English translation into romaji

[ken]

Could someone please help me in translating the following phrase into romaji? "Fish out of water." Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much!!

 

[Elizabeth]

Well, the literal translation is "Mizu kara no sakana" if that's what you're looking for.

 

[Elizabeth]

By the way, does anyone know a good figurative translation for this expression (A Fish out of water) in Japanese? To feel a sense of not belonging or of being out of one's element. I've run a couple things I thought might be close past some friends, such as the uncomfortable feeling you have being around people very different from you -- but it was obvious after a while they didn't have much of a sense of what I was getting at. And maybe it doesn't involve an idiom or proverb or expression, but there has to be something that expresses this. I would think, anyway.

 

[jeisan]

gaijin?

 

[Elizabeth]

Or maybe something like "bugaishanoyouna kankaku" or "bugaishandearuyouna kigashite" ? The feeling or sense of being like an outsider.

部外者のような感覚

部外者であるような気がして

 

[Elizabeth]

一般的に{Fish out of water}という英語の表現は
日常生活の状況に関して使うと思います。
特に適当じゃない仕事をしていたり、
自分ととても違う性格の他の人のそばにいたり、
他の人にとっていつも外国人のような気がする人の
場合はこの表現を使う場合が多いです。
日本語で同じようなことがあるのかな？

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Elizabeth-san!

I looked for the same proverb in Japanese but I can not find.

But I know the opposite proverb. It is a...

"水魚の交わり" and "朱に近づけば赤し".

"Suigyo no Majiwari" means "The best terms as fish and water".
"Syu ni Chikadukeba Aka shi" means "Person is influenced by a environment".
Sorry, my translation is not good.

NANGI

 

[Elizabeth]

Arigatou Nangi-san !

How about these as well?
直訳・陸に上がった魚のように

○意味・かってが違って、場違いで、なれないことにど ぎまぎして

○寸言・日本語では「陸に上がった河童」
この句は使えそうです。

◎例文・I felt like a fish out of water at my new desk job.
新しい事務仕事が慣れなくて場違いな気持ちで あった


水魚の交わりのことわざでは[水と魚は仲がいいべきですよ]となりますね。


And a few encouragements for someone feeling like a fish out of water:

Ame futte ji katamaru.
Doku kurawaba sara made.
Naite kurasu mo issho, waratte kurasu mo issho.
Atama kakushite, shiri kakusazu.
芸が身を助けるほどの不仕合せ
犬も歩けば棒に当たる
求めよさらば与えられん
押してもだめなら引いてみな
焼け石に水

いろはカルタのようなことですよ。。。

 

[Elizabeth]

かってが違って、場違いで、なれないことにど
ぎまぎして


Could someone please romanize and take their best shot at English equivalents of these for Ken?

Thanks!

Elizabeth

 

[NANGI]

Konnichiwa Elizabeth-san! Ken-san!

My english is not good but I think...

"Katte ga Chigatte, Bachigai de, Narenai Koto ni Dogimagi shite"

is

"It is out of his/her element and is out of place, and he/she is flurried by inexperience...".

Is this right?

NANGI

 

[Elizabeth]

ありがとう南木さん！

分かりました。
そんな感じ(なんでしょう)。

 

[timetopartyhard]

Oh my. You will have a time getting an answer to this one if you don't want a word for word translation. It's difficult to properly translate figurative meanings for sentences. Best of luck!

Try "場違いな感じがするよ" I don't know kanji well though so someone else will have to turn it into romanji for you. http://eow.alc.co.jp/%BE%EC%B0%E3%A4%A4/EUC-JP/ That's a link to the page where I got the translation though. Hope it helps!

 

[nice gaijin]

5 years is a long time to dig up a zombie... I think the statute of limitations ran out for this thread long ago...

 

[Elizabeth]

Oh my. You will have a time getting an answer to this one if you don't want a word for word translation. It's difficult to properly translate figurative meanings for sentences. Best of luck!
Try "場違いな感じがするよ" I don't know kanji well though so someone else will have to turn it into romanji for you. http://eow.alc.co.jp/%BE%EC%B0%E3%A4%A4/EUC-JP/ That's a link to the page where I got the translation though. Hope it helps!

But is this for Ken or for you, though...

OK, here goes again, for the sentimental old timers still in touch. Whatever I've learned in five years I do have a better dictionary and to combine two or more of the above -- my one last final attempt(s) :

Oka e agatta sakana no you na, katte ga chigatta. 陸へ上がった魚のような勝手が違った　(Out of my my element like a fish is out of water).

勝手が違って本領が発揮できない (My characteristics/features cannot be demonstrated in this element).

 

[Skullcrushergurl]

Aw that's sweetafter five years. But the problem is that many people like myself don't check the date before we post.

 

[irukaai]

omoshiroi topic desu. idioms are great!. kono hon wo check out shinasai.

title: Barron's Japanese Idioms
Author: Nobuo Akiyama and Carol Akiyama
ISBN: 0-8120-9045-4
Australia de nedan ha $20.00 deshita.