paper said:Thanks Elizabeth! I saw examples of どうすると in the JFB textbook, but there was no translation, and I also don't remember seeing any explanation about どうすると. Here's one from the book:
どうすると開くんですか。
ボタンを押すと開きます。
Maybe I'm just not reading it correctly? :?
I think dou suru to mado wo akerun desuka? is not correct in this situation.paper said:If I want to say "how do I open the window?" are these correct?
窓をどう開けるんですか
どうすると窓を開けるんですか
And do these mean "how does the window open?"
窓はどう開くんですか
どうすると窓が開くんですか
If I want to say "how do I open the window?" are these correct?
窓をどう開けるんですか
どうすると窓を開けるんですか
And do these mean "how does the window open?"
窓はどう開くんですか
どうすると窓が開くんですか
Konnichiwa paper-san!
"窓をどう開けるんですか" is good, but "どうすると窓を開けるんですか" is not good.
I don't completely understand why わたしが/は どうやって窓は開けるんですか isn't acceptable, either. In the contrastive sense to distinguish the window from the door or refrig or curio or something.heys, sorry to interrupt. but why is it "<わたしは>どうすると窓を開けるんですか" not allowed?
The OP asked why you couldn't say わたしは>どうすると窓を開けるんですか and I adjusted it to わたしが どうやって窓を開けるんですか. Naturally you can leave off わたしが. Tori already made the other correction in another thread.わたしが どうやって窓を開けるんですか is grammatically allowable, but the emphasis is on "watasi", which makes the sentence quite strange. It sounds like "as for me, how do I open the window", which may imply that there are different ways for different people to open the window.
I believe a typical native like sentence would be 窓はどう開くんですか.
There is a tendency for foreigners to (over)use transitive verbs when often native speakers may choose intransitive ones in similar situations. (eg. 見つける ｖｓ 見つかる）
どうやってこの窓を開けるんですか？If I want to say "how do I open the window?" are these correct?
窓をどう開けるんですか
どうすると窓を開けるんですか
And do these mean "how does the window open?"
窓はどう開くんですか
どうすると窓が開くんですか
How does the window open ? sounds basically like it is a question of opening from the inside or outside or someone who has tried and can't figure it out intuitively. It depends not on politeness but on what you need to know.どうやってこの窓を開けるんですか？
is the most natural form for the situation "How do I open the window?" I added この because it is weird that someone doesn't know how to open a window. It sounds like the speaker has no experience with windows. This window in the sentence must be something new to the speaker (i.e. maybe it is a new type of window). By adding この it indicates the specific window. If there is no demonstrative pronoun, the meaning can also translate as "How do I open windows?"
この窓はどう開くんですか？
will be the most natural form for "How does the window open?"
The former sentence sounds more polite than the later.
How does the window open ? sounds basically like it is a question of opening from the inside or outside or someone who has tried and can't figure it out intuitively. It depends not on politeness but on what you need to know.
この窓 is a situation of standing in front of the window (This window). The window doesn't need a demonstrative pronoun in Japanese.
Well, we've had several native speakers respond to this thread and others like it who don't seem to agree with your logic. I talked with someone on the phone this morning without a pronoun who laughed at the theory at never having opened a window. If all parties understand what the speaker is referring to, 窓 alone is perfectly natural.Thanks for the replyWhat you are saying is correct but "The" can be translated as この, あの or その. Because in English, the phrase "How do I open the window?" can mean, "How do I open this/that window?" and I thought the second phrase is more natural.
Example 1
Paul went to his friend's house and he saw a strange window he never saw before. Then Paul asked his friend, "How do I open the window? どうやってこの（または、その、あの）窓を開けるの？ "
Example 2
Paul is a 3-year-old boy. He wanted to open a window, but he doesn't know how to because he never has, and he asked his mom, "How do I open a window? どうやって窓を開けるの？"
If you don't put a demonstrative, before window, whatever the situation it will sound like Example 2, where the speaker doesn't know how to open it. That is why I put the demonstrative there. Sorry I know this may not relate to the thread directly but I thought it was important.
Elizabeth,Well, we've had several native speakers respond to this thread and others like it who don't seem to agree with your logic. I talked with someone on the phone this morning without a pronoun who laughed at the theory at never having opened a window. If all parties understand what the speaker is referring to, 窓 alone is perfectly natural.
No, problem. I understand now you didn't come in and tell everyone else they were wrong.Elizabeth,
I am a native Japanese speaker too. I agree that people will understand the meaning of the phrase without demonstratives (and also the sentence is correct) but as a native Japanese speaker, it sounds more natural with the demonstrative. I know that many non native speakers tends to speak Japanese without demonstratives but sometimes it sounds unnatural. Where there is rule, there is exception. This window example is one of them too I guess. Even if the listeners knows the specific window the speaker is referring to, 窓をどうやって開けるの？ still sounds like "How do I open a window?" at least to me.:?