Udo no Taiboku (Just a Big Oaf)

Jun 7, 2017 11:30
When I'm looking for Japanese terms to introduce on Lang-8, I can find various indirect expressions that abuse someone.

I think that the reason why various indirect expressions were born is because Japanese people tended to say praises and insults indirectly rather than directly.

For example, today I found the phrase "udo no taiboku."

Udo no taiboku means a person or something that has a big body but is useless.

"Udo" is a kind of plant, "aralia cordata" in English, and its buds are often used as food.

The udo grows very big like "taiboku," meaning "big tree," but then it can't be used as not only food but also building materials -- it will be almost garbage.

From this fact, udo no taiboku has come to mean a useless person or something.
ウドの大木

Lang-8 で紹介する日本語を探していると、さまざまな種類の人を罵る表現が見つかります。

日本人は褒める際も罵る際も、直接的ではなく間接的に言う傾向があるため、多くの間接的表現が生まれるのかもしれません。

例えば、今日は「ウドの大木」という表現を見つけました。

ウドの大木は、体ばかり大きくて何の役にも立たない人や物を表します。

「ウド」は植物の一種で、若芽やつぼみは食用として好まれています。

このウドは「大木」のように大きく成長しますが、そうなると食用にはならず、柔らかくて建材にもならないため、何の役にも立たなくなります。

このことから、ウドの大木は役立たずな物や人を指すようになりました。
No. 1　Dave's correction
  • Udo no Taiboku (Just a Big Oaf)
  • Udo no Taiboku (Just a Big Oaf)
    　Did you give up on including Japanese?

    My guess using google translate speech input and my swag at pronouncing Udo no Taiboku

    Udo no Taiboku (うるの大木 - Just a Big Oaf)

    Google translates うるの大木 as "large tree." I just found out that 大木 means large tree. I'm guessing that I totatlly mispronounced "Udo no" and the best google could come up with is the hiragana? うるの which is probably Japanese for "mumble mumble..." ;o)
  • When I'm looking for Japanese terms to introduce on Lang-8, I can find various indirect expressions that abuse someone.
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • I think that the reason why various indirect expressions were born is because Japanese people tended to say praises and insults indirectly rather than directly.
  • I think that the reason why various indirect expressions were born was because Japanese people tended to say praises and insults indirectly rather than directly.
    　is because --> was because - to be consistent with "were born", "tended to say"
  • For example, today I found the phrase "udo no taiboku."
  • This sentence is perfect! No correction needed!
  • Udo no taiboku means a person or something that has a big body but is useless.
  • Udo no taiboku means a person or something else that has a big body but is useless.
    　something that has --> something else that has - As written

    Ubo no taiboku means

    either a person
    or
    something else that has a big body

    And why is it that just because a person, or something, has a big body it's useless? Just teasing.
  • "Udo" is a kind of plant, "aralia cordata" in English, and its buds are often used as food.
  • "Udo" is a kind of plant, "aralia cordata" in English, and its buds are often used as food.
    　"Udo" --> Udo - to be consistent with your previous sentence.

    "aralia cordata" - this is ok because it's a new term that you are introducing.
  • The udo grows very big like "taiboku," meaning "big tree," but then it can't be used as not only food but also building materials -- it will be almost garbage.
  • The udo grows very big like (a) taiboku (meaning big tree) but then it can't be used as either food or building material. It will almost be garbage.
    　"taiboku" --> taiboku - to be consistent

    big like taiboku --> big like a taiboku - Ok, granted taiboku is Japanese it's being used in an English like way. In this case the "a" would make sense. I made it optional but it sounds right to me.

    You wouldn't write, "The udo grows very big like big tree", would you? I wouldn't.

    materials --> material - You could use either but in this case "material" goes along with "food". This may just be my ear talking. Hows that for a phrase.

    then it can't be used as not only food but also building materials --> then it can't be used as either food or building material. - Sorry, I'm losing focus and I can't think of a way to use your words so I just use mine.
  • From this fact, udo no taiboku has come to mean a useless person or something.
  • From this fact, udo no taiboku has come to mean something useless or a useless person.
Dave
Sigh.. my correction was wrong

Udo no taiboku means a person or something else that has a big body but is useless.

I think this would work

Udo no taiboku means a person, or something else, that has a big body but is useless.
Toru
Thank you so much always for correcting my post!
I learned a lot from you :)

> Did you give up on including Japanese?
Ah, I forgot to include Japanese version. I'll be more careful :)

> And why is it that just because a person, or something, has a big body it's useless?
Is it teasing? But my sentence could give misunderstandings.
I wanted to mean:
A person, or something else, that has a big body is normally powerful and useful. However sometimes there are exceptions. Although they have big bodies, they're weakly.
BACK