# 勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません



## Dante404

Hi, I can't find the correct way to translate this sentence into English:

のび太くんは勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。

As far as I know the particle 「し」is used to give some reasons, being the sentence sentence without 「し」 in this case 「運動もできません 」 the main one. But this main sentence doesn't have anything to do with the others with し. What does 「運動」(exercise) or the fact of not being able to do exercise have to do with studying and a fight?

I don't get this sentence.


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## karlalou

Hi,

Well.. し is not showing reasons, but just it's used like 'and'.

We say ～をすれば、～もするし、～もする。 These three ～ are put equally just like connected with 'and' in English.
This is same in ～だし、～だし、～だ。


I see, し sometimes shows reasons, but the most basic use is 'and'.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

I think that the function of the し in this context is "or" or "nor" because it's a negative sentence.
If it's an affirmative sentence, し may function as "and."
Anyway it's merely a simple conjunction.

"Nobita is not good at studies, *or* fights, *or* exercises."


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## Dante404

Oh thank you, that explains everything!

But what confuses me a little is that the whole sentence is made up of a mix of negative sentence + positive sentence + negative sentence, since けんかも弱いし although it has a negative sense it' s written in positive and literally means ¨weak/unskilled at fights¨.

Would けんかもできませんし be incorrect?

I´m struggling with that part actually.


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## SoLaTiDoberman

haha, I didn't even noticed that that part was an affirmative sentence.
In my mind, it was a negative sentence, like this:

けんかも弱いし、　＝　けんかも_強く*ない*_し、


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## 810senior

_Nobita isn't that good at studying; he's weak at fighting, bad at playing sports, too._



Dante404 said:


> Would けんかもできませんし be incorrect?
> I´m struggling with that part actually.


Not at all, you can say it instead.

～けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。
→けんかもできませんし、運動もできません。
→けんかもできないし、運動もできません。
→けんかも、運動もできません。
→けんかも、（それに）運動すらできません。


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## frequency

Dante404 said:


> a mix of negative sentence + positive sentence + negative sentence,


Good! You can use ～し、in a mixed sentence, too.

All affirmative: のび太くんは勉強もできるし、けんかも強いし、運動もできます。
All nagative: のび太くんは勉強も*できないし*、けんかも強くないし、運動もできません。
Mixed: のび太くんは勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。

All okay.

Sorry, I've found an error in my copy-and-paste in #8. I corrected it here. Thanks, Doberman


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## SoLaTiDoberman

frequency said:


> All affirmative: のび太くんは勉強もできるし、けんかも強いし、運動もできます。


In this sentence, し functions like "and."


frequency said:


> All nagative: のび太くんは勉強もできないし、けんかも強くないし、運動もできません。


In this sentence, し functions like "or."


frequency said:


> Mixed: のび太くんは勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。


In this sentence, し functions like "and" or "or."

edit) I corrected the typo too.  I didn't noticed it, either, *frequency.*


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## Dante404

I forgot to reply this post, and reading the whole thing again I came up with a new question. Would this sentence be correct? (using the -te form instead of し）
*
のび太くんは勉強もあまりできなくて、けんかも弱くて、運動もできません。
*
instead of the original one?* (のび太くんは勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。)
*

And if so, what is the difference between those two?


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## karlalou

I think it says the same thing.
The difference is only that ～も～だし、～も～だし、～も～だ sounds a little smoother.


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## Alkanna

…N. can neither get good grades, nor win a fight, nor play sports.
"し、。。。し”　=　emphasis = he is really, really hopeless.


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## frequency

Dante404 said:


> *のび太くんは勉強もあまりできないし、けんかも弱いし、運動もできません。*


This sounds better. 



Dante404 said:


> *のび太くんは勉強もあまりできな**くて**、運動もできません。*


This may better for two things, but _not strictly_.

～し may work for add-up more than くて.


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## Dante404

手伝ってくれてありがとうございました。役に立ちました＾＾


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## Alkanna

どういたしまして：）


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