日本語と中国語における可能表現の対照 : テンスと意味分類の角度から

要旨

This paper aims to describe the similarities and differences between possibility expressions in Japanese and Chinese, particularly from the viewpoint of tense and semantics. Possibility expressions are classified into potential, actual, and realis possibilities based on the relation to tense. Chinese differs from Japanese in that a realis possibility in past tense cannot be expressed using possibility expressions. Instead, Chinese utilizes a resultative complement. Possibility expressions are divided into ability and probability from a semantic aspect. In contrast to Chinese, Japanese possibility expressions do not denote probability. The three Chinese grammatical markers for possibility expressions have different ranges of use: neng has the widest coverage, whereas hui is restricted. However, the two Japanese grammatical markers for possibility expressions have almost the same scope of use.

主題