Complete Japanese Expression Guide - Mizue Sasaki

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      DAUGHTER:

      Mother, will you taste what I've cooked?

      MOTHER:

      What is this? I don't want to eat anything that's unrecognizable.

      Etai indicates the real nature or appearance of something. Etai ga shirenai means that the true appearance of something is not known. In Buddhism, the color of the robes determined the particular sect or status of the wearer. If the sect or status of a person could not be ascertained by giving a cursory look at the robes that person was wearing, then people would say etai ga wakaranai (of indeterminate appearance). From this expression came etai ga shirenai.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Tonari no hito wa shokugyō mo naku, etai ga shirenai.

       The person next door is unemployed, and rather suspicious looking.

      2. Etai ga shirenai hito to wa, kuchi o kikanai koto ni shite imasu.

       I make it a rule not to talk to suspicious-looking people.

      3. Etai ga shirenai mono ga sora o tonde iru.

       There's a mysterious-looking object flying across the sky.

      4. Doa no mukō ni, etai no shirenai dōbutsu ga imasu yo.

       There's some kind of animal outside the door.

      5. Etai no shirenai hito to wa, tsukiatte wa ikemasen.

       You shouldn't associate with dubious people.

      fu ni ochinai

      hard to swallow, not convincing, not clear

      BUKA:

      Chōsa no kekka ga demashita ga.

      BUCHŌ:

      Kono kekka wafu ni ochinai ne. Mō ichido shirabete kurenai ka?

      SUBORDINATE:

      The results of the survey are available.

      DEPARTMENT CHIEF:

      These results don't seem quite right. Check them again for me, will you?

      In the past, it was thought that discretion and judgment resided in the fu (internal organs). From this,fu ni ochinai, literally "not go down to the internal organs," came to mean not convincing. Another expression employing fu is fu no nuketa yo, which describes a complete loss of vigor caused by fright or sorrow.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Kono tesuto no kekka wafu ni ochimasen.

       This test result doesn't sit right with me.

      2. Supiido mo dashite inai noni, tsukamaru to wafu ni ochinai.

       I don't understand how I could be arrested when I wasn't even speeding.

      3. Kono mitsumorisho no kingaku gafu ni ochinakattara, dōzo jibun de otashikamenasai.

       If you find this estimate hard to believe, please verify it for yourself.

      4. Kanojo ga dōshite okotte iru no ka, fu ni ochinain' da.

       It's not clear to me why she became angry.

      5. Chokin no zandaka ga zero to wat funi ochinai.

       I can't comprehend why my savings balance is zero.

      fui o utsu

      take a person by surprise, catch a person napping

      SENSEI:

      Kimi-tachi, kyō wa kore kara tesuto o shimasu.

      SEITO:

      E, fui o utsu nante hidoi desu yo.

      TEACHER:

      OK, everyone, we're going to have a test today.

      STUDENT:

      What? That's not fair giving a surprise test like that.

      Fui o utsu, which combines fui (unexpectedness) and utsu (hit, strike), implies doing something without warning, especially after having observed the other person's unpreparedness. Fui-uchi (surprise attack) is also used. The passive form is fui o utareru (be caught unaware), and fui o kurau has the same meaning.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Nihon no Shinju-wan kōgeki wa fui-uchi datta.

       The Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack.

      2. Fui o utareru to wa, hidoi desu ne.

       It feels terrible to be caught off-guard.

      3. Yonaka ni yūjin ga fui-uchi de yatte kita.

       A friend dropped in unannounced in the middle of the night.

      4. Shachō no kōjō shisatsu wa fui-uchi de, nan nojunbi mo dekinakatta.

       We weren't given any warning about the president's factory inspection and hadn't made any preparations.

      5. Sekkaku hisashiburi ni au no nara, kondo kara fui-uchi wa yamete kudasai.

       It's been so long since we've met, next time please give me some notice.

      furi-dashi ni modoru

      go back to the starting point, return to square one

      KAISHAIN 1:

      Kono aida no kaigi, nanika shinten ga arimashita ka?

      KAISHAIN 2:

      Sore ga, shinten suru dokoro ka, furi-dashi ni modotte shimaimashita yo.

      EMPLOYEE 1:

      Was there any progress made in the meeting the other day?

      EMPLOYEE 2:

      Rather than making progress, we ended up right back where we had started.

      Furi-dashi ni modoru means to return to an original state or condition. There is a board game played at New Year called sugoroku, in which dice are thrown and players advance the number of squares indicated by the number thrown. The first person to reach the end becomes the winner. The starting point of sugoroku is called the furi-dashi. During the game, if players happen to land on a square marked furi-dashi ni modoru, literally "return to the starting point," they must start all over.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Kare no kyōkō na hantai de, hanashi wa furi-dashi ni modotte shimatta.

       Due to his strong opposition, the discussion ended up going back to square one.

      2. Furi-dashi ni modotte, kangae-naoshite mimashō.

       Let's rethink things, starting right from scratch.

      3. Hanashi wa dōdō meguri de, kekkyoku furi-dashi ni modotte shimau.

       The discussion is going round and round in circles and is eventually going to end up right back at the starting point.

      furui ni kakeru

      screen, select

      BUKA:

      Nyūsha shiken ni, saiyō yotei no nanabai no

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