Kono e, doko-ni kakeyō-ka. (Where shall I hang this picture?)

Situation 1: Yuri is moving out of her parents' house and into an apartment to live alone. Her boyfriend, Mr. Sere, helps her arrange her things.

セレ：　 この絵、どこにかけようか。

ゆり：　 帽子がかかっているフックがあるでしょ。その隣のフックにかけてくれる？。

Sere: Kono e, doko-ni kakeyō-ka.

Yuri: Bōshi-ga kakatte-iru fukku-ga aru-desho. Sono tonari-no fukku-ni kakete-kureru?

Sere: Where shall I hang this picture?

Yuri: You see the hook where my hat is hanging? Please hang it on the hook next to that.

Today we will introduce some meanings and usages of the verbs 掛(か)ける and 掛かる (both "to hang"). 掛ける is a transitive verb and is used as here: 壁(かべ)に絵(え)を掛けた (I hung a picture on the wall). 掛かる is intransitive and is used as in: 壁に絵が掛かっている (A picture is hanging on the wall). These verbs express "to hang something somewhere" and that "something is hanging somewhere," respectively. They can be used for abstract ideas, too, as in Nを気に掛ける (literally, "to hang N on your mind") and as in Nが気に掛かる (N is weighing (lit., hanging) on your mind). Examples: 母(はは)はいつも私のことを気に掛けている (Mom is always anxious about me/lit., "Mom always hangs me on her mind"); 彼(かれ)のことが、どうも気(き)に掛かる (I can't help being anxious about him./lit., "He is hanging on my mind"). 気に掛ける/掛かる sometimes has the connotation of feelings of love.

Situation 2: Mr. and Mrs. Shiba are about to go for a drive.

妻：　 ねえ、どうしてエンジンを掛けないの？

夫：　 さっきから何度もやっているんだけど、掛からないん だよ。どうしたのかなあ。

Tsuma: Nē, dōshite enjin-o kakenai-no?

Otto: Sakki-kara nando-mo yatte-iru-n-da-kedo, kakaranai-n-da-yo. Dōshita-no-ka-nā.

Wife: Darling, why haven't you started the engine?

Husband: I've tried over and over but it doesn't work. What's up?

Lots of nouns that are used with these verbs that have a range of meanings. Examples: エンジンを掛ける/が掛かる in Situation 2; Nにお金(かね, money)/時間(じかん, time)を掛ける (to spend money or time on N)/が掛かる (N costs a lot, or N requires a lot of time); Nに手(て, hand)を掛ける (to take good care of N)/が掛かる (N requires a lot of care); 電話(でんわ, phone)を掛ける(to call)/が 掛かる(the phone is connected); 声(こえ, voice)を掛ける (to talk to someone)/が掛かる(to be called), etc. Example: 道(みち)で知(し)らない人(ひと)に声を掛けられた (A stranger talked to me in the street).

Bonus Dialogue: Mr. Mita and his colleague Mr. Sere are at a bar.

三田：　 彼女(かのじょ)にいくら電話(でんわ)をかけても、出(で)てくれないんだ。

セレ：　 けんかでもしたの？

三田：　 うん...。じつは、昨日(きのう)プロポーズしたんだけど、結婚(けっこん)したら、すぐ家庭(かてい)に入(はい)って、家事(かじ)や育児(いくじ)にしっかり手(て)をかけてほしいって言(い)ったんだ。

セレ：　 三田(みた)くんは、そういうところは意外(いがい)と保守的(ほしゅてき)だなあ。彼女は何(なん)て？

三田：　 課長(かちょう)が目(め)をかけてくれているから、今(いま)会社(かいしゃ)をやめるわけにはいかないって。

セレ：　 うん、彼女は一番(いちばん)の成長(せいちょう)株(かぶ)だから、そう言うだろうね。

三田：　 それで、「課長とぼくとどっちが大事(だいじ)なんだ！」って怒鳴(どな)ったら、「もちろん課長よ」と言って、すぐ帰(かえ)っちゃった。

セレ：　 こういうことは、もっと時間(じかん)をかけないといけないよ。〔ひとりごと〕三田くんは、ふだんはおおらかなのに、どうして女性(じょせい)とのつきあい方(かた)がこんなに下手(へた)なのかなあ...。

Mita: However much I call my girlfriend, she never answers.

Sere: Did you have a fight or something?

Mita: Yeah ... To tell the truth, I proposed last night, and asked her to settle down soon after marriage and devote herself to housework and bringing up our kids.

Sere: You're so unusually conservative about that stuff! What did she say?

Mita: She said that she can't quit her job because her boss treats her so well.

Sere: Yeah, she would say that, since she's the most promising of all the young staff.

Mita: So, I shouted, "Which is more important for you, your boss or me?!" She answered, "Of course, my boss," and quickly left.

Sere: You have to take some time with these kinds of things. [To himself] Mita is usually a generous guy, but why is he so clumsy when it comes to dealing with women?