Let’s learn Japanese with Rintaro Okabe’s quote from Steins;Gate.
CONTENTS
Video
Rintaro Okabe’s Quote
Japanese: 俺は狂気のマッドサイエンティスト、鳳凰院凶真。何を恐れることがあるというのだ！
Romaji: ore wa kyōki no maddo saientisuto, hōōin kyōma. nani o osoreru koto ga aru to iu noda!
English: I’m the insane mad scientist Hououin Kyouma. What do I have to fear?
Analysis
俺は狂気のマッドサイエンティスト、鳳凰院凶真
俺 (noun) means “I” in a manly way.
は is the particle indicating the topic of the sentence.
狂気 (noun) means “insanity, madness or crazy”.
The particle の enables the preceding noun (狂気) to modify the following noun (マッドサイエンティスト).
マッドサイエンティスト is a loanword taken from English, “mad scientist”.
鳳凰院凶真 is his self-proclaimed name as the mad scientist. 鳳凰院 is the last name meaning “phoenix institution” and 凶真 is the first name meaning “ominous truth”.
何を恐れることがあるというのだ.
“何を + Verb Dictionary-Form + ことがある” is the rhetorical question used to convince someone that there is no need to do something. Let’s break it down for a deeper understanding.
何 means “what”.
The particle を indicates the direct object of the following verb which is 恐れる meaning “to fear”. So 何を恐れる means “What do I fear”.
こと has various meanings such as things, occasions, experiences and so on depending on the usage. And in this usage, it means “necessity”.
Noun がある means “something exists” or “there is something”.
So 何を恐れることがある means “What do I have to fear?” which is a rhetorical question pointing out “there is no need to fear” or “there is nothing to fear”.
という (collocation) is used to make the preceding word or clause stand out and emphasise it.
のだ (collocation) in a question sentence is used when the speaker wants to clarify something based on the context. In this case the context is the fact that he is the insane mad scientist, which helps to explain that he doesn’t have to fear.
So 何を恐れることがある is a complete sentence by itself but he added のだ to clarify it and という to emphasise it.
Examples
何を + Verb Dictionary-Form + ことがある (Rhetorical Question)
こんなに豊かな国で、何を悲観することがあるんですか？
konna ni yutaka na kuni de, nani o hikan suru koto ga aru n desu ka?
In such a wealthy country, what makes you pessimistic? (You shouldn’t be so pessimistic)
準備は万端だ。何を心配することがある？
junbi wa bantan da. nani o shinpai suru koto ga aru?
Everything is fully prepared. What makes you worried? (There’s no need to worry)
あなたはよくやった。これ以上何を頑張ることがあるの？
anata wa yoku yatta. koreijō nani o ganbaru koto ga aru no?
You did very well. What more can you do? (You don’t have to try hard anymore)
If it’s not a rhetorical question, it’s “何も + Verb Dictionary-Form + ことはない” (there is nothing to …).
何も心配することはない。
nani mo shinpai suru koto wa nai.
You have nothing to worry about.
という for Emphasis
私に何ができるというの？
watashi ni nani ga dekiru to iu no?
What the hell can I do?
日本語というものは本当に難しい。
nihongo to iu mono wa hontō ni muzukashii.
“Japanese language” is truly difficult.
あなたという人はなぜそんなに自分勝手なの？
anata to iu hito wa naze sonnani jibunkatte nano?
Why are “you” so selfish?
- という is usually followed by a noun or the nominaliser の
- Without という, there is no emphasis;
あなたはなぜそんなに自分勝手なの？
anata wa naze sonnani jibunkatte nano?
Why are you so selfish?
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