Doesn't mean......

Damicci · 3 Nov 2007

So I am trying to figure out how you would this:

Just because they don't say it doesn't mean they are not thinking it.
彼らは言わないのために、考えてないの意味しません

I'm pretty sure this is wrong but that was my attempt. It's been understood but I would like to know a more natural way of making these kind of statements.

The7thSamurai · 3 Nov 2007

Couple of errors I can see in your translation there. Firstly, you don't use の with verbs in the same way that you'd say 私の本. Secondly, ため means 'for the sake of' or 'because of'. So what you've got there looks something like 'because of they who won't say it, the meaning that he doesn't think'.

I would say something like:
彼らはそういうことを言っていないからといって考えていない訳ではない

Would take a native speaker to tell me if it's natural though.

Damicci · 3 Nov 2007

Yeah I thought that it was weird when I check with the online translator, but I don't have a reference for this kind of statement.
My original attempt：
彼らはそれと言ってないけど、それは考えない意味がありません。

I didn't know about わけではない、
Here there are 2 uses for "meaning" I have been confused about わけ for a long time.

Knowing that。。。
彼らはそういうことと言わないけど、それはそういうことを考えてないわけではない。「意味しません」

Now my 辞書 says
Signify = 意味する As in saying

Vagrant · 3 Nov 2007

This version of "mean" can be conveyed through the use of 訳/わけ.

彼がいたら行かないって訳なのか？
So you mean you won't go if he's going to be there?

To get "Doesn't necessarily mean that..." turn it into a negative through the use of ではない or whichever version of that you happen to be using.

テレビあまり見ないけど、全然見ないわけじゃない。
I don't watch television much, but that's not to say I never watch it at all.

As for your example, からといって is a phrase that gets across the particular "just because" that you want to use. It can be shortened to からって.

女だからって、甘く見ないで。
Don't take me lightly just because I'm a woman.

So, keeping those in mind, you should be able to refine your sentence a bit now, and it would end up looking similar to Bucko's example.

Damicci · 3 Nov 2007

Thanks guys I understand much better. I have no idea though where I could find such grammar points though.

So essentially I could say
彼らはそういうことと言わないからって、そういうことを考えてないわけではない。

わけではない seems very casual is there a polite way of saying this?

Vagrant · 3 Nov 2007

Sure. じゃありません works just as well.

www(dot)jgram(dot)org has examples and explanations for many things, categorized from the simple to the more complex relative to one of Japan's language proficiency tests.

If you can keep them in mind, there are many entries there that will make it much easier to express yourself.

moofs · 3 Nov 2007

You can also use とは限らない/限りません, which means:
"It is not necessarily the case that ____" or
"It does not mean that ____"

It is interchangeable with (という)わけではない/ではありません, with the former とは限らない/限りません being more formal.

Just because they don't say it doesn't mean they're not thinking it.
彼らは言わなくても、考えてないとは限らない。
彼らは言わなくても、考えてないというわけではない。

Short and sweet. =]

Other example sentences:

日本の高校生がみんな勉強ばかりしているとは限らない。
It's not necessarily the case that all Japanese high school students do nothing but study.

This expression is also very often used with 必ずしも
高いものが必ずしもみんなよいとは限らない。 (みんな here means 全部)
Expensive things are not necessarily good.

epigene · 3 Nov 2007

Damicci said:
Thanks guys I understand much better. I have no idea though where I could find such grammar points though.

So essentially I could say
彼らはそういうことと言わないからって、そういうことを考えてないわけではない。

わけではない seems very casual is there a polite way of saying this?

The polite way is simply わけではありません。

Elizabeth · 3 Nov 2007

moofs said:
You can also use とは限らない/限りません, which means:
"It is not necessarily the case that ____" or
"It does not mean that ____"

It is interchangeable with (という)わけではない/ではありません, with the former とは限らない/限りません being more formal.

Another way, albeit much less common in my experience, is ことはありません（ない）。

彼らは言わなけど、考えてないことはない。

Damicci · 5 Nov 2007

Elizabeth said:
Another way, albeit much less common in my experience, is ことはありません（ない）。

彼らは言わなけど、考えてないことはない。

AAAAA ELizabeth-san. I am watching a drama right now and the woman says
(Sorry no kanji for this pc:

dakaratte aishitenai koto dewa nai yo.

It doesn't mean he doesn't love you! if they see it in a drama i would think it's a pretty common phrase. right?

Elizabeth · 7 Nov 2007

Damicci said:
AAAAA ELizabeth-san. I am watching a drama right now and the woman says
(Sorry no kanji for this pc:

dakaratte aishitenai koto dewa nai yo.

It doesn't mean he doesn't love you! if they se it in a drama i would think it's a pretty common phrase. right?

Yeah, Damicci-san, in this case it's the same as だからって愛してないことはない、。。。愛してないということではない etc。

So if telling someone "he doesn't love you" isn't going over as you'd hoped , well you know all these ways now to shift course and back load at the last second with really, "it doesn't mean..."

Elizabeth · 26 Nov 2007

epigene said:
The polite way is simply わけではありません。

I'm not sure why I didn't think of the originally, but although わけにはいかない is often paired with からって to give the same nuance as all the above examples of "just because"..."doesn't necessarily follow that..."

Here, in conjunction with からって and 考えてない I would see as indicating that the speaker finds it impossible NOT to do the preceeding action. And hence fully negates the initial assumption in a way that shuts down the meaning and leads to a funny but completely illogical conclusion of this sentence. What a fascinating speciman of grammar.

彼らはそういうことと言わないからって、そういうことを考えてないわけにはいかない。???

Attempted translation : "Although I don't say it, I have no choice but to think it." ??? OR "Just because I don't say it doesn't mean I have to think it (I hate think to it but it is impossible not to....?).

Doesn't mean......

Damicci

先輩

The7thSamurai

Master of the Universe

Damicci

先輩

Vagrant

後輩

Damicci

先輩

Vagrant

後輩

moofs

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Elizabeth

先輩

Damicci

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

Elizabeth

先輩

Similar threads