【No. 1949】Tarō ni mo Jirō ni mo Tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ - Neither One Thing Nor The Other)
Aug 27, 2021 10:46
Jirō ni mo Tarō ni mo Tarinu
To describe a halfway and useless thing, you can use the following interesting phrase:
Tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ).
The Japanese male name, Tarō (太郎), is often used for the first son, and is also used as an honorific for the most superior thing.
Jirō (次郎), containing the kanji 次 (meaning "second/next"), is also a Japanese male name, and is often used for the second son.
In addition, tarinu (足りぬ) means "not enough."
Therefore, the literal meaning of tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu is "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro."
Since something that can neither be first nor second is halfway, this phrase came to have the current meaning.
To describe a halfway and useless thing, you can use the following interesting phrase:
Tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ).
The Japanese male name, Tarō (太郎), is often used for the first son, and is also used as an honorific for the most superior thing.
Jirō (次郎), containing the kanji 次 (meaning "second/next"), is also a Japanese male name, and is often used for the second son.
In addition, tarinu (足りぬ) means "not enough."
Therefore, the literal meaning of tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu is "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro."
Since something that can neither be first nor second is halfway, this phrase came to have the current meaning.
次郎にも太郎にも足りぬ
中途半端で使いみちのないもののことを表す際、次の面白いことわざを使うことができます。
「太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ」
「太郎」は日本において、長男によくつけられる名として知られており、最も優れたものの敬称としても用いられます。
「次郎」も日本の男性名ですが、「次」は "second/next" の意味を持つため、次男につけることの多い名となっています。
そして、「足りぬ」は "not enough" を意味します。
すなわち、「太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ」の文字どおりの意味は "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro" となります。
「1番手にも2番手にもなれない」ことから、「中途半端」の意味を持つようになったというわけです。
中途半端で使いみちのないもののことを表す際、次の面白いことわざを使うことができます。
「太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ」
「太郎」は日本において、長男によくつけられる名として知られており、最も優れたものの敬称としても用いられます。
「次郎」も日本の男性名ですが、「次」は "second/next" の意味を持つため、次男につけることの多い名となっています。
そして、「足りぬ」は "not enough" を意味します。
すなわち、「太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ」の文字どおりの意味は "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro" となります。
「1番手にも2番手にもなれない」ことから、「中途半端」の意味を持つようになったというわけです。
Corrections (1)
No. 1 hakuame
- Tarō ni mo Jirō ni mo Tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ - Neither One Thing Nor The Other)
- Tarō ni mo Jirō ni mo Tarinu (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ - Neither This Nor That)
- To describe a halfway and useless thing, you can use the following interesting phrase:
- To describe a halfhearted attempt and useless thing, you can use the following interesting phrase:
- 'Tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu' (太郎にも次郎にも足りぬ).
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- The Japanese male name, 'Tarō' (太郎), is often used for the first son, and is also used as an honorific for the most superior thing.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- 'Jirō' (次郎), containing the kanji 次 (meaning "second/next"), is also a Japanese male name, and is often used for the second son.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- In addition, 'tarinu' (足りぬ) means "not enough."
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- Therefore, the literal meaning of 'tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu' is "something is not good enough neither Taro nor Jiro."
- Therefore, the literal meaning of 'tarō ni mo Jirō nimo tarinu' is "neither Taro nor Jiro are good enough."
- Since something that can neither be first nor second is halfway, this phrase came to have the current meaning.
- Since something that can neither be first nor second, it is halfway, this phrase came to have the current meaning.
third place ? j/k ...
Toru
Thank you for the correction!
Yes, actually, this phrase implies third place or lower. (Taro is in first place, and Jiro is in second place.)
In other words, this phrase means that someone/something is not even close to first or second place. So, "neither Taro nor Jiro are good enough" may be a bit misleading..?
Thank you for the correction!
Yes, actually, this phrase implies third place or lower. (Taro is in first place, and Jiro is in second place.)
In other words, this phrase means that someone/something is not even close to first or second place. So, "neither Taro nor Jiro are good enough" may be a bit misleading..?