彼は冬に何日かお休みがあります。

彼は2週間仕事をしなくてよいのです。

What is the grammar behind しなくてよい? Does it mean "doesn't have to work?" Also
is のです being used because the fact that he doesn't have to work for 2 weeks
explains 冬に何日かお休みがあります?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-29T23:27:02.037
74137
2020-02-05T06:11:26.033
question
grammar particles
のです and te-form + よい
> 「彼{かれ}は冬{ふゆ}に何日{なんにち}かお休{やす}みがあります。
>
> 彼は2週間仕事{しゅうかんしごと}をしなくてよいのです。」

「しなくてよい」＝する + ない + て + よい

「し」 is the 連用形{れんようけい} ("continuative form") of 「する」 just as 「なく」 is that of
「ない」.

The super-literal meaning of 「しなくてよい」 would be something like " _ **if not do
(something), good/okay**_ ".

That is why 「しなくてよい」 is often translated as " _ **to not have to do ~~**_ " in
natural English. One would agree that it is a valid translation, wouldn't one?

> Also is のです being used because the fact that he doesn't have to work for 2
> weeks explains 冬に何日かお休みがあります?

Exactly. Except for the 「２週間」 part, which is a more detailed piece of
information, the second sentence is basically just rephrasing the first.

I might add that this passage was clearly written/spoken for a non-native-
speaker.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-05T02:25:34.587
74256
2020-02-05T06:11:26.033
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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74137
answer