Thursday, August 9, 2018

word choice - I found よう all by itself. Is there any difference in the usual meaning?



授業が始まり、普段通りの空気が流れた…と思ったその時だった。ドラマである様な素晴らしいタイミングではあったが、真夏にとっては悪夢の始まりだった。無表情な中年教師は転入生の紹介をたんたんと終え、席に着くよう指示した。




It's in the last sentence. The rest of the sentences are for context because I know you all will love that, heheh.


Anyway, I presume it's about a boy transferring to the school and the teacher introduces him to the class while the main character takes her assigned seat. In other words, I think 席に着くよう指示した is being done by the main character, as the transfer student is getting introduced. If I'm wrong on this, let me know.


My main question, however, is what the よう is for here? Is the phrase perhaps translated, "She takes her seat as though it were assigned to her"? As in, the seat isn't specifically assigned to be hers, but she just kind of sits there each day and no one complains about wanting it. If so, why isn't it ように? Typo? This IS from an online submitted story, after all. Typos are possible, hah.



Answer




"Anyway, I presume it's about a boy transferring to the school and the teacher introduces him to the class while the main character takes her assigned seat. In other words, I think 席に着くよう指示した is being done by the main character, as the transfer student is getting introduced."



No, that is being done by the teacher. The "real" verb in that phrase is 「[指示]{しじ}する = "to instruct"」 and it is none other than the teacher who 指示した.


The new student is the one who will [席]{せき}に[着]{つ}く (= "take a seat").


In meaning, 「よう」 = 「ように」. The former is more formal than the latter.




「Action/State + よう(に) + Verb of ordering/suggesting/begging/warning/persuading, etc.」



is a very common sentence pattern that you will keep encountering as long as you learn Japanese.



「席に着くよう指示した」



= "(The teacher) instructed (the student) to take a seat."


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