Tuesday, 3 May 2016

grammar - を before a noun?


I'm currently learning N3 level so I'm not sure if this is something I might haven't learned about. I never know we could put を like this.


This is a sentence from an e-dict so it should be correct.
当たるを幸い、彼は敵をなぎ倒して He struck down every foe that came his way


当たるを幸い is the part which confused me.
Normally it would be [[object を verb]]. Could someone help break down this sentence? Thanks



Answer



Here 当たるを幸い is an idiomatic set phrase, and it's one of the fixed expressions that use classic Japanese grammar. It means (手に)当たるのを幸いに in modern Japanese, and it describes how "vigorously and indiscriminately" he struck down enemies.




So 当たるのを幸いに literally means "with hits/encounters as lucky things", or "whenever someone came his way, he thought it's lucky and..."


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