saisyo ha muryou da to omottano ni, ato de genkin ga hituyou datta.

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Questions & Answers about saisyo ha muryou da to omottano ni, ato de genkin ga hituyou datta.

What does the は after 最初 do, and how is 最初は different from 最初に?
  • marks a topic. 最初は means “as for the beginning/at first,” setting the time frame and inviting contrast with what follows (here, あとで).
  • 最初に directly modifies a verb (“first(ly), I did/thought…”). It’s fine, but 最初は … あとで … flows especially well because both halves are time stages being contrasted.
  • Both are acceptable here; 最初は sounds a touch more contrastive with あとで.
Why is there a だ before と in 無料だと思った? When do I include だ before と思う?
  • Add when the quoted clause ends in a noun or a na-adjective.
    • Noun/na-adj: 無料だと思う, 学生だと思う, きれいだと思う
    • i-adj/verb: no 高いと思う, 行くと思う
  • For negatives: 無料じゃないと思う, きれいじゃないと思う, 高くないと思う.
What exactly does のに mean here?
  • のに = “even though/although,” with a nuance of frustration, surprise, or disappointment about a result contrary to expectation.
  • Forming it:
    • Verb/i-adj (plain) + のに: 思ったのに, 寒いのに
    • Noun/na-adj + なのに: 無料なのに, 便利なのに
  • It’s stronger/more emotive than a neutral “but.”
Could I use けど, が, or でも instead of のに? What’s the difference?
  • けど/が: neutral contrast. 最初は無料だと思ったけど/が、あとで現金が必要だった。 (less emotive)
  • でも: sentence-initial “but.” …と思った。 でも、あとで…
  • のに: carries a sense of complaint/surprise. Your original has stronger “contrary to expectation” feeling.
Why is it 思ったのに and not 思っていたのに?
  • 思った = a conclusion you reached at that point. Natural with 最初 anchoring that moment.
  • 思っていた = an ongoing belief up to (and including) the later time, which then got contradicted. With あとで, this often fits very well: 最初は無料だと思っていたのに、… emphasizes you had been under that impression until later.
What does the の in 思ったのに do? Can I drop it?
  • It’s part of the fixed conjunction のに. You cannot drop it.
  • With verbs/i-adjectives, use plain form + のに (e.g., 思ったのに, 忙しいのに).
  • With nouns/na-adjectives, use なのに (e.g., 無料なのに, 静かなのに).
Why is が used in 現金が必要だった? Could I use は?
  • The default pattern is N が 必要だ (“N is necessary”), where N is the grammatical subject of 必要だ.
  • 現金は必要だった is also possible and adds contrast/topic nuance (“Cash was needed (as opposed to something else)” or “as for cash, it was needed”).
  • Don’t use here; 必要だ is a predicate, not a verb that takes .
Is 必要 a noun or an adjective? How does 必要だった work?
  • 必要 is a noun/na-adjective.
    • Predicate: 必要だ/必要だった/必要ではない/必要ではなかった
    • Attributive: 必要な書類 (documents needed)
    • Fixed patterns: 必要がある/必要がない
  • 必要だった is simply the past form (“was necessary”).
Can I say 現金が要った or 現金がいる instead of 現金が必要だった?
  • Yes:
    • Present: 現金がいる/要る (everyday/casual)
    • Past: 現金が要った (correct, written with the kanji to avoid confusion with “went” いった). Many speakers avoid 要った in conversation and prefer 必要だった or 必要があった.
  • Nuance: いる/要る is plain and colloquial; 必要だ sounds a bit more objective/formal.
What about 現金を必要とした? Is that natural?
  • N を必要とする = “to require N” is formal/written. この手続きは現金を必要とする。
  • In conversation about a past event, 現金が必要だった sounds more natural.
How does あとで compare to その後, 後から, or あとに?
  • あとで: “later (on),” adverbial. Very common and natural here to contrast with 最初は.
  • その後: “after that/thereafter,” usually refers back to a specific prior event; a bit more formal.
  • 後から: “later (afterwards, starting later),” often for joining or arriving later (e.g., 後から行く).
  • N のあとで/あとに: “after N” (e.g., 説明のあとで支払った).
Why is 必要だった in the past? Could it be present? How about politeness?
  • The whole statement recounts a past situation, so だった is appropriate.
  • For polite speech, make the main clause polite: …あとで現金が必要でした。
  • You can also make the thought polite if you like: 最初は無料だと思っていましたが、あとで現金が必要でした。 (neutral contrast) or keep のに: …と思っていましたのに… (quite formal/old-fashioned).
Is there any difference between 無料, タダ, and フリー?
  • 無料: standard/neutral; common in signs, notices, formal contexts.
  • タダ: very casual/slangy; fine with friends. Ex.: 最初はタダだと思った…
  • フリー: marketing loanword; context-dependent (can mean “free of charge,” but also “available/open,” e.g., フリー席). Use carefully.
Why is the subject “I” missing? How would I make it clear if it’s someone else who thought so?
  • Japanese often omits pronouns when obvious. With と思った, the unmarked reader is usually the speaker.
  • To specify another subject, add it: 彼は/彼女は/友だちは 無料だと思っていたのに、あとで現金が必要だった。
How do I generalize this pattern to say “I thought X, but Y happened” or “Even though X, Y”?
  • Thought-based contrast: [plain clause] と思った(のに)、[unexpected result].
    • Noun/na-adj inside 思う: N/na + だと思った(のに)無料だと思ったのに…
    • i-adj/verb inside 思う: i/verb + と思った(のに)安いと思ったのに…, 終わると思ったのに…
  • Direct concessive: [plain clause] のに、[unexpected result].
    • 雨なのに、試合は行われた。
    • 無料なのに、品質が高い。 (Here it’s a neutral surprise/positive twist)