Monday, July 26, 2010

Caitlin M. Fausey

In English, if I knock this cup off the table, even accidentally, you would likely say, "She broke the cup." However, in Japanese or Spanish, intent matters. If one deliberately knocks the cup, there is a verb form to indicate as much. But if the act were an accident, the speaker would essentially say, "The cup broke itself."
("コップが割れた" in Japanese; "La taza se rompió" in Spanish.)

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