Need a word or phrase translated?

Kyoko_desu · 16 Oct 2006

I am now wondering how the Japanese word 甘えん坊 should be translated into English. "baby"? when said like 「ほんとに君は甘えん坊なんだな～。」. Is it "You are really such a baby" in English?

Glenn · 16 Oct 2006

To me "baby" implies someone who cries (not literally) when they don't get what they want and can't take care of themselves. I'm not sure that's quite the same as 甘えん坊.

Kyoko_desu · 16 Oct 2006

Glenn;391147 said:
To me "baby" implies someone who cries (not literally) when they don't get what they want and can't take care of themselves. I'm not sure that's quite the same as 甘えん坊.

Oh I see, Glenn-san. Then how could the sentence 「「私って甘えん坊だから、年上で優しい男の人が好きなの～。」 be translated into English? Does anyone have any idea?

Glenn · 16 Oct 2006

品詞を変えて、意訳するより仕方がないかもしれません。

"I like being pampered, so I want a nice, older guy."でどうですか。さあ、よくわかりませんけども。

Kyoko_desu · 16 Oct 2006

Thank you so much!:note:メモメモ...

Elizabeth · 17 Oct 2006

Kyoko_desu;391135 said:
J
Hmmm..I thought "a spoiled brat" has some negative connotation...like... 甘やかされて育った金持ちの坊ちゃん/お嬢さま, or in short, 甘やかされて育ったやつ, because I saw my American friend saying this phrase, frowning, and referring to a guy whom he really hated, like badmouthing him.
On the other hand, in my opinion, 甘えん坊 doesn't have such a negative connotation. And it has nothing to do with having wealthy parents who buy them anything they ask for. It is often used like:
1) 「私って甘えん坊だから、年上で優しい男の人が好きなの～。」
2) 「俺の彼女、甘えん坊で困っちゃうよ～。」
3) うちの３歳の息子は甘えん坊で困ります。いつもだっこをせがむので料理もできません。
(1) is often said by burikko girls here and they never think it's bad to be an amaenbou. They rather think being one can attract lots of guys.
(2) Even though he says 困っちゃう about his girl friend being amaenbou, he really is never feeling komacchau. We can tell he is in fact very happy and bragging about having such a (in his opinion) sweet gf. In Japanese it's のろけ.
(3)This one maybe has slightly negative connotation. When mothers say their kids are amaenbou, they wish their kids grew up some or became a bit more independent, but I think the word also has connotation of mothers' love toward their children.
Maybe it's only me who thinks this way? Or maybe I have misunderstood what a spoiled brat in English means? I hope other people will post and tell their opinion about this.

一般的に、アメリカでは、「ぶりっ子」も良いとはぜんぜん言えない感じがしますね。「ぶりっ子」、甘えん坊という言葉は、元気な感じがしないし、（自立していない）自分で出来ない人を指しています。
日本ではどうかわかりませんが、ここではpampered, spoiled, indulgentというような人は本当に嫌われますよ。それは面白い違いですね。
多分、日本の母親は子供を甘やかしがちですね。

undrentide · 17 Oct 2006

Elizabeth;391188 said:
一般的に、アメリカでは、「ぶりっ子」も良いとはぜんぜん言えない感じがしますね。
「ぶりっ子」、甘えん坊という言葉は、元気な感じがしないし、（自立していない）自分で出来ない人を指しています。
日本ではどうかわかりませんが、ここではpampered, spoiled, indulgentというような人は本当に嫌われますよ。それは面白い違いですね。

英語と違って、日本では「甘える」というのは必ずしも否定的な意味ではありません。
場合によっては甘える方がいいと考えられることもあります。
だから「甘えん坊」に相当する英語の単語はないのかもしれませんね。
（言葉で説明することはできますけれど。）

「甘え」については古い本ですが土井健郎の『甘えの構造』が面白いと思います。
Review of The Anatomy of Dependence (Amae no Kouzou)

Kyoko_desu · 17 Oct 2006

undrentide;391210 said:
英語と違って、日本では「甘える」というのは必ずしも否定的な意味ではありません。場合によっては甘える方がいいと考えられることもあります。
だから「甘えん坊」に相当する英語の単語はないのかもしれませんね。
（言葉で説明することはできますけれど。）

そうですね。今ふと思い出したんですけど、私このフォーラムに登録して、どんなアバターを使おうかなって考えていたときに、昔入っていたぶりっこ撲滅同盟のバナーを使おうかなと考えたんです。でも、その意味を誰かに聞かれたら説明するのがややこしいな、なんて思ってやめたんです。（高１の時に、自称「甘えん坊」のすっごく鼻に付くぶりっこがいたんですよ～、同級生に・・・）（笑）
「わび・さび」とか「いただきます・ごちそうさま」等も、英語にひとことで訳すのは無理がありますよね。

Spyder93090 · 17 Oct 2006

OK, I know 俗語 is 'casual talk' but would this be directly translated to "slang" or would it be translated to "colloquial" ? or would it be suitable for both ?

Like, if a Japanese kid came up to me and asked (in English), "Can you please teach me colloquialism, " I'd laugh a tad bit. There's always a line of technicality you cannot cross, haha.

Basically, how would you say "slang" in "slang" lol ?

THANX

undrentide · 17 Oct 2006

Spyder93090;391318 said:
OK, I know 俗語 is 'casual talk' but would this be directly translated to "slang" or would it be translated to "colloquial" ? or would it be suitable for both ?
Like, if a Japanese kid came up to me and asked (in English), "Can you please teach me colloquialism, " I'd laugh a tad bit. There's always a line of technicality you cannot cross, haha.
Basically, how would you say "slang" in "slang" lol ?
THANX

俗語 is the word for "slang", not "casual talk".
But in speech, especially students, スラング surangu (obviously loan word from English "slang") would be better.
- 日本語のスラング教えてくれない？
- Would you teach me Japanese slang?
for example.

Colloquialism is 話し言葉 hanashikotoba, in Japanese difference between 話し言葉 and 書き言葉 kakikotoba (words/expression used in writing) is more distinct than in English.

Elizabeth · 19 Oct 2006

undrentide;391210 said:
英語と違って、日本では「甘える」というのは必ずしも否定的な意味ではありません。
場合によっては甘える方がいいと考えられることもあります。
だから「甘えん坊」に相当する英語の単語はないのかもしれませんね。
（言葉で説明することはできますけれど。）

「甘え」については古い本ですが土井健郎の『甘えの構造』が面白いと思います。
Review of The Anatomy of Dependence (Amae no Kouzou)

まだそれを注意深く読んでいないですが、それに介入するほかの要素は性差別の影響ですね。
たとえば、大人になると人に甘えたい、少し幼さが残る女の子の甘えん坊はかわいいいと思われることもありますが、男の子の甘えん坊は厳しい批判を浴びることもあるそうですね。
ちゃんと読んどいたら良かったな、、、

J44xm · 19 Oct 2006

Here's something that's been bugging me for a while: how does one express "it's not as ___ as I thought"? My guesses involve ほど:

例えば、「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しくなかったんだよ！」

However, how does one say the opposite: "The test was as hard as I thought it would be"?
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しかったんだよ！」?

And finally, "... more difficult than I thought":
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、もっと難しかったんだよ！」?? (I doubt this.)

これでいいですか。よろしくお願いします。

Elizabeth · 19 Oct 2006

J44xm;392162 said:
Here's something that's been bugging me for a while: how does one express "it's not as ___ as I thought"? My guesses involve ほど:
例えば、「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しくなかったんだよ！」
However, how does one say the opposite: "The test was as hard as I thought it would be"?
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しかったんだよ！」?
And finally, "... more difficult than I thought":
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、もっと難しかったんだよ！」?? (I doubt this.)
これでいいですか。よろしくお願いします。

I would use 思ったより（も） for "than" in the last sentence.

undrentide · 19 Oct 2006

J44xm;392162 said:
Here's something that's been bugging me for a while: how does one express "it's not as ___ as I thought"? My guesses involve ほど:

例えば、「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しくなかったんだよ！」

However, how does one say the opposite: "The test was as hard as I thought it would be"?
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、難しかったんだよ！」?

And finally, "... more difficult than I thought":
「昨日の試験は僕が思ったほど、もっと難しかったんだよ！」?? (I doubt this.)

これでいいですか。よろしくお願いします。

～ほど is normally used with negation i.e. ～ほど...ない。
Often は is used with ほど.
～ほどは...ない。 (Not so much as...as ～)

When saying "as .... as ～", you can use ～とおり（に）...。
「昨日の試験は僕が思っていたとおり（に）、難しかったんだよ！」
Alternatively, you might use ～のと同じくらい...
「昨日の試験は僕が思っていたのと同じくらい、難しかったんだよ！」
(Maybe the latter is more common.)

And "more .... than ～", you can say ～より....
「昨日の試験は僕が思っていたより、難しかったんだよ！」

The above is what is commonly used, but of course there can be variation.

Hope it helps.

mika_r · 20 Oct 2006

Hi hi ^^, could you please tell me what does goyaru and oro means (or something like that)

undrentide · 20 Oct 2006

mika_r said:
Hi hi ^^, could you please tell me what does goyaru and oro means (or something like that)

I cannot think of words/phrases which sound "goyaru" "oro" in Japanese - can you find out correct words? Or at least in what situation or where these words are used? Or the whole text?
It is difficult to guess them correctly without information.

Somnilocus · 22 Oct 2006

Hey lovelies, 'tis Luthien Rogue. My boyfriend asked to have this translated:

"I've ran out of room to write, so I'm going to stop here." or something similar for an Japanese class essay. Thanks so much!

Mikawa Ossan · 22 Oct 2006

undrentide said:
I cannot think of words/phrases which sound "goyaru" "oro" in Japanese - can you find out correct words? Or at least in what situation or where these words are used? Or the whole text?
It is difficult to guess them correctly without information.

Perhaps "gozaru" and "oru" are what our friend means.

undrentide · 22 Oct 2006

Mikawa Ossan said:
Perhaps "gozaru" and "oru" are what our friend means.

Ohhh, I see...
If that is the case, mika_r, then

Gozaru: polite form of aru/iru/kuru/iku. It can be either just being polite or honorific.
Oru: polite form of iru.

The latter is sometime used in some dialects, but basically both are very old-fashioned expression and not used in normal conversation today, other than when one is trying to be funny and using it jokingly.
(Anime and films/dramas of samurai are exception, of course.)

moofs · 22 Oct 2006

Just a hunch, but Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin says "oro" whenever something weird happens and usually ends his sentences with "(de) gozaru", so I'm guessing that's where this question came from. わからんけど

undrentide · 22 Oct 2006

moofs;393178 said:
Just a hunch, but Kenshin from Rurouni Kenshin says "oro" whenever something weird happens and usually ends his sentences with "(de) gozaru", so I'm guessing that's where this question came from. わからんけど

Hmm, if it is 「おろ」 used in such context, then it is an interjection used when surprized/puzzled.
Similar to あれ？ or あら？ but not so common - except in anime/manga.

Elizabeth · 22 Oct 2006

Somnilocus;393079 said:
Hey lovelies, 'tis Luthien Rogue. My boyfriend asked to have this translated:
"I've ran out of room to write, so I'm going to stop here." or something similar for an Japanese class essay. Thanks so much!

書く紙がきれちゃったので（きれて、きれてしまった。。。）、ここでやめる。

上の文章は分かり難くないと思うけれど、別の言い方はもう少し自然でしょうね。

Somnilocus · 23 Oct 2006

Thank you, Elizabeth! Yeah it doesn't have to be a... "traditional" way of saying it or anything.. just something to end it with.. he has major OCD, you see.

yukio_michael · 26 Oct 2006

Can someone help me with this phrase from an email correspondence...

次からは、英語も書くから先生してね

This is my translation, please tell me how close I am...

すぎからはえいごもかくからせんせいしてね。
tsugi kara wa, eigo mo kaku kara sensei shite ne

From now on I'll now also write English and you can teach me, ok?

Am I close?

ed: thx, nhk9

nhk9 · 26 Oct 2006

yukio_michael;394684 said:
Can someone help me with this phrase from an email correspondence...

次からは、英語も書くから先生してね

This is my translation, please tell me how close I am...

すぎからはえいごもかくからせんせいしてね。
sugi kara wa, eigo mo kaku kara sensei shite ne

From now on I'll now also write English and you can teach me, ok?

Am I close?

I think you have a good grasp on the meaning of the sentence. One small note about "tsugi" -- it's not "sugi".

Need a word or phrase translated?

先輩

一切皆苦

先輩

一切皆苦

先輩

先輩

Japa'n vagyok

先輩

先輩

Japa'n vagyok

先輩

経験値が足りない

先輩

Japa'n vagyok

... La La //

Japa'n vagyok

後輩

いかんわ！

Japa'n vagyok

先輩

Japa'n vagyok

先輩

後輩

後輩

先輩

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