Demon Slayer · Translation notes
Japanese in Demon Slayer
Every note whose example line comes from Demon Slayer. The same Japanese turns up across series — the rails above cross all of them.
58 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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このまま…病で貴方は命を落とすでしょう
“AS A HUMAN, YOU WILL PROBABLY LOSE YOUR LIFE TO DISEASE.”
Too Polite to Say Your Name: 貴方 and the 'You' That Completes the Register Spectrum
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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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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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いい加減にして頂戴
“YOU MUST RESTRAIN YOURSELF.”
Please Give Me the Favor of Your Silence: 頂戴 and the Humble "Receive" English Reads as a Bare Command
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普段どれ程善良な人間であっても土壇場で本性が出る
“NO MATTER HOW RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE USUALLY ARE, THEY REVEAL THEIR TRUE SELVES IN TIMES OF DISASTER.”
Kneeling at the Block: 土壇場 and the Execution Ground English Only Hits by Accident
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こりゃあ縁起がいいなあ
“WHAT LUCK!”
Nothing Arises Alone: 縁起 and the Doctrine of Dependent Origination Flattened into "WHAT LUCK!"
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狐の餓鬼は間合いの内側
“THE FOX-BRAT IS IN STRIKING RANGE!”
The Demons' Word for Their Own Kind: 餓鬼 and the Hungry-Ghost Hell Behind Every "Brat"
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ご武運を…
“I WISH YOU GOOD FORTUNE IN WAR!”
The Blessing That Lost Its Verb: ご武運を and the Send-Off English Had to Spell Out
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何という極悪非道
“THAT'S POSITIVELY DIABOLIC!”
No Devil Required: 極悪非道 and the Off-the-Way Wickedness VIZ Turns Christian
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極楽
“*SIGNS: PARADISE”
Paradise in the Wallpaper: 極楽 and the Footnote VIZ Used When the Kanji Wouldn't Move
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いい御身分だなァ
“WELL, AREN'T YOU SOMETHING?”
Must Be Nice, Said With a Bow: いい御身分だな and the Honorific English Strips Out of the Insult
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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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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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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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洗ってお返し致しますからこちらを着て
“I'LL BRING THEM BACK. PLEASE WEAR THESE FOR NOW.”
Doing It With a Bow: 致す and the Humble Verb English Reads as Plain "Do"
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刃を向けてくる者は一刀両断にせねばならぬ
“...AND I MUST CLEAVE ANYONE WHO TURNS A SWORD UPON ME.”
One Stroke, Two Pieces: 一刀両断 and the Old English Verb That Keeps the Cut but Drops the Count
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そうだ自暴自棄になって大勢殺した
“YES, I KILLED MANY IN MY DESPERATION!”
Twice Against Herself: 自暴自棄 and the Mencius Idiom VIZ Always Renders as Desperation
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地獄の果てまで追いかけて
“I'LL FOLLOW YOU TO THE DEPTHS OF HELL...”
The Hell With Levels: 地獄 and the Eight Buddhist Underworlds English Flattens to One
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成仏してください
“REST IN PEACE!”
Praying the Demon Onward: 成仏してください and the Epitaph That Points the Wrong Way
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縦横無尽に動くことが可能足場の悪い所での戦いに適しておりこの回転する部屋に相応しい技だと言える
“...MAKING IT PERFECT FOR THIS ROTATING ROOM. IT KEEPS ME READY TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION, AND IS WELL SUITED FOR A FIGHT WITH SUCH UNCERTAIN FOOTING.”
One Word for Every Direction: 縦横無尽 and the Four-Character Compass VIZ Flattens to "Any Direction"
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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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罪なき人に牙を剥こうものならば
“...IF YOU BARE YOUR FANGS AT INNOCENT PEOPLE...”
Baring Fangs, Literally: 牙を剥く and the Idiom English Translates Perfectly by Accident
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弱き者をいたぶる鬼畜
“YOU BRUTES WHO TORMENT THE WEAK!”
Demon and Beast, in One Word: 鬼畜 and the Two Lowest Realms VIZ Squeezes Into "Brutes"
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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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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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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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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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胡蝶様の申し付けにより参りました
“WE COME ON ORDERS FROM LADY KOCHO.”
Reporting for Duty With a Bow: 参る and the Humble Verb English Reads as Plain "Go"
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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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何の未練もなくお前たちを刻めるよ
“I'M SO IRRITATED THAT I CAN CUT YOU TO PIECES WITHOUT ANY REGRET!”
Not Yet Tempered: 未練 and the Attachment English Shrinks to 'Regret'
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私は“珠世”と申しますその子は〝愈史郎〟
“MY NAME IS TAMAYO. THIS BOY IS YUSHIRO.”
Saying It With a Bow: 申す・申し上げる and the Humble Verb English Reads as Plain "Say"
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無一郎の無は〝無能〟の〝無〟
“THE "MU" IN "MUICHIRO" IS "MOO"... LIKE A BIG DUMB COW.”
Twins Named Being and Nothing: 無一郎の無 and the Cow Pun That Can't Turn Infinite
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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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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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しかしそうなると私は一体どうなるのか…南無三…
“BUT IN THAT CASE... WHAT ABOUT ME? DAMN IT!”
The Monk Who Says "Damn It!": 南無三 and the One Prayer VIZ Chose to Translate
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情けは人のためならず
“THEY SAY THAT BY BEING COMPASSIONATE YOU'RE ONLY HELPING YOURSELF.”
The Proverb Half of Japan Misreads: 情けは人のためならず and the Explanation VIZ Printed in Its Place
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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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その名を口にしましたね呪いが発動する…
“YOU SAID HIS NAME, THUS TRIGGERING THE CURSE.”
Say His Name and Die: 呪い and the Whole Native Sorcery Lexicon English Flattens Into "Curse"
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おいどんも！！
“AND ME!!”
One Bubble, One Prefecture: おいどん and the Satsuma 'I' VIZ Flattens Into Plain 'AND ME'
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おいらを弟子にしてくだせぇ！！
“PLEASE, MAKE ME YOUR APPRENTICE!!”
A Trainful of Country Boys: おいら and the Rustic 'I' VIZ Smooths Into Plain 'Me'
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往生しやがれド腐れ野郎！！
“DIE, YOU ROTTEN BASTARD!!”
Temple Word, Gutter Grammar: 往生しやがれ and the Buddhist Send-Off VIZ Flattened to "Die"
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姉ちゃんは輪廻転生って信じるかよ
“DO YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION?”
Ask Onee-chan, Not the Room: 輪廻転生 and the Sibling Address VIZ Erased
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三途の川を渡りかける
“...BEGAN TO CROSS THE RIVER TO THE AFTERLIFE.”
Not Japan's Styx: 三途の川 and the Three Crossings English Rounds Down to One
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嬲り殺して差し上げますお望みのままに．．．！！
“I'LL KILL HER SLOWLY AND THEN LAY THE PROOF AT YOUR FEET!”
A Torture-Killing, Gift-Wrapped in Keigo: 差し上げる and the Humble "Give" English Can't Make Sinister
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正々堂々
“IT WAS A BOLD...”
A Dying Demon's Highest Compliment: 正々堂々 and the "Fair and Square" VIZ Never Actually Prints
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介錯もつけずに
“THERE WAS NO SECOND!”
Borrow the Ritual, Translate the Mercy: 切腹・介錯 and the Duelist's Second English Sent Instead
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小生の獲物だぞ小生の縄張りで見つけた小生の獲物だ…
“IT'S MY PREY! IT'S MY PREY FOUND IN MY TERRITORY!”
This Insignificant Self's Prey: 小生 and the Bookish, Self-Effacing "I" English Reduces to Plain "MY"
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手前勝手な頼みとは承知しておりますが何卒御容赦を
“I KNOW THIS IS A SELFISH REQUEST, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME.”
A Selfish Request, From Where I Stand: 手前勝手 and the Doubled Self VIZ Squeezes Into One Word
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私には何の天罰も下っていない
“...HEAVEN HAS NEVER PUNISHED ME.”
Nobody Up There to Punish Him: 天罰 and the Impersonal Heaven English Keeps Personifying
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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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猫背で揉み手をしながら俺の機嫌を常に伺い…全身全霊でへつらうのだ。
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU MUST PLEASE ME! BOW AND SCRAPE AND AVERT YOUR EYES! YOU TOADIES ARE MINE, BODY AND SOUL!”
The Humble Verb for Watching: 伺う and the Mood-Check VIZ Turns Into Averted Eyes
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生殺与奪の権を他人に握らせるな！！
“NEVER LEAVE YOURSELF SO DEFENSELESS IN FRONT OF AN ENEMY!”
VIZ Translation Watch #2: 生殺与奪の権 Becomes "Never Leave Yourself So Defenseless" — and Four More Shifts We Verified by Hand
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吾輩は訓練を受けているとはいえただの鴉
“I HAVE SOME TRAINING... BUT I'M JUST A CROW.”
The Pronoun of a Famous Cat: 吾輩 and the Grandiose 'I' VIZ Flattens Into Plain 'I' — or Nothing at All
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儂ももう長くはない
“I DON'T HAVE MUCH LONGER.”
One Pronoun, Every Old Man: 儂・わし and the Elder "I" English Flattens Into Plain "I"
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猫背で揉み手をしながら俺の機嫌を常に伺い…全身全霊でへつらうのだ。
“FIRST AND FOREMOST, YOU MUST PLEASE ME! BOW AND SCRAPE AND AVERT YOUR EYES! YOU TOADIES ARE MINE, BODY AND SOUL!”
A Rare Perfect Match: 全身全霊 and the Body-and-Soul Idiom VIZ Quietly Rewires
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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