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I got curious thinking about this. Is there any phrase that conveys the same idea/feeling as the English phrase "says the guy who [...]!"

For example:

"You should stop watching TV all day."

"Says the guy who only plays video games!"

In this exchange, the strong implication is that person B is being hypocritical. He advises person A to quit watching TV, while he himself spends all day playing video games. Not that the phrase is always used to describe someone being hypocritical, but it's usually used to point out that the person making the complaint/remark is equally ridiculous/at fault for something themselves. If anything, I think of the phrase as pointing out how the other person is being contradictory in some manner. E.g:

"I know all the best pick-up lines to get a girlfriend."

"Says the guy who's been single his whole life..."

Anyhow, that all said, how would one go about constructing a similar phrase in Japanese? Obviously there would be no exact replica, but is there a word/phrase that shares a similar idea of mocking what a person says on the basis of it being hypocritical/contradictory? The best I can think of is なんて言ってるんだ?But that doesn't really carry the same emotion nor does it really mean the same thing.

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I guess ...が(よく言うよ/何言ってんだ) work at least if the speakers are friends.

For the sentences in the question:

  • ゲームばっかりやってるやつがよく言うよ/何言ってんだ
  • ずっと独身のやつがよく言うよ/何言ってんだ

Some other possibilities:

  • ゲームばかりしてる人がなんか言ってる
  • 自分はゲームばかりしてるくせに
  • と一度も結婚したことない人が申しております

The last one is the closest to the English - the use of keigo here is for mocking. As such it goes better when the subject contains some mocking element as well. E.g. とアラフォーの独身が申しております sounds natural enough to me. (アラフォーの独身 = unmarried person of age around 40). But of course, these can be offensive and must be used with care.

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    ゲームばっかりやってるやつに言われたくない should also have similar meaning
    – a20
    Jan 7, 2022 at 13:40
  • This is really helpful! やつがよく言うよ is a really good translation; I hadn't thought of it. Though out of curiosity, these Japanese phrases -- would they be considered "natural" to say? Could one actually say "ゲームばかり(やってるやつがよく言うよ/してる人がなんか言ってる)" aloud and it be perceived as natural sounding?
    – Ver
    Jan 8, 2022 at 3:06
  • @Ver Basically yes, but やつがよくいうよ would sound masculine. 人が良く言う(よ) can be used by both (sounds politer). なんか言ってる can also be used, especially in presence of a third person in the conversation. As a translation of exchange, 言われたくない or してるくせに might be better.
    – sundowner
    Jan 8, 2022 at 4:28

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