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> 彼の別荘は後ろに山を控えている

Translates
[into](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/leaf/je2/62692/m0u/%E6%8E%A7%E3%81%88%E3%82%8B/):

> There is a mountain behind his country cottage.

Understood literally: speaking of his country cottage, a mountain is located
behind. 控える locates something with を, if I understood it correctly.

Does the same apply generally to verbs that can "spread" an object? E.g.:

山を背後に広がっている古い和風の住宅地

Would translate into an old Japanese-style housing district with a mountain
spreading in its background?

Have I understood this correctly? Does this work with other intransitive
location verbs?
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2015-03-20T08:04:28.307
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2015-03-20T09:55:03.673
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question
particles
を as locational particle
控える is special. It can be used both an intransitively as well as a
transitively.

  * 広がる, on the other hand, is just intranstive. Thus 山を背後に広がっている doesn't work.※
  * を can be used with otherwise intransitive verbs of motion. See for example this answer: [Making sense of transitive usage of 行く and 来る - 「を行く」 and 「を来る」](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/3244/3275)

* * *

As for 控える: It comes with few different senses that may not seem similar. The
relevant sense is listed in dictionaries as transitive:

> 控える
>
> 《二》[他動詞]
>
> ③距離的・時間的にすぐ近くにある。「このホテルは近くにスキー場を控えている」「試験を明日に控える」

Perhaps its basic meaning could be explained as "keeping sth. inside"※※.

Let's take a look at its usage:

> 双方の言い分を聞くまで判断を控えます. I will suspend judgement until I have heard both sides

Think "keep judgement within my my mind, not letting it out"

> たばこ[酒]を控える refrain from smoking [drinking, alcohol]

Think "keep the urge/desire/wish to smoke within myself"

> 糖分[塩分]を控える avoid taking too much sugar [salt]

Think "keep within a certain limit (or common sense)."

The "locative" use:

> 北に琵琶湖を控えた土地 an area which has Lake Biwa behind it to the north

lit. "keep/possess Biwa as (a special or worthy-to-mention-now) part to the
north". Note that English does pretty much the same: " **Have** Biwa to the
north".

And finally,

> 彼の別荘は後ろに山を控えている

The English translation could be rephrased as:

> His country cottage【subject】
>
> has got【verb】
>
> a moutain【direct object】
>
> behind it."

This should (I hope) make the transitive usage easier to relate to for English
speakers.

* * *

※ The word combination を背後に広がる is possible, but as in

> ![林間の木道を抜けると、穂高連峰を背後に広がる田代湿原に到着。](https://i.stack.imgur.com/c2usY.png)
>
> 林間の木道を抜けると、穂高【ほたか】連峰を背後に広がる田代【たしろ】湿原に到着。

or

> 大型ホテルや高層ホテルを背後に広がる人工ビーチ。

The hotel is to the back, the beach is what stretches out.

* * *

※※ Mnemonic. This is my attempt to help you understand the different senses. I
do not claim it actually means that, nor am I aware of its etymology.
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