A Lesson on Time and Place of an Action (時点・場面) for 中・上級 Students

[KyleGoetz]

Again from the same book and translated by me (with some help from supperman and masaegu!).

時点・場面 Time and Place of Action

２級
〜折
〜際
〜に際して
〜にあたって
〜ところ
〜かける
〜うちに
〜最中
〜において
１級
〜にあって

===〜折===
It means "when ~" but can have the implication of a good opportunity for something. Therefore do not follow it with a negative-sounding verb.

Examples:
先月北海道に行った折、偶然昔の友達に会った。
When I went to Hokkaido last month, I ran into an old friend by chance.

寒さ厳しい折から、くれぐれもお体を大切にしてくださ い。
The coldness is brutal, so take care of your body.

===〜際===
Means the same thing as 〜時に.

Examples:
非常の際はエレベーターを使わずに、階段をご利用くだ さい。
When there is an emergency, please use the stairs and not the elevator.

申込用紙は３月１日までにお送りください。その際、返 信用封筒を忘れずに同封してください。
Please send your application materials by March 1. At that time, please do not forget to put your return envelope in the same envelope.

連体修飾型＋際に (don't often use negatives or adjectives)

===〜に際して===
"When you do ~" or "At the time you start to do some action" or "At the time you are doing some action."

Use after the dictionary form of a verb or the pre-する part of a する verb.

Examples:
来日に際していろいろな方のお世話になった。
When I came to Japan, many people took care of me.

「お二人の人生の門出に際して、ひとことお祝いの言葉 を申し上げます。」
When two people start their life together, one says some celebratory words.

===〜にあたって===
"When you do ~"
Used when you want to talk about an active approach taken regarding a special time.

Dictionary form/noun+あたって

Examples:
「新学期にあたって、皆さんに言っておきたいことがあ ります。」
"In the new semester, there is something I want to say to everyone."

研究発表をするにあたって、しっかり準備をすることが 必要だ。
When you give a research presentation, it is necessary to steadily prepare [for it].

===〜ところ・〜ところだ===
Expresses the stage in the carrying out of an action.
You use it with past, present progressive, and slightly future verb conjugations. Then, depending on which particle the subsequent verb takes, you follow ところ with を／に／へ／で for example.

Examples:
「もしもし、今空港に着いたところです。今からそちら に行きます。」
"Hello. I've just arrived at the airport. I'm leaving for where you are now."

家を出るところを母に呼びとめられ、いろいろ用事を頼 まれた。
I shouted to my mom that I was about to leave the house, and I was given a number of chores to do [lit. I was asked to do various tasks].

===〜かける・〜かけの・〜かけだ===
Used when in a state of having begun some action but not finished it.

Usage: pre-masu form + かける

Examples:
席に座ると列車はすぐに動き出した。わたしは雑誌を読 みかけて、そのままうとうと寝込んでしまった。
When I sat in the seat, the train started moving. No sooner had I begun reading a magazine then I fell fast asleep [like that].

別れる時、マリは何か言いかけたが、すぐに下に向いて しまった。
When we split up, Mari began to say something, but she quickly looked down [implication: in shame/shyness].

===〜うちに===
"While doing ~"
Used when you want to say that, while ~ was occuring, some change took place.

~ is a continuous action of some sort, but it does not have to be ている form.

Examples:
今は上手に話せなくても練習を重ねるうちに上手になり ます。
Even though you cannot speak skillfully right now, while making practice important, you will get better.

友達に誘われて何回か山登りをしているうちに、わたし もすっかり山が好きになった。
I went mountain climbing a number of times by invitation of a friend, and while doing so I also came to like mountains.

===〜最中（に）・〜最中だ===
"right in the middle of ~"

Usage: ている form or noun + 最中

Examples:
新入社員の小林さんは、会議の最中に居眠りを始めてし まった。
New employee Kobayashi, right in the middle of a meeting, fell fast asleep.

来年度の行事日程については、今見当している最中です 。
Right now, I am only guessing at next year's event schedule.

===〜において・〜における===
Indicates the place or situation of an occurrence. Think of it as で or に.

Structure: Noun＋において

Examples:
式典はＡ会館において行われる予定。
The ceremony is scheduled to be held in Building A.

この植物は、ある一定の環境においてしか花を咲かせな い。
This plant will only grow flowers in some set environment.

===〜にあって===
Basically the same meaning as に／で to indicate being in the midst of a situation/state.

Usage: Noun＋にあって

Examples:
今、Ａ国は経済成長期にあって、人々の表情も生き生き としている。
Now, in this period of sustained economic growth, even people's facial expressions are lively/cheerful.

数学は高度情報社会にあって、必要な教養となっている 。
Math is becoming, in this advanced information[-based] society, a necessary [educational] accomplishment.

[YuriTokoro]

Hi, KyleGoetz.

I was surprised to see you studying Japanese so hard!

By the way, I have never said あたって myself.
The word is official and formal.
And I have found it in a translated text of “U.S. President Barack Obama's inaugural address on January 20, 2009”.
I think you might have fun reading this:

“ この国の偉大さをもう一度ことほぐにあたって、偉大さ は決してはじめから与えられるものではないことを私た ちは理解しています。 ”を含む例文全文：英辞郎 on the WEB：スペースアルク

[masaegu]

Originally Posted by KyleGoetz

「お二人の人生の門出に際して、ひとことお祝いの言葉 を申し上げます。」
When two people start their life together, one says some celebratory words.

two people >>> the two of you
one >>> I

This is what you say at the beginning of your congratulatory speech at a wedding party.

家を出るところを母に呼びとめられ、いろいろ用事を頼 まれた。
I shouted to my mom that I was about to leave the house, and I was given a number of chores to do [lit. I was asked to do various tasks].

The speaker did not shout; His/Her Mom did when s/he was leaving.

呼びとめられ = Passive Voice

今は上手に話せなくても練習を重ねるうちに上手になり ます。
Even though you cannot speak skillfully right now, while making practice important, you will get better.

"while making practice important"?? Where do you get "important"?

来年度の行事日程については、今見当している最中です 。
Right now, I am only guessing at next year's event schedule.

Doesn't make sense. Did it say 見当, and not 検討?

[KyleGoetz]

Thank you for the corrections.

Originally Posted by masaegu

"while making practice important"?? Where do you get "important"?

A mistaken reading of 重ねる as being a synonym of something like 重要にする. I notice now that it means more like "piling on" or something.

Doesn't make sense. Did it say 見当, and not 検討?

Whoops! I guess I transcribed the Japanese wrongly, and then I read my transcription when translating. It did say 検討. Nice catch. Thank you. It was one of the tougher things for me to understand and translation, so now I have an excuse

@YuriTokoro: 最近の不景気によって失業中なのでひまなんです