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Help は Used For "Contrast"

xminus1

Sempai
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27 Apr 2018
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Hello, my Japanese-loving friends:

I'm a self-learning beginner working my way through the Minna textbooks.

I have another question I'd like your help with. It concerns the idea of using は not for indicating the topic, but to emphasize "contrast".

I read the following sentence in one of the ancillary workbooks that comes in addition to the main text book and I was surprised:
この車は形はいいですが、色はあまり好きじゃありません。[A car is the topic, and its shape and colour are contrasted.]

The grammar section of the main text, meanwhile, has examples of は for contrast in sentences like these:
ワインは飲みますんが、ビールは飲みません。[Beer and wine are contrasted.]
昨日は山が見えましたが、今日は見えません。[Yesterday and today are contrasted.]

The workbook example was the first sentence I read illustrating this concept that had a (topic + は) AND additional はs for each contrasted item. I would have liked to have seen an example like this when I was first learning about は for contrast in the main grammar section, because I don't think I understood what was really going on. If I'm now correct, what I should do when I wish to draw attention to contrasting items is attach a は to each item? Is this correct thinking?

Many thanks for your insights and help! :)
 
typo
ワインは飲みますが (ん is unnecessary.)

If I'm now correct, what I should do when I wish to draw attention to contrasting items is attach a は to each item? Is this correct thinking?
Yes, that's basically correct. Even when only one thing is mentioned, the contrustive maker suggests something else is contrasted. For instance, この車は形いいです implies that something other than "shape" of the car is not good. Similarly, ワイン飲みます means that the speaker doesn't drink something other than "wine".
 
Thank you very much, Toritoribe; your help is always appreciated! :emoji_bow:
 
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