[✐3.Moderato] only :  〜しか +negatives

“It’s now or never.”「いましか ありません =  いまでしょ！」

(By the way, the Japanese translation for “it’s now or never” is “ima shika arimasen” or “ima desho! (casual).  Meanwhile, the Japanese title for Elves Presrey’s “It’s now or never” is in katakana “ittsu nau oa nevaa”.

In Japan, “ima desho!” became popular in 2013 and actually was one of the buzzwords of the year, after a literature teacher Hayashi spat it out in a prep school TV advertisement (00:19). Check the link when you have time.)

[00:08]

Happy New Year, everyone!  I hope you will stick with me for this year as well. Let’s start straight away.

Repeat after me

[00:20]

1.  I have 500 yen in my wallet

2.  I have only 500 yen in my wallet. 

= general description of the situation

3.  I only have 500 yen (but nothing else) in my wallet.

= implying that the speaker feels it’s not enough.

[01:01]

“〜shika” is always used with negatives and it emphasizes the fact or implies speaker’s personal feeling.

[01:13]

1.  There is a break for 20 minutes.

2.  There is a break for only 20 minutes.

3.  There is nothing but a 20 minutes break.

[01:53]

Nr. 3 has the nuance that a 20-minute break is not enough．

[02:02]

Now, let’s change the next sentence to a sentence with “〜shika + negatives”.

For example,

There is a ballpoint pen.

→ There is nothing but a ballpoint pen.

Ready?

1.  I understand Hiragana.

→ I understand nothing but Hiragana.

(3, Oops, No. 2) ← I made a mistake!

2.  I eat fish which is grilled.

→ I only eat grilled fish (not another cooked way)

3.  I can swim 50 m.

→ I can swim only 50 m (alas…).

4.  There is black colour for this smartphone.

→ The colour of this smartphone is only black.

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「いましか ありません =  いまでしょ！」

[00:08]

みなさん、しんねんあけまして おめでとう ございます。ことしも どうぞよろしく おねがい いたします。では、さっそくはじめますよ。

Repeat after me

[00:20]

1.  さいふのなかに、500えん あります。

2.  さいふのなかに、500えんだけ あります。

= general description of the situation

3.  さいふのなかに、500えんしか ありません。

= meaning that the speaker feels it’s not enough.

[01:01]

〜しか is always used with negatives and it emphasizes the fact or implies speaker’s personal feeling.

[01:13]

1.  きゅうけいは20ぷんあります。

2.  きゅうけいは20ぷんだけ あります。

3.  きゅうけいは20ぷんしか ありません。

[01:53]

Nr. 3 has the nuance that a 20-minute break is not enough．

[02:02]

では、つぎのぶんを、｢〜しか + negatives｣にかえましょう。

たとえば、

ボールペンが あります。

→ ボールペンしか ありません。

いいですか。

[02:15]

1.  ひらがなが わかります。

→ ひらがなしか わかりません。

(3、 あ、２ばんね)← まちがえました！

2.  さかなは やいたものを たべます。

→ さかなは やいたものしか たべません。

3.  わたしは50メートル およげます。

→ わたしは50メートルしかおよげません。

4.  このスマホのいろは くろが あります。

→ このスマホのいろは くろしか ありません。

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Note: English translations might sound occasionally unnatural as English, as I try to preserve the structure and essence of the original Japanese.