擬態語 I

うっかりして添付てんぷファイルを付つけ忘わすれた。

I was careless and forgot to attach the file.

Usage うっかり〜する, うっかりして — through absent-mindedness. Always about an unintended slip. うっかり者 is a scatterbrain.

Remember it うっかり → the mind blank for one second, and the slip made.

彼かれはがっしりした体格たいかくをしている。

He has a solidly built frame.

Usage がっしりした体格, がっしりした骨組み — sturdy. Used of bodies and of structures. Usually as がっしりした before a noun.

Remember it がっ → the sound of gripping something solid, with nothing hollow in it.

彼女かのじょはその申もうし出でをきっぱりと断ことわった。

She turned the offer down flatly.

Usage きっぱり(と)断る, きっぱりやめる — decisively, without hesitation. Partners: 断る, 諦める, 言う. It leaves a clean, firm impression.

Remember it きっ → the sound of a single clean cut.

空気くうきが澄すんでいて、遠とおくの山やまがくっきりと見みえた。

The air was clear and the distant mountains stood out sharply.

Usage くっきり(と)見える, くっきり浮かぶ — in sharp outline. Opposite: ぼんやり. Used of sight and of impressions.

Remember it くっ + きり (a clean edge) → the outline cut sharp against the background.

誰だれにも気きづかれないよう、こっそりと席せきを立たった。

I slipped out of my seat so nobody would notice.

Usage こっそり〜する — on the sly. Neutral to slightly negative. Close to そっと, but こっそり stresses the concealment.

Remember it こそこそ (sneaking) → moving without letting a sound out.

資料しりょうにざっと目めを通とおしてから会議かいぎに臨のぞんだ。

I skimmed the material before going into the meeting.

Usage ざっと目を通す, to look over quickly; and ざっと百人, roughly a hundred. Both senses are tested.

Remember it ざっ → the sound of water thrown over something in one go.

雨あめに濡ぬれた石畳いしだたみがしっとりと光ひかっていた。

The rain-wet flagstones glistened softly.

Usage Moist, as in しっとりした肌; and of manner, しっとりした雰囲気, calm and quietly deep. Always positive.

Remember it しっ → damp enough to soften, not enough to soak.

心配しんぱいしていたが、提案ていあんはすんなりと通とおった。

I had worried, but the proposal went through without a hitch.

Usage すんなり(と)通る, すんなり決まる — smoothly, against the expectation of difficulty. It also describes a slender figure: すんなりした脚.

Remember it すん → sliding through the gap in one motion.

兄弟きょうだいなので声こえまでそっくりだ。

They are brothers, so even their voices are identical.

Usage 〜にそっくりだ, exactly alike; and そっくりそのまま, the whole thing untouched — そっくり返す is to give it all back. The second sense is easily missed.

Remember it そっくり → the whole of it, which is why it can mean both 'alike all over' and 'all of it'.

彼かれはちゃっかり一番いちばんいい席せきを確保かくほしていた。

He had shrewdly secured the best seat.

Usage ちゃっかり〜する — cannily looking after your own interests. Half reproach, half admiration, not really malicious.

Remember it ちゃっかり者 (a canny one) → never the one who loses out.

社長しゃちょうはどっしりと構かまえて動どうじなかった。

The president sat unmoved and imperturbable.

Usage どっしり(と)構える — solid as a rock, unshakeable. Used of bearing and of heavy, stable objects.

Remember it どっ → the sound of a great weight set down where it will stay.

手帳てちょうには予定よていがびっしりと書かき込こまれていた。

The diary was filled with appointments written close together.

Usage びっしり(と)詰まる, びっしり書く, びっしり並ぶ — packed with no gap left. Used of writing, schedules and crowds.

Remember it びっ → pressed together until nothing more will fit.

疲つかれていて、話はなしの内容ないようがぼんやりとしか頭あたまに入はいらなかった。

I was tired and the substance of the talk only half registered.

Usage Indistinct, ぼんやり見える; and vacant, ぼんやりする, letting the mind go blank. The opposite of the first sense is くっきり.

Remember it ぼかす (to blur) → the edges gone soft.

初はじめての職場しょくばで、どこに何なにがあるか分わからずまごまごした。

New to the workplace, I was at a loss over where anything was.

Usage まごまごする — flustered, not knowing what to do. It stresses confusion from inexperience. Close to おろおろ.

Remember it まご doubled → going one way and then the other with no direction.

もたもたしていると締しめ切きりに間まに合あわないぞ。

Dawdle like that and you will miss the deadline.

Usage もたもたする — slow and dragging, and criticised for it. Unlike まごまご, which is confusion, もたもた is slowness that tries others' patience.

Remember it もた → heavy and tacky, nothing done cleanly.

開始かいし時刻じこくの一いち時間じかん前まえに着ついたので、悠々ゆうゆうと準備じゅんびができた。

I arrived an hour before the start, so I could prepare at leisure.

Usage 悠々と〜する — unhurried, with time in hand. 悠々自適 is a life of leisurely independence. Positive in tone.

Remember it 悠 (leisurely, as in 悠久) doubled → broad and unhurried.

同おなじ言いい訳わけを何度なんども聞きかされてうんざりした。

Having to hear the same excuse over and over, I was fed up.

Usage 〜にうんざりする — sick of something through sheer repetition. Stronger than 飽きる, with real irritation in it.

Remember it うん → the sound of the sigh you let out at hearing it again.

済すんだことをくよくよ考かんがえても仕方しかたがない。

There is no use fretting over what is done.

Usage くよくよする, くよくよ考える — brooding over small things past. Common in advice: くよくよするな.

Remember it くよ doubled → the thought going round and round with no way out.

面接めんせつの順番じゅんばんを待まつ間あいだ、そわそわして落おち着つかなかった。

Waiting my turn for the interview, I was restless and could not settle.

Usage そわそわする — fidgety with nerves or anticipation. It shows in small movements.

Remember it そわ doubled → hands and feet that will not keep still.

後うしろの席せきでひそひそと話はなす声こえが気きになった。

Voices whispering in the seats behind bothered me.

Usage ひそひそ話す, ひそひそ話 — whispering so as not to be heard. Slightly uncomfortable if you suspect you are the subject.

Remember it 密か (secret) → the thin sound of air with the voice taken out of it.

結論けつろんを出ださないまま、議論ぎろんがずるずると長引ながびいた。

With no conclusion reached, the discussion dragged on and on.

Usage ずるずる長引く, ずるずる引き延ばす — dragging on without resolution. Negative. It is also the sound of slurping noodles.

Remember it ずる → the sound of something dragged along the floor instead of lifted.

だらだらと長ながい会議かいぎは生産せいさん性せいを下さげる。

Long, meandering meetings lower productivity.

Usage だらだらする, だらだら続く — sluggish and unfocused. Also 汗がだらだら, sweat running freely.

Remember it だらしない (slovenly) → everything running loose and slack.

桜さくらがちらほらと咲さき始はじめた。

The cherry blossom has begun to open here and there.

Usage ちらほら見える, ちらほら咲く — scattered, a few at a time. Used of blossom opening, people arriving, rumours starting.

Remember it ちら (a glimpse) + ほら → one here, one over there.

彼女かのじょはてきぱきと仕事しごとを片付かたづけていく。

She works through her tasks briskly.

Usage てきぱき(と)働く, てきぱき片付ける — efficiently, cleanly. Always a compliment. Its direct opposites are もたもた and だらだら.

Remember it てき → the crisp sound of one thing finished before the next is begun.

事故じこの影響えいきょうで車くるまがのろのろと進すすんでいる。

Because of the accident the cars are crawling along.

Usage のろのろ運転, のろのろ進む — at a crawl, to everyone's frustration. The adjective のろい means slow. Critical.

Remember it のろい (slow) → dragging itself along.

駅えきで昔むかしの同僚どうりょうにばったり出会であった。

I ran into a former colleague at the station.

Usage ばったり会う, meeting unexpectedly; and ばったり途絶える, stopping dead. Both senses turn on the suddenness.

Remember it ばっ → the sound of something falling flat with no warning.

いつまでもめそめそしていないで、前まえを向むこう。

Stop snivelling and face forward.

Usage めそめそする — whimpering weakly and at length. It criticises the weakness, and often appears in words of encouragement.

Remember it めそ → the small sound of crying that never becomes a sob.

相手あいての面子めんつを潰つぶさないよう、やんわりと断ことわった。

So as not to cost him face, I declined gently.

Usage やんわり(と)断る, やんわり注意する — putting something unwelcome softly. Opposites: きっぱり, 露骨に.

Remember it 柔らか (soft) → said with the edges taken off.