比喩. An analogy that describes a subject by asserting that it is, on some point of comparison, the same as another otherwise unrelated object
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155 views
Is there a way to express metaphor in japanese?
I'm familiar with にている and みたい however I'm looking for a way to say something is something without literal implications.
For example Michael Phelps is a fish. Like he's not literally a fish so i ...
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1answer
54 views
Meaning of 場所あけて in the following sentence
In a manga called Samurai Drive, Makio and Ren are best friends. They always fight together and Ren often protects Makio. Now Ren has just died during a battle, so Makio says:
なあ恋【れん】 ...
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1answer
85 views
Meaning of 小動物系
Context: a man reads some online posts after accusing another man of being a pedofile.
What is the meaning of 小動物系? Considering the context and the fact that images of young girls came out when I ...
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1answer
211 views
Metaphorical meaning of 骨
Context: in the last round of a match, a boxer realizes his opponent is just repeating the same combination over and over. I think 骨 in the following sentence has a metaphorical meaning, but I don't ...
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1answer
129 views
「猫の額」, the purpose of 日本語の分かる猫
As the writer described the meaning of 猫の額ほど and how to use it, the following sentence came after it.
猫にも額の広い猫と狭い猫がいると思うので、日本語の分かる猫に聞かれたら、「失礼じゃないですか?!」と怒られてしまいそうです。
My friend told me that this ...
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1answer
93 views
What do you treat as an animate and inanimate object when counting?
In Japanese animate and inanimate objects are treated differently.
For people:
the verb exist いる is used
the generic counter (一{ひと}つ, 二{ふた}つ, 三{みっ}つ, ...) cannot be used
the specific counter (一{ひと}人{...
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1answer
91 views
Meaning of 拳の山の骨
In a manga, a spectator is describing the way a boxer throws his punches:
拳の山の骨で斬【き】りにきよる… 物騒なヤツや
What is the meaning of 拳の山の骨? Does it refer to the knuckles? Here you can see the page it is taken ...
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1answer
88 views
Meaning of 引き手 in the following sentence
In a manga about boxing, a character is explaining what the famous Muhammad Ali's phantom/anchor punch is. The phantom punch is basically a fast punch landed over the opponent's punch, but I can't ...
3
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1answer
69 views
Is there a metaphorical meaning to this line? (心の望むままに情欲を唄おう)
The line in question:
心の望むままに情欲を唄おう。
Context: The speaker is monologuing about how terrible society is, especially how corrupt those in power are, he starts to sound nihilistic and basically says ...
2
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1answer
138 views
What does 迷路の奥のダイヤ mean?
Found it in the lyrics of BUMP OF CHICKEN - Answer
想像つかない昨日を越えて その延長の明日を抱えて
小さな肩 震える今 それでも笑った
迷路の奥のダイヤのような
届かなかった風船のような
気づけなかった流星のような
涙をもらった
I googled a lot without a clue finally. Is it ...
3
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2answers
167 views
Meaning of スイッチ in the following sentence
Context: in a boxing match, boxer A is fighting against the particularly tough boxer B. Even after having taken a lot of punches, boxer B is still standing. During a break, the trainer of boxer A says:...
3
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1answer
153 views
meaning of リスクはバネ
Literally it means "the risk is a spring", but that doesn't really make sense.
the original context:
もしも旅団ではない者にこの能力を使ってしまった場合！！即座にオレ自身が命を失うようプログラムされている！！
これは制約と誓約！！覚悟の証！！リスクはバネ！！...
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195 views
”不細工な皮で包み…" is this a metaphor?
So I'm reading part of a book, and one of the characters says this;
「不細工な皮で包みやがって」
When I tried to translate it and understand what it means, it didn't make too much sense to me "Hiding behind ...
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1answer
126 views
Meaning of 尖った道
What is the meaning of this expression? I know 尖った is an adjective that means "pointed, sharp", but I don't understand what a "pointed road" could be. I tried to google it but I only got 8 results, ...
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1answer
76 views
Is there a poetic or metaphorical meaning to ゆびさき が かたくなる?
I'm curious about the final line of the musician Kishi Bashi's song "Atticus, in the Desert":
あたま ふらふら ゆびさき が かたくなる
I understand the direct translation of this ("head dizzy fingertips get hard") ...
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4answers
243 views
Metaphorical equivalent of Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia
Does Japanese have any metaphorical equivalent to Timbuktu or Outer Mongolia (or, in the case of Australia, perhaps Woop Woop), meaning a remote or inaccessible place?
Wiktionary recognises the ...
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1answer
226 views
Metaphor of collecting dirt [closed]
In episode 24 of the Japanese anime Shin Atashin'chi, around 13:45, a boy on the verge of tears collects a heap of dirt or sand with his hand while holding a sack in the other. This happens in ...
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1answer
73 views
Meaning of じわれができる
その瞬間、まる子は、地割れができて、AとBとCの三人と、まる子とDとEに分けられてしまったような気がした。
Just then Maruko had a feeling that the group seemd to be divided into the three people A,B,C, and herself and D and E.
The only meaning I can ...
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1answer
126 views
Are Japanese translations for “Pearl Harbor” ever used metaphorically?
In English, "Pearl Harbor" is sometimes used metaphorically to indicate an unannounced attack, or an event that strongly changes the outlook of a community. Can these metaphorical meanings be used in ...
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2answers
2k views
Was クリスマスケーキ used metaphorically about women?
There's a belief that "Christmas cake" (presumably クリスマスケーキ) was used metaphorically about Japanese women over 25 - no-one wants Christmas cake after Christmas is over, and similarly men don't want to ...
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1answer
121 views
Opposite of 歯止め?
According to WWWJDIC, 歯止め is used as follows:
歯止めをかける; 歯止めを掛ける (exp,v1) to curb; to halt; to apply brakes; to put an end to
The English translations have a pretty good correspondence with the ...
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2answers
332 views
How does the derogatory term “小便芸者” work?
In Liza Dalby's book "Geisha", while talking about onsen geisha, she mentions various pejorative terms from the general public. She mentions "korobi" (roll-over, presumably 転び) geisha, and "Daruma" (a ...
6
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2answers
515 views
How are programming projects discussed in Japanese?
In English, programming projects (and large systematic projects in general) typically take their descriptive cues from well-known manufacturing/construction industry jargon, i.e. "blueprint", "...
3
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2answers
239 views
Translation of metaphorical meaning of “hieroglyphic”
To literally translate "hieroglyphic", when referring to a largely logographic writing system used by Ancient Egyptians, I think ヒエログリフ or something similar would be used.
However, there's another, ...
7
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2answers
716 views
What is the meaning of お気の毒に and how is it used?
Although the there are several definitions in the dictionary:
my condolences
that's too bad
my sympathies
What does お気の毒に literally mean? I'm guessing that it might have something to do with "...
4
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1answer
154 views
Why do people say 未知数 when it is not a number?
Sometimes, people tend to use metaphors from arithmetics to refer to something in ordinary life. For example, to mention some claims or preferences common among people, the expression 最大公約数 'greatest ...
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2answers
427 views
What is the metaphorical meaning of 手{て}?
I often see 手{て}, hand, used in a metaphorical sense to mean something along the lines of effort or presence... but I'm not totally sure.
For example, consider this sentence:
手を[抜]{ぬ}いて仕事{しごと}...
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5answers
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「安い」って英語からきた表現？
皆さんこんにちは、
日本語で質問を聞かせていただきますので、ご協力ください。
回答やコメントなどは、日本語か英語、どちらの言語でも喜んで読みます。
では。
此間友達と喋っていて好みの話をしていた時一人が「ホラー映画やB級映画が大好き」と言うやいなや「あなた安いな〜」ともう一人が反応しました。
その「安い」は、英語に「cheap」と直訳すれば同じ意味が通じるそうなので、...
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3answers
171 views
What is a 割り込みタスク?
One of my coworkers todays said something like:
"Today I have too many 割り込みタスク so I cannot pay too much attention to
this project"
Literally translating it into "interrupting tasks" sounds ...
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3answers
725 views
Why is it お[腹]{なか}が[空]{す}いた but [腹]{はら}[減]{へ}った?
Is there any particular reason why the noun おなか goes with verb すく while the noun はら goes with the verb へる? Would it be weird if I use おなかへった or はらすいた?
While on the same topic, does the 'starving' ...
