Anime

Let’s learn Japanese with Usagi’s quote from Sailor Moon.

Video

Usagi’s Quote

Japanese: 月に代わってお仕置きよ!
Romaji: tsuki ni kawatte oshioki yo!
English: On behalf of the Moon, I will punish you!

Analysis

月 is “the Moon”.

に代わって means “on behalf of”.

おしおき means “punishment” for the purpose of discipline. By adding する you can make it a verb おしおきする meaning “to punish” but する is omitted here to make the phrase catchy.

よ is a sentence ending particle which is used when the speaker wishes to emphasise new information and make listeners become aware of it. When it follows a noun or な adjective you usually add だ before よ. So in this case, it’s おしおきだよ, but by dropping だ you can make it female speech which is commonly used in anime. In real conversations, Japanese language is becoming less gendered so だよ is usually used by both male and female.

Examples

Noun + に代わって (on behalf of/in place of)

息子むすこに代かわって深ふかくお詫わび申もうし上あげます。

musuko ni kawatte fukaku owabi mōshiagemasu.

I deeply apologise on my son’s behalf.

担当者たんとうしゃに代かわってお電話でんわしています。

tantōsha ni kawatte odenwa shite imasu.

I am calling you on behalf of the person in charge.

ロボットが人間にんげんに代かわって働はたらく日ひがもうすぐ来くるだろう。

robotto ga ningen ni kawatte hataraku hi ga mōsugu kuru darō.

The day when robots work instead of humans will probably come soon.

Sentence Ending Particle よ

気きをつけてよ！

ki o tsukete yo!

Be careful!

一人ひとりで行いけるよ！

hitori de ikeru yo!

I can go by myself!

もう知しらないよ！

mō shiranai yo!

I don’t care anymore!

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