Take It Easy to Appropriate (適当に)

rumim
rumim
Aug 29, 2017 · 1 min read
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words

In every language, there are some words that are difficult to translate. For example, in Japanese: Otuskaresama, Mottainai, Mattarisuru, Goen ga aru, and Kuki o Yomu. Especially, I often use a Japanese word “Tekitouni” but I’m not sure how to translate it. It is often translated into words with negative connotations, such as flaky, unreliable, irresponsible, sloppy, and halfhearted. I don’t want to translate it using a word with a negative connotation.

When I suggest meeting up, I say, “Let’s just meet up at whatever time you like. We don’t have to decide when to meet just yet.”
When I ask someone to do a job, “I’ll leave it up to you, I know you will handle it appropriately.”
When I make dinner: “I will just whip up something.”

I recommend you live in a “Tekitou” way. It means that you will know what is the most important thing in that moment.

翻訳がむずかしい言葉ってものがそれぞれの言語で存在しますよね。
日本語だと、おつかれさま、もったいない、まったりする、ご縁がある、空気を読むとか。特に私は『適当に』ってよく使うのですがこれがまた伝わらない。『適当』はネガティブな言葉として訳されることが多いのだけど、その様に伝えたいわけではない。

待ち合わせをする時、「テキトーに落ち合おう!」
仕事の時、「あとは適当にお願いします!」
ご飯を作る時「なんか適当につくるわ!」

生きていく上でも、『適当』っていうのは案外大切なことです。だって何が一番大事かって瞬時に見抜けるってことだから。

How do you translate to 適当?
http://eitopi.com/tekitou-eigo

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I'm just learning English!

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