☆NihonJack⇔日本ジャック☆コミュのEnglish 101:慣用語: 名詞·助詞·名詞

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名詞·助詞·名詞
(various meanings, see below)
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This idiom is more restricted than others.
The 助詞 is often "set" for a certain phrase:

TO: usually suggests interaction

1. face to face
I met him face to face yesterday.
(We met, not just talking by phone, etc.)

2. man to man
I'll fight you man to man!
(I'll fight you as one man against another.)

3. a friend to a friend
As a friend to a friend, I suggest you not smoke.
(We're both friends, please take my advice.)

AFTER: usually suggests continuity

4. day after day
It rained day after day!
(It rained for many days.)

5. student after student
Student after student failed the test.
(All students continued to fail the test.)

6. night after night
We partied night after night last summer.
(We partied for many nights in a row.)

BY: usually suggests small pieces making a group

7. house by house
I looked house by house for a good place to live.
(I checked many houses for a good place to live.)

8. brick by brick
I built my house brick by brick.
(I built my house from small efforts combined.)

9. inch by inch
Inch by inch, I reached my goal.
(I reached my goal by many small steps.)

10. bit by bit
I learned Japanese bit by bit.
(I learned Japanese by many small lessons.)

FOR: may suggest an exchange

11. dollar for dollar
It's a good deal, dollar for dollar.
(It's a good deal for that price.)

12. word for word
I followed his advice, word for word.
(I followed his advice exactly.)

13. tit for tat
It's tit for tat.
(I give you something, you give me something.)

*****

Notes:

Internal modification is possible, but is even more restricted. Examples follow. * means impossible.

It rained day after day.
It rained day after miserable day.
It rained miserable day after miserable day.
It rained miserable day after (*lovely) day.

day after day
* a day after a day
* the day after the day
* a day after the day

As mentioned, the 助詞 is limited:

They failed, student after student.
They failed, student *by student.
They failed, student *for student.
They failed, student *to student.

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Try it! ^^

コメント(5)

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[1] mixiユーザー 12月20日 01:49

Does anyone know if the above concept translates to Japanese? It seems like the kind of thing that would exist in the language, but...

[2] mixiユーザー 01月07日 08:44

I have been thinking about "prepositions" and " 助詞 (postpositions)" since the day
before yesterday.
A native English speaker automatically knows how prepositions are used.
At school, we learned that we can translate "at","on","in"etc. as "～に", "～上に", "～中に" etc.
When we speak Japanese, we don't think of which "助詞(postposition)" is used.
We naturally learn how to use the "助詞(postpositions)" while talking a lot.
So I have to speak English more so I can use "prepositions" properly.
Someday I will be able to recognise "something strange" when I make a mistake.

I'm sorry that I can't try it. Though, your explanation is so helpful for me.
Thank you.

[3] mixiユーザー 01月12日 22:34

Sounds good -- you'll learn them! One place to start is to try to "think in English" when speaking it. So without trying to translate, look at how those small words talk about what is happening. If you connect the word with an idea or a feeling, it will be easier, I think.

[4] mixiユーザー 01月14日 07:43

I understand. I'll try it.
In school, we learned a lot of idioms. We remembered them as a rule. But you have
shown me that is easier to remember them by imagining the prepositions
Thank you so much.

[5] mixiユーザー 01月14日 09:05

Sure. Another is,

V it up

(V it completely)

eat up the dinner
finish up the project
close up the store
tie up the bags
drink (it) up! [cheers!]
smash up the old PC
grow up
(be) fed up [be annoyed completely]
f--- it up [make mistakes completely]
read up about (topic)
write up (a report/contract/etc)

i would call these "particles" not "prepositions" because none involves directions like "up."

preposition:
The man climbed UP the mountain.
UP the mountain climbed the man.

particle:
the child ATE UP the cake
* UP the cake ate the child
(* is not possible)

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