had it with him.
2. Kare wa, koibito ni aiso o tsukasareta yō desu yo.
It appears that his girlfriend has lost patience with him.
3. Anna hito nara, kanojo ga aiso o tsukasu no mo tozen desu.
It's only to be expected that she'd lose interest in someone like that.
4. Shomin o wasureta seijika ni wa, sukkari aiso ga tsukite shimatta.
I'm tired of politicians who don't care about the public.
5. Kanojo wa uwaki suru otto ni aiso ga tsuki, rikon suru koto ni shita.
She was fed up with her unfaithful husband, so she divorced him.
aizuchi o utsu
chime in
BUCHŌ:
Kono yō ni susumetai to omoun' da ga.
BUKA:
Ē, sore de iin ja nai deshō ka?
BUCHŌ:
Sakki kara, kind wa aizuchi o utsu dake dejibun no iken o iwanai ne.
DEPARTMENT CHIEF:
This is the kind of direction I'd like to move in.
SUBORDINATE:
Yes, I guess that would be fine.
DEPARTMENT CHIEF:
You've just been echoing me and not giving me your own opinions on the matter.
Aizuchi o utsu, literally "a set of hammers striking," originally described when an apprentice blacksmith worked with the master and they would coordinate their hammer strokes, one striking after the other. Thus, the expression refers to tactful responses that keep a conversation moving, phrases like "I see" and "really?"
EXAMPLES
1. Kare wa hito no hanashi ni aizuchi o utte bakari iru.
All he does when you talk to him is agree with what you say.
2. Dōshite, aizuchi bakari utsuri desu ka?
Why do you only echo what I'm saying?
3. Ē? Kare ga aizuchi o uttan' desu ka?
What? You mean you actually got a response out of him?
4. Kare ni aizuchi o utaseru to wa, kimi mo sugoi ne.
It really is impressive how you are able to get him to respond.
akaji ni naru
be in the red
OTTO:
Kozukai, mō sukoshi agete kurenai ka?
TSUMA:
Ie no rōn ya kyōikuhi ga kasande, maitsuki akaji na no. Totemo muri yo.
HUSBAND:
Can't you give me a little more pocket money?
WIFE:
With the way the house loan and school expenses have been mounting up, we're in the red every month. There's just no way.
Akaji ni naru means to be in the red; in other words, when one's expenses are more than one's earnings. The expression comes from the practice of filling in the deficit column in account books with a red pen.
EXAMPLES
1. Maitsuki akaji na node, tsuma mo pāto de hataraku koto ni shita.
Since we're in the red every month, my wife began a part-time job.
2. Kono mama uriage ga ochikomu to, akaji ni naru.
If sales continue to go down like this, we'll end up in the red.
3. Kono mise wa hanjō shite iru yō de mo, akaji o kakaete imasu.
This store may appear to be prospering, but actually it's in the red.
4. Kokka yosan ga akaji no kuni ga oi.
Many countries have a budget deficit.
5. Hoikuen no akaji o bazā de oginau.
The day-care center holds bazaars to make up for its losses.
amaku miru
think little of, not take seriously
DŌRYŌ 1:
Ano kaisha no saikin no uriage, sugoi desu ne.
DŌRYŌ 2:
Sukoshi amaku mite ita kamo shiremasen ne. Uchi mo ganbaranai to...
COLLEAGUE 1:
That company's recent sales figures are impressive, aren't they?
COLLEAGUE 2:
Maybe we were underestimating them. We'd better get going ourselves.
Amai has many meanings, including sweet, romantic, indulgent, and optimistic. Amaku miru means to think lightly of or not to take something seriously. Other forms are amaku mirareru (be taken too lightly) and amaku mite shimau (underestimate).
EXAMPLES
1. Kanojo o amari amaku mite wa ikenai.
You'd better not underestimate her.
2. A-sha ni zuibun amaku miraremashita ne,
Company A doesn't think of us as serious competition at all.
3. Onna da to omotte, amaku minaide kudasai.
Don't underestimate me because I'm a woman.
4. Shiken o amaku mita no ga shippai no gen' in desu yo.
The reason you failed is that you didn't take the exam seriously.
asameshi-mae
