Manga

Let’s learn Japanese with our analysis of manga. We will analyse a manga snippet from Yotsubato! (よつばと!) Volume 1.

Manga Snippet

©よつばと! (電撃コミックス)

Sentences

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1. 変な奴だー!!
   henna yatsu dā!!
   It’s a weirdo!!

2. あ、あのーお嬢ちゃん？
   a, anō ojōchan?
   Um, little girl?

3. あ？
   a?
   Huh?

4. なにしてるのかな？
   nani shiteru no kana?
   What are you doing, I wonder?

5. セミ！
   semi!
   Cicada!

6. ざー
   zā
   sliide

7. そっかーセミかぁー
   sokkā semi kā
   I see, a cicada!

8. やっぱり夏はセミだよねぇー
   yappari natsu wa semi da yonē
   Yeah, summer is definitely the season for cicada.

9. とす
   tosu
   thump

Analysis of Manga

1. 「変へんな奴やつだー!!」

   • 変な (na-adjective) – weird
   • 奴 (noun) – fellow, guy
   • だ (auxiliary) – makes a sentence declarative (attached to a noun or na-adjective)

2. 「あ、あのーお嬢じょうちゃん？」

   • あの (interjection) – um…
   • お嬢ちゃん (noun) – little girl

3. 「あ？」

   • あ？(interjection) – very blunt “huh?”

4. 「なにしてるのかな？」

   • なに (noun) – what
   • してる (verb) – doing
   • の (particle) – indicates question
   • かな (particle) – I wonder (used towards a child/someone of inferior status) EXAMPLES

5. 「セミ！」

   • セミ (noun) – cicada

6. 「ざー」

   • ざー – onomatopoeia for sliding

7. 「そっかーセミかぁー」

   • そっか (expression) – I see, right
   • セミ (noun) – cicada
   • か (particle) – expresses that you are impressed, surprised, moved, etc. EXAMPLES

8. 「やっぱり夏なつはセミだよねぇー」

   • やっぱり (adverb) – sure enough, after all
   • 夏 (noun) – summer
   • は (particle) – indicates sentence topic
   • セミ (noun) – cicada
   • だ (auxiliary) – makes a sentence declarative (attached to a noun or na-adjective)
   • よね (particle) – expresses agreement; yeah, that’s right EXAMPLES

9. 「とす」

   • Onomatopoeia for a small/light thing landing after falling

Examples

かな (I wonder)

一人ひとりでトイレに行いけるかな？

hitori de toire ni ikeru kana?

Can you go to the toilet by yourself, I wonder?

お絵描えかき上手じょうずにできるかな？

oekaki jōzu ni dekiru kana?

Can you draw well, I wonder?

か (expresses that you are impressed, surprised, moved, etc)

ただの染しみかー。ゴキブリかと思おもった！

tada no shimi kā. gokiburi kato omotta!

Oh, it’s just a stain. I thought it was a cockroach!

今日きょうは日曜日にちようびだったか！早はやく起おきて損そんした。

kyō wa nichiyōbi datta ka! hayaku okite son shita.

Today was Sunday! I woke up early for nothing.

よね (expresses agreement)

あの先生せんせい、本当ほんとうにきびしい。 – 本当ほんとうだよねぇ。

ano sensei, hontō ni kibishii. – hontō da yonē.

That teacher is really strict. – Yeah, absolutely.

あのお店みせのオムレツ、好すき。 – わかる！おいしいよね！

ano omise no omuretsu, suki. – wakaru! oishii yone!

I like the omelette at that shop. – I know! It’s delicious, right?

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