2 verbs link together ?


I'm a bit confuse while trying to read a few sentences.

  1. **離れて見る** と、彼は実際よりずっと若く見える。(離れる + 見る）(I understand the first phrase mean "from distance view")

  2. 相手の名前をなかなか思い出すことが **できなくて困った** (this is either "2 verbs link together "できる + 困る or the "て" here mean "when/because" and not a modifier for "困った")

So i translate the 2nd sentence into this:

=> It's troublesome **when** cannot remember your partner's name (i think this
one is correct) => It's cannot be trouble ... (this sound so wrong)

I only learned that "て" mean "when/because" when you use it with a **comma**
to separate 2 sentences.

eg: 事故が **あって** 、バスが遅れてしまいました。

I feel like I'm missing somethings during my Japanese's studying progress.. Is
this a grammar structure or is there a way to call this type of combination ?

Thank you, sorry for my noobness !




You can think of て as having 3 basic uses.

The first is to show **sequence**. A happens, then B, then C.
ご飯を食べて、シャワーを浴びて、寝ました。 _I ate my meal, then took a shower and then slept._

The second is to show **means, method**. A is used to do B. この机は、私が木を使って作りました。
_As for this table, I made it by using wood._

The third is to show **reason**. 地震があって、大勢の人が死にました。 _Because an earthquake
happened, lots of people died._

* * *

Perhaps you could now think about how each of your two examples fits in with
one of the three usages of て.

For me, I think of it this way:

離れて見る can be thought of as the second usage: _**Through/by** being at a
distance, I (or some other person) look(s) or see(s) something._ The method of
seeing or viewing - the "how" - is by being far away.

事故があって、バスが遅れてしまいました。can be thought of as the third usage: _The bus was late
**because** an accident happened._ (note the nuance of regret or
disappointment that I can't really incorporate in the translation. This is
because of てしまいました.) て in this case shows reason.

* * *

Note: the third usage of て, to show reason, is limited by at least two rules.
When you construct a sentence with "reason て result", what follows the て must
be non-volitional (cannot be controlled / happens naturally). Furthermore, the
reason must not happen after the result.

For example (edited with chocolate's suggested sentences):

> X お[腹]{なか}が[空]{す}いていて、ケーキを二つ食べましょう。(volitional)
>
> O お腹が空いて‌​いるので/から、ケーキを二つ食べましょう‌​。(ので and から can take volition)
>
> O お腹が空いていて、ケーキを二つ食‌​べ(てしまい)ました。/食べられました。‌(て with non-volition)
>
> X 友達があした来て、きょうはいそがしくなりました。 _Because my friend is coming tomorrow, today
> became busy (became a busy day)._ My friend coming tomorrow happens,
> chronologically speaking, after today became busy. Thus the sentence becomes
> ungrammatical.
>
> O 友達があした来ます **から** 、きょうはいそがしくなりました。 _Because my friend is coming tomorrow,
> today became busy (became a busy day)._ から is able to express a reason
> happening after a result, so this sentence is acceptable.

