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Let’s learn Japanese with Goemon’s quote from Lupin the Third (Rupan Sansei).

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Goemon’s Quote

Japanese: またつまらぬ物を斬ってしまった。
Romaji: mata tsumaranu mono o kitte shimatta.
English: Once again I have cut a worthless object.

Analysis

また means “again”.

つまらぬ is an old-fashioned and classical way of saying つまらない meaning “worthless”. Goemon often speaks in this old-fashioned way because he has a samurai spirit.

物 means “a thing” or “an object”.

The particle を is used to indicate what comes before is the direct object of the verb. So in this sentence, つまらぬ物 is the object that is affected by the action of the following verb.

And the verb here is 斬って which is the te-form of the verb 斬る meaning “to cut”. So つまらぬ物を斬る means “to cut a worthless object”. If you learned the kanji for “cutting” you might know this kanji (切る) which is commonly used. For example, リンゴを切る meaning “to cut an apple”. Whereas this kanji (斬る) is used when cutting something or someone by a sword. For example, 刀で人を斬る meaning “to cut a person by a sword”.

しまった is the past tense of しまう and the te-form of the verb followed by しまう means “to do something unintentionally”. It implies cutting a worthless object is not what Goemon wants to do and it is a regrettable thing for him.

Examples

また (again)

じゃ、また来週らいしゅう。

ja, mata raishū.

Well, see you again next week.

明日あしたまた来きます。

ashita mata kimasu.

I will come again tomorrow.

また同おなじ失敗しっぱいをしてしまった。

mata onaji shippai o shite shimatta.

I made the same mistake again.

斬る vs 切る (“to cut by a sword” vs “to cut”)

腹はら切きりのあと、介錯人かいしゃくにんが首くびを斬きる。

harakiri no ato, kaishakunin ga kubi o kiru.

After Harakiri, Kaishaku-nin will cut the head.

人ひと斬きり侍ざむらいが髪かみを切きった。

hitokiri-zamurai ga kami o kitta.

Man-slaughter samurai cut his hair.

彼かれと縁えんを切きろうとしたら、日本刀にほんとうで斬きられそうになった。

kare to en o kirō to shitara, nihontō de kiraresō ni natta.

When I tried to cut off a relationship with him, I was almost cut by a Japanese sword.

Verb Te-Form + しまう (to do something unintentionally)

見みるなと言いわれると、逆ぎゃくに見みたくなってしまう。

miruna to iwareru to, gyaku ni mitaku natte shimau.

If I was told not to look, I want to look even more.

寝坊ねぼうして、電車でんしゃに乗のり遅おくれてしまった。

nebō shite, densha ni noriokurete shimatta.

I slept in and I missed the train.

大切たいせつな皿さらを割わってしまった。

taisetsu na sara o watte shimatta.

I broke an important plate.

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