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Context: Translated lyrics, (source) English -> (content in question) Japanese.

Stanza context:

English (source): Put him in the back of a squad-car / restrain that man.

Their translation: 彼【かれ】をパトカーの後部座席【こうぶざせき】に押【お】し込【こ】めて/身動【みうご】き取【と】れなくしろ

Part of sentence ending in question:

身動き取れなくしろ

...

From what I've gathered on jisho.com,

身動き is a noun

取れなく from 取れない from 取れる is a verb

しろ from する is a verb

...

It's clearly a a cluster of verbs, but how do they fit together?

...

みうごきとれ+ない = not able to have movement? movement not obtainable?

ない -> なく = change from meaning い-adjective to く-adverb

しろ = casual imperative of to do

=== "Do it in a way that inhibits his movement." ...?

...

Is this really a good consistent way to parse the language? Is this example parsed correctly? Are there any nuances going on here, things that logically follow because of the line before?

Thanks in advance

1 Answer 1

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「[連用形]{れんようけい} (continuative form) of a verb in potential form + なく + する」

=

"to make/leave someone unable to (verb)"

「[取]{と}れ」 is the 連用形 of 「取れる」, which is the potential form of 「取る」. (「なく」 is also the 連用形 of 「ない」. 連用形 is so underrated among many J-learners IMHO. How does one say anything correctly and naturally without using it?)

「しろ」, needless to say, is the imperative form of 「する」.

「身動き(を)取る」 = "to move freely" ← A very useful expression to learn.

Thus, the sentence in question literally means:

"Make him unable to move (freely)!"

More naturally,

"Bind him hand and foot!"

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  • I suppose the thing that i missed here the most is 「身動き(を)取る」's meaning. Commented Jan 9, 2016 at 6:01

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