-te oku, -mashou/ou

[Tomii515]

So, I just have a really quick question. Or I hope it'll be quick ^^;

Hmm so first: -te oku

I understand you use it for preperation for something in the future.

ex:

There's going to be a party. so...

"okashi o katte okimasu." -> ill buy some snacks (in preperation for the party)

so,mething like that, right?
I'm just confused with like how you knwo when to use it. is it only for something that ur preparing for because of something thats going to happen soon?

2: the -mashou form. likee "tabemashou" "lets eat"

so i knwo u shouldnt really try to translate anything from japanese to english, since most of the time it doesnt make sence, or things in japanese dont exist in engoish, or something. so i understand this form called for like an inviting action. but sometimes i see it in places (not with like special grammar, just like a normal sentence with the -mashou form at the end), but i dont understand what theyre trying to say, but i dont understand how it could be inviting and saying like "lets do pblah blah"

soo... is there an other meanings for this form (or its informal form)?


btw sorry for the slopy typing! im in a riush!!

thanks!!

yoroshiku onegaishimasu!!!

 

[Glenn]

〜ておく has two meanings, it seems.

1) Do something in advance for some purpose.
2) Leave something as is, or accept something as is.

う/ましょう is at its core a volitional form for volitional verbs, making them more volitional than they normally are. To put that in more plain language, いいことを教えてやろう is a bit stronger than いいことを教えてやる in terms of the speaker's volition (something like "I will" vs. "I'll," I would say).

It can, however, also be used conjecturally. This is where だろう comes from, and non-volitional verbs get this interpretation with it. For example, あいつならもう帰っていよう would be "he's probably already home." もうすぐ秋らしくなろう would be "it should be getting more like fall soon." These are probably older and more formal (thus, less common) than just using だろう.

To sum up, the only time the volitional interpretation is available is when the verb is volitional and the speaker is talking about his own actions. I hope that isn't too confusing.

 

[Tomii515]

Thanks! That really helped