In search of KOTO HA NAI

This grammar point isn't really all that important, and frankly, it's usually more appropriate to say NAKUTE II when you're with friend, but since that isn't in my grammar notebook, we're going to with KOTO HA NAI!

You do need to be careful, though, since there is a grammar form that is exactly the same, only it uses the past tense TA form. What I mean is the grammar form to indicate you have had experience doing something.


Like...

• この歌を何回歌ったことがある。
• I've sung this song like a million times.

Oh, yeah, I forgot that it's done with a GA as well. Okay, so it might not trip too many people up, but I'm too lazy to delete what I've written so far, so let's keep going!


KOTO HA NAI is used when you want to tell someone or something that they don't have to/need to do something, but only if it is in this specific form:

• Dictionary form of verb + ことはない

So, what pop culture reference am I going to explore today? Sadly, none. I'm going to be a bit more serious and talk about Google Street View and the Touhoku Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011.

仮に震災後の状況が撮影されれば、ストリートビューはより新しい画像に差し代わることになるはずだが、過去の画像について徳生氏は、同サービスの原則として「画像データを消去することはない」と説明。

 Kari ni shinsaigo no jyoukyou ga satsuei sarereba, SUTORIITOPYUU ha yori atarashii gazou ni sashi kawaru koto ni naru hazu da ga, kako no gazou ni tsuite Tokuo ha, dou SAABISU no gensoku toshite "gazou DEETA wo shoukyo suru koto ha nai" to setsumei.

I've linked two other grammar points that we've already gone over to their correlated blog posts, and I'll talk about the TOSHITE a little bit later because it's a good phrase to use in normal life anyway. So, the article is largely about (NI TSUITE!) Google Crisis Response, and Google Street View.

The last paragraph pretty much sums up what they plan to do with the satellite images. I'll translate the whole sentence in a moment, but I'd like to go over the grammar point first. The sentence is:

• 画像データを消去することはない
• There is no need to get rid of the image data.

Easy enough, right?

Well, the whole sentence translates as this:

• For now, images will still be taken of the situation after the earthquake, and it's expected that the new images will change on Google Street View. But in regards to the older images, Mr. Tokuo explained that as a general rule for the service, "there is not need to get rid of the image data".

After this, they talk about how it's important historically and what not. I would have translated that a little bit prettier, but I wanted you to get an idea of what went where in a bit more stark terms.

But I would really translate it as this:

• For now, the satellite will continue to take pictures of the aftermath, and it is expected to be changed on Google Street View. But, in regards to the older images, Tokuo explained that as a general principle, "there is not need to get rid of the data."

And before I leave this post, I'd like point out this cool term:

• 原則として
• Gensoku means rule or principle.
• Toshite means "as".
• So it translates nicely as "as a general rule".

Catch ya on the flipside. Boom out.