せめて
2008年08月13日
at least
ーー
After reading the examples, I'm not quite sure how to use せめて. It appars to be used with （で）も a lot.
Hmm.
《少なくとも》at least; at most; 《せいぜい》at best.
→ If it's the same as 少なくとも, why bother using せめて?
In my mind, I think "I at least want to make it to a 4th grade level with kanji" or "the least you can do is write her! You dated for five years, after all."
Which leads me to question the meaning of the example:
Hmmm... I'll check Jgramm.
Meaning: at least, at most a small thing
Example: at least I want to finish
JLPT Level: 1
Category: grammar
Author: dc
じゃ、せめてテーブルの準備でもしましょう。
At least let me help with the table.
せめて日常会話ができるくらいになりたい。
At the very least, I'd like to be able to have everyday conversations.
せめてなべでもあれば、ご飯が炊けるんですが
If we at least had a pot, we could cook rice
etc etc. So maybe せめて is more extreme ("at the very least") than 少なくとも. And perhaps it is also more versatile and requires more work... adding も and what not.
ーーー
Like, "All I want is to talk. C'mon, girl, let's go to the movies." (And then the guy seduces her.)
So.. does せめて have different uses & connotations--can it be "all I want" ("at most a small thing") and, also 'at best'? Why yes, I do think so.
In the mean time, I'll use it cautiously in it's "all I want" capacity, and for showing humble (vain?) hopes.
"If I could just make it into level 4--!"
せめて４級に入学したらいいのに！
正しいのでしょうか。
Using だけ and せめて together seems almost redundant, but maybe it helps clarify which way the user's using せめて。
"If I had just studied a little more!"...? Nah, I think I'm confusing myself.
Will review and check later.
 |
・ | せめてパリだけでも見たい I want to see Paris, at least. |
|
・ | せめてもう1時間でも長くいられたらなあ I wish I could stay at least one hour longer. |
|
・ | せめて2キロくらいなら駅まで歩くのだが I would be willing to walk to the station, if it weren't more than two kilometers. |
|
・ | 彼女にとって絵をかくことがせめてもの楽しみだ Painting is the only pleasure she has (in life). |
|
・ | そっとしておくのが彼に対するせめてもの思いやりだ The best [only] thing we can do for him is to leave him alone. |
ーー
After reading the examples, I'm not quite sure how to use せめて. It appars to be used with （で）も a lot.
Hmm.
せめて せめて
→ If it's the same as 少なくとも, why bother using せめて?
In my mind, I think "I at least want to make it to a 4th grade level with kanji" or "the least you can do is write her! You dated for five years, after all."
Which leads me to question the meaning of the example:
| そっとしておくのが彼に対するせめてもの思いやりだ The best [only] thing we can do for him is to leave him alone. |
Hmmm... I'll check Jgramm.
Meaning: at least, at most a small thing
Example: at least I want to finish
JLPT Level: 1
Category: grammar
Author: dc
じゃ、せめてテーブルの準備でもしましょう。
At least let me help with the table.
せめて日常会話ができるくらいになりたい。
At the very least, I'd like to be able to have everyday conversations.
せめてなべでもあれば、ご飯が炊けるんですが
If we at least had a pot, we could cook rice
etc etc. So maybe せめて is more extreme ("at the very least") than 少なくとも. And perhaps it is also more versatile and requires more work... adding も and what not.
ーーー
せめてこれだけは守って
Amazon.co.jp： せめて今夜だけはせめて帝国になってほしいアメリカ
Is it kinda like "All I want", implying it's just a small thing?Like, "All I want is to talk. C'mon, girl, let's go to the movies." (And then the guy seduces her.)
せめて自分のパソコンは「100％安全」と言いたい！
So.. does せめて have different uses & connotations--can it be "all I want" ("at most a small thing") and, also 'at best'? Why yes, I do think so.
In the mean time, I'll use it cautiously in it's "all I want" capacity, and for showing humble (vain?) hopes.
"If I could just make it into level 4--!"
せめて４級に入学したらいいのに！
正しいのでしょうか。
Using だけ and せめて together seems almost redundant, but maybe it helps clarify which way the user's using せめて。
"If I had just studied a little more!"...? Nah, I think I'm confusing myself.
Will review and check later.
PR
Comment