0

Taken from https://japanesetest4you.com/japanese-language-proficiency-test-jlpt-n1-listening-exercise-6/, question 4. Select the most appropriate response:

では、そろそろ新年会もこの辺でお開きにしましょうか。

  1. ああ、この場所がいいですね。

  2. そうですね。もう遅いですし。

  3. 皆さんおそろいなので、まず乾杯しましょう。

The correct answer is 2. But I'm not sure why 1 doesn't also make sense, since the first speaker uses 「この辺で」.

Why would the first speaker use 「この辺で」? Translated literally, "Let's get the New Year's party started around here soon" sounds a bit odd. Is there a colloquial usage I'm not familiar with?

Improve this question
1

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

Firstly, お開きにしましょう means "let's wrap it up" not "let's get started."

I guess you can kind of think of it as the people are going to spread out and move away. I'm not sure of the full etymology.

Therefore #2 is the most appropriate, and #3 would be the complete opposite.

Option #1 would be kind of a strange interaction.

A: "Let's wrap things up now"

B: "Yes this is a good location"

この辺 can also mean "now" or "at this point" temporally. Words like ここ and そこ can also be used for time.

Improve this answer
3
  • OK, so I misunderstood the meaning of 開く. Thanks
    – Hikonyan
    Sep 21, 2019 at 16:19
  • 2
    @Hikonyan To be clear, お開きにする is a set expression. It's not just a conjugation of 開く. I mean, it's a conjugation of 開く in the strict sense, but here it's an expression that has taken on one unambiguous meaning, not a general usage that could be any of 開く's meanings.
    – Leebo
    Sep 21, 2019 at 16:26
  • 1
    @Leebo Suggestion for improvement re: I'm not sure of the full etymology -- according to 明鏡国語辞典, お開き is a noun that means "a party, gathering, etc. coming to an end" (祝宴・会合などが終わること。). As for how お開き took on this meaning, it is now used as a nicer-sounding alternative to phrasings that might be perceived as too blunt, like 終わる or 閉じる, and originally it was a euphemism for 去る and 帰る. (「終わる」「閉じる」をきらって言い換えたことば。もと「去る」「帰る」の[忌詞]{いみことば}。)
    – Setris
    Sep 22, 2019 at 0:09

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .