質問: I'm used to seeing 息をつく and it's easy to understand in parallel to English, as を marks the object (to take => a breath). However, I saw this sentence in a dictionary: > > 彼の情熱的な抱擁で彼女は息がつけなかった。 > > His passionate embrace took her breath away. > > > (出典:プログレッシブ和英中辞典) > > > **Why is 息 marked here as the object (assuming が is used here as an object marker)? Would rewriting the sentence as** > > 彼の情熱的な抱擁で彼女は息をつけなかった。 > > His passionate embrace took her breath away. > > > **make any difference?**
回答: > > 彼の情熱的な抱擁で彼女は息がつけなかった。 > > Why is 息 marked here as the object (assuming が is used here as an object marker)? > > > It's because of the potential form つける. The つける(吐ける) is the potential(可能形) form of the transitive verb つく(吐く). For example: 「英語**を**話す」--> 「英語を話せる」「英語**が**話せる」「英語**が**話せない」 「目**を**離す」--> 「目を離せない」「目**が**離せない」 「単位**を**取る」--> 「単位を取れない」「単位**が**取れる」「単位**が**取れない」 「論文**を**書く」--> 「論文を書けない」「論文**が**書ける」「論文**が**書けない」 を can be replaced by が when using the potential form. This thread might be of some help. Likewise, 「息**を**つく」(take a breath) -->「息をつけない」「息**が**つけない」(can't take a breath) > > Would rewriting the sentence as > > 彼の情熱的な抱擁で彼女は息をつけなかった。 > > make any difference? > > > I don't think it would make much difference. I think some people would prefer が over を especially in a negative sentence (though it would depend on the context).