76 THE POSTPOSITION.
11 123. In an interrogative sentence, wa would sometimes seem to be the means of asking a question ; but an ellipsis must always be supplied. Thus Inn wa ? pro- nounced in an interrogative tone of voice, practically signifies " Where is the dog ? " But literally it is, " As for the dog ...... (where is it?)"
11 124. The manner in which wa serves to give emphasis is well shown in such favourite verbal idioms as
Kotowatte okimashita. I refused.
Refusing put
Kotowatte wa okimashita. I refused.
Konai. (more politely kimasen) He won't come.
Ki wa shinai. (more politely ( Come ? No, of Coming as-for, docs-not J course he won't
shimasen.) (come.
N. B. When thus suffixed to the indefinite form of a verb (ki is the indefinite form of the irregular verb kuru, " to come "), wa is often pronounced ya; thus Ki ya shinai for Ki wa shinai.
Aru ni wa arimasii ga, There are some, it asu." !*fr-f* *. but th ^ <
is j scarce.
Ame wa, futte imasu ka ? Furu-~ ;*. _ - no .? _
Rain a*-for, falling f* ? Fall* "
ni wa futte imam ga, hidoi l Yes ' lt 1S ram "
inas-for, falling is whereas* intense [ing, but it IS not
koto wa gozaimasen. raining hard.
fact as-for, is-not J
N. B. Before ga the final of masu is generally sounded. That is why we write arimasu ga, imasu ga, not arimasu ga, imasu ga, and similarly elsewhere.
