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Let’s learn Japanese with Hajime Kindaichi’s quote from The Kindaichi Case Files (Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo).

Video

Hajime Kindaichi’s Quote

Japanese: じっちゃんの名にかけて！
Romaji: jicchan no na ni kakete!
English: In the name of my grandpa!

Analysis

じっちゃん means “grandpa”. There are several words for “grandfather” in Japanese. The most formal one is 祖父 which is only used when you talk about your own grandfather in a formal situation. おじいさん and おじいちゃん are commonly used for either someone else’s or your own grandfather. Lastly, じいちゃん and じっちゃん are very casual so you’d better not use them for someone else’s grandfather. Also, when you call your grandfather, you never call him as 祖父 but you can use the rest. You can also use them for an old man.

の is a particle for possession.

名 means “name”. It comes from 名声 or 名誉 meaning “fame” or “reputation” so it’s not just a name of someone, it’s a name of someone who is famous or has a good reputation. So じっちゃんの名 means “the name of my grandpa”.

にかけて means “swearing on” which often goes with nouns indicating human values such as 命 meaning “life” or 信用 meaning “trust” to express strong determination. Also, it is commonly used with te-form.

So the whole sentence in this scene will be じっちゃんの名にかけて俺は必ず貴様を捕まえてみせる meaning “In the name of my grandpa, I will catch you by all means”. But Hajime often says this after the main clause for emphasis and to make it sound catchy.

Examples

名 (name, fame, reputation)

会社かいしゃの名なに恥はじないようにがんばります。

kaisha no na ni hajinai yō ni ganbarimasu.

I will do my best not to bring shame to the name of the company.

国会議員こっかいぎいんの名なが泣なくぞ。

kokkai giin no na ga naku zo.

The name of the member of parliament will cry. (= You are not worthy of being a member of parliament)

松下まつした幸之助こうのすけはパナソニックの創業者そうぎょうしゃとして名なを残のこした。

matsushita kōnosuke wa panasonikku no sōgyōsha to shite na o nokoshita.

Konosuke Matsushita left his name as the founder of Panasonic. 

にかけて (swear on)

警察けいさつの名誉めいよにかけて犯人はんにんを捕つかまえる。

keisatsu no meiyo ni kakete hannin o tsukamaeru.

We swear in the pride of the police to catch the culprit.

お客様きゃくさまからの信用しんようにかけて、質しつの良よい製品せいひんをご提供ていきょうします。

okyaku-sama kara no shin’yō ni kakete, shitsu no yoi seihin o goteikyō shimasu.

We swear on our customer’s trust to provide good quality products.

プライドにかけて秘密ひみつを守まもります。

puraido ni kakete himitsu o mamorimasu.

I swear on my pride that I will keep the secret.

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