Monday, September 16, 2013

SURVIVE! ~part.2~

I wrote about なんて/nante/ in the previous article. The phrase I will introduce to you today is also includes this word.

今更(いまさら)英語(えいご)なんて・・・。
/imasara eigo nante.../

The meaning (the function) of なんて in this sentence is same as the one in the phrase I introduced in the previous article. It emphasizes the word before it. In this sentence, なんて emphasizes 英語(English).

今更/imasara/ is often translated into "now" in English. But the word for "now " in Japanese is /ima/. 今更 is an adverb which suggest that the speaker feels it's too late for something. Let's look at some examples to make clear the difference between 今/ima/(=now) and 今更.


Your boss told you that he'll sack you and you said...
(1)そんな!今、くびだなんて!!
/sonna! ima, kubi da nante!/
(2)そんな!今更、くびだなんて!!
/sonna! imasara, kubi da nante!/

*くび/kubi/ to be sacked
Both can be translated as; No! It's too severe to fire me now!

(1) In this situation, you are very worried to be fired right now. Maybe you just bought a house and have to pay off your home loan, so it's really hard if he fired now.
(2) Maybe you have been working under the boss for a long time. You are surprised that you are sacked after such a long time.


A boy confessed his love to a girl, but she replied...
(1)今、愛なんていらない。
(2)今更、愛なんていらない。
I don't need love now.

(1) She has something important than love, so love isn't necessary for her right now.
(2) Maybe two of them had been dating before, but broke up the other day. After a long time, the boy confessed his love but it was too late for her.



Did you get it?


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