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だからこそがんばってください！
Dakara koso ganbatte kudasai!
This is why you should do your best!
Approximately くらい
くらい (or sometimes ぐらい in causal speech) means 'approximately', 'about' or 'around'.
NUMBER (COUNTER) + くらい
I'll arrive in about 5 minutes.
あとごふんくらいでつきます。
Ato go fun kurai de tsukimasu.
I want around five.
いつつくらいがほしい。
Itsutsu kurai ga hoshii.
I took around 20 pictures.
しゃしんをにじゅうまいくらいとりました。
Shashin o nijuu mai kurai torimashita.
VERB + くらい
I love curry. I would eat it about everyday.
カレーがだいすきでまいにちたべたいくらいだ。
Karee ga daisuki de mainichi tabetai kurai da.
NOUN + くらい
This is somewhat an easy job, anyone can do it.
こんなかんたんなおしごとくらい、だれでもできる。
Konna kantanna oshigoto kurai, dare demo dekiru.
な-ADJ + くらい
I am so tired that around 5 days of rest is needed.
ごれんきゅうがひつようなくらいつかれています。
Go renkyuu ga hitsuyouna kurai tsukareteimasu.
い-ADJ + くらい
くらい is used to describe an approximate quantity or amount. It expresses time duration, distance, length and quantity.
Around how many students are there at your school?
あなたのがっこうのせいとすうはどのぐらいですか？
Anata no gakkou no seitosuu wa dono gurai desu ka?
くらい: expressing low degree
Let me at least buy you a coffee.
コーヒーぐらい、おごらせてよ。
Koohii gurai, ogorasete yo.
This game is at least a way to pass time.
このゲームはひまつぶしぐらいにはなる。
Kono geemu wa himatsubushi gurai ni hanaru.
くらい: expressing high degree
there is no better place to relax than your own room.
じぶんのへやぐらいおちつくばしょはない。
Jibun no heya gurai ochitsuku basho wa nai.
どのぐらい to ask the time duration
どのぐらい is used to ask about time duration, how long.
How long does it take to go from Osaka to Kamakura?
おおさかからかまくらまでどのぐらいかかりますか？
Oosaka kara Kamakura made dono gurai kakarimasu ka?
It takes about 5 hours by train.
でんしゃでごじかんぐらいかかります。
Densha de go ji kan gurai kakarimasu.
You can also use this expression to ask about an amount of something.
Approximately how much can you afford?
だいたいどのぐらいのねだんでいけますか？
Daitai dono gurai no nedan de ikemasu ka?
We add の when どのぐらい is followed by a noun.
You can use it to ask to what extend.
To what extend is she a person you can trust?
かのじょはどのぐらいしんようできるひとですか？
Kanojo wa dono gurai shinyou dekiru hito desu ka?
おなじぐらい means 'approximately the same amount'.
They are about the same size.
それはだいたいおなじぐらいのおおきさだ。
Sore wa daitai onaji gurai no ookisa da.
Other examples with くらい:
How many water bottles should I prepare?
おみずはなんぼんぐらいよういすればいいですか？
Omizu wa nanbon gurai youi sureba ii desu ka?
ほん (in なんぼん) is the counter for long things, such as bottles.
The sound is so low that you can't hear it.
きこえないぐらいちいさいおとだ。
Kikoenai gurai chiisai oto da.
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Due to によって
The expression によって means 'depends on', 'based on' or 'by the means of'. It is the 〜て form of the verb による. We will see it more in its 〜て form. It is used to refer to something that was said by someone (based on) or something that depends on some other event (depends on).
によって is formed by the particle に and the godan verb よる, which means 'due to' or 'according to'.
によって (or により or による) follows the noun that you want to indicate as the cause or origin on which the situation depends.
によって uses the 〜て form of よる and is usually placed before the comma.
により uses the conjunctive form of による and is placed before a comma to connect two sentences.
による is the dictionary form of the verb, generally found at the end of the sentence.
NOUN + によって
NOUN + により + 、
NOUN + による + 。
Indication of a cause or reason
によって can explain the cause or reason of a certain event.
Because of fires, a lot of forests burned down.
かじによっておおくのしんりんがやけてしまった。
Kaji niyotte ooku no shinrin ga yaketeshimatta.
In this sentence, によって explains the reason of an event in an objective way, without emphasis. This structure will be found mostly in formal written reports, not so much in spoken language.
Indication of something depending on something else
The most common spoken usage of によって is to say that something depends on something else.
Lifestyles vary depending on the country.
せいかつしゅうかんはくにによってちがう。
Seikatsu shuukan wa kuni niyotte chigau.
Indication of a method used
によって can be used to indicate a method with which something was done. A bit like the instrumental particle で, によって will be used mostly with non-physical objects.
To know the news of the world through the Internet.
インターネットによりせいかいのニュースをしる。
Intaanetto niyori seikai no nyuusu wo shiru.
Let's decide by vote.
とうひょうによってきめよう。
Touhyou niyotte kimeyou.
によって in passive sentences
によって can be used in passive sentences to indicate who did the action.
This work was done by Rika-chan.
そのしごとはりかちゃんによってなされました。
Sono shigoto wa Rika-chan niyotte nasaremashita.
Other examples:
Opinions will be different according to the person.
ひとによってかんがえがちがいます。
Hito niyotte kangae ga chigaimasu.
I will decide based upon the price of that car.
そのくるまのねだんによって、きめます。
Sono kuruma no nedan niyotte, kimemasu.
The colour chosen depends on preference.
なんいろをえらぶかはこのみによる。
Nan iro o erabu ka wa konomi niyoru.
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For sure こそ
こそ is viewed a little bit like a particle, because it is used to give more emphasis on the noun that precedes it, making it the central element of a sentence.
In many cases, こそ can replace the particles が and を to put more emphasis on a certain noun, which most of the time will be the subject or object.
こそ cannot replace the particle は, since は already gives an emphasis on the subject.
こそ has no meaning in itself. It is only there to give more emphasis on a word. Thus, we cannot really translate this word into English.
This is exactly what I was looking for.
これこそさがしていたものです。
Kore koso sagashiteita mono desu.
In this sentence, you could translate it as 'exactly'. Since the emphasis is on これ, this will show us that the object is really what you have been searching for.
Today is the day that I win!
きょうこそかつ！
Kyou koso katsu!
Here, the emphasis is put on きょう, which we can now guess that this person lost all the other days, but today is the day.
The expression からこそ
You highly probably heard of this expression. We can translate this as 'precisely because'.
VERB + から + こそ
NOUN + だ + から + こそ
This is precisely because I have worked so hard that I have become the best. (Like no one even was!)
まいにちどりょくをしたからこそ、 いちばんになれたぞ。
Mainichi doryoku o shita kara koso, ichiban ni nareta zo.
Here, it emphases the main reason why this person became the best. There are probably other reasons, but we can guess that the main reason why is because this person worked hard everyday.
ばこそ : just because
This expression is used with the hypothetical verb form 〜ば. Adding こそ will give off a subjective opinion on the reason that leads to a certain result.
VERB ば + こそ
い-ADJ ば + こそ
な-ADJ + であれば + こそ
NOUN + であればこそ
Phrase + 。+ であれば + こそ + Phrase
This is precisely because there are sad moments that there are also happy ones.
かなしみがあればこそ、よろこびもある。
Kanashimi ga areba koso, yorokobi mo aru.
てこそ : just because
This expression will be used with the 〜て form of verbs. This indicates that the action indicated by the preceding verb is absolutely necessary for what happens next. In this case, it can be translated as 'only if'.
Only by becoming president may you understand the responsibility of one.
しゃちょうになってこそ、しゃちょうのくろうがわかる。
Shachou ni natte koso, shachou no kurou ga wakaru.
Another good example:
No no, it is me who thank you.
いいえ、わたしこそありがとうございます。
Iie, watashi koso arigatou gozaimasu.
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At this point, as is まま
You might have heard このままじゃ which is an expression meaning 'at this point'.
At this point, we will lose the game.
このままじゃゲームをまける。
Kono mama ja geemu o makeru.
まま can have a lot of other meanings in Japanese. It is difficult to translate this word yet again, because of its different meanings.
Form 1: verb (past tense) + まま
You can't study while (being) asleep.
ねたままべんきょうできない。
Neta mama benkyou dekinai.
In this structure, まま means that something is 'as is', meaning that the person did not wake up. They stayed in a state of sleep.
Yoshisuke got out with his hair still wet.
よしすけはかみのげがぬれたままでかけました。
Yoshisuke wa kami no ge ga nureta mama dekakemashita.
In this sentence, Yoshisuke did not dry his hair before going out. He went out with his hair 'as is'.
Form 2: verb (past tense) + ままにする
This form is somewhat related to the first form, meaning that something will stay as is, but we add にする to express a choice or to make something occur.
Please leave the door open.
ドアをあけたままにしてください。
Doa o aketa mama ni shite kudasai.
In this sentence, you want the door to remain open. You want the person to leave the door 'as is'.
Form 3: demonstrative pronouns + まま
Going back to my very first example on the subject, using a demonstrative pronoun and まま will change the meaning into 'at this rate' or 'at this point'. This is probably the more common way まま is used.
At this rate, it will not go smoothly.
このままではうまくいかない。
Kono mama de wa umaku ikanai.
では in this case will be used as the verb is in the negative and will give a feeling that if things change, it could go smoothly.
Things are okay like this.
そのままでいいです。
Sono mama de ii desu.
Let's stay together like this.
このままいっしょにいよう。
Kono mama issho ni iyou.
Form 4: noun + の + まま
This structure has the same meaning as the previous ones with the verbs in the past tense, but this one will be applied to noun.
I am fine with staying as a teacher.
せんせいのままでいい。
Sensei no mama de ii.
So, there are two main meanings of まま, 'as is' and 'at this rate'.
Other examples:
I want to stay young forever.
わたしはいつまでもわかいままでいたいです。
Watashi wa itsumademo wakai mama de itai desu.
Careful! The iron is still hot.
あぶない！ てつはまだあついままです。
Abunai! Tetsu wa mada atsui mama desu.
あぶない means 'dangerous', but in this case, we mean it as 'be careful'.
Please wait without hanging the phone.
でんわをきらずにそのまままってください。
Denwa o kirazu ni sono mama matte kudasai.
Don't give up! If you keep studying like this, you will succeed in the end.
あきらめるな！このままべんきょうすれば、さいごにはたいこうするでしょう。
Akirameru na! Kono mama benkyou sureba, saigo ni wa taikou suru deshou.
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You have completed lesson 29!
レッシュン29ができた！
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