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Japanese language: purpose of yoku (not frequency!)

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  1.  # 1

    Hello all,
    I'm teaching myself the language via "Japanese for Busy People" text books, and I don't know any expert friends to answer my questions. One of the dialogues in my book has a confusing usage of the word "yoku". The line is (and sorry for using romaji) :

    "Suzuki-kun ka Kimura-kun ni ato o yoku tanonde kara kaerimasu"

    The book translates it as "I''ll leave after asking Suzuki or Kimura (to look after) the rest (of my work)". The dialogue is about the boss telling a sick employee to go home early.

    What is the purpose of the yoku in this sentence? If the translation is to be believed, it doesn't have anything to do with frequency/extremeness...

    Thanks so much!

    • CommentAuthorTobberoth
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2008
     # 2

    Is the sentence written with kanji in the book, if it happens to not be 良く?

    The sentence looks odd to me, but I'm thinking it's sort of a connection of set phrases. I'm sure many here has heard the sentence "後は頼む!" which, while semi-hard to translate to english means something along the lines of "I'm asking of you to do the rest". So i think the sentence is "suzuki-kun ka kimura-kun ni XXX kara kaerimasu" with the set phrase inserted in the middle. In this case, the yoku might very well mean extremeness, implying the speaker is.... asking for a lot, so to speak.

    • CommentAuthorRichard
    • CommentTimeJul 21st 2008 edited
     # 3

    I agree the sentence looks a bit odd, but I think the meaning of 'yoku' is connected to 'well', the other main meaning apart from 'often'. A good sentence to compare with is 'yoku kiite kudasai', meaning 'listen carefully (please)'. In the sentence you give 'yoku' could be translated as something like 'be sure to' instead of 'carefully'. Then, as Tobberoth says, 'ato wo tanomu' means 'to ask to look after the rest'. So overall we get:

    I'll be sure to ask Suzuki or Kimura to look after the rest of my work before I leave.

    whereas with no 'yoku' it might look like

    I'll ask Suzuki or Kimura to look after the rest of my work before I leave.

    It is a little redundant in some ways, but the employee is showing the boss that he/she is conscientious. I'm pretty sure this is the correct explanation, but I might be wrong.

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      CommentAuthorfukuzatsu
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     # 4

    i shall go once i have ask ed suzuki or kimura properly to take care of the rest

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      CommentAuthorfukuzatsu
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     # 5

    or its like you need to show kindness towards suzuki and kimura since you are figuring on leaving the matters to them which still remains

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      CommentAuthorfukuzatsu
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     # 6

    as a sign or air of respect towards that person

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      CommentAuthorfukuzatsu
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     # 7

    ato wa yoroshiku tanomu wa

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      CommentAuthorfukuzatsu
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     # 8

    ato wa tanomu =i am counting on you to take care of the rest (since one is planning to do something that will stop one to continue to do what must be done)

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