modifying a noun


Example sentence to illustrate the question:

抑えられない幸せにしたい気持ち can either be understood as (抑えられない幸せ)にしたい気持ち or
(抑えられない幸せにしたい)気持ち

Is there a way to disambiguate what the speaker is trying to imply? In other
words, if someone tells me that, how do I know which meaning the speaker is
trying to imply?




  1. ［抑えられない幸せ］にしたい気持ち
  2. 抑えられない［幸せにしたい］気持ち

These two are distinguishable in speech, because when you mean #1, you are
going to say the whole phrase in a single intonation block, but #2 will be
two: 抑えられない／幸せにしたい気持ち, reflecting the structure that two chunks being parallel
modifiers of the last noun.

If written, it is ambiguous in theory. I said "in theory" because most people
would parse it in #2 if you showed them the line.

幸せ works both as a na-adjective and a noun. Na-adjective is basically a noun
in form except limited particle connection, using な to modify nouns, and being
adjective in meaning. If you parse like #1 i.e. 抑えられない modifies 幸せ, 幸せ needs
to be a noun because adjective can only modify a noun with the dictionary
form. As a result, it means:

> (1') _a feeling that [I] want to turn [something else] into an irresistible
> happiness_

If #2, 幸せにしたい has no modifier and would be either na-adjective or noun, but
na-adjective by default. Then it means:

> (2') _an irresistible feeling that [I] want to make [somebody else] happy_

Which is a likelier situation? :)




  1. ［抑えられない幸せ］にしたい気持ち
  2. 抑えられない［幸せにしたい］気持ち

These two are distinguishable in speech, because when you mean #1, you are
going to say the whole phrase in a single intonation block, but #2 will be
two: 抑えられない／幸せにしたい気持ち, reflecting the structure that two chunks being parallel
modifiers of the last noun.

If written, it is ambiguous in theory. I said "in theory" because most people
would parse it in #2 if you showed them the line.

幸せ works both as a na-adjective and a noun. Na-adjective is basically a noun
in form except limited particle connection, using な to modify nouns, and being
adjective in meaning. If you parse like #1 i.e. 抑えられない modifies 幸せ, 幸せ needs
to be a noun because adjective can only modify a noun with the dictionary
form. As a result, it means:

> (1') _a feeling that [I] want to turn [something else] into an irresistible
> happiness_

If #2, 幸せにしたい has no modifier and would be either na-adjective or noun, but
na-adjective by default. Then it means:

> (2') _an irresistible feeling that [I] want to make [somebody else] happy_

Which is a likelier situation? :)

