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Question to Teacher: Can you finish a sentence using the NAKUTE form?
Course 3 Lesson 3: My Loud Mother (About This Lesson)

bobby456d

Post Date: 2012-01-21 07:11:40

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2012 Jan 10

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Are there any other functions of the ～なくて form?

I was reading through one of my Japanese books and came across a sentence/dialogue that ended in ～なくて.

トム：ヨシ！
一郎：あ、トム！
トム：ひさしぶり！
一郎：ほんとうに。
トム：いつ着たの。
一郎：先週着いたばかり。
トム：そうか。ヨシが来るのはけんじに聞いて知っていたけど、いつ来るか分からなくて。

I expected a sentence to follow after 分からなくて, but that was the end. It makes complete sense to me if the sentence ended in 分からなかった, but I'm not exactly sure how the meaning changes with 分からなくて.

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YesJapan Teacher (Kanako)

Post Date: 2012-02-01 18:40:19

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2003 Mar 03

Questions: 10
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日本語の勉強をがんばっていますね！
Nihongo no benkyou o ganbatte imasu ne!

Here is your sentence.

そうか。ヨシが来るのはけんじに聞いて知っていたけど、いつ来るか分からなくて。
Souka. Yoshi ga kuru no wa kenji ni kiite shitteita kedo, itsu kuruka wakaranakute.

I see. I knew that you were coming because I heard it from Kenji. But I did not know when you were coming, (so)...

Tom did not finish his sentence.
He might have wanted to say;

いつ来るか分からなくて、電話しようと思ってた。
Itsu kuruka wakaranakute, denwa shiyou to omotteta.
I did not know when you were coming, so I was thinking about calling you.

いつ来るか分からなくて、心配してた。
Itsu kuruka wakaranakute, shinpai shiteta.
I did not know when you were coming, so I had been worried about you.

This is very common in Japanese conversation.
Let me give you another example.

A: 田中さん、おそいですよ！
Tanaka-san, osoi desu yo!
Mr. Tanaka. You are late!

B: すみません、電車に乗り遅れて…
Sumimasen. Densha ni noriokurete...
I am sorry. I missed the train... (so I am late.)