38 - Can't get you out of my head

The editor that I do writing and translating jobs for sent me an interesting email the other day.

Like me, he is a complete language nerd.

So he'll send me tips and insights about the peculiarities of English and Japanese.

In this email, he said:

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( 英語にもあるんだろうけど) 日本語には
否定の形でしか使わない表現というのがあるんだ。

(eigo ni mo aru n darou kedo) nihongo ni wa
hitei no katachi de shika tsukawanai hyougen to iu no ga aru n da

(This is probably true of English, too, but,) in Japanese
there are some phrases that we only use in the negative form.

(Literally, Line #1: "[English + に + also + have + ん + probably is + but] + Japanese + には")
(Literally, Line #2: "negative + の + form + で + しか [except] + don't use + phrase + というのが + has + んだ.")

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*****Note City*****

I could make this whole lesson (and then some) about the crazy grammar showing up in that sentence.

Instead, though, I'll try to keep it short and sweet.

#1 - Notice how he says 英語にも (eigo ni mo) and 日本語には (nihongo ni wa), meaning "also in English" and "in Japanese." Since particles are kind of a nightmare, I think it helps to just notice how they're being used when you come across them.

If you strip away all the crazy nuances, words, and all that, we're looking at:

日本語には…表現がある。
nihongo ni wa... hyougen ga aru.
There are phrases in Japanese.

AND

英語にも(表現が)ある。
eigo ni mo (hyougen ga) aru.
There are also phrases in English.

So...

A に(は)B (が)ある"
=
There is/are B in A.

Yay, grammar! I guess.

#2 - If ~です/~だ means "is," then ~でしょう/~だろう kind of means "probably is."

Mastering nuance and meaning of this grammar will take time, so let's just pay attention to how it's being used when we come across it... and maybe I'll write a super article someday in the future.

#3 - Snapping ん onto the front of だろう and けど onto the back of it gives this nuance that there is a reason he's saying this sentence (i.e. he's about to tell me something related to this). For more info on ~ん + だ/だろう + けど, please check out this article: "How to Say 'So I was thinking...' in Japanese."

#4 - ~しか~ない is, in overly simplified terms, used to mean "except."

Examples are probably the easiest way to understand this:

A しか~ない
Not ~, except A.

So...

水しかない。
mizu shika nai.
There is nothing but water. // There is only water.
(Note: For example, "in my fridge.")

一万円札しかない。
ichiman en satsu shika nai.
I don't have anything but 10,000 yen bills. // I only have 10,000 yen bills.
(Note: For example, when splitting the check with a friend.)

ビールしか飲まない。
biiru shika nomanai.
I don't drink anything but beer. // I only drink beer.

(Note: For example, when explaining why you don't want to order a bottle of wine, or take tequila shots, or drink any poison other than beer.)
(Note #2: Contrary to the somewhat misleading photo, we like lots of poisons.)

Super Level-Up Tactic: When you want to say "only" to emphasize that there is not much of something, do NOT use だけ (dake) (which basically means "only," in Japanese). Instead, use ~しか~ない. Many students will say stuff like 一万円札だけある (ichiman en satsu dake aru), which literally means "I only have 10,000 yen bills," but Japanese people wouldn't say that... because the "Only of Scarcity," as I've decided to call it, will become ~しか~ない in Japanese. (Sad Note: I still mess this up all the time.)

*****End Notes*****

Now that our grammar detour is over, I can introduce some...

Phrases that will ONLY use NEGATIVE verbs:

(Note: The "Must-Be-Negative Phrases" show up between these triangles: ▼[phrase]▽. I don't know why, but that's how my editor wrote these.)

(Note #2: I won't be breaking down these sentences too much, because I'd like to introduce more than just one or two... and it would take me all day to break down all of them in the detail that I'd like.)

(Note #3: These sentences are Super-Native Level. There are a few that I definitely would not have been able to bust out in a conversation on my own. Must. Practice. More. \(*o*)/ )

彼女のことが▼頭から離れない▽
kanojo no koto ga atama kara hanarenai
I can't get her out of my head.
(Literally: "she + の + thing[s] + が + head + from + won't leave.")

(Note: I'm actually writing a lesson for Nihongo Shark... at a Starbucks in Kawasaki! For some reason, Rei thinks that taking secret photos of me is cool... usually it's just embarrassing, though.)

あの人には▼頭が上がらない▽
ano hito ni wa atama ga agaranai
I am so indebted to him.
(Literally: "that + person + には + head + が + won't rise.")

(Note: I could not find a good translation for this phrase online. I have seen it getting translated to everything from "I can't look him in the eye [after what I did]" to "I owe him so much." After talking to Rei about it, I think "I can't look him in the eye" is too negative. Rather, it sounds like I'm thankful to this person, probably because I relied on him/her in some way. I can kind of understand being "unable to face/look up to" a person I'm indebted to, I suppose...)

▼当たりさわりのない▽(→安全な)話題を持ち出す
atarisawari no nai (--> anzen na) wadai wo mochidasu
(I'll) stick to safe discussion topics.
(Literally: "inoffensive + [-->safe] + topics + を + bring up.")

(Note: The picture is of cake because cake is probably one of the world's safest discussion topics ^_^. This is a Japanese ロールケーキ [rooru keeki, "roll cake"] filled with dangerously delicious cream. Rei was smart enough to freeze half of it immediately... because we almost destroyed the whole thing at once.)

その男は▼あたりかまわず▽大声で話した
sono otoko wa atari kamawazu oogoe de hanashita
He talked loudly with no consideration for the people around him.
(Literally: "that + man + は + without considering those around him + loud voice + で + talked.")

(Note: A verb ending with ~ず is much like a verb ending with ~ない. They're both negative. Usually ~ず will not be the end of the sentence or thought.)

地震の後,私の家は▼跡形もなかった▽
jishin no ato, watashi no ie wa atokata mo nakatta
After the earthquake, there was nothing left of my house.
(Literally: "earthquake + の + after, + my + house + は + not a trace left.")

2度目の失敗をして,彼にはもう▼後がなかった▽
ni do me no shippai wo shite, kare ni wa mou ato ga nakatta
After making a second mistake, he was all out of second chances.
(Literally: "second + の + mistake + を + make/do, + he + には + already + 'had no after'.")

(Note: I wasn't too sure how to translate this without changing it completely. If I were translating for a book or something, maybe I would have said, "Having made yet another mistake, he was all out of second chances." // "His second mistake marked the end for him." It's pretty hard to gauge appropriate translations without context.)

もう▼後には引けない▽(→引き返せない)
mou ato ni wa hikenai (--> hikikaesenai)
I can't back down now. // There's no pulling out now. // We can't pull out now.
(Literally: "already + after には can't pull [out] + [--> can't withdraw // can't back out].")

(Note: You know we're getting into tricky nuances when I start trying to write three different translations.)

Wrapping up...

The phrases we saw:
(Along with their dictionary entries.)

(Note: I'm not 100% sure if these dictionary entries are useful... but it's worth noting that these negative-only phrases are common enough to have their own entries, at least.)

頭から離れない
atama kara hanarenai
remain strong in one's thought; be haunted by; be burned into one's mind

頭が上がらない
atama ga agaranai
can't oppose; can't say no to; can't face
(Caution! Based on the info I got, and translation we used above, this dictionary entry seems wrong to me. Instead, maybe: "I owe him/her so much [He/She's been so kind to me] that I (almost) feel embarrassed in his/her presence.")

当たりさわりのない
atarisawari no nai
harmless and inoffensive

あたりかまわず
atari kamawazu
with no thought for the people around oneself

跡形もない
atokata mo nai
without leaving any marks; leaving nothing behind

後がない
ato ga nai
having one's back to the wall; having nowhere to go; having no way out; not having another chance

後に(は)引けない
ato ni (wa) hikenai
unable to back out; unable to withdraw; unable to stop; unable to compromise

Quick Question for You:

Yutaka (my editor) told me that he could probably compile and send me around 500 examples like these.

Spending the time (and money T_T) to create super word list compilations with flashcards, audio, and whatnot is not easy, though. Also, I don't want to ask him for anything on a whim. So...

Is there a specific category of phrases, vocab, grammar you would like compiled?

If so, please let me know, and I can consult with him more.

(Note: If I did spend the time and money to create such a resource, I'd probably sell it for $5-10... and give him half.)


Bonus Phrases

私は大学生です。
わたし は だいがくせい です。
I'm a college [university] student.

あいつはわがままだ。
あいつ は わがまま だ。
He's selfish.
Literally: that guy + は + selfish + is
Note: Saying あいつ is quite rude.

明日は晴れるでしょう。
あした は はれる でしょう。
It will (likely) be sunny tomorrow.

彼は来ないだろう。
かれ は こない だろう。
I doubt he'll come.

ここのロールケーキ有名なんだよ。
ここ の ロールケーキ ゆうめい なん だ よ。
The roll cakes here are famous. // This place's roll cakes are famous.

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