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
โMy boss asked me to do something by the end of the day and I’m going to be home late. Bummerโฆโ
Translate it into Japanese.
(See the tweet on Twitter.)
Click here for my example answers.
ใไธๅธใซไปๆฅไธญใง้ ผใพใใใใจใใใฃใฆใไปๆฅใฏๅธฐใใฎใ้ ใใชใใใใใใ ใชใใใ
ใไธๅธใซไปๆฅไธญใง้ ผใพใใใใจใใฃใฆใๅธฐใใฎ้ ใใชใใใใใใๆๆช๏ผใ
Key Phrase
ไปๆฅไธญ(ใซ)
“by today”, “by the end of the day”
ใไปๆฅไธญใซใใฎๆธ้กใ้ใฃใฆใใ ใใใใ
โPlease send me the document by the end of the day.โ
(ๅฎถใซ)ๅธฐใใฎใ้ ใใชใ
“to be late home”
It means going home late compared to the time you usually get home because of something (such as job, trouble, appointment, etc.). Remember this as an idiom.
ใ้ป่ปใๅใใฆใชใใฟใใใ ใใใๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใใใ ใใ
โApparently, the train isn’t running, so I’m going to be home late.โ
*When you say ใ้
ใๅธฐใใ, it represents that you are voluntarily going home late. (For example, because you and your wife had a fight and things are awkward between you and your wife.)
Answers from our followers. Click to read the feedback.
Nice try! One thing, your sentence would be perfect if you unify the subject ofใ้จ้ทใไปไบ็ตใใใพใงใซใใใไบใ้ ผใพใใใใ part
If you’d like to make ้จ้ท subject: ใ้จ้ทใ๏ผ็งใซ๏ผไปไบใ็ตใใใพใงใซใใฆใปใใใใจใ้ ผใใงใใใใ “The boss asked me to do something that he wanted me to finish by the end of the business hour”
*Btw, ใ(้ ผใใง)ใใใ(~ใใฆใใ) is used when the subject does something to the speaker (that the speaker did not ask for).
If you’d like to make yourself subject:ใ้จ้ทใซไปไบใ็ตใใใพใงใซใใฆใปใใใใจใ้ ผใพใใใใ “I was asked by the boss to do sth he wanted me to do by the end of the business hours.”
The rest part is good! ใคใใใชใ gives me an impression you don’t wanna miss sth live at home
This is perfect flawless Japanese! ใใใงใใญใใใฎๅ ดๅใฏbossใฎ็ซๅ ดใใใใใชใใฎใงใใไธๅธใใจใใ่จ่ใไธ็ชใใฃใใใใใจๆใใพใ
Nice! You can say ็ตๆฅญ but we tend to use it with ๆ้ or ๆๅป moreย ใ็ตๆฅญๆ้ใพใงใซไธๅธใซไปไบใ้ ผใพใใใใใor you could say ใไธๅธใซ็ตๆฅญๆ้ใพใงใฎไปไบใ้ ผใพใใใใใ, I guess it sounds a little more natural
When we say “to be home late”, we often useใ(ๅฎถใซ)ๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใas an idiom.
Your sentence already makes sense but it would sound more natural if you write ใไธๅธใซ็ตๆฅญๆ้ใพใงใฎไปไบใ้ ผใพใใใใใๅฎถใซๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใใใใใใชใโฆใ
โMy boss asked me to do something by the end of the day”
Cool that you chose the verbใๆฌฒใใใ! I think ใ…ใใฆใปใใใgrammar would be useful for your sentenceย ใ(Aใ)(Bใซ)…ใใฆใปใใใ: A wants B to do …
something: ใใใใจ
by the end of the day: ไปๆฅไธญใซ
So it would be ใไผ้ทใฏ็งใซไปๆฅไธญใซใใใใจใใใฆใปใใใงใใ
“I’m going to be home late.”
ๅฎถใซๆฅใ is “to come home” so ๅฎถใซๅธฐใ “to go back to your home” sounds better here
ใใ ใใใๅฎถใซ้
ใๅธฐใใพใใ is better.
An additional expression you might want to learn isใๅฎถใซๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใ”to be home late”. As you are not on your way home yet, it sounds natural if you say ใๅฎถใซๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใใใ.
*ใ…ใใใmeans “looks like something (someone) is going to do something.”
“Bummerโฆโ You know ใโฆใฃใใใ expressionIt’s mainly used in verbal language (and rude
) but I like the spirit! hahaha
Great! I always enjoy seeing this kind of freestyle (yet content-covering) translation
ใใใ๏ฝใsounds super proper here and I like it
For “something”, if the speaker knows what it is but avoids giving details, we use ใใใใใจใ(“a thing”)
For “the end of the day”, ไปๆฅไธญ (ใใใใใ
ใ) is a good expressionย It’s true that adding ใๆซใ, as you used, is often used in Japanese business situations to indicate a deadline, but that’s mainly used after the month๏ผๆๆซ๏ผor year๏ผๅนดๆซ๏ผ.
When we say “to be home late”, we often useใๅฎถใซๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใexpression. So you can say ใๅฎถใซๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใฃใกใใใย I really like that you used ใใกใใใ for this translation! That suits this situation perfectly
็ตๆฅ is an advanced wordย but it means “all day” or “throughout day” (I guess it’s close to “durante todo el dรญa”) so ไปๆฅไธญ (ใใใใใ
ใ) sounds better
When we say “to be home late”, we often useใ(ๅฎถใซ)ๅธฐใใฎใ้
ใใชใใas an idiom.
Other than that, looks great
Special thanks to all who participated!