Compound Particles - 1 - Subject - ni taishite

Among particles that represent the relationship between the predicate and noun phrases we have ga, o, ni, he, to, kara, yo, made, de. However we also have forms such as ni tsuite and ni yotte which are used instead of these particles in order to represent the relationship between noun phrases and the predicate. This sort of forms that correspond to particles are called 'compound particles'.

Many of these compound particles originaly come from [particle + verb in active form] and among them ni or wo together with a verb in the te-form is common. Also forms such as no okage de made of [no + noun + other particle] also exist.

There are thought to be two main reasons why why compound particles are used. One reason is to make more clear the meaning of particles that have a lot of types of meaning such as de for example. A further reason is to express a meaning that cannot be expressed (or is difficult to express) with normal particles.

In section 2 we will take a look at particles which represent the subject of wo and ni. Note that particles follow the form of the predicate. When a noun follows on as in [X toshokan de benkyou] then particles cannot be used without any change. Compound particles are the same in that there are forms that are followed by a predicate and there are forms that are followed by a noun. In this section 2 we look mostly at ones that are followed by a predicate and in section 5 look at ones that can be followed by a noun.

~ni taishite - an expression showing the subject to which a movement, emotion or attitude is directed.

Ni taishite originally comes from ni taisuru. Ni taisuru means "face each other" so expresses a direction to which, without touching, a situation or action faces. The meaning of ni taishite explained above comes from this.

The phrases ni taisuru and ni taishte no which can be used to modify nouns can be in general be used when the action or attitude to which they are directed is somewhat broader. Contrast the following phrases:

不良グループのA君「に対して/に対するの」暴行は執拗に続いた。
X　不良グループのA君「に対して」暴行した。 - i.e. action is too general and wide in relation to A

子供「に対して/に対するの」愛情は尽きることがない。
X　子供「に対して」愛する。 - i.e. feeling is too broad for the te form

（１）市民団体は知事の無責任な行動に対して抗議した。
（２）敵国に対して出された要求はすべて拒否された。

• ni taishite represents the subject to which an action, emotion or attitude is directed.
• In many cases ni can be said instead of ni taishite

• ni taishite cannot be used in the following circumstances

1. subjects that are represented by wo
2. out of subjects that are represented by ni, ones that an action will directly effect

• 田中はいやみを言う上司｛Oを/Xに対して｝そっと触れた。
• を別れに、彼女のほほ｛Oに/Xに対して｝キスをした。

In sentences with adjectives as the predicate then ni taishite can be used. In these cases it means [adjective, attitude] towards the relevant subject.

山下は彼女に対して冷たかった

In passive constructions such as (2) above the when the subject of the verb can be easily confused then through the use of ni taishite then the subject of the sentence can be clearly expressed. Without the ni taishite, then 2 could mean "The demands which were made of [the subject] by the enemy [and which caused the subject trouble] were denied [by the subject]" but it is clear that it means "The demands that were made of the enemy [by the subject] were denied [by the enemy].

A little extra information