Funny Words in Japanese to Say

A little while ago, we introduced you to the Japanese expression "hana yori dango" (dumplings over flowers), using a picture show of one of our capybara friends at the Ueno Zoo as a living example of the phrase. Well, that article got us thinking about Japanese idioms/expressions that may sound strange or funny in a unlike language when translated literally, and we idea it might be interesting to share a few of them with yous. Hither are some common phrases that nosotros use in the Japanese linguistic communication as a matter of course, but could make you laugh if yous visualize their literal significant in your heed. And yes, some of them involve cats!

1. Information technology's acorns comparison heights: どんぐりの背比べ (donguri no seikurabe)

Image: by koharu

Why would acorns exist comparing sizes? Well, that's the expression we employ to describe a group that is roughly the same in ability or quality, normally not at a high level, and without any standouts. In this case, acorns are used every bit an instance of something that comes by and large in the same sizes and appearances, which makes comparing them somewhat moot. For example, when there'due south nothing special among the entries in a writing or photography contest, you might look at the pile of submitted works and say, "Donguri no seikurabe desu ne." (It'due south acorns comparing heights.)

2. My mitt is coming out of my pharynx: 喉から手が出る (nodo kara te ga deru)

 Image: Hare tokidoki Paroday blog

You lot know when you really, really want something and you're thinking that you'll die if you can't have that bag or job promotion or concert ticket or any information technology is that y'all demand? Well, then this is the Japanese phrase to apply. The expression probably comes from a fourth dimension when nutrient was much more than scarce and people were then hungry that it would feel like a manus might come up out from your stomach through your throat to grab whatsoever food that was around, but nowadays, it tin can be used to refer to anything that you really want. If, like yours truly, you lot have a weakness for mode items, y'all could say, "Ano kutsu, nodo kara te ga deru hodo hoshii!" (I want those shoes and then much, my hand is coming out of my throat!)

iii. A weasel'south final fart: イタチの最後っ屁 (itachi no saigoppeh)

 Image: by Tarcy Kyoju

This phrase comes from the fact that itachi (Japanese minks or weasels) emit a highly unpleasant olfactory property when cornered or facing danger, and is used to depict a desperate act by someone in a troubled situation, something done as a last resort. It's not exactly a polite expression, as you may have guessed from the give-and-take "fart", written as 屁, which is pronounced "heh"on its own but is "peh" in this instance because of the letters that come up before it. (A more polite way to refer to this type of gas in Japanese would be "onara".) You could say, "Tondemonai itachi no saigoppeh datta!" (That was i heck of a weasel's terminal fart!) when, for example, someone forced to quit their task subsequently problems with a coworker sends a brutal and damaging message to said (supposedly evil) coworker in an e-mail that everyone in the company can read.

4. Like washing potatoes: 芋を洗うよう （imo wo arau yō）

Photo: Chienowa Ma Nukesaku no Blog

No 1 likes to be caught in a large crowd that you can barely squeeze through. Well, it turns out nosotros have an expression in Japanese to describe precisely that kind of crowd, which probably isn't likewise surprising, considering that crowded situations are quite common in Japan, from the subway during morning rush hr to amusement parks and even art exhibits. The phrase comes from the old-fashioned practice of washing a huge amount of potatoes in a barrel, with the sight of all the potatoes soaking in the h2o looking somewhat similar a mass of people crowded into a small infinite. If you've gone to a museum exhibit that was and so crowded that you felt like y'all spent virtually of the fourth dimension looking at the back of people's heads, you could say, "Sugoku konde ite imo wo arau yō na hito datta!"(Information technology was so crowded, it was similar washing potatoes!)

▼In Nippon, even monkeys wash potatoes!

Gif: YouTube (momotyan1950)

5. Information technology won't hurt to put him/her inside my eye: 目の中に入れても痛くない (me no naka ni iretemo itaku nai)

 Image: by Miho

Umm… of course putting objects in your eye will hurt! Only when you detect someone, commonly a child or grandchild or sometimes fifty-fifty a pet, and then beautiful that yous have no words to draw how dear he or she is to you, yous can say in Japanese that so-and-so is so cute, it won't hurt even if y'all put him/her in your middle. That's quite a drastic announcement of amore to make, isn't it? And non i that anyone would be tempted to try literally, but it's still quite a frequently used expression in Japanese. In my case, I have an adorable young niece about whom I tin can definitely say, "Me no naka ni iretemo itaku nai hodo kawaii!" (She's so cute, it won't injure even if I put her in my center!)

six. I'1000 growing callouses in my ear: 耳にたこができる (mimi ni tako ga dekiru)

Photograph: mirror by Atsuko Matano via AMAZON.JP

Have y'all always been tired of hearing the same comments, complaints or words of caution over and over again? If you're expressing your thoughts in Japanese, you might answer to such a situation by saying literally that y'all're growing callouses in your ear. Funnily enough, the give-and-take for draconian in Japanese is pronounced exactly the same every bit the discussion for octopus — tako (pronounced like the mexican food taco). Equally a result, although information technology'southward not an accurate association, nosotros too tend to think of octopus when we hear this expression, which makes for an even funnier paradigm when visualized. If, for instance, like many mums effectually the world, your mother is constantly telling you to be conscientious of this and that, you may be tempted to say in exasperation, "Oka-san, mo mimi ni tako ga dekiru hodo kiitayo." (Mom, I've heard that so many times, I've grown callouses in my ear.)

7. Brew and drink the dirt from under someone'south fingernails: 爪の垢を煎じて飲む (tsume no aka wo senjite nomu)

Image: Sanorechan blog

What should people who need serious discipline and inspiration practice to improve their situation? Well, according to this common Japanese idiom, they should brew the dirt from nether the fingernails of someone capable and worthy of respect and drink it like a tea in the hopes that some of the admirable qualities of the person contributing the clay will somehow exist transferred onto them. Of course, no one takes this expression literally, only someone who is acting selfishly might exist reprimanded, "Maza Teresa no tsume no aka wo senjite nondara ii." (You should brew and drink the dirt from under Female parent Theresa's fingernails.)

8. Snake legs: 蛇足 (dasoku)

Image: by Rakubo

But await, snakes don't have legs … do they? Well, that's kind of the betoken backside this "slithery" expression which actually has its origins in i of the episodes recorded in the ancient Chinese historical text Zhan Guo Ce (Strategies of the Warring States) but withal has become firmly incorporated into the Japanese language. In the original Chinese business relationship, it is said that a group of servants were given some alcohol to beverage — non enough to exist shared past anybody in the group, but  plenty for one person. The servants decided that they would have a little drawing contest and whoever was able to draw a picture of a snake on the basis the fastest would become to take the potable by himself. One servant who drew very quickly was the start to cease and was about to claim the drink for himself when he boastingly said that he completed his drawing with so much time left that he tin can even add legs to his snake, which he promptly did, drawing on legs to the snake he had merely drawn. While he was adding the legs, however, another servant finished drawing and took the booze, saying that he was the showtime to complete a picture of a snake, since snakes don't accept legs and a drawing with legs couldn't exist considered a proper ophidian. From this episode, the expression "serpent legs" has come up to mean something additional that is unnecessary and peradventure detrimental. If someone makes a remark that is uncalled for and nonconstructive, you lot could say, "Ima no wa dasoku da." (That annotate just now was serpent legs.)

9. Borrowing the true cat'southward paws: 猫の手も借りたい (neko no te mo karitai)

Image: by eiko

The Japanese language has a surprising number of expressions involving cats, and of course we had to present some of them here. I'thou sure we've all had the experience of beingness then maddeningly decorated that we barely seem to have the time to exhale. At times similar those, in Japanese you tin can say that you're willing to borrow fifty-fifty true cat's paws for extra assistance. If you have a work assignment deadline coming up, a pile of dirty laundry and dishes staring at you accusingly and a young child screaming for your attention all at the same time, then yep, you're allowed to say "Tasukete! Mo neko no te mo karitai hodo isogashii!" (Help! I'm so busy I want to borrow even cat's paws)

10. Putting on a true cat: 猫を被る (neko wo kaburu)

Photo: photograph Ac

We undoubtedly all have times we consciously try to act sugariness and look like nosotros're on our all-time behavior. That's what we would phone call "putting on a cat" in Japanese. The expression is possibly quite apt, since cats seem to have a great knack for getting into all sorts of mischief similar destroying the article of furniture or toppling breakable ornaments and looking similar they've washed absolutely zilch wrong. If you put on too much of an act when you lot start your new chore or when meeting your boyfriend'southward parents for the beginning time, and so someone might comment accusingly, "Zuibun neko wo kabutteru ne!" (You're putting on quite the cat!)

So, what did you lot think of these expressions? We employ them in Japanese without really considering their literal pregnant, but they sound quite funny when y'all recollect about information technology. And by all means, do let us know if there are others you recall should be on this list. Personally, my favorite is the 1 about putting your loved ones in your middle, just because information technology's such a lightheaded and unreal expression when taken literally. Every language probably has its share of strange-sounding expressions, but we promise you lot enjoyed our little session on Japanese idioms and phrases!

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Source: https://soranews24.com/2014/04/18/10-japanese-expressions-that-sound-delightfully-strange-and-funny-when-translated/

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