Samurai Page

How to sound like a samurai (almost)

MOOD SETTING:
Imagine taiko drumming in the distance amidst a pale red sunset… (this is important)

1) でござる OR でございます ~de gozaru or ~de gozaimasu (polite, old fashioned form of desu – (to be))

Japanese: (Your Name) でございます。
Romaji: (Your Name) de gozaimasu.
Meaning: I’m (Your name)

NOTES: You probably know this verb from “ohayou gozaimasu!” ‘gozaru‘ is a more polite form of ‘DESU.’ To sound more samurai-ish use this in place of DESU.

2) 拙者 sessha – I, me

Japanese: 拙者は熊のプーさんの用心棒でござる。
Romaji: sessha wa kuma no pu-san no youjinbou de gozaru.
Meaning: I am Winnie the Pooh’s bodyguard.

VOCAB:

熊 kuma – bear
熊のプーさん kuma no pu-san – Winnie the Pooh (Mr. Pooh the bear)
の no – possessive (‘s)
用心棒 youjinbou – bodyguard

NOTES: (the pronoun of choice with the modern Samurai! Pronounced with a slight pause between ‘se’ and ‘sha’)

3) 其方 sochi – you

Japanese: 拙者は其方が好きでござる。
Romaji: sessha wa sochi
ga suki de gozaru.
Meaning: I likest thee. (a romantic samurai)

VOCAB:

は wa – topic particle; can be thought as,
“as for… (me)”

が ga – subject particle
好き suki – to like

NOTES:
This was mainly directed
to a woman (from a man) Like SESSHA, SOCHI is not used in
modern Japanese BUT everyone should know it.

4) かたじけない
katajikenai –
thank you, be thankful, grateful

Japanese: 蜂蜜をもらった熊のプーさんは、「かたじけない」と言いました。

Romaji: hachimitsu wo
moratta kuma no pu-san wa “katajikenai” to
iimashita.
Meaning: Having received honey, Winnie the Pooh
said, “I am grateful.”

VOCAB:

蜂蜜 hachimitsu – honey
を wo – direct object particle (honey)
もらった moratta – simple past of MORAU (to
receive)
熊のプーさん kuma no pu-san – Winnie the Pooh

と言いました to iimashita – said; (TO is like a
question mark that sets off the quote: IIMASHITA is the
simple past of IU – to say)

NOTES:
“HACHIMITSU WO
MORATTA” is a phrase that attaches itself to KUMA NO PU-SAN.
So a more literal translation would be “honey-received-Winnie
the Pooh said thank you.”

5) 斬り捨て御免
kirisute gomen –
(I apologize in advance for this one…) After a samurai killed
someone he would say this to the people around him.  (lit. I
cut him and threw him away – (but) I have the right)

Japanese: Use this when you would normally use ‘御免なさい (I’m
sorry).’

Romaji: Use this when you
would normally use ‘gomen nasai (I’m sorry).’
Meaning: Although this gomen isn’t saying one is sorry. It fits well with gomen nasai. Actually this gomen means ‘right’ or ‘privilege.’