Advanced Japanese Grammar: Humor, Context, and Emphasis

Expressing Concepts and Established Status with 「とする」 and 「とされる」

The grammar structure 「とする」 is used to describe the act of considering, treating, or regarding something as a specific state or category. When shifted into the passive form, 「とされる」, it indicates a widely held belief, a social norm, or a generally accepted fact.

For example, in Japan, the upbringing and education of children ($\text{子供のよういく}$) is considered to be the duty ($\text{親のぎむ}$) of the parents. This usage highlights expectations that are established within a society or a specific context.

Defining Fields of Expertise and Spatial-Temporal Ranges

The expression 「N にかけて(は)」 is employed when focusing on a specific attribute or field, often to indicate that a person possesses superior or extraordinary skills in that particular area.

An example of this is seen in the case of a person who has extraordinary ($\text{ひぼんな}$) talent specifically when it comes to calligraphy ($\text{書道}$, or shodou).

Furthermore, the variation 「N1 から N2 にかけて(は)」 is used to describe a range that extends across a space or a duration of time. For instance, from Street A ($A\text{通り}$) to Street B ($B\text{通り}$), festival lanterns ($\text{ちょうちん}$) have been decorated and displayed, indicating a continuous spread across that geographical area.

Emphasis through Extreme Examples with 「さえ」

The particle 「さえ」 serves to provide an extreme example to emphasize a point, implying that if the condition applies to that specific case, it certainly applies to others.

In the phrase 「ただでさえ」, it highlights an already existing state that is intensified by further circumstances. For example, since the teacher is strict even under normal conditions ($\text{ただでさえきびしい}$), it would be a major problem ($\text{大変だった}$) if cheating ($\text{カンニング}$) were discovered during an exam.

Another application involves emphasizing a situation by comparing it to a baseline. In a workplace context, even on weekdays ($\text{平日}$, or heijitsu) when there are few customers, there is a shortage of labor ($\text{人手不足}$, or hitode busoku); consequently, it was extremely difficult when student part-timers ($\text{アルバイトの学生}$) took a day off on a holiday ($\text{休日}$, or kyuujitsu).

The structure 「N(で)さえね〜ない」 is utilized to express that even the most basic or minimum level of something is not met. For instance, despite living in Japan for $3$ years, a person cannot even read hiragana ($\text{ひらがなされ読めない}$).

Trivialization and Surprise with 「なんて」, 「なんか」, and 「など」

The particles 「なんて」, 「なんか」, and 「など」 can be used to make light of something, suggesting it is trivial or unimportant. An example of this trivialization is the statement that anyone ($\text{だれでも}$) is capable of doing a task like cleaning ($\text{掃除}$, or souji).

When these particles follow the plain form ($\text{体 thg}$) of a verb or adjective, they express a sense of surprise followed by a personal evaluation or judgment. For instance, the idea of going on a trip twice in a single year ($1 \text{年} 2 \text{回も旅行}$) is described as being quite enviable ($\text{うらやましい}$).

Indicating Methods and Subjective Perceptions

The constructions 「ること/N ことで」 and 「ことによって」 are used to identify the means, method, or reason by which a specific outcome is achieved. For example, human beings naturally become close ($\text{親しくなるものだ}$) by way of speaking directly ($\text{ちょくせつ話すこと}$) with one another.

Finally, concepts related to internal feelings or appearances are expressed through 「ように感じられる」, 「感じる」, or 「思われる」. These terms are used to convey how something feels, how it is perceived, or what it seems to be from the perspective of the observer.