Just starting reading, some sentence questions

[Elizabeth]

Petroclus:

When I want to talk about something volitional in the past, doing something with the intent of something else occuring, I usually end up using とき instead of たら. Although in some cases it works with uncontrollable, unexpected events as well.

As one example that I hope illustrates this accurately...

日本へいきたいのは恋人 (boyfriend) にあいたいからだ。(I want to go to Japan to meet my boyfriend).

東京に行った（いる）とき、恋人に会った。(When I went to Tokyo, I met my boyfriend). If I had changed toki to ittara, my impression would be instead that I happened to meet him there unplanned, by chance. Which would be nice and fun but quite strange.

英語だと、どちらも正しいし、意味も同じなのであまり、気にする必要はないと思いますね。

 

[Elizabeth]

By the way, また質問があれば聞いてくださいね。If you have any questions, please ask.

 

[patroclus]

Elizabeth, thanks, but let me see if I get it:

また質問があれば聞いてくださいね

That また is 亦 or 又?

Going to previous post...

日本 へ いきたい
I want to go to Japan. Ok

恋人 (boyfriend) に あいたい から だ
Because I want to meet my boyfriend.

When I first read it I thought the last word was "karada" (body, if not wrong). But I suppose it is "kara" and "da" (from desu).
But, although it is not the topic now.. I don't understand the "no wa" structure linking both sentences.. I think this "no wa" is to substantive the verb?

About the second sentence, I only not understand what you mean with "（いる）". without that, I have no problem. toki structure is -ta + toki, as I know.
te + iru is used to make continuing actions, and te + aru to express the result of an action. did I say something wrong?
Thanks!

 

[patroclus]

Mukade and Glenn, thanks. I think I get -tara now.

 

[patroclus]

Could anyone answer my question

When I first read it I thought the last word was "karada" (body, if not wrong). But I suppose it is "kara" and "da" (from desu).
But, although it is not the topic now.. I don't understand the "no wa" structure linking both sentences.. I think this "no wa" is to substantive the verb?

日本へいきたいのは恋人 (boyfriend) にあいたいからだ

The rest I worked out, but this one not.. thanks!

 

[Glenn]

It nominalized a verb phrase, which I think is what your question meant. So, "it is because I want to see my boyfriend that I want to go to Japan." The bold phrase is the のは phrase.

In this case "wanting to go to Japan" is being set up as a topic that's being commented on, so the speaker/writer assumes that the listener/reader has knowledge of their wanting to go to Japan, and is providing additional information. In this case, that information is the reason for wanting to go. Does that make sense?

 

[patroclus]

Yes, thank you.
By the way, could "no ga" be used? to set it as a subject, and not as topic, and so, not assuming the listener/reader has knowledge about it?

 

[Glenn]

I feel like it can't be, but I'll defer to someone else who may know better.

 

[undrentide]

Yes, thank you.
By the way, could "no ga" be used? to set it as a subject, and not as topic, and so, not assuming the listener/reader has knowledge about it?

No, you cannot replace "no wa" with "no ga".
A ...のは B....からだ
The particle が emphasises its preceding word/phrase/clause.
In this sentence, it is B which is the new information, which is the main thing you want to state because B is the reason for A.

I'm not very good at explaining things... hope the above makes sense.