What would be a natural sounding way to say something like return to [verb]
i.e. "Return to listening to music" Would it be something like 「音楽を聴くことに戻る」 or
「音楽を聴きに戻る」or anything else like simple て-form?
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2020-06-22T09:40:09.850
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2020-06-25T20:36:21.737
2020-06-22T20:54:35.053
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question
grammar
How to say you go back to doing something
聴く is a very
[active](https://www.nhk.or.jp/bunken/summary/kotoba/gimon/151.html) verb,
that it should be sufficient to use また to imply you are returning to what you
were doing beforehand, and adding 始め reinforces it.

> また音楽を聴き始めた

> I'm going to start listening to music again

This may not work for passive verbs especially where you aren't the one taking
action. If use of 聴く in that sentence isn't important, you could always use 再開
which would mean resuming, assuming it was clear that's what you were doing
right before.

> 音楽を再開した

> I resumed the music
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2020-06-23T00:23:29.203
78181
2020-06-23T16:12:12.963
2020-06-23T16:12:12.963
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answer
You said you are asking about "just generally going back", but it's difficult
to answer this without a concrete situation.

音楽を聴きに戻る only means "to return **(to the previous location)** in order to
listen to music". As you probably know, this `verb + に + motion-verb`
construction refers to a spatial movement with a purpose. If you have been
doing something else and need to walk at least for a few seconds to go back to
the place where you were listening to the music, then this should be natural.

On the other hand, 音楽を聴くことに戻る (or simply 音楽に戻る/曲に戻る) usually simply means "to
start listening to music again", and it does not involve a spatial movement.
If you have been doing something else while you are sitting, this should be
the correct choice.
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2020-06-23T03:16:49.240
78191
2020-06-23T03:16:49.240
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answer
It’s more natural and succinct to say

音楽を聞き直した

I listened to the music again.
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2020-06-25T20:36:21.737
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2020-06-25T20:36:21.737
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answer