320 CHAPTER 6. LANGUAGE PATTERNS
Double negative statements
In addition to these reasonably obvious suggestions, recommendations
and opinions, we can also let our intentions shine through by using round-
about phrasing, thus softening our own convictions, opinions and inten-
tions. The most common way this is done is by using double negative
paĴerns, as described in the following sections.
Regular double negative The regular double negative construction is es-
sentially the same as in English, relying on the presence ofvolitionalverbs
(say, do, believe, promise, etc):
”(I) cannot say (I) won’t do it.””I won’t promise not to tell your boss.”Note that in this use, the double negative is set up using , in its
role as ’quoting’ particle.
However, there is a far more frequently used double negative pat-
tern in Japanese, used in a more subtle way to express an affirmative, which
deserves special aĴention.
Complex double negative Frequently used, but certainly confusing the
first time one is exposed to it, is the double negative hypothetical construc-
tion + + /. While it uses two negatives
to do its job, it’s actually used to imply an affirmative action instead. In a
way, this makes sense: ”I will not not-drink the coffee” has two negatives,
but the first negates the second, so the sentence might as well read ”I will
drink the coffee”. We see the same happening in the Japanese complex
double negative, but with an added nuance:
literally: ”It should not become a fact that I am not studying”
i.e.: ”I really should go study.”This construction requires some analysis: the contruction is formedby inflecting a verb in plain negative form,
- , and turning this