Eat, Sell, Buy… Fights? In Japanese
In Japanese, there are a few verbs that are used idiomatically to mean "receive" or "give" with mostly negative things like fighting. Today, let’s look specifically at the verbs for “to eat” “to buy” and “to sell”.
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- Normally: To eat
- Metaphorically: to receive; to accept; to endure
While the primary meaning of 食う is "to eat," it is often used in informal or colloquial language to suggest the act of receiving or enduring something, typically with a negative connotation. For instance:
犬も食わない
Literally "even a dog wouldn't eat it."
This phrase describes something of very low quality, unappealing, or worthless.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
夫婦喧嘩は犬も食わない
No one wants to interfere with a marital spat.
This implies that some situations are so undesirable that not even a typically indiscriminate eater like a dog would get involved.
- 夫婦喧嘩は marital quarrels [夫婦 (married couple) + 喧嘩 (quarrel; argument) + は (topic marker)]
- 犬も食わない even a dog wouldn't eat [犬 (dog) + も (also; even) + 食わない (would not eat; negative form of 食う, a more casual form of 食べる to eat)]
To be turned away at the gate.
門前払い refers to the historical practice of being refused entry at the gate before one could even meet someone, often used metaphorically to describe being turned away or rejected without consideration.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
彼は門前払いを覚悟の上で、社長室のドアを叩いた。
He knocked on the president's office door, prepared for the possibility of being turned away without a meeting.
- 彼は as for him [彼 (he) + は (topic marker)]
- 門前払いを覚悟の上で prepared for rejection at the gate [門前払い (rejection at the gate; being turned away without a meeting) + を (object marker) + 覚悟 (preparation; resolution) + の (possessive or descriptive particle) + 上で (on; upon; following something; here, means "with the understanding or readiness")]
- 社長室を the president's office [社長室 (president's office) + を (object marker)]
- 叩いた knocked on [叩いた (past tense of 叩く, to knock)]
- Normally: to sell
- Metaphorically: to provoke; to instigate; to “sell” something with the expectation of receiving something in return
Here’s the most useful example:
喧嘩を売る
Literally "to sell a fight."
This idiom means to pick a fight or provoke an argument with someone.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
教師に喧嘩を売るなんて、学生として不適切だ。
It's inappropriate as a student to pick a fight with a teacher.
- 教師に喧嘩を売るなんて such as picking a fight with a teacher [教師 (teacher) + に (to; towards) + 喧嘩を売る (picking a fight) + なんて (such things as; such as)]
- 学生として as a student [学生 (student) + として (as; in the capacity of)]
- 不適切だ inappropriate [不適切 (inappropriate; unsuitable; 不 (not) + 適切 (appropriate) + だ (is)]
彼は理由なく同僚に喧嘩を売って、周りから非難された。
He picked a fight with his colleague for no reason and was criticized by those around him.
- 彼は as for him
- 理由なく without reason [理由 (reason) + なく (without)]
- 同僚に to a colleague [同僚 (colleague) + に (to; towards)]
- 喧嘩を売って picked a fight [喧嘩 (quarrel; fight) + を (object marker) + 売って (selling; in this context, means "picking" or "starting a fight"; て-form of 売る to sell)]
- 周りから by those around him [周り (surroundings; those around) + から (from)]
- 非難された was criticized [非難 (criticism; blame) + された (was done; passive form of する, to do)]
恩を売る
performing a favor to gain someone's indebtedness or gratitude; to demand gratitude
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
彼は上司に恩を売るために、休日も働いた。
He worked on holidays as well, in order to curry favor with his boss.
- 彼は as for him
- 上司に to his boss [上司 (boss; superior) + に (to; towards)]
- 恩を売るために in order to sell favors [恩 (favor; debt of gratitude) + を (object marker) + 売る (to sell) + ために (in order to)]
- 休日も even on holidays [休日 (holiday; day off) + も (even; also)]
- 働いた worked [働いた (past tense of 働く, to work)]
媚を売る
ingratiating oneself with someone else, typically for personal gain; to flatter; to butter up
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
彼女は昇進を狙って上司に媚を売った。
She curried favor with her boss, aiming for a promotion.
- 彼女は as for her
- 昇進を狙って aiming for a promotion [昇進 (promotion) + を (object marker) + 狙って (aiming at; -て form of 狙う, to aim)]
- 上司に to her boss [上司 (boss; superior) + に (to; towards)]
- 媚を売った curried favor [媚 (flattery; favor) + を (object marker) + 売った (sold; here, means "curried favor" or "flattered")]
- Normally: To buy
- Metaphorically: to accept (a challenge); take up (something)
And here’s the most useful example (the opposite of “to sell”):
喧嘩を買う
Literally "to buy a fight."
This means to accept a challenge or to get involved in a fight or argument that someone else has started.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
彼は必要もないのに、売られた喧嘩を買ってしまった。
Despite it being unnecessary, he ended up accepting the challenge that was provoked.
- 彼 he
- 必要もないのに even though not necessary [必要 (necessary) + も (even) + ない (not) + のに (even though; despite)]
- 売られた喧嘩を bought the fight that was picked with him [売られた (was sold; passive form of 売る, to sell) + 喧嘩 (quarrel; fight) + を (object marker)]
- 買ってしまった ended up buying [買って (buying; -て form of 買う, to buy) + しまった (regrettably did; ended up doing)]
買って出る
To volunteer; to undertake a challenge
The compound verb 買って出る is literally, “to buy and go out” but metaphorically conveys the action of volunteering or taking the initiative to do something that requires effort or courage, often without being asked and when others might be reluctant to do so.
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
彼は妻のためなら、困難を買って出ることをためらわない。
For his wife, he wouldn’t hesitate to face difficulties.
- 彼は (for his wife's sake), he
- 妻のためなら if it's for his wife [妻 (wife) + のため (for the sake of) + なら (if it's for)]
- 困難を買って出ることを hesitates not to face difficulties [困難 (difficulty; hardship) + を (object marker) + 買って出る (to volunteer oneself; to step forward) + こと (action; matter) + を (object marker)]
- ためらわない does not hesitate [ためらう (to hesitate) in negative form]
顰蹙を買う
to displease someone; to make someone disgusted; to be frowned at
EXAMPLE SENTENCE
遅刻を繰り返すと、上司から顰蹙を買うことになる。
If you keep being late, you will incur your boss's displeasure.
- 遅刻を繰り返すと if one repeatedly comes late [遅刻 (lateness; tardiness) + を (object marker) + 繰り返す (to repeat) + と (if; when)]
- 上司から from the boss [上司 (boss; superior) + から (from)]
- 顰蹙を買うことになる will end up incurring displeasure [顰蹙 (displeasure) + を (object marker) + 買う (to incur; to buy) + ことになる (to end up; to turn out)]
And finally, a word of wisdom:
Don’t accept a provocation to fight. (Don’t let someone provoke you into a fight.)
- 売られた sold; provoked [売る (to sell) in passive past tense form; indicates something was sold or offered provocatively]
- 喧嘩は fight [喧嘩 (quarrel; fight) + は (topic marker); indicating the topic of the sentence]
- 買うな do not buy; do not accept [買う (to buy) in negative imperative form; instructing not to buy or engage]
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