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Help on sentence (三級)

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Rizu
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Posts: 62
Joined: January 15th, 2007 12:24 am

Help on sentence (三級)

Postby Rizu » October 27th, 2007 9:36 pm

I'm having trouble understanding exactly what this sentence is saying:

ちゅういしてもいくらしずかになりません。

This is from the 2003 JLPT 三級 level. I guess my main trouble is the use of いくら. I get the jist of the sentence, but I think it'd be helpful if someone could weigh in with a solid translation. If anyone has a moment to help me out, I thank you in advance!

gabe
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Joined: October 31st, 2007 2:21 pm

Postby gabe » October 31st, 2007 3:13 pm

いくら is "many" or "much" - in a question form how much or how many, but in this case it's referring to the degree to which [they] did not quiet down.

"Even though [I] warned [them], [they] didn't quiet down much."

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Rizu
Established Presence
Posts: 62
Joined: January 15th, 2007 12:24 am

Postby Rizu » October 31st, 2007 4:34 pm

Does the も particle work together with いくら in this sentence? Or does も represent the "even though" of the beginning clause? Is いくら like a descriptor for しずか ("quiet down much")?

Thanks for your help, just trying to get a better grasp. Sorry if I'm asking dumb questions! :oops:

gabe
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Posts: 2
Joined: October 31st, 2007 2:21 pm

Postby gabe » November 3rd, 2007 6:01 pm

The second way you said it is correct.
The も is the "even though..." part, and the いくら is
a descriptor as you say, for emphasis on how much
they quieter they did not become (because its a
negative verb at the end), so "not much at all."

The ~XしてもY pattern is
Even if X, it's still Y

ex:
[何度も][勉強][して]も足りない
なんどべんきょうしてもたりない
[Time and time again][Study][Do]も[Not enough]

No matter how many times I study, it's not enough

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