Ask-a-Teacher Question

<< more questions for course 1

Question to Student: can NARU ever take a direct object?

doneric

Post Date: 2021-07-11 15:42:15

save to notebook

saved questions

member since
2019 Sep 02

Questions: 1
Comments: 2

in lesson 5 in my book 4 (which corresponds to lesson on the website) there's this sentence: DOUYATTE NIHONGO *WO* JOUZU NI NARIMASUKA. (How do I become skilled in Japanese?)
I would expect it to be DOUYATTE NIHONGO *GA* JOUZU NI NARIMASUKA. NARU I know is an intransitive verb, so it can't have a direct object. But WO/ O is the direct object marker. So what am I missing? Or is it a mistake in the book?

Was this question helpful to you?

Jose7822

Post Date: 2021-08-17 13:12:45

member since
2021 Feb 28

Questions: 1
Comments: 36

This is one of those verbs you just have to memorize the particle it attaches to (に in this case). I believe there’s an explanation in a previous JFZ book or video (but I’m not sure since I study from many different sources) that suggests thinking about NARU as a direction for the thing you (or whoever/whatever) are becoming. I know it’s probably not the answer you were looking for, but hopefully it helps a little. Maybe someone else has a better explanation for it.

Take care!