Learn Japanese with Knight Scoop: What Does “Dekirudake Verb-you ni” Mean? (N2)

In this show, detectives (comedians) investigate requests from viewers alongside the requesters, presenting VTR footage of the process. In this video, detective Seiya (Shimofuri Myojo) brings Ten-chan’s mother into the studio, where Ten-chan, who is about to undergo surgery to remove one of her eyes due to illness, is waiting. (For details on the previous scene, see Learn Japanese with Japanese TV Show: What Does “Verb + bun” Mean? – Moving Knight Scoop Clip (N2))

1. お母さん: おおっ？おおっ。

• Interjection: “おおっ (ō)” is an interjection expressing sudden, mild surprise or realization (“Oh?” / “Oh!”).

2. せいや: 天ちゃん？ / 天ちゃん: はい。

• Noun Suffix: “天ちゃん (Ten-chan)” combines the proper noun “天 (Ten)” with the affectionate diminutive suffix “ちゃん (chan)”.
• Interjection: “はい (hai)” is a polite affirmative interjection (“yes”).

3. せいや: お母さん、連れてきました。

• Noun: “お母さん (okāsan)” is a noun meaning “mother”.
• Compound Verb: “連れてきました (tsuretekimashita)” combines the Te-form verb “連れて (tsurete – bringing someone)” with the polite past verb “来ました (kimashita – came)”, forming a compound verb phrase meaning “I brought [her]”.

4. 天ちゃん: いらっしゃませ〜。 / お母さん: はは。いらっしゃいました〜。

• Greeting / Expression: “いらっしゃませ (irasshamase)” is a humorous, playful mispronunciation of “いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase)”, a standard welcoming greeting (“Welcome!”).
• Verb Tense: “いらっしゃいました (irasshaimashita)” uses the polite past honorific verb “いらっしゃる (irassharu – to come/be present)”, playfully responding “I have arrived!”.

5. せいや: 目の前に、もう、お母さんおるから。はい。

• Noun & Particles: “目の前に (me no mae ni)” combines the noun phrase “目の前 (me no mae – in front of one’s eyes)” with the location particle “に (ni – at/in)”.
• Adverb: “もう (mō)” is an emphatic adverb highlighting immediate presence (“right here”).
• Dialect Verb & Particles: “おるから (oru kara)” uses the Kansai dialect verb “おる (oru – to be/exist)”, equivalent to “いる (iru)”, with the causal conjunction particle “から (kara – because/since)”, expressing “because your mom is right here”.

6. 天ちゃん: あ、ママ、今日は来てくれてありがとう〜。なんか、

• Interjection: “あ (a)” is a casual conversational interjection (“Ah”).
• Noun & Particles: “今日は (kyō wa)” marks the noun “今日 (kyō – today)” with the topic particle “は (wa)”.
• Verb Phrase: “来てくれてありがとう (kite kurete arigatō)” combines the Te-form verb “来て (kite – coming)” with “くれて (kurete – doing a favor for me)” and “ありがとう (arigatō – thank you)”, expressing gratitude for someone’s action (“thank you for coming”).
• Interjection: “なんか (nanka)” is a conversational filler interjection (“like / somehow”).

7. 天ちゃん: あの、もうすぐで、 / 左目を取っちゃうから、

• Interjection: “あの (ano)” is a hesitation filler interjection (“um / well”).
• Adverb & Particles: “もうすぐで (mōsugu de)” attaches the particle “で (de)” to the temporal adverb “もうすぐ (mōsugu – soon)”.
• Verb & Particles: “左目を取っちゃうから (hidarime wo tocchau kara)” attaches the direct object particle “を (wo)” to “左目 (hidarime – left eye)”, followed by “取っちゃう (tocchau)”, a casual contraction of “取ってしまう (totte shimau – to end up removing/taking out)”, which expresses an unintended or regrettable completed action. It ends with the reason marker particle “から (kara – because)”.

8. 天ちゃん: その前に、しっかり本物の目がある状態で、頑張って、ママの好きな曲を今から歌いたいと思います。

• Phrase: “その前に (sono mae ni)” uses “その (sono – that)” + “前 (mae – before)” + particle “に (ni)”, meaning “before that”.
• Noun Phrase & Particles: “本物の目がある状態で (honmono no me ga aru jōtai de)” connects “本物の目 (honmono no me – real eye)” with subject particle “が (ga)”, verb “ある (aru – to exist)”, noun “状態 (jōtai – state/condition)”, and particle “で (de – in/with)”, meaning “in a state where I still have my real eye”.
• Verb Tense: “頑張って (ganbatte)” is the Te-form of the verb “頑張る (ganbaru – to try hard)”, linking clauses smoothly.
• Adjective & Noun: “ママの好きな曲を (mama no suki na kyoku wo)” uses possessive particle “の (no)”, Na-adjective modifier “好きな (suki na – favorite)”, noun “曲 (kyoku – song)”, and direct object particle “を (wo)”.
• Grammar Pattern: The sentence structure pattern “Verb Stem + たいと思います (tai to omoimasu)” attaches the desire suffix “〜たい (~tai – want to)” to the verb stem, combined with quotation particle “と (to)” and polite verb “思います (omoimasu – I think)”, expressing a soft, polite intention or determination to do an action.
• Verb Phrase: “今から歌いたいと思います (ima kara utaitai to omoimasu)” highlights this exact pattern using noun “今 (ima – now)”, particle “から (kara – from)”, verb stem “歌い (utai – sing)”, and “たいと思います (tai to omoimasu)”, meaning “I would like to sing from now”.

9. 天ちゃん: できるだけ、目を開けて歌えるように頑張るけど、ちょっとだけ… / とちるかもしれないけど、がんばりまーす。

• Grammar Pattern: The sentence structure pattern “できるだけ (dekirudake) + Verb Potential Form + ように (yō ni)” combines the adverb “できるだけ (dekirudake – as much as possible)” with a Potential Verb and particle “ように (yō ni – so that / in order to)”, expressing an earnest effort aimed at achieving a specific targeted outcome.
• Verb Potential Form: “できるだけ、目を開けて歌えるように (dekirudake, me wo akete utaeru yō ni)” demonstrates this structure by taking object phrase “目を開けて (me wo akete – opening my eye)” and potential verb “歌える (utaeru – can sing)” with “ように (yō ni)”, meaning “so that I can keep my eye open and sing”.
• Verb & Particles: “頑張るけど (ganbaru kedo)” modifies the action with adverb “できるだけ (dekirudake – as much as I can)”, combining verb “頑張る (ganbaru – to do one’s best)” with contrasting conjunction particle “けど (kedo – but)”.
• Verb & Sentence Ending: “無理しないでね (muri shinaide ne)” combines noun “無理 (muri – overdoing/strain)”, negative request verb “しないで (shinaide – don’t do)”, and gentle sentence-ending particle “ね (ne)”, meaning “don’t strain yourself, okay?”.
• Modality: “とちるかもしれないけど (tochiru kamo shirenai kedo)” attaches the modality phrase “かもしれない (kamo shirenai – might / may)” to verb “とちる (tochiru – to mess up / stumble over lyrics)”, followed by “けど (kedo – but)”, conveying self-deprecating possibility.
• Verb Tense: “がんばりまーす (ganbarimāsu)” is the extended polite verb form of “頑張ります (ganbarimasu – I will do my best)”, conveying enthusiasm and cheerful modality.

Fill in the blanks ( ) to complete the natural conversation.

A: この部屋の掃除、お願いね。
B: はい！できるだけきれいに（ ）、がんばります。

1: して

2: なるように

3: なれるように