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Let’s learn Japanese with Jotaro’s quote from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken, ジョジョの奇妙な冒険).

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Jotaro’s Quote

Japanese: 近づかなきゃてめーをぶちのめせないんでな。
Romaji: chikazukanakya temē o buchinomesenai nde na.
English: I can’t beat the shit out of you without getting closer.

Analysis

The grammar used in this quote is “if one doesn’t do A, B won’t be achieved”. There are double negatives but it simply means “one needs to do A in order to achieve B”.

近づかなきゃ means “if I don’t get closer”.

近づかない is the negative form of 近づく meaning “to approach or get close”.

And きゃ is the casual way of saying ければ meaning “if”.

So when you make conditionals with verb negative form, just remove the い in the end and attach きゃ in casual speech or ければ in formal speech.

てめーをぶちのめせない means “I can’t beat the shit out of you”.

てめー means “you” in a very offensive way. This line is the prolonged sound mark which lengthens the previous vowel (e). It can also be written as てめえ with the same pronunciation.

を indicates the direct object of the following action.

ぶちのめせない is the negative form of ぶちのめせる which is the potential form of ぶちのめす.

It’s a compound verb made up of ぶつ meaning “to hit hard” and のめす meaning “to make someone fall”, so ぶちのめす directly means “to hit someone forcefully so they can’t get back up”.

So 近づかなきゃてめーをぶちのめせない means “If I don’t get closer, I can’t beat the shit out of you” which can be rephrased as “I need to get closer in order to beat the shit out of you”.

And it’s followed by んでな.

んで (conjunction) is the casual way of saying ので meaning “because” so 近づかなきゃてめーをぶちのめせないんで means “Because I can’t beat the shit out of you without getting closer”. So it’s an incomplete sentence added to what Dio previously said which is “you’re approaching me”.

And the な particle is often used with an incomplete sentence in male speech when making an addition to the previous statement.

Examples

〜なきゃ〜ない (if one doesn’t do A, B won’t be achieved)

やってみなきゃわからない。

yatte minakya wakaranai.

If you don’t try, you’ll never know.

朝あさごはんを食たべなきゃ仕事しごとに集中しゅうちゅうできない。

asagohan o tabenakya shigoto ni shūchū dekinai.

If I don’t eat breakfast, I can’t concentrate on my work.

行動こうどうしなきゃ何なにも変かわらない。

kōdō shinakya nani mo kawaranai.

If you don’t take action, nothing will change.

んで (casual way of saying ので, “because”)

熱ねつがあるんで、今日きょうは休やすみます。

netsu ga aru nde, kyō wa yasumimasu.

I’ll take leave today because I have a fever.

まだ18歳じゅうはっさいなんで、お酒さけは飲のめないんです。

mada jūhassai na nde, osake wa nomenai ndesu. 

I can’t drink alcohol because I’m still 18.

(The legal drinking age in Japan is 20)

もう遅おそいんで、寝ねます。

mō osoi nde, nemasu.

I’m going to bed because it’s late.

Incomplete Sentence + な (used in male speech when making an addition to the previous statement)

A: あー、暑あつい！ B: 夏なつだからな。

A: ā, atsui! B: natsu dakara na.

A: Agh, it’s hot! B: Because it’s summer.

A: あの二人ふたり、最近さいきんずっと喧嘩けんかしてる。 B: 仲良なかよかったのにな。

A: ano futari, saikin zutto kenka shiteru. B: naka yokatta noni na.

A: Those two have been always fighting recently. B: They were getting along, though.

A: 海外かいがいに行いくときに要いるのは航空券こうくうけんとお金かねと… B: あと、パスポートな。

A: kaigai ni iku toki ni iru no wa kōkūken to okane to… B: ato pasupōto na.

A: What you need when going overseas are a plane ticket, money… B: And a passport. 

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