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June 6, 2024

One Punch Man – Hero for Fun

Do you know One Punch Man?

Today, we'll go through a famous line from ワンパンマン. One Punch Man is so named because he is so strong he can take down any bad guy with a single punch.

In Japanese, he isn't ワンパンマン but ワンパンマン (without the チ).

The name came from a play on the children's superhero series アンパンマン. One of アンパンマン's famous lines or abilities is his アンパンチ! This together with the アンパンマン name, inspired ワンパンマン.

Every superhero has a cool sounding line. Today, we'll look at ワンパンマン's:

趣味(しゅみ)でヒーローをやっている(もの)

Which means "I am a person who does hero work as a hobby."

Or a more natural English translation could be: "I'm just a guy who's a hero for fun."

Makoto+ Members, click here to download all the sound files and a printable PDF with a quiz just for this lesson. Practice makes perfect!


Let’s look a little closer:

Normal Speed

Slow Speed

趣味(しゅみ)ヒーローやっている(もの)

Hobby | as | hero | (d.o.) | doing | person | am

I am a person who does hero work as a hobby.

Or… "I'm just a guy who's a hero for fun."

Vocabulary


Let’s break this down into two main sections for a clearer understanding. 

SECTION 1

趣味(しゅみ)でヒーローをやっている  

As a hobby, doing hero (work)

SECTION 2

 (もの)

Am a person (who)

Let’s look at the Section 1 first.

SECTION 1

趣味(しゅみ)でヒーローをやっている  

Means and Method  + Continuous ている Form


趣味(しゅみ)で | ヒーローを | やっている

(as a hobby) (hero) (am doing)

Vocabulary

Means and Method で

The で shows the means or method which, in this case, is “hobby.” Let’s look at a few other examples that follow this pattern.

仕事(しごと)プログラムを()。 

To write programs as a job.

  • 仕事(しごと)で: as a job [仕事(しごと) (job) + で (particle indicating means)]
  • プログラムを()く: to write programs

アルバイトウェイターをしている

Working as a waiter in a part-time job.

  • アルバイトで: as a part-time job [アルバイト (part-time job) + で (particle indicating means)]
  • ウェイターをしている: working as a waiter

ボランティア子供(こども)たちを(おし)える。 

To teach children as a volunteer.

  • ボランティアで: as a volunteer [ボランティア (volunteer) + で (particle indicating means)]
  • 子供(こども)たちを(おし)える: to teach children


The -ing Continuous ている Form

The ている form indicates an ongoing action or state. Here are a few examples:

日本(にほん)英語(えいご)(おし)ている

I am teaching English in Japan.

  • 日本(にほん)で: in Japan
  • 英語(えいご)を: English (direct object)
  • (おし)えている: teaching [(おし)える (to teach) in the continuous form

彼女(かのじょ)(ほん)()でいる

She is reading a book.

  • 彼女は: she (topic marker)
  • 本を: book (direct object)
  • 読んでいる: reading [読む (to read) in the continuous form; note the sound changes to で]

 毎朝ジョギングをしている 

I jog every morning.

  • 毎朝: every morning
  • ジョギングを: jogging (direct object)
  • している: doing [する (to do) in the continuous form]

So, 趣味(しゅみ)で explains why he’s doing the following action ヒーローをやっている (doing hero work) and all this describes the next part: the person (もの)だ.


SECTION 2

(もの)

Noun Modified by a Clause

While (もの) means “person” this format (〜(もの)です) is used with humble language. He’s humbling himself even though his one punch is about to destroy the monster he’s talking to. However, he ends with だ rather than です. This would normally be used with peers or when talking to those with a lower social status.

So, there is a fun discord in his language. After all, being a hero isn’t exacly a typical hobby. A hero is selfless and powerful and helpful. But Saitama is just doing it for fun.

Nouns Modified by Clauses

This noun ((もの)) is modified by the previous clause. All that came before tells us what kind of (もの) (person) Saitama is.

Here are a few examples of a noun modified by a clause.

(かれ)()いた(ほん)面白(おもしろ)

The book he wrote is interesting.

  • (かれ)()いた(ほん) the book he wrote
  • は (topic marker)
  • 面白(おもしろ)い interesting

(わたし)()きな()(もの)寿司(すし)です。

The food I like is sushi.

  • (わたし)()きな()(もの) I like; food
  • は (topic marker)
  • 寿司(すし) sushi
  • です (polite copula)

 昨日見(きのうみ)映画(えいが)(たの)しかった。

 The movie I saw yesterday was fun.

  • 昨日見(きのうみ)映画(えいが) yesterday; watched; movie
  • は (topic marker)
  • (たの)しかった was enjoyable

Wrapping Things Up

趣味(しゅみ)で | ヒーローを | やっている | (もの)

(as a hobby) (hero) (am doing) (person who is)

  • 趣味(しゅみ)で as a hobby
  • ヒーローを hero (as a direct object of the “doing” verb)
  • やっている doing [this could also be する]
  • (もの)だ am a person (who)

趣味(しゅみ)で explains why he’s doing the following action ヒーローをやっている (doing hero work) and all this describes the person (もの)だ. So, the clause 趣味(しゅみ)でヒーローをやっている modifies the noun (もの), providing a description of what kind of person he is.


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