Japanese · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 8 of 12
Idioms and everyday speech
ことわざと話し言葉Kotowaza to hanashikotoba
Understand idioms, proverbs and four-kanji phrases, the fillers that fill real speech, and spoken shortcuts like ～ちゃう, ～てる, ～とく and ～なきゃ.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Use common idioms with body parts, such as 顔が広い and 手が離せない
- Understand everyday proverbs and four-kanji phrases
- Recognise and use spoken contractions: ～てる, ～ちゃう, ～とく, ～なきゃ, ～って, ～じゃん
- Sound natural with fillers such as えーと, まあ, なんか and やっぱり
Listen
In Kagoshima, grandmother Hisae, her daughter Megumi and her grandson Takeru get the house and the food ready for New Year. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Megumi
もう年末なのに、大掃除もおせちも、まだ半分しか終わってない。猫の手も借りたいよ。
Mō nenmatsu na noni, ōsōji mo osechi mo, mada hanbun shika owattenai. Neko no te mo karitai yo.
It's already the end of the year, and the big clean and the New Year food are only half done. I'm so busy I'd take help from the cat.
Takeru
猫じゃないけど、俺が手伝うよ。何すればいい？
Neko ja nai kedo, ore ga tetsudau yo. Nani sureba ii?
I'm not a cat, but I'll help. What should I do?
Hisae
あら、武は気が利くねえ。じゃあ、窓を拭いといてくれる？
Ara, Takeru wa ki ga kiku nē. Jā, mado o fuitoite kureru?
Oh, Takeru, how thoughtful of you. Then could you wipe the windows for me?
Takeru
えーと、窓の前に、冷蔵庫の中も片付けなきゃいけないって、母さん言ってなかった？
Ēto, mado no mae ni, reizōko no naka mo katazukenakya ikenai tte, kāsan ittenakatta?
Um, before the windows … Mum, didn't you say we had to clear out the fridge too?
Megumi
そうそう。古いものは捨てちゃって。お正月の食べ物を入れる場所もできるから、一石二鳥じゃん。
Sō sō. Furui mono wa sutechatte. Oshōgatsu no tabemono o ireru basho mo dekiru kara, isseki nichō jan.
That's right. Just throw out the old stuff. That also makes room for the New Year food, so it's two birds with one stone.
Hisae
恵、ちょっと煮物を見ててくれる？今、手が離せないのよ。
Megumi, chotto nimono o mitete kureru? Ima, te ga hanasenai no yo.
Megumi, could you keep an eye on the stew for a moment? I've got my hands full right now.
Megumi
はーい。…あれ？お母さん、これ、なんか焦げてない？
Hāi. Are? Okāsan, kore, nanka kogetenai?
OK. … Huh? Mum, isn't this sort of burning?
Hisae
あら、やだ。猿も木から落ちる、ね。毎年作ってるのに。
Ara, yada. Saru mo ki kara ochiru, ne. Maitoshi tsukutteru noni.
Oh no. Even monkeys fall from trees, as they say. And I make it every year.
Takeru
まあまあ。ばあちゃんでも失敗するんだね。ねえ、年越しそばは何時ごろ食べるの？俺、もうお腹すいちゃった。
Mā mā. Bāchan demo shippai suru n da ne. Nē, toshikoshi soba wa nanji goro taberu no? Ore, mō onaka suichatta.
Never mind. So even you make mistakes, Grandma. Hey, what time are we having the New Year's Eve noodles? I'm already starving.
Megumi
掃除より先に食べ物の話？まさに花より団子ね。あ、そういえば、隣の山下さんがお餅をくれるって。お母さんって、本当に顔が広いよね。
Sōji yori saki ni tabemono no hanashi? Masa ni hana yori dango ne. A, sō ieba, tonari no Yamashita-san ga omochi o kureru tte. Okāsan tte, hontō ni kao ga hiroi yo ne.
Talking about food before the cleaning's done? Dumplings before flowers, as they say. Oh, by the way, Mrs Yamashita next door says she'll give us some rice cakes. Mum, you really do know everyone.
Hisae
まあ、ここに長く住んでるからね。武、手伝ってくれたから、お年玉はちょっと多めにしとくね。お母さんには内緒よ。
Mā, koko ni nagaku sunderu kara ne. Takeru, tetsudatte kureta kara, otoshidama wa chotto ōme ni shitoku ne. Okāsan ni wa naisho yo.
Well, I've lived here a long time. Takeru, since you've helped, I'll put a little extra in your New Year money. Don't tell your mum.
Megumi
全部聞こえてるよ。まあ、いいか。やっぱり、お正月はみんなでそろうのが一番だね。
Zenbu kikoeteru yo. Mā, ii ka. Yappari, oshōgatsu wa minna de sorou no ga ichiban da ne.
I can hear every word. Oh well, never mind. New Year really is best with the whole family together.
Understand
Idioms with body parts
Many everyday idioms are built on a part of the body + (ga). Learn them as whole phrases; most work in both casual and polite speech. (ki), mind, spirit, isn't a body part, but it appears in dozens more: (ki ga kiku), thoughtful, quick to see what's needed; (ki ga au), to get on well.
| Idiom | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (kao ga hiroi) | the face is wide | to know lots of people |
| (mimi ga itai) | the ears hurt | a criticism hurts because it's true |
| (te ga hanasenai) | can't take your hands away | too busy to stop what you're doing |
| (kuchi ga karui) | the mouth is light | can't keep a secret |
| (ki ga kiku) | the mind works well | thoughtful, quick to help |
Proverbs and four-kanji phrases
(kotowaza), proverbs, are often used half-jokingly in conversation, as Hisae and Megumi do. (yojijukugo) are set phrases of four kanji, many from Chinese; they appear in speeches and writing as well as in everyday talk.
| Japanese | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| (neko no te mo karitai) | I'd even borrow the cat's paws | I'm extremely busy |
| (saru mo ki kara ochiru) | even monkeys fall from trees | anyone can make a mistake |
| (hana yori dango) | dumplings rather than flowers | practical things (food) over beauty |
| (isseki nichō) | one stone, two birds | killing two birds with one stone |
| (ichigo ichie) | one lifetime, one meeting | treasure each meeting; it may never come again |
Spoken shortcuts and fillers
In relaxed speech, some endings get shorter. Understand them all, and use them with friends and family; in careful speech and in writing, use the full forms.
Fillers give you time to think and make you sound natural: (ēto), um, let me see; (ano), er, excuse me; (mā), well; (nanka), sort of, kind of; (yappari), casually (yappa), after all, just as I thought.
| Spoken | Full form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ～てる (-teru) | ～ている (-te iru) | (tsukutteru), I'm making it |
| ～ちゃう / ～じゃう (-chau / -jau) | ～てしまう / ～でしまう (-te shimau / -de shimau) | (sutechatte), (nonjatta) |
| ～とく (-toku) | ～ておく (-te oku) | (fuitoite), (shitoku) |
| ～なきゃ (-nakya) | ～なければ (-nakereba) | (katazukenakya), I have to tidy up |
| ～って (-tte) | と (to), quoting; は (wa), topic | (kureru tte), (okāsan tte) |
| ～じゃん (-jan) | ～じゃないか (-ja nai ka) | (isseki nichō jan), isn't it? |
More in the grammar: Plain and polite forms
New words
- 年末nenmatsuthe end of the year · ねんまつ
- 大掃除ōsōjibig (end-of-year) clean · おおそうじ; (mado o fuku), to wipe the windows; (reizōko o katazukeru), to clear out the fridge
- おせちosechitraditional New Year food · also (osechi ryōri); it includes (nimono), simmered dishes
- 猫の手も借りたいneko no te mo karitaiI'm extremely busy · ねこのてもかりたい; literally “I'd even borrow the cat's paws”
- 気が利くki ga kikuthoughtful, quick to see what's needed · きがきく
- お正月oshōgatsuNew Year (the first days of January) · おしょうがつ; people eat (omochi), rice cakes
- 一石二鳥isseki nichōkilling two birds with one stone · いっせきにちょう
- 手が離せないte ga hanasenaito be too busy to stop what you're doing · てがはなせない
- 猿も木から落ちるsaru mo ki kara ochiruanyone can make a mistake · さるもきからおちる; literally “even monkeys fall from trees”
- 年越しそばtoshikoshi sobabuckwheat noodles eaten on New Year's Eve · としこしそば
- 花より団子hana yori dangopractical things before beauty; food first · はなよりだんご; literally “dumplings rather than flowers”
- 顔が広いkao ga hiroito know lots of people · かおがひろい
- お年玉otoshidamaNew Year money (given to children) · おとしだま; (naisho), a secret
- やっぱりyappariafter all, just as I thought · casual: (yappa); formal: (yahari)
Practise
1.Your friend seems to know everyone in town. Which idiom describes her?
2.Match each saying with its meaning.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
3.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.We have to clear out the fridge too.
4.What is the full form of (tabechatta)?
5.Your manager points out a mistake you know you made. You say (mimi ga itai desu). What do you mean?
6.A friend asks you a question and you need a second to think. Which word do you start with?
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
猫の手も借りたいよ。
Neko no te mo karitai yo.
I'm so busy I'd take any help I can get.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.