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Sentence order regarding time

Davey

先輩
Contributor
5 Feb 2005
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Okay, I have a question about these 2 sentences:

うちに 7じごろ かえります。 きのうは かいしゃ から スミスさんの うちに いきましたから 11じ ごろ うちに かえりました。

Why is it that you have 7じごろ after うちに in the first sentence, while in the second sentence it is the other way 11じごろ before うちに ?

English translation in the books says.

He gets home about 7:00. last night he got home about 11:00 because he went from the office to Smiths' house.

(hope the question isn't to stupid
:p)
 
When you are stating time and place, you can mention whichever first, just depending on which one you want to emphasise.

うちに 7じごろ かえります。
you can also say
7じごろ うちに かえります。

The difference between the above two is almost nil, except that perhaps the 2nd sentence has slightly more emphasis on time (at seven) than the former sentence.

きのうは (かいしゃ から スミスさんの うちに いきましたから) 11 じ ごろ うちに かえりました。

きのうは 11じごろ うちに かえりました。
きのうは うちに 11じごろ かえりました。
Either will do.
(With the former sentence you are mainly talking about what time you got home, while the latter sentence is saying you are talking about it is home that you got at 11:00. But the difference between the two is not so big.)
 
そおか。 いま わかります ありがとう undrentide.
 
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