Lesson 43 Notice me

ポイント
As a noun, “notice” can be translated as 予告 or お知らせ. So what do you think it means as a verb? Let’s see what Hitoshi thinks.

ダイアログ
Harry: I noticed that Sato-san went home early yesterday.
Hitoshi: Who did you notice? Or did someone notice you?
Harry: Er, I just noticed it myself.

解説
Communication breaks down here because Hitoshi thinks “noticed” means either 知らせた or 知らせられた. But Harry actually means 佐藤さんが昨日早退したことに気付いた. This is because as a verb “notice” means “気付く.” “Notify” means “知らせる.” If someone told Harry that Sato-san went home, Harry can say “Someone notified me Sato-san went home” or “I was notified that Sato-san went home.”