Post your favorite sentence or phrase in this thread :＞

Of course:
愛してる。


或日の暮方の事である。　It's the first sentence I learnt in Japanese.


I like this poem, too.

生という時
生より他にものはなく
滅という時
滅の他にものはなし


EDIT

bcrAn Wrote:I like the thread but please provide an English translation to the sentences would you?

愛してる。
あいしてる。
I love you.

或日の暮方の事である。
あるひのくれがたのことである。
The thing happens one day in the evening.
It is the first sentence in 羅生門 by
芥川龍之介 Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (1892-1927)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akutagawa_Ry%C5%ABnosuke



生という時
生より他にものはなく
滅という時
滅の他にものはなし

しょうというとき
しょうよりほかにものはなく
めつ という とき
めつのほかにものはなし

In the time of life,
there is none other than life
In the time of death,
there is none other than death

Dōgen Zenji 道元禅師; also Dōgen Kigen 道元希玄, or Eihei Dōgen 永平道元
(1200 – 1253)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogen_Zenji

Audiofiles:
http://www.mediafire.com/?207l3n8l3u9jdm6

いかんともしがたい
　ご期待に添えない
私としたことが

are my faves

I'm not sure why exactly, but this sentence from 残酷な天使のテーゼ (the opening from 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン) made me fall in love with Japanese grammar:

だけどいつか気付くでしょう　その背中には
遥か未来　めざすための　羽根があること。

Edit:

だけど　いつか　きづく　でしょう　その　せなかには
はるか　みらい　めさす　ための　はねが　ある　こと

It translates to something to the effect of "But maybe someday you'll realize that what's on your back are the wings that are for heading for the distant future".

I like the thread but please provide an English translation to the sentences would you?

間もなく without delay

吝かない Not stingy

よろこびに Happily

木漏れ日

笑う門には福来る。

わるう　かど　には　ふく　きたる。

To a smiling face good fortune comes.

超能力= ESP

七転び八起き

also, not sentences or phrases, but i really like the sound of the words 微か and 空き巣.

IceCream Wrote:七転び八起き

Hmm, i've only ever seen that one as 七転八起 (with the onyomi reading).

It is on kotowaza which I often use...

http://kotowaza-allguide.com/na/nanakorobiyaoki.html

I don't know what to make of their English translation.

ok, i'm confusing myself...

i saw it here: http://www.nhk.or.jp/kotoba/ja/frame.html episode 1.

Yeah, i wasn't doubting it was a word. Just interesting to see it has both a kun and onyomi variant.

Edit: Might as well throw in mine: 弱肉強食

I like it because it's pretty obvious what it means to anyone who has N4 level or so kanji knowledge.

食い倒れ！

Did I mention I live in Osaka?

Tie between:
咽から手が出るほど欲しい
To want something desperately
猿も木から落ちる
Everyone makes mistakes

I wouldn't say this is my favorite, as I don't really have one(since I like a lot of phrases). But the one I remembered the most in the beginning phases was: 一体何者？ I still remember how to write,read this and say this perfectly lol.

zigmonty Wrote:Yeah, i wasn't doubting it was a word. Just interesting to see it has both a kun and onyomi variant.

Edit: Might as well throw in mine: 弱肉強食

I like it because it's pretty obvious what it means to anyone who has N4 level or so kanji knowledge.

If I had a dollar every time I hear a Japanese rapper say this.....I'd be rich.

Not very complicated, but I really like the phrase
いつの間にか
Before one knows, before one becomes aware of

Like when you don't pay attention to something for some time, and the next time you check, it has suddenly changed. The phrase also a nice ring to it.

cryptica Wrote:Not very complicated, but I really like the phrase
いつの間にか
Before one knows, before one becomes aware of

Like when you don't pay attention to something for some time, and the next time you check, it has suddenly changed. The phrase also a nice ring to it.

Ohh... that reminds me of 瞬く間に, in the blink of an eye.

I just recalled this, I thought it was pretty nice:
木の葉を隠すなら森の中

There are two sentences for me:

1) The first sentence I learned in Japanese. It's from core6k.

彼女の髪はとても長い。

2) A phrase someone posted here. I think it's a proverb. For some reason, it stuck in my brain.

猿も木から落ちる。

edit: I just noticed Hotpotato already mentioned my number 2. : O