1

Context: people are being chosen for a task, and the speaker is awaiting the chosen two.

If this sentence was just:

一人目はやはり、君になった。

this would just be "I expected you would be (you would become) the first person.".

It would also be fine if it was just

一人目は、君になったか。

or something similar, then it would mean "Were you chosen (did you become) the first person." a kinda rhetorical question.

But I'm not sure what combining やはり and か could imply? The only idea I might have for this is:

Did they pick you, as the first person, after all?

So he was assuming it might be her, but he is still asking rhetorically if it is her. Also given that she then answers HOW she was chosen it might imply he is incredulous? or wants to know more?

2 Answers 2

3

I think it's a little simpler than that. Think of it as a statement made question by adding something like "huh?" at the end, in the sense that all is conveyed in the statement form that you described:

一人目はやはり、君になった。
So the first ended up being you after all.

Therefore, now with か to make it like a question:

一人目はやはり、君になったか。
So the first ended up being you after all, huh?

EDIT: Thought I should clarify thanks to l'électeur's comment, since I had the right mindset but didn't finish explaining.

The end result is not a question, but rather a statement of observation. In the same vein that you're not asking in English about the fact that someone was picked first, but instead are observing that this is the case. In the end, the "question" statement actually has the same meaning as my first example, in the tone of observation, instead of stating a fact:

一人目はやはり、君になったか。
So the first ended up being you after all.

2
  • So I was close, but did not get the nuance. Thanks. Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 0:13
  • 4
    「一人目はやはり、君になったか。」 is not a question.
    – user4032
    Commented Dec 14, 2017 at 0:26
3

English

(1)一人目は、君になった。
(2)一人目は、やはり君になった。
(3)一人目は、君になった

(2) or (3) adds some meaning or nuance to (1).

(2) implies that there was an estimate or forecast of (1) beforehand and objectively states the fact that the result was as forcasted.

Though it was unknown whether there was the prediction of (1) or not in advance, (3) implies how the speaker got the result of (1) with his own deep emotion.
The emotion could be both: a relief because the result with (1) was what he/she had wanted, and a deplor with sigh because the result was what he/she hadn't wanted.


EDIT

In jisho.org I couldn't find the definition of か in this meaning, but in goo辞書{じしょ} there is a definition corresponding to my understading as follows.


[終助]文末にある種々の語に付く。

6 驚{おどろ}きや感動{かんどう}の気持{きも}ちを表{あらわ}す。 It expresses surprise or emotional feelings. (note: The definition in English is my attempt.) 古語{こご}では、多く「も…か」の形をとる。「だれかと思ったら、君だったのか」「なかなかやるじゃないか」

日本語

(1)一人目は、君になった。
(2)一人目は、やはり君になった。
(3)一人目は、君になった

(2)および(3)は、(1)の文に対{たい}して、何{なん}らかの意味{いみ}あるいはニュアンスが加{くわ}わります。

(2)は、事前{じぜん}に(1)の予想{よそう}/予測{よそく}があり、結果{けっか}が予想どおりであった事実{じじつ}客観的{きゃっかんてき} に述{の}べています。 (3)は、事前の予想が(1)であるかどうかは不明{ふめい}ですが、結果が(1)になったことを、話者{わしゃ}が自分{じぶん}の感想{かんそう} として感慨{かんがい}深{ぶか}く述{の}べています。感慨の中には、「君になって良かった」という場合{ばあい}も、「君になって困{こま}ったな/がっかりだ/いやだな」といういずれの場合もあります。後者{こうしゃ}の場合には「感慨深く」ではなく、「嘆息{たんそく}して」とでも表現{ひょうげん}する方が適{てき}しています。

EDIT

jisho.orgには「(3)一人目は、君になった。」の「か」の意味は掲載{けいさい}されていませんが、goo辞書の次の定義{ていぎ}が該当{がいとう}するように思います。


[終助]文末にある種々の語に付く。

6 驚{おどろ}きや感動{かんどう}の気持{きも}ちを表{あらわ}す。古語{こご}では、多く「も…か」の形をとる。「だれかと思ったら、君だったのか」「なかなかやるじゃないか」

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