Complete Japanese Expression Guide - Mizue Sasaki

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      Furui ni kakete, shōrai, yūbō na hito dake nokoshitai.

      SUBORDINATE:

      The number of students taking the company entrance exam is seven times the number we plan to employ.

      DEPARTMENT CHIEF:

      I'd like to screen the applicants so we are only left with the ones with the most potential.

      Furui ni kakeru means to select from a larger group only those things or people that meet certain standards or requirements. A furui is a round net used to sift sand or dirt so that the coarse grain is separated from the fine grain. Some things put in the net and shaken (furui ni kakerarete) are filtered out; other things remain in the net.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Nikai-me no shiken dejukensha wa furui ni kakerareru.

       The examinees are screened with a second test.

      2. Furui ni kakerarete, yūnō na mono dake ga nokotta.

       After the screening, only the capable ones remained.

      3. Watashi-tachi o nankai furui ni kakeru tsumori desu ka?

       How many times do you intend to screen us?

      4. Ano kaiga konkūru de mo, sakuhin wa mazu, shorui senko de furui ni kakerareru.

       Even at the painting contest, the first screening is done with portfolios.

      futokoro ga sabishii

      be short of money

      DŌRYŌ 1:

      Asoko no resutoran, oishiso desu yo. Itte mimasen ka?

      DŌRYŌ 2:

      Saikin futokoro ga sabishikute ne. Zan'nen dakedo, kondo ne.

      COLLEAGUE 1:

      That restaurant is supposed to be good. Shall we give it a try?

      COLLEAGUE 2:

      Sorry, but recently I've been so short of money. Let's go there some other time.

      Futokoro ga sabishii means to be short of money. Originally, futokoro referred to the pocketlike space in a kimono that was used to hold one's money. From this, futokoro came to mean the amount of money that a person had at any one time. Futokoro ga samui also means to be short of money whereas futokoro ga atatakai means to be carrying lots of money.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Anata, konban futokoro ga sabishisō ne. Ogorimashō ka?

       You seem to be a bit hard up tonight. Why don't I treat you to this?

      2. Kare wa it sumo futokoro ga sabishisō da.

       He never seems to have any money on him.

      3. Kyō wa kyūryō-bi de, futokoro ga atatakain' desu yo.

       I'm in the money today—it's my payday.

      4. Konpyūtā o kattara, kyii ni futokoro ga samuku natta.

       Since I bought the computer, I've suddenly become short of funds.

      5. Ryokō ni ikitai ga, futokoro ga samukute ikesō ni mo nai.

       I want to go away on holiday, but I'm so short of money at the moment that it doesn't look like I'll be able to.

      gaten ga iku

      make sense, have things come into focus

      DŌRYŌ 1:

      Yasui kyūryō de yoku konna hiroi ie ga tateraremashita ne.

      DŌRYŌ 2:

      Jitsu wa, chichioya no isan nan' da.

      DŌRYŌ 1:

      Ā, sore de gaten ga ikimashita.

      COLLEAGUE 1:

      On your small salary you've managed to build a large house.

      COLLEAGUE 2:

      Well, actually, I inherited the house from my father.

      COLLEAGUE 1:

      Ah, now that explains it.

      Long ago, when masters of waka poems evaluated works written by their students, they would put a dot next to passages that they felt were well written. This mark indicating the master's approval came to be known as a gaten. Today, gaten ga iku is used to indicate that something previously not clear is now understandable.

      EXAMPLES

      1. Kare no setsumei o kiite, yatto gaten ga itta.

       After listening to his explanation, it finally made sense.

      2. Kare ga kaisha o yameta to wa, gaten ga ikanai.

       It doesn't make sense to me why he quit the company.

      3. Kanojo ga ryūgaku shite it a to kiite, gaten ga itta.

       It all made sense after I learned that she had spent time studying abroad.

      4. Dō desu ka? Kore de gaten ga itta deshō.

       Well, does that bring things into focus for you?

      geta o azukeru

      entrust a matter to a person

      TOMODACHI 1:

      Kono mondai wa, anata ni geta o azuketai to omoimasu ga.

      TOMODACHI 2:

      Wakarimashita. Doryoku shite mimashō.

      FRIEND 1:

      I'd like to pass this problem on to you.

      FRIEND 2:

      All right. I'll see what I can do.

      Geta are wooden clogs and azukeru means to leave something for another person to do. Geta o azukeru is used when the speaker, anxious to have a particular matter attended to, entrusts someone else with the task. The passive form is geta o azukerareru (be left with a matter).

      EXAMPLES

      1. Amerika-seifu wa, sono mondai ni kanshite, Nihon-seifu ni geta o azuketa.

       The American government has left the handling of that question up to the Japanese government.

      2. Nihon-seifu wa geta o azukerareta kakkō to natta.

       The Japanese government was entrusted with conducting the affair.

      3. Kare ni geta o azuketa tame ni, mondai ga kojireta.

       The matter was left up to him and this aggravated the problem.

      4. Geta o azukerareru hō mo, meiwaku desu.

       It is also an annoyance for the person who is delegated with the task.

      5. Kono ken ni tsuite wa, gichō ni geta o azuketai to omoimasu.

       Regarding this issue, I'd like to pass the matter to the chairman.

      giri-date

      decorum, something done to be polite

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