English translation:
half-
not yet finished
about to
begin to
Structure:
Verb[stem] + かけ だ
Verb[stem] + かける
Verb[stem] + かけの + Noun
Explanation:
Used to express that something is not yet finished. Something is about to be done/happen or something begins. Something is half done.
Is there any way to distinguish between “half-” and “about to” with かけ? For example, the first example sentence:
今日の宿題はもう終わりかけです。
The given English translation is “Today’s homework is about to be finished .”, but is there anything other than context stopping this from being read as “Today’s homework is half-finished.”?
描きかけの絵を早く完成させたい。
“I want to finish this half-drawn picture quickly.”
What’s the させる there? It looks like causative, I don’t understand how “make/let sb. do” fits with the translation.
Hey @testing !
You have a good eye!
Actually, 完成する is closer to intransitive verb by itself, meaning ‘to be completed’.
新作映画が完成した。
The new movie has been completed.
In order to make it more transitive, we can use a kind of trick - using causative form.
In other words, using させる will make it transitive so you can use it like this:
絵を完成させる。
I will complete the paining.
Using causative form this way also often adds strong nuance that it will be speaker/writer who will do the verb.
I hope it helps,
Cheers!
PS
You can use this method with other verbs like 終わる、making it into transitive 終わらせる (instead of using 終える). This can be used to emphasize the nuance mentioned above, or to show eagerness to do soemthing.
宿題を終わらせる
To finish homework.
Ah, interesting - thanks! Is there any way to spot that it’s not the usual meaning of making/letting other people do it? I googled around a bit, and there were hardly any other examples besides 完成 for it. It feels a bit weird that it adds that nuance, considering that it’s usually about the opposite (making other people do things).
I guess I might just have to file it under “Japanese is weird sometimes” and slowly get the feeling for it while seeing it in the wild.
Hey @testing !
The only way you can really spot that it is not the usual meaning of making other people do it is usually by looking at the context. For example, for sentences like, 描きかけの絵を早く完成させたい, you can assume that it is used with the nuance of ‘making myself do something’, because of the たい at the end of the sentence. Also, words like 終わらせる and 完成させる are often used when the speaker wants to make themselves finish/complete something, and not used when the speaker wants to make another person finish or complete something. So, yes, it is one of those ‘Japanese is weird sometimes’ kind of thing.
I hope that helps!