Japanese in manga
Body idioms
Japanese thinks with the stomach, the chest, the liver.
48 notes
By kind of Japanese
- All174
- Honorifics & keigo17
- Role language19
- Register & tone35
- First-person pronouns9
- Second-person pronouns4
- Villain speech5
- Idioms55
- Body idioms48
- Four-character idioms18
- Proverbs7
- Kanji anatomy81
- Buddhist vocabulary39
- Language around death7
- Wordplay10
- Classical & archaic Japanese4
- No English equivalent40
- One word, many renderings34
- False friends5
- Cultural localisation6
By JLPT level
By series
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負傷すればする程動きが鈍くなる…足を引っ張ることになる
“...AND THE MORE I HOLD HIMEJIMA BACK.”
Not That Kind of Leg-Pull: 足を引っ張る and the False Friend VIZ Had to Dodge
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それによってキミらに〝仲間の足を引っ張ってしまう！！〟という想像を絶するプレッシャーを与えたわけだ…？
“WITH THAT RULE, I PRESSURED YOU WITH THE FEAR THAT ANYTHING YOU DID WRONG... ...WOULD BRING YOUR TEAMMATES DOWN WITH YOU.”
Pulling a Leg, Dead Serious: 足を引っ張る and the False Friend Naruto Also Has to Dodge
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助太刀に入った所で足手まといでしかないとわかるから動けねぇ
“I KNOW THAT IF I GO IN TO HELP, I'LL ONLY GET IN THE WAY.”
Three Speakers, One Verdict: 足手まとい and the Hindrance VIZ Can't Stop Choosing
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足手まといにしかなってないじゃない…！
“I'M JUST A BURDEN TO THEM... JUST SOMEONE THEY HAVE TO PROTECT!”
Tied Hand and Foot: 足手まとい and the Burden VIZ Keeps Calling "In the Way"
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足手まといになるから…ヒナ迷惑
“IF YOU GET IN MY WAY, HINA WILL BE VERY UPSET.”
Hina Talks About Hina: 足手まとい and the Body VIZ Turns Into a Warning
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ふん…やかましい貴様の様に病人の足元を見て金をふんだくる悪徳医者には何も言われたかねェな！！
“HMPH! SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED A LECTURE FROM A GREED-DRIVEN WITCH! YOU'RE ONLY IN IT FOR THE MONEY!”
Judging a Traveler by His Feet: 足元を見る and the Bargaining Trick VIZ Melts Into 'Greed'
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てめェにゃ血も涙もねェのかァ！！！
“HAVE YOU NO FEELINGS?! ARE YOU MADE OF STONE?!!”
No Blood, No Tears: 血も涙もない and the Stone and Heart English Reaches for Instead
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腑に落ちねェ……！！
“IT JUST STICKS IN MY CRAW!”
Understanding Is Digestion: 腑に落ちない and the Organ English Only Sometimes Finds
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まるで歯が立たないんです……！
“I'M NO MATCH FOR HIM!”
Teeth That Can't Get a Grip: 歯が立たない and the Bite VIZ Turns Into a Verdict
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俺は鼻が利くから平気だよ
“I'VE GOT A GOOD NOSE FOR TROUBLE. I'LL BE FINE.”
A Nose for Trouble He Never Claimed: 鼻が利く and the Object English Demands
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おーおー腹の虫が鳴っとるね
“OH, MY. LISTEN TO ALL THE LITTLE STOMACHS GROWL!”
A Worm Lives in Your Belly: 腹の虫 and the Tiny Tenant English Evicts
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自分自身を囮に使ったのだあの腹黒は
“THAT WICKED MAN USED HIMSELF AS A LURE.”
A Black Belly, a Plain Villain: 腹黒 and the Truth-Organ English Trades for "Wicked"
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ふて腐れてへそを曲げた
“...SO HE TOOK IT REALLY HARD.”
The Navel Goes Crooked: へそを曲げる and the Sulk English Straightens Out
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だから骨が折れるまで締めつけることもできる
“AND WITH THIS SAME POWER, I CAN KEEP SQUEEZING AND CONSTRICTING UNTIL YOUR BONES CRACK!”
Textbook Idiom, Literal Threat: 骨が折れる and the Bones VIZ Never Turns Into a Metaphor
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鞭でめった打ちにされようが骨を折られようが
“I COULD TAKE THE PUNISHMENT.”
Two Grammars, One Bone: 骨を折る and the Passive Voice VIZ Collapses Into "Punishment"
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私の顔色は悪く見えるか
“DOES MY COMPLEXION LOOK POOR TO YOU?”
A Face Under Surveillance: 顔色 and the Complexion English Stops Reading
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どうした？ああ顔色が悪いぜ…
“WHAT'S WRONG? YOU'RE AS WHITE AS A SHEET.”
White as a Sheet, Blue with Fear: 顔色 and the Color Japanese Leaves Unnamed
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船長に刺された傷だな…！！よくも顔色一つ変えずに立っていられるものだバカが…
“HE COULDN'T HAVE HEALED YET FROM THE WOUNDS THE CAPTAIN GAVE HIM. I'M SURPRISED HE CAN EVEN STAND...”
The Color Everyone Reads: 顔色 and the Signal English Keeps Renaming
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かつて“七武海”の一人ジンベエと肩を並べた魚人の海賊
“ARLONG'S A FISH-MAN. HE USED TO BE JIMBEI'S EQUAL.”
Shoulder to Shoulder, Almost: 肩を並べる and the Idiom English Already Owns But Won't Use
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肝が据わっていると評判だった母はこの日人生初で腰を抜かした
“HER MOTHER HAD ALWAYS BEEN UNFLAPPABLE, BUT ON THIS DAY, SHE WAS SHOCKED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE.”
Courage Sits, Terror Unseats: 肝が据わる・腰を抜かす and the Anatomy English Flattens to Adjectives
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いいか 肝に銘じておけ…
“LISTEN CLOSELY, AND INSTRUCT YOUR MUSCLES...”
Engrave It on Your Liver: 肝に銘じる and the Order VIZ Rerouted to the Muscles
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それだけでも内心肝を冷やしたものだが
“...AND THAT ALONE WAS FRIGHTENING.”
A Cold Liver, Not Cold Blood: 肝を冷やす and the Organ English Never Names
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肝っ玉の座った女だ！！
“YOU'VE GOT GUTS!”
One Organ Over: 肝っ玉 and the Liver English Relocates to the Gut
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なんという腰抜けだ
“WHAT A COWARD!”
Coward by the Hips: 腰抜け and the Anatomy "Coward" Erases
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腰抜け…
“COWARD!”
Losing Your Hips: 腰抜け and the Spine English Grows in Its Place
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ちょ…ちょっと腰が抜けてて
“I'M A LITTLE OFF TODAY.”
One Verb, Two Collapses: 腰が抜ける・腰抜け and the Pun English Drops Along With the Hips
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冨岡が横から口を挟んだとはいえ不死川に一撃を入れた
“TOMIOKA'S DISTRACTION HELPED, BUT IT'S STILL AMAZING HE LANDED A BLOW ON SHINAZUGAWA.”
A Mouth Wedged In Sideways: 口を挟む and the Interjection VIZ Turns Into a Tactic
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下忍のお前がいちいち口を挟むことではないからのォ…
“SO THE OPINIONS OF ONE JUNIOR NINJA DON'T REALLY COUNT...”
Speaking Out of Rank: 口を挟む and the Vote VIZ Never Lets a Genin Cast
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…どんな拷問や幻術にかけられたってボクは口を割らないしね…
“NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF TORTURE OR GENJUTSU YOU INFLICT UPON ME, I WON'T SPILL A SINGLE SECRET...”
The Mouth That Won't Crack: 口を割る and the Interrogation Verb English Loosens Into "Talk"
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俺たちには目もくれないで兄ちゃんだけ…
“...AND WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT US, IT TOOK MY BROTHER!”
Not Even a Glance to Give: 目もくれない and the Favor English Flattens into a Direction
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鬼舞辻無惨は目の色を変えてそれを狙ってくるでしょう
“THIS MEANS THAT MUZAN KIBUTSUJI WILL COME FOR HER WITH RENEWED VIGOR...”
Eyes That Never Change Color: 目の色を変える and the Glint VIZ Renamed "Vigor"
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帰って来て目を疑ったぜおれァ…
“I COULDN'T BELIEVE MY EYES WHEN I RETURNED...”
The One Idiom English Already Owns: 目を疑う and the Quiet Slide from Doubting Your Eyes to Not Believing Them
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サクラ耳を貸せ
“SAKURA, LEAN CLOSER.”
Lend Me Your Ears: 耳を貸す and the Shakespearean Idiom VIZ Chose Not to Use
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こんな夜は胸が高鳴るというか…
“NIGHTS LIKE THIS DO SOMETHING TO ME.”
A Bell in the Chest: 胸が高鳴る and the Heartbeat VIZ Turns Into a Shrug
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胸を張って生きろ
“STAND TALL AND BE PROUD.”
Puff Out Your Chest: 胸を張る and the Posture VIZ Only Translates Once
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武者震いだよ！
“I'M SHAKING WITH EAGERNESS FOR A REMATCH!”
The Warrior's Shiver: 武者震い and the Idiom VIZ Explained Instead of Translated
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とにかくこの蛇今…虫の居所が悪いせいで私達食べられたのよ
“THE SNAKE ATE US BECAUSE HE WAS PROVOKED.”
A Bad Address for the Body's Bug: 虫の居所が悪い and the Mood English Renames "Provoked"
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虫唾が走るぜェ
“IT'S PATHETIC.”
The Acid That Never Translates: 虫唾が走る and the Disgust English Keeps Relocating
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この二枚舌の大嘘吐きめ
“THAT TWO-FACED LIAR!”
The Tongue That Speaks Twice: 二枚舌 and the Body Part VIZ Traded for a Face
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部下の尻ぬぐいも出来んで何が鬼人じゃ…
“YOU CAN'T EVEN CLEAN UP FOR YOUR MISERABLE SUBORDINATES. "DEMON"... YEAH RIGHT!”
Bottom-Wiping for the Demon of the Mist: 尻ぬぐい and the Crusty Old Sneer VIZ Traded for "Yeah Right!"
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手も足も出まいこの…
“I'M INVULNERABLE!!”
You Can't Even Get a Hand Out: 手も足も出ない and the Body-Idiom English Keeps Rewording
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ワシでも手に負えねーからのォ
“...EVEN I CAN'T HANDLE HIM!”
Too Heavy to Carry: 手に負えない and the Hands English Quietly Drops
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この力に手を染めちまったら最後…オレがどうなるかすら分からねェ…でも…
“ONCE I UNLEASH THIS POWER... I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN TO ME, BUT...”
Dyed, Not Dirtied: 手を染める and the Hands English Gets Backward
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解毒薬を調合されて手を焼いた
“...COMPOUNDED ANTIDOTES FOR THEM, AND MADE A FOOL OF ME.”
Too Hot to Hold: 手を焼く and the Burn English Never Felt
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腕が鳴るだろ……
“HE MEANS HE'S HUNGRY FOR BATTLE.”
A Footnote in the Speech Bubble: 腕が鳴る and the Idiom VIZ Explained Instead of Translated
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親父は図体がでかい上にろくでもなかった
“MY FATHER WAS BIG BUT GOOD-FOR-NOTHING.”
Big for Nothing: 図体 and the Sneer VIZ Translates Into a Simple Fact
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ったく成長したのはその図体だけかァ！？見ちゃられねーのォ！！
“SHEESH! IS THAT HULKING BULK OF YOURS THE ONLY THING THAT'S MATURED?! I COULDN'T JUST KEEP WATCHING!”
All That Grew Was the Bulk: 図体 and the One VIZ Line That Kept the Sneer
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あァあの時の大猿達にゃ笑ったよ！！あの図体で
“THOSE MONKEYS WERE SO FUNNY! WITH THOSE COMICAL BODIES AND...”
Comical Bodies, Vanished Contempt: 図体 and the Punch Line VIZ Chose Instead of the Sneer