#5: Letter to the Japanese government: “Make it so that exchange students can enter Japan.”

I know this one is on a lot of people’s minds!

Also, Happy Lunar New Year! It’s the year of the 🐅.

　はい
「入れる」
“They can enter.”

  りゅうがくせい
「留学生たちが入れる」
“exchange students can enter.”

• たち refers to the exchange students as a group.
• The が particle points out who is able to do the action.

　　　　　　　にっぽん
「留学生たちが日本に入れる」
“Exchange students can enter Japan.”

• にっぽん is the patriotic way to say the country’s name.
• に means “into” in this sentence but sounds awkward in the translation.

「留学生たちが日本に入れるようにして」
“Make it so that exchange students can enter Japan.”

• Attach ようにする to the plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb.
• This emphasizes that someone is making an effort to cause the action of that verb to happen.
• て-form of a verb is telling someone to do something.

 て がみ
手紙「留学生たちが日本に入れるようにして」
Letter: “Make it so that exchange students can enter Japan.”

せい  ふ
政府への手紙「留学生たちが日本に入れるようにして」
Letter to the government: “Make it so that exchange students can enter Japan.”

• Letters are written directed to someone. へ implies movement (from person to person in this case).
• の must follow because 政府へ explains what kind of letter it is.

にっぽん
日本の政府への手紙「留学生たちが日本に入れるようにして」
Letter to the Japanese government: “Make it so that exchange students can enter Japan.”

• Likewise, the の here tells us the word that describes the government.
• の goes between two nouns.