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September 7, 2020

Murphy’s Law in Japanese

CLAY’S LAW: After learning a difficult Japanese grammar point, only after you forget it will an opportunity arise to use it.

MURPHY’S LAW:

1) “IF ANYTHING CAN GO WRONG IT WILL.”

失敗(しっぱい)する可能性(かのうせい)のあるものは、失敗(しっぱい)する。

shippai suru kanōsei no aru mono wa, shippai suru.
If anything can go wrong, it will.
Lit. meaning: failing + possibility’s + some thing + fails “Something that has a chance to fail, fails.”

VOCAB :

  • 失敗する shippai suru – to fail, to make a mistake, to blunder
  • 可能性 kanousei – potentiality, likelihood, possibility
  • no – ‘s (possessive)
  • あるもの aru mono – thing that exists, something

2) O’TOOLE’S COMMENTARY ON MURPHY’S LAW: “MURPHY WAS AN OPTIMIST.”

マーフィーは楽観主義者(らっかんしゅぎしゃ)だった。

Romaji : ma-fi- wa rakkan shugisha datta.
Murphy was an optimist.
Lit. meaning : As for Murphy, optim-ism person was.

VOCAB :

  • マーフイー mafi– – Murphy
  • wa – topic particle (marks the topic of the sentence)
  • 楽観 rakkan – optimism
  • 主義 shugi – “-ism”, principle, doctrine
  • sha – a person who does something. (医者 issha – doctor; 学者 gakusha – scholar; 芸者 geisha – geisha…)
  • だった datta – was (past simple)

3) ILES’ LAW: “THERE IS ALWAYS AN EASIER WAY TO DO IT.”

もっと簡単(かんたん)方法(ほうほう)がかならずある。

motto kantan na houhou ga kanarazu aru.
Without fail, there exists an easier way.
Lit. meaning : more + easy + way + without fail + exists

VOCAB:

  • もっと motto – more
  • 簡単 ( な ) kantan ( na ) – easy, simple (“na” is used when placed before nouns)
  • 方法 houhou – method; manner; way; means; technique
  • ga – (usually marks the subject)
  • かならず kanarazu – without fail; certainly
  • ある aru – to be; to have; exists

This lesson page is based on an article found in Makoto e-zine #1. If you like this lesson, become a Makoto+ member today to give your Japanese a boost.

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