Let’s learn Japanese with Mitsuha’s quote from Your Name (君の名は, Kimi no Na wa).
CONTENTS
Video
Mitsuha’s Quote
Japanese: 確かなことが一つだけある。私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる。
Romaji: tashika na koto ga hitotsu dake aru. watashitachi wa aeba zettai suguni wakaru.
English: One thing is certain. If we see each other, we’ll definitely know.
Analysis
確かなことが一つだけある
確か is a na-adjective meaning “certain”, modifying the noun こと meaning “thing”. When a na-adjective modifies the following noun, the hiragana な should be attached. That’s why it’s called a “na” adjective. So 確かなこと means “certain thing” or “something certain”.
Something (noun) が (particle) ある (verb) means “something exists” or “there is something”.
And you can add the quantities between が and ある. In this case, the quantity is 一つ. The numeral in kanji read as ひと represents “one” and it’s followed by the counter suffix つ which is used to count general things or abstract things.
And it’s followed by だけ (particle) meaning “only” so 確かなことが一つだけある means “there is only one certain thing”.
私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる.
私たち (pronoun) means “we”.
The は particle shows the preceding word 私たち is the topic in this sentence.
会えば means “if (we) meet”. It’s the conditional form of the verb 会う meaning “to meet”. To make a verb conditional form, take the plain form of the verb and switch the last hiragana which is from the う-line to the え-line （う→え）and attach ば. So the conditional form of 会う is 会えば.
絶対 (adverb) means “definitely”.
すぐに (adverb) means “immediately”.
わかる (verb) means “to know, find out or figure out” used when you finally understand something or someone.
There are two adverbs in a row followed by the verb, but each adverb affects different things. すぐに (immediately) simply modifies the following verb わかる which makes “(we’ll) know immediately”. And 絶対 (definitely) affects the whole すぐにわかる part so it’s like “it is definite that we’ll know immediately”.
So 私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる directly means “if we meet, it is definite that we’ll know immediately”.
すぐに can be replaced with すぐ when used to mean “immediately” or “soon”.
着いたらすぐ／すぐに電話して。
Call me as soon as you arrive.
すぐ can also express “short distance”. In this usage, it cannot be replaced with すぐに.
駅はすぐ（
すぐに）そこです。The station is right there.
Examples
こと (“thing” that is abstract and intangible)
今日は、やることがたくさんある。
kyō wa, yaru koto ga takusan aru.
Today, I have many things to do.
今日一番嬉しかったことは何ですか。
kyō ichiban ureshikatta koto wa nan desu ka.
What made you happiest today?
嫌なことは忘れて、楽しもう。
iya na koto wa wasurete, tanoshimō.
Forget about bad things and let’s enjoy.
Noun + が + Quantities + ある (there is/are)
冷蔵庫にゆで卵が一個ある。
reizōko ni yudetamago ga ikko aru.
There is one boiled egg in the refrigerator.
約束してほしいことが二つある。
yakusoku shite hoshii koto ga futatsu aru.
There are two things that I want you to promise.
読みたい本がたくさんある。
yomitai hon ga takusan aru.
There are many books that I want to read.
Verb Conditional ば (if)
この道をまっすぐ行けば、駅に着きますよ。
kono michi o massugu ikeba, eki ni tsukimasu yo.
If you go straight this way, you’ll reach the station.
早く寝れば、早く起きられる。
hayaku nereba, hayaku okirareru.
If you go to bed early, you can wake up early.
明日までにレポートを提出すれば、問題ない。
ashita made ni repōto o teishutsu sureba, mondai nai.
If you submit the report by tomorrow, you won’t have any problems.
ば conditional sentences have the following rules.
- it’s used to express general truths, constant results, hypothetical conditions, and proverbs
春が来れば桜が咲く (general truth/constant result)
If the spring comes, cherry blossoms will bloom.
仕事が早く終われば行きます (hypothetical condition)
If I finish work early, I’ll go.
住めば都 (proverb)
Home is where you make it (directly: once you live, it’s the city).
- the predicate in the main clause cannot be the speaker’s volition, invitations, requests, commands, etc.
Except:
– when the subject is different in each clause
– when the if-clause has a stative predicate such as adjectives, stative verbs (ある, いる, できる, etc), potential verbs, etc.[WRONG] 駅に着けば、電話してください (request)
If you arrive at the station, please call me.
※着いたら is OK（駅に着いたら電話してください）
彼女が望めば（僕は）結婚したい (different subject in each clause)
If she wants, I want to marry her.
寒ければ暖房をつけてください (stative predicate in the if-clause)
If you are cold, please turn on the heater.
- it cannot be used for the single factual event in the past. However, it can be used for the habitual event or counterfactual event in the past
[WRONG] 昨日、家に帰れば、母がお茶を淹れてくれた (single factual event)
When I went home yesterday, my mother made me some tea.
※帰ったら is OK（昨日、家に帰ったら、母がお茶を淹れてくれた）
家に帰れば、母がいつもお茶を淹れてくれた (habitual event)
When I went home, my mother always used to make me some tea.
もっと安ければ買った (counterfactual event)
If it had been cheaper, I would have bought it.
わかる (to know/find out/figure out)
一目見てすぐに偽物だとわかった。
hitome mite sugu ni nisemono da to wakatta.
As soon as I took a glance at it, I found out it was fake.
今週末、何するの？ – まだわからない。
konshūmatsu, nani suru no? – mada wakaranai.
What are you going to do this weekend? – I’m not sure yet.
そんな簡単なことは、ネットで調べればわかる。
sonna kantan na koto wa, netto de shirabereba wakaru.
If you look it up on the internet, you can find out such an easy thing.
Support Easy Peasy Japanesey
If you enjoy our content, please consider supporting Easy Peasy Japanesey. Your support will help keep us going. Thanks for all your support!
I couldnt be more thankful!!!!!!! This is a dream website!!! Keep doing we are learning witha big joy!!!:)
Glad you liked our website! Thanks so much for your comment, Maria-san!
Arigatou gozaimasu.. totemo jouzuna
Douitashimashite 🙂 Thanks for your comment!