Let’s learn Japanese with Naruto’s quote from NARUTO (ナルト).
CONTENTS
Video
Naruto’s Quote
Japanese: 仲間一人救えねぇ奴が火影になんてなれるかよ。
Romaji: nakama hitori sukuenee yatsu ga hokage ni nante nareru ka yo.
English: How can a guy who can’t save one friend become Hokage?
Analysis
仲間 means “a friend” who shares the same goal or destiny and work together in a group or organisation.
一人 means “one person”.
救えねぇ is a rough way to say 救えない meaning “can’t save”.
奴 means “a fellow” or “a guy”. So 仲間一人救えねぇ奴 means “a guy who can’t save one friend”.
が is a subject marker which is often mixed up with a topic marker は. There are several rules about が and は but basically “が” is used to emphasise what comes before and “は” is used to emphasise what comes after. For example, for the sentence “Naruto is eating ramen” if you say ナルトがラーメンを食べている it implies the one who is eating ramen is Naruto, not anyone else. So the question for this answer would be “誰がラーメンを食べている？” (WHO is eating ramen?) On the other hand, if you say ナルトはラーメンを食べている Naruto is just a topic of the sentence and the important part is his action “to be eating ramen”. So the question for this answer would be “ナルトは何をしている？” (WHAT is Naruto DOING?)
火影 literally means “Fire Shadow” which is a word that only exists in the Naruto world. It’s the highest class of ninja and often the strongest, representing the Konoha village.
A noun + the target particle に + なる means “to become something” and the potential form of なる is なれる. So 火影になれる means “can become Hokage”.
なんて emphasises the word or sentence which comes before and usually expresses negative feelings of the speaker such as disgust, disbelief, belittling and so on. So Naruto is saying that there is no point in becoming Hokage if he can’t save his friend.
This か is used for a rhetorical question which is a question that you ask without expecting an answer. It’s used to make a point, to persuade or for literary effect. So Naruto is strongly persuading Kakashi that it’s impossible for him to become Hokage without saving his friend by using a rhetorical question.
This よ is simply used to emphasise his opinion and emotion in order to make listeners aware of it.
Examples
なんて (used to emphasise the word or sentence before)
あんな話を信じるなんて、馬鹿だね。
anna hanashi o shinjiru nante baka dane.
You are so stupid that you believe that kind of story.
政治家なんて、だいたい信用できない。
sējika nante daitai shin’yō dekinai.
Most politicians can’t be trusted.
こんな時間に来るなんて、非常識だよ。
konna jikan ni kuru nante hijyōshiki dayo.
It’s inappropriate to come at this time.
かよ (used for a rhetorical question)
宇宙人が地下にいるなんて、ありえるかよ。
uchūjin ga chika ni iru nante arieru kayo.
How can it be possible that there are aliens under ground? (It can’t be!)
こんな格好で外に行けるかよ。
konna kakkō de soto ni ikeru kayo.
How can I go out dressed like this? (No, I can’t!)
かよ is usually used by men. If you are a female, just drop かよ and rise the intonation at the end of the sentence.
宇宙人が地下にいるなんて、ありえる（↑）？
uchūjin ga chika ni iru nante arieru?
How can it be possible that there are aliens under ground? (It can’t be!)
こんな格好で外に行ける（↑）？
konna kakkō de soto ni ikeru?
How can I go out dressed like this? (No, I can’t!)
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