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What does this mean? 2016/4/12 03:33
I'm starting to study Japanese and I found the japanese "momotarou" tale in hiragana so I'm trying to translate it but I'm having some trouble due to the fact that I don't know much Japanese. There are few sentences which I cannot translate:
1- Ojiisan, hayou modotte kinasare.
2- Obaasan mo ki o tsukete na.
3- Mainichi yasashiku ii atte dekakemasu.
4- Ano hi, obaasan ga kawa de sentaku wo shite itara, tsunfurako tsunfurako momo ga nagarete kimashita.

Arigatou gozaimasu!
by Yoruichi Shihoin (guest)  

Re: What does this mean? 2016/4/12 10:10
As it is an old folk tale, the speech is in the old-fashioned style.

The same sentences rewritten in modern "textbook" Japanese would be (I made some adjustments to make it easier, though I do not know how far you've studied the grammar):

1- Ojiisan, hayaku modotte kudasai.
(Dear, please return early.)
hayaku: early, quickly, promptly (from an adjective "hayai" meaning early, quick)
modoru/modorimasu: verb meaning "to return."
[te-form of verb + kudasai] is a request.

2- Obaasan mo ki o tsukete kudasai.
(My dear, you be careful too.)
ki o tsukeru/tsukemasu: verb phrase meaning to take care, to be careful

3- Mainichi yasashiku iiatte dekakemasu.
(They gently tell that to each other every day, then leave home.)
mainichi: every day
yasashiku: gently, kindly (from an adjective "yasashii," meaning gentle or kind)
iiau/iiaimasu: to tell each other
dekakeru/dekakemasu: to leave home

4- Ano hi, obaasan ga kawa de sentaku wo shite itara, tsunfurako tsunfurako momo ga nagarete kimashita.
Are you sure it is "tsunfurako"? It might be どんぶらこ "donburako"
(That day, as the wife/old woman was doing laundry at the river, a peach came floating down the river.)
kawa de sentaku wo suru/shimasu: do laundry at the river
momo: peach
nagareru/nagaremasu: verb meaning to flow
nagarete kuru/kimasu: come (closer to you) flowing
by ..... (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: What does this mean? 2016/4/18 05:11
Thank you very much!!
by Yoruichi Shihoin rate this post as useful

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