Video

Mitsuha’s Quote

Japanese: 確かなことが一つだけある。私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる。
Romaji: tashika na koto ga hitotsu dake aru. watashitachi wa aeba zettai suguni wakaru.
English: One thing is certain. If we see each other, we’ll definitely know.

Analysis

確かなことが一つだけある

確か is a na-adjective meaning “certain”, modifying the noun こと meaning “thing”. When a na-adjective modifies the following noun, the hiragana な should be attached. That’s why it’s called a “na” adjective. So 確かなこと means “certain thing” or “something certain”.

Something (noun) が (particle) ある (verb) means “something exists” or “there is something”.

And you can add the quantities between が and ある. In this case, the quantity is 一つ. The numeral in kanji read as ひと represents “one” and it’s followed by the counter suffix つ which is used to count general things or abstract things.

And it’s followed by だけ (particle) meaning “only” so 確かなことが一つだけある means “there is only one certain thing”.

私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる.

私たち (pronoun) means “we”.

The は particle shows the preceding word 私たち is the topic in this sentence.

会えば means “if (we) meet”. It’s the conditional form of the verb 会う meaning “to meet”. To make a verb conditional form, take the plain form of the verb and switch the last hiragana which is from the う-line to the え-line （う→え）and attach ば. So the conditional form of 会う is 会えば.

絶対 (adverb) means “definitely”.

すぐに (adverb) means “immediately”.

わかる (verb) means “to know, find out or figure out” used when you finally understand something or someone.

There are two adverbs in a row followed by the verb, but each adverb affects different things. すぐに (immediately) simply modifies the following verb わかる which makes “(we’ll) know immediately”. And 絶対 (definitely) affects the whole すぐにわかる part so it’s like “it is definite that we’ll know immediately”.

So 私たちは会えば絶対すぐにわかる directly means “if we meet, it is definite that we’ll know immediately”.

Examples

こと (“thing” that is abstract and intangible)

今日きょうは、やることがたくさんある。

kyō wa, yaru koto ga takusan aru.

Today, I have many things to do.

今日きょう一番いちばん嬉うれしかったことは何なんですか。

kyō ichiban ureshikatta koto wa nan desu ka.

What made you happiest today?

嫌いやなことは忘わすれて、楽たのしもう。

iya na koto wa wasurete, tanoshimō.

Forget about bad things and let’s enjoy.

Noun + が + Quantities + ある (there is/are)

冷蔵庫れいぞうこにゆで卵たまごが一個いっこある。

reizōko ni yudetamago ga ikko aru.

There is one boiled egg in the refrigerator.

約束やくそくしてほしいことが二ふたつある。

yakusoku shite hoshii koto ga futatsu aru.

There are two things that I want you to promise.

読よみたい本ほんがたくさんある。

yomitai hon ga takusan aru.

There are many books that I want to read.

Verb Conditional ば (if)

この道みちをまっすぐ行いけば、駅えきに着つきますよ。

kono michi o massugu ikeba, eki ni tsukimasu yo.

If you go straight this way, you’ll reach the station.

早はやく寝ねれば、早はやく起おきられる。

hayaku nereba, hayaku okirareru.

If you go to bed early, you can wake up early.

明日あしたまでにレポートを提出ていしゅつすれば、問題もんだいない。

ashita made ni repōto o teishutsu sureba, mondai nai.

If you submit the report by tomorrow, you won’t have any problems.

わかる (to know/find out/figure out)

一目ひとめ見みてすぐに偽物にせものだとわかった。

hitome mite sugu ni nisemono da to wakatta.

As soon as I took a glance at it, I found out it was fake.

今週末こんしゅうまつ、何なにするの？  – まだわからない。

konshūmatsu, nani suru no? – mada wakaranai.

What are you going to do this weekend? – I’m not sure yet.

そんな簡単かんたんなことは、ネットで調しらべればわかる。

sonna kantan na koto wa, netto de shirabereba wakaru.

If you look it up on the internet, you can find out such an easy thing.

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Video

Taki & Mitsuha’s Quote

Japanese: 君の名前は…
Romaji: kimi no namae wa…
English: Your name is…

Analysis

君 means “you” which is used when a person speaks to the second person in a lower status such as a teacher to a student, or someone equal such as friends or couples. Although you often hear it in songs, manga or anime, you hardly hear it in a real conversation as it sounds a bit cheesy and old-fashioned.

名前 means “name”.

The の particle is used to connect two nouns where the first noun modifies the second. In this case it is used as a possessor so the first noun possesses the second noun which makes 君の名前 mean “your name”.

The は particle in a question shows what comes before is the topic you want to know about. So the rest of the sentence is often omitted because you can guess what’s being asked.

Actually, in this scene the last part is omitted for all the sentences. But you can guess each part with the particles and the context. So Taki says 俺、君をどこかで – the verb used with を in this situation could be 見た which means “I saw you somewhere” or it could be 知っている which means “I know you from somewhere” but I would choose 知っている as the two have a stronger connection than just “having seen each other before”. And for Mitsuha, 私も – the particle も means “too or also” so It would be 私も君をどこかで知っている meaning “I also know you from somewhere”.

As you can see, Japanese people tend to leave sentences unfinished. This is because Japan has a guess culture which is also called a high-context culture that relies mainly on non-verbal, implicit communication. So there are many things you have to guess from the context, personal relationships, traditions, and so on. Also, less talking or indirectness is considered an admirable quality in communication in Japan. So if Taki and Mitsuha said whole sentences, they would have sounded too direct and frank without any humbleness which many Japanese people tend not to prefer.

Examples

の (possessor)

私わたしの彼かれは会社かいしゃの寮りょうに住すんでいる。

watashi no kare wa kaisha no ryō ni sunde iru.

My boyfriend is living in his company’s dormitory.

私わたしの家いえは駅えきからちょっと遠とおい。

watashi no ie wa eki kara chotto tōi.

My house is a bit far from the station.

これは誰だれのペンですか？ – あ、私わたしのです。

kore wa dare no pen desu ka? – a, watashi no desu.

Whose pen is this? – Oh, it’s mine.

は (used to ask about the topic without a predicate)

Your cake is missing from the fridge so you ask your mother:

私わたしのケーキは（どこ）？

watashi no kēki wa (doko)?

(Where is) my cake?

You got the test result from school so your mother asks you:

テストの結果けっかは（どうだった）？

tesuto no kekka wa (dō datta)?

(How was) the result of the test?

You find a boy crying alone so you ask him:

お母かあさんは（どうしたの）？

okāsan wa (dōshita no)?

(What happened to) your mum?

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The post Taki & Mitsuha’s Quote “Your Name Is…” appeared first on Easy Peasy Japanesey.