Wednesday, September 21, 2011

What's this Japanese phrase?

Question:


Okay so I'm having a little difficulty figuring out the word I heard from a radio program in Japan.

The context was, the artist called his friend (phone call) during his radio program as part of his program. His friend started laughing and said something like (AGAIN, I am not sure exactly but this is how it sounded to me): "Mou ete...chihonjide teiu teruyo!"

So the only word I know is "Mou" but the rest, I have no Idea.

I saw in some translation that he was trying to say that "I told you not to call me (over your program)!"

But what I want to know are the exact Japanese words (spelling) as I am learning Japanese and would help to know more vocabulary.

Thank you!

Answer:


This is Kansai-ben. "Mou ete...chihonjide teiu teruyo!" might be "mou eette...cho honkide tte yuteruyaro" or "mou eette...cho ho majide tte yuuteruyaro".

"Mou eette" is "that's enough" or "give me a break". "Eette" is a variation of "ee". "Ee" is a Kansai-ben version of "ii", basically means good, fine, great etc. But when "mou" is attached, it changes the meaning and means "enough". Sometimes "mou" is left out.
A: Do you want another cup of coffee?
B: (Mou) ee wa. I've had enough.

A: I picked up a billion dollars!
B: Mou ee. That's enough.

"Cho" doesn't have a important meaning. It is not "chou (超)" that means super, ultra, extraordinary. I think he wanted to say "cho matte". It literally means "wait a little", but it means "give me a break" in this situation.

"Honkide" or "majide" means really, seriously.

"Yuuteruyaro" means I'm telling you. Some answerer say "iuteruyo", but it's not Kansai-ben. We don't say "iuteruyo".

"Ho" in "mou eette...cho ho majide tte yuuteruyaro" should be "honmani" that means really, seriously. "Nmani" part was just left out. It sometimes happens.

I think the whole sentences means "that's enough. I really mean it".
Kansai-ben is rather difficult, isn't it?

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