[Translation Challenge] How Do You Translate “in October”?

This is an archive of the JD Translation Challenge, which we do regularly on JD’s Twitter. Why don’t you take the challenge too?

We have also listed the answers from our followers and feedback from Japanese members, so check it out when you are done with your translation.

Table of Contents

Translation Challenge

ย 

โ€œI am planning to visit Tokyo this fall. What kind of clothes should I bring? Is it already cold in October?โ€


Translate it into Japanese.
(See the tweet on Twitter.)

Click here for my example answers.

ใ€Œใ“ใฎ็ง‹ใซๆฑไบฌใธ่กŒใไบˆๅฎšใงใ™ใŒใ€ใฉใ‚“ใชๆœ่ฃ…ใง่กŒใ‘ใฐใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹๏ผŸ10ๆœˆใฏใ‚‚ใ†ๅฏ’ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹๏ผŸใ€

ใ€Œใ“ใฎ็ง‹ใซๆฑไบฌใธ่กŒใ“ใ†ใจๆ€ใ†ใ‚“ใ ใ‘ใฉใ€ใฉใ‚“ใชๆœ่ฃ…ใง่กŒใ‘ใฐใ„ใ„ใ‹ใชใ๏ผŸ10ๆœˆใฏใ‚‚ใ†ๅฏ’ใ„๏ผŸใ€

ใ€Œ็ง‹ใซๆฑไบฌ่กŒใ“ใ†ใจๆ€ใ†ใ‚“ใ‚„ใ‘ใฉใ€ใฉใ‚“ใชๆœๆŒใฃใฆใ„ใฃใŸใ‚‰ใ„ใ„ใจๆ€ใ†๏ผŸ10ๆœˆใฃใฆใ‚‚ใ†ๅฏ’ใ„ใ‚“ใ‚„ใฃใ‘๏ผŸใ€

Key Phrase

10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏ

“to be … in October”
When you use the “be verb” (such as is/am/are), it is often translated as ใ€Œ10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏใ€.
(For other verbs, translate asใ€Œ10ๆœˆใซใ€.)

ใ€Œ10ๆœˆใฏ้ญšใŒใŠใ„ใ—ใ„ใงใ™ใ€‚ใ€
โ€œFish is delicious in October.โ€
*Generally speaking, I talk about October being the best season for fish every year.

ใ€Œ10ๆœˆใซใฏ้ญšใŒใŠใ„ใ—ใใชใ‚Šใพใ™ใ€‚ใ€
โ€œFish become tasty in (/by) October.โ€
*The fish is not tasty now, but the fish will be fatty and delicious by October.

*If you putใ€Œใซใ€, the nuance will be “by the time October comes around.” This is because ใ€Œใซใฏใ€ is an abbreviation of ใ€Œ๏ฝžใฎ้ ƒใซใฏใ€. Therefore, it is best to use it in the months of the year before October.

Answers from our followers. Click to read the feedback.

1. ๅ†ฌโ†’็ง‹
ๅ†ฌ is winter and ็ง‹ is fall/autumn.

2. ๆŒใฃใฆใใ‚‹โ†’ๆŒใฃใฆใ„ใ
Your country โ†’ Japan
If you are the speaker and in your country, it’s better to use ๆŒใฃใฆใ„ใ. If you have already arrived in Japan and brought something from your country, you can use ๆŒใฃใฆใใ‚‹.

3. ไฝ•ใŒๆœใ‚’โ†’ไฝ•ใฎๆœใ‚’
When you want to say “what …(noun)” in questioning sentences, you say ใ€Œไฝ•ใฎ…(noun)ใ€. Or you can also say ใ€Œใฉใ‚“ใช…(noun)ใ€”what kind of …”๐Ÿ˜„

4. ใใ‚‹ใงใ™ใ‹โ†’ใ„ใใฎใŒใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹
For “what …(noun) should I … (verb)?” sentence, you can say ใ€Œไฝ•ใฎ(/ใฉใ‚“ใช) …(noun)ใ‚’…(verb)ใ™ใ‚‹ใฎใŒใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹(/ใ™ใ‚Œใฐใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹)๏ผŸใ€.

In this case, you can say: ไฝ•ใฎๆœใ‚’ๆŒใฃใฆใ„ใใฎใŒใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹๏ผŸ

5. ๅฏ’ใ‹ใฃใŸโ†’ๅฏ’ใ„
Since you are talking about general October weather (temperature), you should use the present tense here๐Ÿ˜‰

Nice that you used ใ€Œใ‹ใชใ๏ผŸใ€๐Ÿ˜Ž
One thing, the casual form uses ใ€Œใ‹ใช(ใ)ใ€. On the other hand, the formal form (ใงใ™/ใพใ™) uses ใ€Œใ‹ใญ(ใ‡)ใ€. So, in this case, you should say ใ€ŒๆŒใฃใฆใ„ใใพใ™ใ‹ใญใ‡๏ผŸใ€๐Ÿ˜Š

๏ผ‘๏ผๆœˆใซใ€ใ‚‚ๅฏ’ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹๏ผŸโ†’10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏใ€ใ‚‚ใ†ๅฏ’ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹๏ผŸ is better๐Ÿ˜‰

For the formal one, the first sentence is very nice and smooth!
1. 10ๆœˆใซโ†’10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏ
When “in October” is used with “be verb”, it’s mostly translated as 10ๆœˆใฏ or 10ๆœˆใซใฏ.

2. ใงใ—ใ‚‡ใ†๏ผŸโ†’ใงใ—ใ‚‡ใ†ใ‹๏ผŸ Check out the sentence in red letters ๐Ÿ™‚ ใ€Œๅฏ’ใ„ใงใ—ใ‚‡ใ†๏ผŸใ€ sounds like you already know how cold it gets in October in Japan and asking someone to agree with you. So it’s better to use ใงใ—ใ‚‡ใ†ใ‹ here.

https://t.co/pZxAepPy6r
For the casual one, if you modify 10ๆœˆใซโ†’10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏ thing as in No.1, that’d be perfect!

That’s great you choose the casual style for the 2nd sentence for self-talking๐Ÿ˜Ž๐Ÿ‘

If you modify it from 10ๆœˆใฎใซ to 10ๆœˆ(ใซ)ใฏ, that’d be perfect!

In this sentence, using ใ‚‚ใฃใฆใใ‚‹ is a bit unnatural.
But when you are talking to someone in Japan, for example, and you want to talk about things from his point of view, you use ใ‚‚ใฃใฆใใ‚‹.
e.g., “Let me know if there’s anything you want me to bring to Japan.”
ใ€Œๆ—ฅๆœฌใซ”ๆŒใฃใฆใใฆ”ใปใ—ใ„ใ‚‚ใฎใŒใ‚ใฃใŸใ‚‰ๆ•™ใˆใฆ๏ผใ€

You can also use it to talk about yourself in Japan, imagining what you will be like after you arrive in Japan.
e.g., “I don’t want to regret that I should have brought this or that, so I have to make sure I don’t forget anything.”
ใ€Œใ‚ใ‚Œใ‚„ใ“ใ‚Œใ‚’”ๆŒใฃใฆใใ‚Œใฐ”ใ‚ˆใ‹ใฃใŸใฃใฆๅพŒๆ‚”ใ—ใŸใใชใ„ใ‹ใ‚‰ใ€ๅฟ˜ใ‚Œ็‰ฉใ—ใชใ„ใ‚ˆใ†ใซใ—ใชใใกใ‚ƒใ€‚ใ€

You can use that when you speak in the position of yourself or someone else in Japan (the point of arrival). Hope that makes sense!

Thank you for participating! Here are my feedback๐Ÿ˜Š

Tokyoโ†’ๆฑไบฌ๏ผˆใจใ†ใใ‚‡ใ†๏ผ‰

ใ‚‚ใใ‚ใ‚€๏ผ‹ใ„ใใพใ™โ†’่กŒใใคใ‚‚ใ‚Šใงใ™๏ผˆใ„ใใคใ‚‚ใ‚Šใงใ™๏ผ‰
ใ‚‚ใใ‚ใ‚€ means “to plan” but it’s more like for something negative like “to scheme”.
Let’s use ใ€Œใคใ‚‚ใ‚Šใ€(“to be willing to”; “to have a plan”).

ใƒ‰ใƒฌใ‚นโ†’ๆœ or ๆœ่ฃ…
In Japanese, ใƒ‰ใƒฌใ‚น means a formal dress like a gown.

(ใƒ‰ใƒฌใ‚น)ใŒโ†’(ๆœ)ใ‚’
Use the ใ€Œใ‚’ใ€ particle for the object of the verb.

ใ‚€ใฃใฆโ†’ๆŒใฃใฆ๏ผˆใ‚‚ใฃใฆ๏ผ‰
I guess it’s just a typo๐Ÿ˜‰

(ๅๆœˆๅฏ’ใ„)ใ‚‚โ†’(ๅๆœˆใฏ)ใ‚‚ใ†(ๅฏ’ใ„)
The place to put ใ‚‚ใ† is here or at the very beginning.

So you can modify like:
ใ“ใฎ็ง‹ๆฑไบฌใซ่กŒใใคใ‚‚ใ‚Šใงใ™ใ€‚ใฉใ‚“ใชๆœใ‚’ๆŒใฃใฆ่กŒใ‘ใฐใ„ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚ๅๆœˆใฏใ‚‚ใ†ๅฏ’ใ„ใงใ™ใ‹ใ€‚

Special thanks to all who participated!