JSLL #42 - Yuki Onna, part 7

 Let's tackle some more sentences.

Sentence 1:

小屋の戸が開けっ放しになっていて雪が小屋の中に舞い込んでいたのです。

こやのとがあけっぱなしになっていてゆきがこやのなかにまいこんでいたのです。

Grammar

The sentence connects a te-clause with a second clause ending in a past tense + のです.

The te-clause is a form a なる preceded by に, which we know to mean "to become" whatever precedes the に.

In the second clause, adding のです or んです to the end of a plain-verb clause gives the clause an explanatory feel, a bit like adding "you see" to the end of English equivalent. In this case, this sentence explains the previous sentence (which said that Minokichi had woken up).

Both the te-form なっていて and the plain verb in the second clause 舞い込んでいた are in the progressive form ending in ～ている, suggesting that something is either in progress right now, or completed.

Vocabulary

• 戸 means "door."
• 開けっ放し is a na-adjective or noun meaning "leaving open, leaving ajar." In the previous story, we encountered the verb 開ける meaning "to open" (transitive verb).
• 舞い込む is a verb that means "to come fluttering in."

Kanji

Here are the new kanji introduced in this sentence:

Kanji	N-level	Occurs in how many common words?
戸	N2	26
放	N3	32
舞	N3	18
込	N3	69

Translation

The translation of the sentence is:

The door to the hut had been left open, and snow was fluttering into the hut, you see.

Sentence 2:

巳之吉はとっさに茂作の方を見ました。

みのきちはとっさにもさくのほうをみました。

Grammar

There's no new grammar in this simple sentence. It's a single clause.

Vocabulary

とっさに means "at once, immediately, suddenly."

Kanji

There are no new kanji in this sentence.

Translation

Minokichi immediately looked in Mosaku's direction.

Sentence 3:

そこには真っ白い着物を着た女がいました。

そこにはまっしろいきものをきたおんながいました。

Grammar

Nothing new here

Vocabulary

真っ白い means "pure white." Compare 真っ黒い, which means "pitch black."

Kanji

The kanji 真 is an N4 kanji occurring in 50 common words.

Translation

There, there was a woman dressed in a pure white kimono.

Cultural note

It's important to realize that the color white is commonly associated with mourning and funerals in Japan. More specifically, a white kimono is placed with the deceased.