窓から見えるのは高いビルです。

Sentence Discussions Japanese
#1
English Translation

The high building can be seen from the window.

Is this right?

I feel this is more like: “What you can see from the window is a tall building”.

#2

Agree.
Or it would be something like:
高いビルは窓から見えます。

#3

I agree with @mike-lima 's point.

But the alternative sentence proposed by @pitti42 – “高いビルは窓から見えます” – sounds unnatural to my native ears. It should be 高いビル「が」窓から見えます.

The connotation of は is this is A, not B. There is an unspoken comparison behind は. Therefore, 高いビルは窓から見えます suggests that you cannot see any low buildings from the window, and you can do only the high one.

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#4

Of course I had to make the old は/が mistake :sweat_smile:
I was thinking it might be が, but I was not sure. I guess non-natives will never get that one 100% right.

But it seems we all agree that the English and Japanese sentences do not match.

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