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Where's the verb? 2007/8/15 18:24
"を" marks the object, that I can undersdand.

But there are sentences where there's an object without a verb.

For example, I've seen an advertisement where was written:

"この人が私を?" (kono hito ga watashi wo?)

Where's the verb? How can you have an object without a verb?

What does that sentence mean?
by Verred  

... 2007/8/16 08:39
What does that sentence mean?
It depends on the context. In Japanese, verbs (and subjects) are often omitted when speakers and listners clearly understand what it stands for.
by J Lady rate this post as useful

... 2007/8/16 09:37
This sentence, or a part of it, has the subject ("kono hito") and the object ("me"), but lacks the verb. It's like:
- This person? me??
You might see something in English like:
- What? Me??

It's one of those ads that make you *look* (see, it got your attention, right?) by intentionally making it a bit puzzling. I don't know the context, but maybe it was an ad for an employment agency or a dating agency... my guess is that "This person likes me?! or "This person prefers me?" "This person is interested in me?" kind of thing. May I know where you saw it?
by AK rate this post as useful

... 2007/8/16 16:07
It was an ad on yahoo.co.jp that led to a wedsite that was about dating and marriage and things like that.

Maybe it explains that ad, but I still don't fully understand it...

Am I supposed to guess the verb?

Here's another example:

晴れるわけでもない空を

(hareru wake demo nai sora wo)

(it's a line from Soraai by Every Little Thing)

What does that mean?

I've tried to find the verb in the rest of the lines, and haven't found it. There isn't a verb....

btw, could you explain the ''wake demo nai'' part?
by Verred rate this post as useful

... 2007/8/16 16:24
Well, with the ad, it got your attention, right? And that's the purpose of an ad :) Suppose you saw a line in English that went "That gorgeous hunk? Me?" (sorry for the stupid example), wouldn't you guess the rest of the sentence as "That hunk likes me?" "That hunk is interested in me?"even though it might be followed by "no way..." lol The same goes for Japanese ads/lines as well. Context provides clues to the meaning.

晴れるわけでもない 空を = The sky that is never going to turn sunny

Now this one is a phrase. The whole "hareru wake demo nai" describes the "sky." and "wo" tells me it is an object. "... wake demo nai" is something like "it's not going to (do something)," with somewhat of a sense of resignation. I imagine that somewhere in the lyrics there could be a verb like "miteiru (I'm looking at)," "matte iru (I am waiting)," etc. Or maybe that's the hidden sentiment, maybe the verb is not there. But lyrics are like poems :)
by AK rate this post as useful

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