Death of former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, aged 90
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On 26 October, NHK announced that former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda died on 22 October, at the age of 90.
In this article
The essentials
NHK announced on 26 October that former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda died on 22 October, aged 90. Note that four days separate the date of death from that of the announcement.
Career
According to NHK, Yasuo Fukuda was born in Tokyo in 1936, worked for an oil company and then became secretary to his father, the lawmaker Takeo Fukuda. The article breaks off after that, and we could not read the rest of his career. He is generally known for having been Prime Minister of Japan from 2007 to 2008 (a general note by JAPANITIES, absent from the NHK article).
What we do not know yet
In the article consulted, the cause of death, the funeral and the reactions of the family or the government are not given. See NHK’s latest dispatches.
Learn the grammar
French grammar
Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.
01The present indicative
est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)
Il est généralement connu pour avoir été Premier ministre du Japon de 2007 à 2008 (précision générale de JAPANITIES, absente de l’article de NHK).Key pointsÊtre in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.
02The passé composé
present of avoir + past participle
Le 26 octobre, NHK a annoncé que l’ancien Premier ministre Yasuo Fukuda est mort le 22 octobre, à l’âge de 90 ans.Key pointsThe passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.
03The passive voice in the present
être (est / sont) + past participle (+ par / de)
NHK a annoncé le 26 octobre que l’ancien Premier ministre Yasuo Fukuda est décédé le 22 octobre, à 90 ans.Key pointsThe passive means “is done” or “is being done”. It is formed with être + past participle, which agrees with the subject in gender and number (la mesure est adoptée / les mesures sont adoptées). The agent is introduced by par (or de). In the news it is common when the event, rather than the actor, is the focus (est prévu / est annoncé / est connu).
04Negation and its scope
ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus
L’article s’interrompt ensuite, et nous n’avons pas pu lire la suite de sa carrière.Key pointsNormally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.
05Citing a source with selon
selon + noun / organisation
Selon NHK, Yasuo Fukuda est né à Tokyo en 1936, a travaillé dans une compagnie pétrolière puis est devenu secrétaire de son père, le député Takeo Fukuda.Key pointsSelon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.
06Purpose with pour
pour + infinitive
Il est généralement connu pour avoir été Premier ministre du Japon de 2007 à 2008 (précision générale de JAPANITIES, absente de l’article de NHK).Key pointsThis is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.
07Delimiting an interval
de … à … / du … au …
Il est généralement connu pour avoir été Premier ministre du Japon de 2007 à 2008 (précision générale de JAPANITIES, absente de l’article de NHK).Key pointsDe…à… shows the start and end, “from … to …”, and is also used for changes in figures. With dates, de + le becomes du and à + le becomes au, giving forms like du 13 au 15. Check whether the interval concerns dates, times or amounts.
Japanese grammar
Understand the structure and usage from the text.
01Citing a source: によると
noun + によると
NHKの記事によると、福田氏は、1936年に東京で生まれ、石油会社に勤めたあと、衆議院議員だった父、福田赳夫氏の秘書になりました。Key pointsAs in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.
02Plan, outlook and policy
〜の予定 / 〜見込み / 〜方針
確認できた記事には、亡くなった原因、葬儀の予定、遺族や政府の発言は、出ていませんでした。Key points予定 is a plan, 見込み a forecast and 方針 a course of action or intention. None of them asserts that something has already been carried out. Note the difference from expressions such as “決まりました”.
03Polite negation and plain form
〜ではありません / 〜ではない
一般には、福田氏は、2007年から2008年まで、日本の首相を務めたことで知られています（JAPANITIES編集部の一般的な補足で、NHKの記事に書かれたものではありません）。Key pointsThey negate a noun and similar content. “ではありません” is the polite form and “ではない” the plain form. “成立ではありません” shows that it cannot be said to have been concluded.
04Cause or purpose with ため
〜ため / 〜ために
亡くなった日と、発表された日が、4日離れているため、ご注意ください。Key pointsため is used for both reason and purpose. “成立ではないため” is a reason and “運転手を守るため” a purpose. Decide from the whole sentence whether what precedes is a cause or a goal.
05The polite past ました
verb stem (連用形) + ました
NHKは、26日、福田康夫元首相が、今月22日に亡くなったと伝えました。Key pointsIn “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.
06Quoting with と: content and report
plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)
NHKは、26日に、福田康夫元首相が、今月22日に亡くなったと伝えました。Key pointsと takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.