Friday 1 April 2016

translation - What does なんです mean in this sentence?


あの、考古学者なんですが、インディ・ジョーンズみたいな帽子を被ってなくてすいません。


Although I am an archeologist...? (Although I assure you that I am an archeologist...)


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xs-XWk_oQA 0:23



Answer



In this case, the なんです functions exactly like



んです (which isn't used here due to grammar restrictions)




So basically, he wants to say 'Although I am an archaeologist, I do not wear a hat like Indiana Jones'. He assumes that the viewers might have the misconception that all archaeologists wear hats, just because Indiana Jones (who might be the only famous archaeologist they know, and hence the misconception) does.


In other words, that archaeologist thinks that (to the general public) being an archaeologist implies that he wears a hat like Indiana Jones.


You may read this page for more examples on ~なんです・んです:


http://www.japanese-language.aiyori.org/article10.html


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