Japanese Supplementary Subordinate Clauses: XをYに

Last time, you learned compound verbs, e.g. “落おち着ついて今こん後ごのことを考かんがえよう (Let’s calm down and think about things in the future)” and “お茶ちゃを飲のみ干ほした (We drank down a glass of green tea).” By utilizing compound verbs, you can express actions in a more sophisticated way. Then, if you’d like to say, ”Let’s think about things in the future on the premise that I will change my job,” how should you do it? In this lesson, you will learn a way of expressing supplementary subordinate clauses by using particles.

Explanation for How the Irregular Sentence Pattern XをYに Works

The sentence pattern XをYに has only nouns with particles; however, it will certainly work as a supplementary subordinate clause in spite of the lack of predicates. For the sake of simplicity, you may roughly consider it as XをYにする which means “to change X to Y.”

Four Main Functions

XをYに basically expresses four things which are situations, reasons (aims), roles (functions), and possession. Although the usage is simple, multiple use of particles make sentences difficult to read. We will mark subordinate clause in color as below. With this sentence pattern, English translation doesn’t work well. Please focus on the original Japanese phrase XをYに [する].

Situations

The first function is to express situations which include time, space, and positions. If you reword the above example, it will be like, “このケーキを最後にして、ダイエットする (I will make this piece of cake the last one I eat and then I will be on a diet).” Here are more examples.

Reasons and Aims

The second function is to express reasons and aims. If we reword the above example, it will be like, “病気を言い訳にして、欠席した (I used sickness as an excuse and then I was absent).” Here are more examples.

Roles and Functions

The third function is to express roles and functions. If we reword the above example, it will be like, “田中さんをパートナーにして戦った (I got Tanaka-san as my partner and I fought something).” Here are more examples.

Possession

The fourth function is to express possession. Here, the interpretation is different from other ones. You need to consider XをYに as XをYに持（も）つ. Thus, if we reword the above example, it will be like, “花を片手に持って、待っていた (I had flowers in my hand and was waiting).” Here are more examples.

Related Compound Particle: として

We’d like to introduce a related compound particle which is として here because you can replace it with the に of XをYに. First of all, let us explain the basic function.

として: Standpoint and Capacity

The function is to indicate standpoints or capacities. This is the counterpart to “as” in English. If you combine は with として, you express your opinions while emphasizing that you are speaking as an individual position (*look at the fourth example).

There is a compound particle similar to the として + は, which is にとって. When you express your subjective opinions, にとって indicate whose concern it is like “for me.” In this context, words which indicate objective opinions such as “famous” and “popular” cannot be a predicate. It should be adjectives or nouns which indicate subjective opinions, e.g. “美味しい: delicious” and “宝物: treasure.”

として Works as Supplementary Subordinate Clauses

として is interchangeable with the に of XをYに only when it works as XをYにする. That is to say, you cannot use として when it works XをYに持つ.

Summary

1. XをYに indicates supplementary subordinate clauses.
2. When it indicates situations, reasons (aims), and roles (functions), XをYに works as XをYにする.
3. When it indicates possession, XをYに works as XをYに持つ.
4. として is interchangeable with the に of XをYに [する].

This may be the last lesson related to particles. When XをYに is used, there are several particles in a single sentence and learners often get confused with their functions. You have already learned all that you need to know in order to read such sentences. Please try to analyze each function one by one. You’ll definitely be able to figure them out. Next, you will learn Japanese interjection. That’s important to express your emotion.