Hayaku yarinasai-tte anna-ni itta-no-ni. (I told you to get it done earlier, though.)

Situation 1: It is 1 a.m. Mrs. Okubo tells her high school-age son, Mitsuo, to go to bed, and he answers back.

光男： まだ宿題が終わっていないから、寝られないよ。

母： もう、しょうがないわね！　早くやりなさいってあんなに言ったのに。

Mitsuo: Mada shukudai-ga owatte-inai-kara, nerarenai-yo.

Haha: Mō, shōganai-wa-ne! Hayaku yarinasai-tte anna-ni itta-no-ni.

Mitsuo: I haven't finished my assignment yet, so I can't go to bed.

Mother: Well, that's the way it goes, doesn't it? I told you to get it done earlier, though.

Today we will introduce the use of のに and けど as sentence-ending particles. Last week we introduced the pattern Xのに、Y (Y though X), which expresses an unexpected result and the speaker's criticism or dissatisfaction. のに can be attached to X as a sentence-ending particle to show the speaker's criticism of or dissatisfaction with others. Above, Mrs. Okubo criticizes her son for not starting his homework earlier, as she told him to do many times. Example: お客(きゃく)さん、もう帰(かえ)っちゃったの？ おいしいお茶(ちゃ)を入(い)れたのに (Has the customer gone? But I made some nice tea for him.) のにis often used in the pattern X(verb in conditional form)よかった/いい+のに. The X(verb in conditional form)いい+のに pattern is used when someone is not doing X now, whereas X(verb in conditional form)よかった+のに is used to express that someone did not do X and that the speaker is critical of that fact. Examples: お父さんも健康(けんこう)のために ジムに行(い)けばいいのに (Dad should go to gym for his health, though); そんなに濡(ぬ)れてしまって。かさを持(も)っていけば よかったのに (You got so wet! You should have brought your umbrella).

Situation 2: Section manager Mr. Okubo asks his staff member Ms. Gray about the next meeting.

大久保： 次のミーティング、来週の火曜日はどう？

グレイ： 火曜日はBZ社と打ち合わせをするんですけど。

Ookubo: Tsugi-no miitingu, raishū-no kayōbi-wa dō?

Gray: Kayōbi-wa BZ-sha-to uchiawase-o suru-n-desu-kedo.

Okubo: How about Tuesday for the next meeting?

Gray: But I have a meeting with BZ (company) on Tuesday.

けど, which often links two contrasting clauses, can also be used as a sentence-ending particle. This けど softens an excuse or explanation of the speaker's situation. けど is often used with んです/んだ as in んですけど/んだけど. Examples: すみません、もうすぐ閉店(へいてん)なんですけど (Excuse me, but we're about to close the store). A sentence with けど expresses an indirect request, with the speaker expecting the listener to sense the omitted part after けど. In Ms. Gray's remark, the omitted part is 他(ほか)の日(ひ)にしていただけませんか (Could we have it another day?). Another example: あのう、パソコンがフリーズしちゃったんですけど (Excuse me, my PC has frozen (so could you help me?)).

Bonus Dialogue: Mr. Omori talks to his colleague Mr. Mita. Later, Ms. Tamachi and Mr. Sere, who were listening, talk about what they heard.

大森： ねえ、来週(らいしゅう)の金曜日(きんようび)なんだけど。

三田： うん、何(なに)？

大森： 実(じつ)は、合(ごう)コンがあるんだ。行(い)かない？

三田： うーん、今回(こんかい)は遠慮(えんりょ)しておくよ。残念(ざんねん)だけど。

大森： そう。じゃ、ほかの人(ひと)に聞(き)いてみるよ。 [二人(ふたり)はたちさる]

田町： 合コンなら、三田さんも行けばいいのに。この前(まえ)、彼女(かのじょ)と別(わか)れたんでしょう？

セレ： 新(あたら)しい彼女ができたんだよ。きのう、話(はなし)を聞いたんだ。

田町： え、そんなにすぐに？あんなに落(お)ち込(こ)んでいたのに。

セレ： 三田くんは立(た)ち直(なお)りが早(はや)いからね。 あ、今回(こんかい)もどうなるかはわからないけど。

Omori: Hey, about next Friday ...

Mita: Yeah, what?

Omori: We're going to have a match-making party. Why don't you come along?

Mita: Um, I'm afraid I'll have to pass on that. It's a shame, but ...

Omori: Really? Well then, I'll ask someone else. [They leave]

Tamachi: He should go to the party! He and his girlfriend split up, right?

Sere: But he's found a new girl. I heard about it yesterday.

Tamachi: What, so soon? But he seemed so depressed.

Sere: Well, he's quick at getting back on his feet. But who knows what will happen this time around ...