【No. 2031】Tou ni Ochizu Kataru ni Ochiru (問うに落ちず語るに落ちる - The Tongue Is Ever Turning to the Aching Tooth)
May 14, 2023 23:27
Tou ni Ochizu Kataru ni Ochiru
When people are asked about their secrets by others, they are wary and reluctant to talk about them, but when they begin to tell their own stories, they tend to spill the beans.
Such a situation can be described as tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru (問うに落ちず語るに落ちる) in Japanese.
Since tou (問う) means "to ask", ochi/ochiru (落ちる) means "to spill out," zu (ず) is a negative suffix, and kataru (語る) means "to tell," the literal meaning of tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru means "when one is asked, one does not spill out, when one tells, one spills out."
You can also say only the latter part, kataru ni ochiru (語るに落ちる).
When people are asked about their secrets by others, they are wary and reluctant to talk about them, but when they begin to tell their own stories, they tend to spill the beans.
Such a situation can be described as tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru (問うに落ちず語るに落ちる) in Japanese.
Since tou (問う) means "to ask", ochi/ochiru (落ちる) means "to spill out," zu (ず) is a negative suffix, and kataru (語る) means "to tell," the literal meaning of tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru means "when one is asked, one does not spill out, when one tells, one spills out."
You can also say only the latter part, kataru ni ochiru (語るに落ちる).
問うに落ちず語るに落ちる
人に問い詰められると用心して話そうとしない秘密も、自ら語り始めるとうっかり漏らしてしまうことがあります。
そのような状況を「問うに落ちず語るに落ちる」と表現することができます。
「問う」は "to ask"、「落ち/落ちる」は "to spill out"、「ず」は否定語、「語る」は "to tell" を意味するので、「問うに落ちず語るに落ちる」は文字どおり "when one is asked, one does not spill out, when one tells, one spills out" という意味になります。
後半部分の「語るに落ちる」だけで使われることもあります。
人に問い詰められると用心して話そうとしない秘密も、自ら語り始めるとうっかり漏らしてしまうことがあります。
そのような状況を「問うに落ちず語るに落ちる」と表現することができます。
「問う」は "to ask"、「落ち/落ちる」は "to spill out"、「ず」は否定語、「語る」は "to tell" を意味するので、「問うに落ちず語るに落ちる」は文字どおり "when one is asked, one does not spill out, when one tells, one spills out" という意味になります。
後半部分の「語るに落ちる」だけで使われることもあります。
Corrections (1)
No. 1 O-Star
- Tou ni Ochizu Kataru ni Ochiru (問うに落ちず語るに落ちる - The Tongue Is Ever Turning to the Aching Tooth)
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- Tou ni Ochizu Kataru ni Ochiru
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- When people are asked about their secrets by others, they are wary and reluctant to talk about them, but when they begin to tell their own stories, they tend to spill the beans.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- Such a situation can be described as 'tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru' (問うに落ちず語るに落ちる) in Japanese.
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- Since 'tou' (問う) means "to ask", 'ochi/ochiru' (落ちる) means "to spill out," 'zu' (ず) is a negative suffix, and 'kataru' (語る) means "to tell," the literal meaning of 'tou ni ochizu kataru ni ochiru' means "when one is asked, one does not spill out, when one tells, one spills out."
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
- You can also say only the latter part, 'kataru ni ochiru' (語るに落ちる).
- This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
Toru
Thank you for reading my entry!
Thank you for reading my entry!
O-Star
You're welcome!
You're welcome!