Learn about the way to use common Japanese phrases, some of whose English equivalents are, "in the meantime" and "for sure"
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| Peter: The best of the best Japanese phrases. Learn your Japanese teachers' favorite phrases. Hi everyone, and welcome back to the All About Japanese lesson series. In today's lesson, we'll go over the top five favorite phrases. |
| Natsuko: Yes, these are phrases that we chose. We chose phrases that we find useful or interesting and that are used a lot in Japanese. |
| Peter: So, Natsuko-san, what's our first phrase? |
| Natsuko: Sou ieba. |
| Peter: One more time |
| Natsuko: Sou ieba. |
| Peter: This phrase means “speaking of which” or “now that you mention it.” Natsuko-san, when can we use this phrase? |
| Natsuko: Well, if someone is talking about something that reminds you of something related, you can bring up that topic with sou ieba. |
| Peter: break it out |
| Natsuko: Sou ieba. |
| Peter: It's kind of like: that reminds me, or: speaking of. Let's give an example of how we can use this phrase. Let's say I went to a party recently. Natsuko-san, ask me about the party I went to. |
| Natsuko: OK. Pita-san, pati wa dou deshita ka? |
| Natsuko: Peter, how was the party you went to? |
| Peter: Oh, it was great. A, sou ieba, we are having another party tomorrow, do you wanna come? |
| Natsuko: Sure. |
| Peter: So, Natsuko-san, asking me about the first party, reminds me of another party, so I can switch to that topic, you use sou ieba, or oh, that reminds me. |
| Natsuko: That's right, so this is a useful phrase to use when you want to bring up a new topic that you were reminded of. |
| Peter: OK, what's our next phrase? |
| Natsuko: Toriaezu. |
| Peter:Toriaezu is a word that means: in the meantime, or: for now. You can use this word to talk about some action or decision you make because it's better than doing nothing. |
| Natsuko: Great, like you can't decide what to do, and you just make a quick decision, something to do in the meantime. Toriaezu. |
| Peter: Break it down. |
| Natsuko: Toriaezu. |
| Peter: You might hear it at restaurants a lot. For example, when you don't know what to order, but you wanna drink to start, you can say |
| Natsuko: Toriaezu biiru. |
| Peter: It's like: I'll have a bear for now. |
| Natsuko: Yes, I use a lot of this. If you are in a situation where a decision needs to be made. |
| Peter: If you go out with your Japanese friends and you use Toriaezu biiru: I'll have a beer for now. It's very Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Yes, it's like a set phrase. |
| Peter: You get quite a few laughs. What's the next phrase? |
| Natsuko: Ryoukai desu. |
| Peter: Understood, or: I got it. Break it down |
| Natsuko: Ryoukai desu. |
| Peter: And you can shortened it to just: |
| Natsuko: Ryoukai. |
| Peter: Which is nice |
| Natsuko: In many situations, it's just like Wakarimashita, which also means understood. |
| Peter: Ryoukai desu is used to show that you understand some information or set of instructions given to you |
| Natsuko: It's used a lot among soldiers and officers actually. |
| Peter: Right, and in that sense is equivalent to: Roger, or roger that, in English. |
| Natsuko: But it can even be used among friends, so it is a widely used phrase. |
| Peter: What's next? |
| Natsuko: Tekitou ni. |
| Peter: Suitably and relevant |
| Natsuko: Tekitou ni. |
| Peter: Tekitou is an adjective that literally means: suitable and relevant. When we add "ni'' to it, it becomes an adverb. Now, when used as an adverb, the original meaning is proper, but recently it started to mean, half heartedly or without much care. |
| Natsuko: Basically, the opposite meaning, right? |
| Peter: Yeah, it's weird how language is changed like that. But, you hear use in the meaning of half heartedly or without much care, a lot. It's really common. |
| Natsuko: Yes, but the phrase still has the original meaning, too. |
| Peter: Right. |
| Natsuko: And for an example, if you didn't like to study in middle school, and didn't study very hard, you could say - Tekiyou ni benkyou shimashita. |
| Peter: I studied half heartedly |
| Natsuko: Right. |
| Peter: But to try to translate it to give it the nuance, it's kind of like I did what I had to to get by. |
| Natsuko: Yes, like you know, you adjusted to the environment. |
| Peter: But just enough to get what you needed to do. |
| Natsuko: You didn't do anything extra. It's also used in a slightly different way. |
| Peter: Yes, like if you tell someone to do something "tekitou ni", what you are really saying is that you leave it to them to do it how they want. |
| Natsuko: Oh yes. |
| Peter: For example, if you are at a restaurant with a friend, and you don't care much about what to order, and you want your friend to do it, you could say. |
| Natsuko: Tekitou ni chumon shite. |
| Peter: Chumon shite means: Please order, in informal Japanese. So you are telling your friend to order. "Tekitou ni". I'll leave it to you to order, or just order whatever, which is kind of a really good translation. |
| Natsuko: Yes. |
| Peter: Just get whatever. OK, on to our last phrase. |
| Natsuko: Tashika ni. |
| Peter: That's true, indeed, that's for sure. |
| Natsuko: Tashika ni. |
| Peter: This means that's true, indeed, or that's for sure, in English. In All about Japanese lesson 13, we mentioned aizuchi, which are interjections that are used in response to someone who is speaking. Tashika ni is used as aizuchi a lot. |
| Natsuko: Yes, it means that you agree with the point that the person just made. |
| Peter: Yeah, even if you don't agree with them on other things. |
| Natsuko: Good point. |
| Peter: So, if you think that someone has a good point, even if you don't really want to admit it, you can acknowledge it with: |
| Natsuko: Tashika ni.Yes, it's often used in that way. |
| Peter: So there you have it, 5 phrases that we find really useful, that we've now passed on to you. |
| Natsuko: Try using some of them the next time you have a conversation in Japanese. |
| Peter: And the best thing about these phrases is, they are very Japanese. |
| Natsuko: Yes, they are real Japanese. |
| Peter: And if you use them correctly, you're gonna turn some heads and wows of people. |
| Natsuko: I bet so. |
| Peter: I think that the easiest one to use is "toriaezu biiru". |
| Natsuko: Yes. I recommend that. Ok, see you next time! |
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