"田中さんにドアをしめてとたのみます。"
Translation:I ask Mr. Tanaka to close the door.
40 CommentsThis discussion is locked.
826
Technically speaking though, さん doesn't directly translate into Mr/Mrs/Ms; you could use it in scenarios where Western titles like that wouldn't make much sense. So I think that just "Tanaka" should be accepted in this instance.
Also, reported it, but for some reason even though it suggests Mr/Mrs/Ms on hover, Duo only accepts "Mr" right now for this specific question...
Imagine a situation where this sentence could be used, for example, it's a meeting. Tanaka is late. He enters the room and leaves the door open. In this situation, if address Tanaka, you are likely to say: 田中さん、ドアを閉めてください。 But before you would say that, you would probably think first: 田中さんに"ドアを閉めて"と頼みます。 - I'll ask Tanaka to close the door.
1212
You're both right "ドアをしめて" is reported speech - it's what the three speaker is asking 田中さん to do and しめてis in imperative form because the speaker is asking たな加算to do something for them.
1212
Duo seems to prefer close to shut. We just need to keep reporting it until they change it to accept both.
1008
The present simple implies "I (hereby) ask . . ." or "I (habitually) ask . . ." so the correct translation here should surely be "I'll ask . . ." (will or shall is a more difficult question).
1212
OK, it's just that you seemed to imply that you didn't realise that when you said in brackets that "will or shall is a more difficult question"
1008
No, I realize that there are people like you who think so, and I fall somewhere in the middle. I mean yes will is used for predictions, and is therefore usually technically incorrect for the intended first-person singular meaning, sounding irresponsible and such, but there are also exceptions. Hence I recommend to use I'll instead of I will or I shall. Too many ignorant people on both sides . . .
1212
SeanFogart4 I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Also, it still sounds to me like you think I'll and I will do not mean the same thing.
1008
They do, or at least I think so. At least some of the time, even in proper English. Plus there are so many people who use only I will incorrectly like this site. It's a regular Americanism. Conversation teachers seem to go rather with I am going to, which is supposedly more common, as it is on this site also.
But I'll is a contraction and not formal English, and is also short for I shall. Plus it's just so much shorter.
1212
Everything before と (well, between 田中さん に and と if you want to be REALLY exact) is a subordinate clause - it's reported speech. We didn't personally witness the speaker telling 田中さん to shut the door - the speaker is telling us that s/he is asking or will ask 田中さん to shut the door. That is why it is とand not を. I asked Mr/Ms Tanaka to "reported speech/speaker's account of what happened". Thoughts are also conveyed in this way - 何々 と思います where the information in front of とis the speaker's thoughts.
1212
Unless you have a reason for making 'ドアをしめて' the focus of your sentence by putting it at the start then you're just messing around with the Japanese word order (SOV) for no reason. There's really no reason to chop the sentence up so much like that.