning "only". "Biiru shika nonde imasu" or "Biiru wo shika nonde imasu", which is correct? In other words does "~shika" override the particle "wo"? It doesn't seem to override "ni".
Thanks a lot in advance.
 
fixelbrumpf said:
If that's true, would "we're already late, so let's go home together" be the gist of the sentence? At least that's what my guts are telling me. Can "osoi" be used like that?
Yes and yes.
おそい 遅い


《時刻が》late; 《動作などが》slow.

fixelbrumpf said:
And here's my bonus question about ~shika meaning "only". "Biiru shika nonde imasu" or "Biiru wo shika nonde imasu", which is correct? In other words does "~shika" override the particle "wo"? It doesn't seem to override "ni".
Thanks a lot in advance.
I don't remember at the moment, but I think しか always override the particles が and を. I'll have to check on that and let you know later, if no one else answers it before me.*

Now, there is one problem here with your examples, and that is that しか occurs only with negatives. So to say "I drink only beer" (actually, more like "I drink nothing but beer"), you would say ビールしか飲みません。

*[Edit]しか always overrides が and を, and sometimes に, as long as Xしか cannot be interpreted as a subject. It comes after all other particles (i.e. で, と, から, まで, etc.), and after quantifiers (i.e. 少ししか, etc.).
 
Oh, crap, I really forgot that ~shika requires the negative. Thanks a lot for reminding me. 😌
 
fixelbrumpf,

"Mou" here means "already", and "kara" means "because" or "since" or the causitive "so":

Mo osoi kara issho ni kaerou.

=

It's late, so let's go home together.
 
Buntaro said:
fixelbrumpf,

"Mou" here means "already", and "kara" means "because" or "since" or the causitive "so":

Mo osoi kara issho ni kaerou.

=

It's late, so let's go home together.
Except of course it should be mou -- mo being 'also' 'as well as' or 'and'. 😌
 
Konnichiwa fixelbrumpf-san!

Oh, crap, I really forgot that ~shika requires the negative.

If you want "only with affirmative", it is "dake".
"I drink only beer" is "わたしはビールだけ飲みます".

Nangi
 
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