Nobody wants to be an outcast. But, chances are you’ll need to talk about a time when you felt like an outcast in Japanese. Suppose you want to say something such as “Everyone disagreed with me, and I was a complete outcast!” You need to be a talented speaker of Japanese to use this phrase correctly. On a positive note, you might want to talk about something that is going well. Maybe you wish to say, “My new job is smooth sailing.”
This Yojijukugo Japanese article shows you how to use these two Japanese expressions with style. You’ll use wa shimensoka da to talk about someone who is an outcast, and wa junbuumanpan da when everything is going smoothly. You’ll learn about the popularity of these Japanese phrases and their interesting history. As a bonus, discover similar expressions and phrases that will help you understand the nuances of the Japanese language.
Vocabulary: In this article, you’ll learn the following words and phrases:
shimensoka – “be completely outcast, a no-win situation”
junbuumanpan – “smooth sailing, on course and going full speed ahead”
Grammar: In this article, you’ll learn the following words and phrases:
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Today’s Yojijukugo 1:
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Roomaji / “Meaning”
shimensoka / “be completely outcast, a no-win situation”
Roomaji:
First Kanji / Second Kanji / Third Kanji / Fourth Kanji
Shi / Men / So / Ka
The meaning of the first Kanji is “four.” The second Kanji means, “surface.” The third and fourth Kanji mean, “whip” and “song,” respectively.
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History, Definition, Similar Expressions, etc.
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Shimen means “four directions.” Soka means “song of the old kingdom in China called So.” Shimensoka originates from a historical event in China that deals with the king of the country So. The king recognized his defeat when he heard the songs of his own country from the people surrounding his castle. He believed that his subordinates had sold him out to the enemy. Then, it came to mean “circumstances in which one is surrounded by enemies and opponents, with nobody providing any support.”
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Usage
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We use it as a noun. To express a situation in which someone is completely outcast or doesn’t have any support from anybody, you can say, “[someone] wa shimensoka da” or “[someone] wa shimensoka ni naru.”
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Sample Sentences
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Boku no iken wa minna ni hantai sarete, shimensoka datta.
“Everyone was against my opinion, and I was a complete outcast.”
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Tomodachi wa Taigaasu fan bakari de, Jaiantsu fan no boku wa shimensoka da.
“Most of my friends are fans of the Tigers, but I’m a fan of the Giants. So, I’m always a complete outcast.”
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Sonna katte bakari shite iru to, shimensoka ni naru yo.
“If you are always selfish like that, you will be forsaken by all of your friends.”
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Today’s Yojijukugo 2:
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Roomaji / “Meaning”
junbuumanpan / “smooth sailing, on course and going full speed ahead”
Roomaji:
First Kanji / Second Kanji / Third Kanji / Fourth Kanji
Jun / Buu / Man / Pan
The first and second Kanji mean, “right” and “wind.” They are followed by the third and fourth kanji, which mean, “full” and “sail,” respectively.
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History, Definition, Similar Expressions, etc.
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Junbuu means “following wind.” Manpan means “full sail.” Junbuumanpan means “everything is going well, like a boat sailing smoothly in a favorable wind.”
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Usage
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We use it as a noun to express a situation in which everything is going well. You can say, “[something] wa junbuumanpan da.” We can also use it as an -na ending adjective. When you get a smooth start to something, you can express it as, junbuumanpan na sutto. Also, you can use it as the adverbial junbuumanpan ni, as in junbuumanpan ni susumu, which means “to sail before the wind” and expresses things that are going well.
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Sample Sentences
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Atarashii shigoto wa, junbmanpan da yo.
“Everything is going well with my new job.”
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Kekkon seikatsu wa, junbmanpan na sutto datta.
“My married life got off to a smooth start.”
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Shin-purojekuto wa, junbmanpan ni susunde iru.
“The new project is sailing before the wind.”
