Samuel
Ways to express "trying" in Japanese? Konnichiwa! I don't really understand the meaning of this form in Japanese, is the translation correct? To say: It was difficult, but I really tried hard to pass the test and in the end I succeeded. Muzukashikatta desu ga, watashi wa honto ni shiken ni gõkaku shiyõ to shite, saigo ni yarimashita. Also there is the -TE MIRU form, which means trying something for the first time right? Such as: "Tabete mite kudasai!" "Have a taste!" Arigatou gozaimasu!
Aug 29, 2019 1:17 PM
Answers · 6
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー An explanation for beginning learners ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ***1: ~てみる (have a try) It is a one-time action. An easily achievable thing. - おいしそうなので、ちょっと食べてみた。   (They actually ate it) - あの部屋は何だろう。興味があったので、戸を開けてみた。   (They actually opened the door) ****2: ~ようとする (try hard) It is not a one-time action, but continuous effort. Not an easily achievable thing. - 納豆はキライだ。ニオイが苦手だ。なんとか食べようとがんばった。でも無理だった。 (They haven't yet eaten NATTO) - 納豆はキライだ。でも食べてみた。でも結局吐いた。  (They ate NATTO but spit it out) - 泥棒が戸を開けようとしていた。 (The robber hasn't opened the door yet). ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー "Muzukashikatta desu ga, watashi wa honto ni shiken ni gõkaku shiyõ to shite, saigo ni yarimashita." 「難しかったですが、私はホントに試験に合格しようとして、最後にやりました!」 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー This sentence works. This makes sense. Although grammatically a little bit weird but not fatally mistaken, its meaning is unique and we wouldn't misunderstand it. it can be called "a natural colloquial Japanese", which often happens when native speakers speak without thinking, not in a formal situation but casual everyday life. (Yes, I sometimes speak like this ). e.g 「いや、ホント、マジ難しかったけど、でもホント合格したかったし、だから合格しようとして毎日すごいやって、で、最後はやった、やりましたよ、オレ」 「それ、合格したってこと?」 「うん、合格した」 ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー An explanation for high level learners ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ~てみる and ~ようとする can be used at the same time in one sentence. 1ヶ月前に骨折した。いま治療中。 a). この前、歩こうとしてみたけど、やっぱりダメだった。(まだ歩けない)。 b).この前、歩こうとしたけど、やっぱりダメだった。(まだ歩けない)。 c). この前、歩いてみたけど、やっぱりダメだった。(まだ【うまく】歩けない)。 d). この前、歩こうとしてみて、そしたら、少し歩けた! a) is not necessarily redundant. This means ~てみる and ~うとする function differently. **** What is ~ようとする? Aしようと、Bする - 試験に合格しようとがんばる。 - 戸を開けて中に入ろうとする - 穴から抜け出そうと必死であがく These sentence share the same structure. 'Do B' so that / in order to 'do A' (to be continued to the comment )
August 30, 2019
Good question! If you look up "to try" you'll likely find the two forms 〜てみる and 〜ようとする. Essentially, X〜てみる is saying "to do X and see what happens as a result" while X〜ようとする means "to make an effort to do X", so as you suggested, it's not appropriate for your example. Aside from the nuance, the major difference is that the result of X〜ようとする is unclear - that is, if you actually succeed(ed) or not in doing X. In particularly, in the past tense, the implication is that you *did not* manage to do it. So your example sentence doesn't work, since when using this structure in the past tense it can't have ended up in success. To express what you want to say there are a number of ways, depending on the level of literariness/formality you're going for. Here are a couple. The structure 〜た末・の末(read すえ) expresses a (usually positive) result after a long concerted effort or process, so it would work here: 難しかったですが、一週間大変勉強した末に、やっと試験に合格出来ました。Though it has a very formal ring to it. If you want to say it more informally, you could always just use 頑張る(がんばる): 一週間頑張って勉強して、試験に合格出来ました。The use of 出来る also emphasizes that you managed to do something as a result of your effort (you might even say 頑張って...Xが出来た is something of a structure meaning "I managed to do X after a great effort").
August 29, 2019
Your original answer is almost correct. Just a minor correct. Not yarimashita, but dekimashita is better to clear the fact that you succeeded. Te miru means, yes it means try to do.not only for the first time.
August 29, 2019
Still haven’t found your answers?
Write down your questions and let the native speakers help you!