information 型の名詞(数えたいのに数えられない) Information and Friends: The Uncountable Regulars
名詞と数 Nouns & Number
日本語では数えたくなるのに、英語では不可算の常連たち: information・advice・news・homework・furniture・baggage・equipment・evidence・money。複数形にせず、1つと言いたいときは a piece of で切り分けます。news は見た目が複数形なのに単数扱い、という追加トラップつき。
The regulars that Japanese counts but English refuses to: information, advice, news, homework, furniture, baggage, equipment, evidence, money. No plurals; slice with a piece of when you need one. Bonus trap: news looks plural but takes a singular verb.
常連リストを一度で覚える
Meet the Regulars, Once and for All
この仲間はグループで覚えると効率的です。①情報系: information・advice・news・knowledge ②活動系: homework・work・research ③荷物・道具系: baggage / luggage・furniture・equipment ④その他の頻出: money・evidence・progress・fun。どれも「輪郭のあるひと粒」の絵が描けない、質感・カテゴリの名詞です。
Learn them in families: (1) information types — information, advice, news, knowledge; (2) activity types — homework, work, research; (3) gear types — baggage/luggage, furniture, equipment; (4) frequent others — money, evidence, progress, fun. None of them yields a picture of "one crisp unit" — they're textures and categories, not items.
常連の実戦 The regulars at work
Thank you for the information.
情報ありがとうございます。
informations とはしない。 Never "informations."
The news is better than we expected.
知らせは思ったよりいいものだった。
news は -s で終わるのに単数扱い。 News ends in -s yet takes is.
How much luggage are you checking in?
預ける荷物はどのくらいですか?
荷物は How much ではかる(How many bags なら可算)。 Measure luggage with how much — or count bags.
advice(不可算)
助言というかたまり。some advice / a piece of advice。 Counsel as a mass: some advice, a piece of advice.
Let me give you some advice.
ひとつ助言させて。
suggestion(可算)
似た意味でも suggestion・tip なら数えられる。言い換えが逃げ道。 Near-synonyms that do count — suggestions, tips. The escape route.
I have two suggestions.
提案が2つあります。
よくある間違い Common Mistake
Thank you for your advices. They were very useful.
アドバイスの数々、ありがとう。とても役に立った。(のつもりで)
Thank you for your advice. It was very useful.
アドバイスありがとう。とても役に立った。
advice は複数形にできず、受ける代名詞も it です(they にしない)。複数の助言をもらったときでも advice のまま。個数を出したければ pieces of advice か、可算の tips / suggestions に言い換えます。
Advice has no plural, and it pronouns back as it, not they — even when the advice came in installments. Need a number? Pieces of advice, or switch to countable tips or suggestions.
- a piece of advice ひとつの助言 advice の公式な切り分け。Here's a piece of advice.(ひとつ言っておくよ) The official slicer: Here's a piece of advice.
- breaking news ニュース速報 news は単数扱いのまま形容詞で膨らませる。The news is just in. News stays singular and grows by adjective: The news is just in.
- do my homework 宿題をする homework は do と組む(× make)。研究の research も do。 Homework pairs with do (never make) — so does research.
- make progress 前進する progress も不可算。着実に進む= make good progress。 Progress is uncountable too: make good progress.
まとめ Summary
- information・advice・news・homework・furniture・baggage は不可算の常連。 Information, advice, news, homework, furniture, baggage — the uncountable regulars.
- 1つと言うなら a piece of。可算の言い換え(tips 等)も逃げ道。 Slice with a piece of — or escape to countable synonyms like tips.
- news は -s で終わるが単数扱い(The news is ...)。 News takes a singular verb despite the -s.
- advice を受ける代名詞は it。 Advice pronouns back as it.