Introduction
In today’s Japanese commercial, we look at “quitting quitting” and then “quitting the quitting quitting”. (Huh?) A few weeks ago, we looked at the importance of counting the negatives. Two negatives make a positive. Three, a negative again. Here’s that lesson: https://www.thejapanesepage.com/double-and-triple-negatives-in-japanese/ This is similar but using the verb 辞める (to quit) and 止める (to stop) which is written in hiragana for ambiguity.
Makoto+ Members, click here to download all the sound files and PDF for this lesson. Practice makes perfect!
The CM
In the commercial, three friends are lounging about talking about whether to quit their jobs or not. The company, MyNavi, helps people find jobs or change careers. Here is a lot of information about this particular CM in Japanese: https://www.mynavi.jp/news/2022/01/post_32882.html
Before we dive into the dialogue, first watch the commercial:
The Dialogue with Vocabulary
Pay special attention to the third line. It’s a little complicated.
俺さ、今の会社やっぱやめるわ。
Answer
俺は、やめるのやっぱやめるわ。
Answer
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのをやっぱやめたわ。
Answer
えっ？どっちだよー？
Answer
自分を向いて歩こう。
Answer
マイナビ転職
Answer
The Dialogue with English
俺さ、今の会社やっぱやめるわ。
I'm definitely quitting my current company
俺は、やめるのやっぱやめるわ。
I've decided not to quit after all
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのをやっぱやめたわ。
I, after all, quit the act of quitting the decision to quit.
えっ？どっちだよー？
What? Which is it?!
自分を向いて歩こう。
Let’s walk facing ourselves.
マイナビ転職
Mynavi Job Change
Breakdown the Third Line
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのをやっぱやめたわ。
I, after all, stop the act of quitting the decision to quit.
やっぱ、 the problem is the third line. Let’s go phrase-by-phrase to help with understanding. But please understand, this line isn’t normal Japanese. It’s intentionally convoluted for comic effect. Therefore, it really doesn’t have a clear meaning. Remember やめる can mean either "to quit (a job)" or "to stop (generally)". With that in mind, let’s tackle it!
私は、
As for me, I…
私は、やめよう
I’ll resign.
私は、やめようとした
I tried to quit.
私は、やめようとしたのをやめる
I stop trying to quit.
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのを
I, the act of quitting trying to quit
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのをやっぱ
I, after all, the act of quitting trying to quit
私は、やめようとしたのをやめるのをやっぱやめたわ。
I, after all, quit the act of quitting the decision to quit.
About the Catch Phrase
Catch phrase in Japanese is キャッチコピー. The キャッチコビー for the commercial and the business is:
自分を向いて歩こう。
This literally would be something like, “Let’s walk facing ourselves.” It’s one of those seemingly meaningful but empty phrases like “believe in yourself!” or “You have to follow your heart.”
This is probably a play on two similar phrases:
前を向いて歩こう
Let’s walk forward.
This could mean literally “look forward as you walk” or more introspectively “face the future by bolding looking forward.” A similar expression is 前向き which means “positive; forward-looking; proactive”
上を向いて歩こう
Sukiyaki
Haha. Well, it actually means, “I’ll walk while looking up,” but this is the title of the 1961 world-wide hit song by Sakamoto Kyuu. In English, however, the title was changed to “Sukiyaki” even though it has nothing to do with sukiyaki. See our lesson page here: https://www.thejapanesepage.com/sukiyaki-by-sakamoto-kyuu/
Makoto+ Members, click here to download all the sound files and PDF for this lesson. Practice makes perfect!
