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- "I will answer that question …
"I will answer that question tomorrow."
Translation:その質問は明日答えます。
45 Comments
You can have あした at the beginning, but then you need to use に (not は) with しつもん: あした、そのしつもんにこたえます。
228
Why is that Karel? Could you expand on the difference? And why is answering a question "...に答えます” rather than "...を答えます”? Seems like the question is the direct object of the verb 答える, and would therefore take を.
The phrase is しつもんに答える, I am unable to explain why it’s not a direct object (を). Cf. in French, it’s also indirect object: répondre à une question (“answer TO a question”). You can also regard しつもん as the topic (は) and say しつもんはあしたこたえます.
841
"kotaeru" is what's called an intransitive verb, which means it doesn't take direct objects, unlike a transitive verb. Another verb that one might expect to be transitive and it's not is "au" (to meet). You typically (maybe always) use the "ni" particle with what otherwise would be the direct object. There are exceptions though. For example, you can use the "wo" particle with "tobu" (to fly), which is also transitive, but not for the direct object: "sora wo tobu" (to fly through the sky).
228
Maybe it's just a quirk of the verb こたえる then. In English also "we respond TO a question" (indirect object) but we "answer a question" (direct object, no "TO" required). Perhaps こたえる just doesn't take direct objects the way "to respond" doesn't in English. Thanks for the reply!
330
"ashita, sono shitsumon wa kotae masu" is currently accepted as correct. 2020 July 24. Sorry, I don't have Japanese font on this computer.
228
Vjerrr, Shitsumon is "question", mondai is "problem". So there is some overlap in the meaning of the two words, because homework "problems" could just as easily be called homework "questions"... but duolingo generally has you translate as exactly as you can.
365
This is not the sentence that was asked here, but I wonder why in that one the particle ni is used but when used in その質問に明日答えます , it isnt accepted
497
Why is this one は instead of に? Is it because the particle isn't immediately followed by the 答えます which always has に behind it?
196
答える is an intransitive verb (自動詞) you can have 誰かが
答える (somebody replies); you cannot have × [誰かが]何かを
答える, that is ungrammatical.
But the particle に can be used for the target/purpose of the verb 質問に
答える (to reply to a question)
As for 明日 not being at the beginning, I think it is because of the choice of the topic:
- 明日はその質問に答えます : the topic is "tomorrow"; we are talking about "tomorrow", and, well, tomorrow (probably among other things) I will reply to that question.
- その質問は明日[それに]答えます : the topic is "that question"; we are talking about that question, and, well, I will reply [to it] tomorrow.