A Large Mirror

A Large Mirror

I dropped  my wife off at the salon an hour ago. She is having her hair colored, and it takes two hours. So, I'm having coffee at a cafe.There is some nice old furniture here: tables, chairs, a large mirror and some pictures. 

I see a man sitting alone drinking coffee and looking at his iPhone. I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. I don't pity him.  

He somehow looks like me. I decided to say hello to him. I raised my right hand towards him and smiled. To my surprise, he smiled and waved back with his left hand. 

Well, it's time to go and pick up my wife. I have to close the SNS app on my iPhone. Well, I've paid my bill but something is wrong. I don’t see the man anymore. Where is he? What I see is the large mirror without him.

Menu

大きな鏡

1時間前に、妻を美容院で降ろした。今日は、髪を染めるので2時間はかかりそうだ。そういう訳で、今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い古い家具が備えてある。大きな鏡と絵もある。

今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。

何となく私に似ているような気がする。私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、右手を挙げて微笑んで見た。驚いた！何と、彼が左手を挙げてこちらを見て笑っているではないか！

さて、そろそろ妻を迎えに行く時間だ。SNSからログオフしなければ。今、レジの支払いもした。

あれ？おかしいなぁ。彼がいない。どこに行った？ 大きな鏡は有るけど、彼の姿は見当たらない。

Menu

A Large Mirror
大きな鏡

大きい (おおきい) : big, large, huge (adjective with or without a following noun)

/ It is big, large or huge. 

大きな : big, large, huge (adjective with a following noun)

鏡 (かがみ) : a mirror (noun)

大きい鏡 / 大きな鏡 : a large mirror

この鏡は大きい。: This mirror is large. (Don't say "この鏡は大きな。".)




I dropped  my wife off at the salon an hour ago. 

1時間前に、妻を美容院で降ろした。

私 (わたし) : I / my / me ( “私は” is omitted from the first sentence but you can add it at the top if you like. )

1時間 (いちじかん) : an hour

2時間 (にじかん) : two hours

3時間 (さんじかん) : three hours

前 (まえ) : front

1時間前 (いちじかんまえ) : an hour ago

2時間前 (にじかんまえ) : two hours ago

後 (あと) : back

1時間後 (いちじかんご) : an hour later

2時間後 (にじかんご) : two hours later 

妻 (つま) : wife

美容 (びよう) : beauty (noun)

院 (いん) : a building, a facility, a house

美容院 (びよういん): a beauty salon (noun)

病 (やまい) : sickness, illness (noun) 

病院 (びょういん) : a hospital (noun)

降りる (おりる) : to get off from a car, taxi, train, etc. (verb), You get off.

降ろす(おろす) : to drop someone off (verb), You drop someone off.

降ろした : You dropped off someone or something here/there.

2時間後に、降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped someone off here/there.

美容院で降ろした : You dropped off someone or something at a beauty shop.

妻を降ろした : You dropped off your wife here/there.

2時間後に、妻を降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped your wife off here/there.

妻を美容院で降ろした。: You dropped off your wife at a beauty shop.

2時間後に、妻を病院で降ろした。: Two hours later, you dropped your wife off at a hospital.

She is having her hair colored, and it takes two hours. 

今日は、髪を染めるので2時間はかかりそうだ。

彼女 (かのじょ) : she

今日 (きょう) : today

髪 (かみ) : hair

染める(そめる):  to dye someone’s hair, to color something (verb)

髪を染める: to dye someone’s hair (verb) / to have your hair dyed (verb) / to dye your hair yourself (verb)

彼女は髪を染める : She will have her hair dyed. (plan) She has her hair dyed regularly, often or sometimes. (current and recent activity)

今日は、髪を染める。: You will dye someone's hair. / You will have your hair dyed. / You will dye your hair yourself. (depends on the context)

......ので : for such a reason/purpose

髪を染めるので:  because you are having your hair dyed (reason, purpose)

2時間 (にじかん) : two hours

3時間 (さんじかん) : three hours

1時間かかる: It takes an hour.

２時間かかる。: It takes two hours or so.

２時間かからない。: It doesn't take two hours.

3時間かかりそう。: It probably takes three hours or so.

2時間かかりそうだ。: I guess it probably takes two hours or so.

2時間はかかりそうだ。: I guess it probably takes two hours at least.

３時間かかりそうにない。: It probably doesn't take three hours.

今日は、髪を染めないので2時間かからない。: Today, you are not having your hair colored, so it will not take two hours.

So, I'm having coffee at a cafe. 

そういう訳で、今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。

言う (いう / ゆう) : to say (verb)

そう言う : You say so.

訳 (わけ) : a reason or purpose

そう言う訳で (そういうわけで) : that's why, for such a reason, therefore, so

今 (いま):  now, right now, modern time, these days (depends on the context)

カフェ : a cafe, the cafe

コーヒー : coffee, a cup of coffee, coffee beans

飲む (のむ) : to drink something, to have coffee, tea, etc. (verb), to accept or agree with a difficult condition (verb, idiomatic expression)

飲んでいる : You are drinking something. (present progress)

今、飲んでいる : You are drinking right now.

カフェで飲んでいる : You are drinking at a cafe.

今、カフェで飲んでいる : Now, you are drinking at a cafe.

今、コーヒーを飲んでいる : Now, you are having coffee.

今、カフェでコーヒーを飲んでいる。: You are now having coffee at a cafe.

そういう訳で、今、バーで飲んでいる。: So, now, I'm drinking at a bar. (You probably wanted to drink for some reason.)




There is some nice old furniture here: tables, chairs, a large mirror and some pictures. 
テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い古い家具が備えてある。大きな鏡と絵もある。

テーブル: a table, tables (noun)

椅子 (いす) : a chair, chairs (noun)

テーブルや椅子 : tables and/or chairs

テーブルや椅子など : tables, chairs, etc. (There is not a clear logic for use of 'や' and/or 'など'. So, we just put them here and there from our feelings.)

良い (よい) : good, nice

なかなか良い : quite good, pretty good (Do not breakdown this phrase into smaller parts.)

新しい (あたらしい): new (adjective)

古い (ふるい) : old (adjective)

家具 (かぐ) : furniture (noun)

良い家具 : good furniture

古い家具 : old furniture

なかなか良い古い家具 : nice old furniture

備える (そなえる): to prepare, to provide, to equip, to furnish (verb)

備えてある : It is furnished. It is equipped.  (current situation)

カフェに、備えてある: The cafe is equipped with it. (current situation)

家具が備えてある: It is furnished. (current situation)

カフェに、家具が備えてある: The cafe is furnished. (current situation)

テーブルや椅子など、なかなか良い新しい家具が備えてある。: There is some nice new furniture here: tables, chairs, etc.

大きい (おおきい) : big, large (adjective)

大きな : big, large (adjective with a following noun)

小さい (ちいさい) : small (adjective)

小さな : small, tiny (adjective with a following noun)

鏡 (かがみ): a mirror, mirrors (noun)

大きな鏡 : a large mirror

絵 (え): a picture, pictures, a drawing, drawings, a painting, paintings (noun)

絵がある: There is a drawing.

小さな絵がある: There is a small drawing.

小さな絵もある: There is also a small drawing.

大きな鏡と絵もある。: There are also a large mirror and a picture(/some pictures), too. (additionally to some other things which you have mentioned before)




I see a man sitting alone drinking coffee and looking at his iPhone. 

今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。

今(いま): now

ここに / ここで : here

1人 (ひとり): one person

1人で : alone

コーヒー : coffee

飲む (のむ) : to drink something, to have coffee, tea, etc. (verb)

コーヒーを飲む : You have coffee.

1人でコーヒーを飲む。: You have coffee alone.

コーヒーを飲みながら : while drinking coffee

1人でコーヒーを飲みながら、... : You are having coffee alone and ......

見る(みる) : to see, to watch, to look, to take care of something, to take a look something, to review (verb)

見ている (みている) : You see it now. You are watching it. You are looking at it.

アイフォーンを見る : to use your iPhone, to operate your iPhone (verb)

男(おとこ): a man, the man

コーヒーを飲んでいる男 : a man who is having coffee (noun clause)

1人で飲んでいる男 : a man who is drinking alone (noun clause)

見ている男 : a man who sees something, a man who is watching something, a man who is looking at something (noun clause)

それを見ている男がいる。There is a man who is watching it.

コーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている。: You are having coffee and looking at your iPhone. You are operating your iPhone while having coffee.


今ここにいる。: Someone is here right now. / Now, he or she is here.

今ここに、1人の男がいる。: Now, here is a man.

今ここに、1人でコーヒーを飲んでいる男がいる。: Now, a man is having coffee alone.

今ここに、1人でアイフォーンを見ている男がいる。: Now, a man is looking at his iPhone alone.

コーヒーを飲みながら、アイフォーンを見ている男がいる。: A man is having coffee and looking at his iPhone. /There is a man who is having coffee and looking at his iPhone. (current situation)

I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. I don't pity him.  

恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。

恐らく(おそらく) : probably, perhaps, maybe

一人 / １人 (ひとり) : one person, alone

居る(いる) : You are here/there. (current situation)

ひとりで居る : You are here/there alone. / You live alone. / You are single. (current situation)

事(こと): a thing, an event, an issue, an action, an activity or a situation which you have just mentioned

ひとりで居る事 : being alone (noun), a status when you are alone (noun clause) (事 is often used to make a noun or noun clause in this way.)

好む (このむ) : to like, to feel like, to prefer (verb) / You like it.

ひとりで居る事を好む : You like spending a quiet time alone.

人 (ひと) : a person

ひとりで居る事を好む人 : a person who likes to be alone (noun clause)

なんだろう : I guess so.

恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろう : I guess he/she likes to be alone.

なんだろうから : because I guess so

なんだろうから、.....  : I guess, so/therefore .......

恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、.... : I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. So, .......

別に (べつに) :  especially (adverb), so much, separately

可哀想 (かわいそう): poor, pitiful, sad (adjective)

可哀想な人 : pitiful person, someone who you pity

思う (おもう): to think (verb), to believe that something is true (verb)

思わない (おもわない): You don't think so.

可哀想な人と思う : You feel pity for him or her. / You pity him or her.

別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。: You don't pity him or her so much.

恐らくひとりで居る事を好む人なんだろうから、別に可愛そうな人とは思わない。: I guess he is the type of person who loves to be alone. So, I don't pity him.

He somehow looks like me. 

何となく私に似ているような気がする。

何となく(なんとなく): somehow, with your feeling, without a clear evidence or logic

私 (わたし) : I/my/me

似る (にる) : to look like someone or something (verb)

似ている (にている) : You look like someone. It looks like something.

彼は、私に似ている: He looks like me.

私は、彼に似ている: I look like him.

気 (き) : a mind, a spirit, a mood (noun)

気がする (きがする) : You feel it. It seems so.

似ているような気がする。: You somehow look like him or her. / It somehow looks like something.




I decided to say hello to him.  I raised my right hand towards him and smiled. 

私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、右手を挙げて微笑んで見た。

私(わたし): I / my / me

彼(かれ): he / his / him

挨拶 (あいさつ): a greeting (noun), saying hello to someone (noun), greeting someone (noun)

挨拶する : to say hello to someone (verb), to greet someone (verb)

事 (こと): a thing, an event, an issue, an action, an activity or a situation which you have just mentioned

挨拶する事 : saying hello to someone (noun clause, 事 is often used to make a noun or noun clause in this way.)

決める (きめる): to decide (verb)

決めた。: You decided it.

私は、決めた。: I decided it.

私は、する事に決めた。: I decided to do it.

私は、挨拶する事に決めた。: I decided to say hello to someone.

私は、彼に挨拶する事に決めた。: I decided to say hello to him.

私は、彼に挨拶する事に決め、.... : I decided to say hello to him and/then/so ....

右手 (みぎて) : your right hand

左手 (ひだりて) : your left hand

両手 (りょうて) : your both hands

挙げる (あげる): to raise (verb) / to lift up (verb)

手を挙げる : You raise your hand.

私は、右手を挙げた。: I raised my right hand.

私は、左手を挙げた。: I raised my left hand.

私は、両手を挙げた。: I raised my both hands.

私は、右手を挙げて....  : I raised my right hand and/then/so ......

微笑む (ほほえむ) : to smile (verb)

微笑んだ。: You smiled.

私は、微笑んだ。: I smiled.

見る (みる) : to see, to watch (verb) / to try to do something (verb) / to do something anyway and see what will happen (verb)

見た。(みた): You saw it.

笑んで見る : You smile at someone and see his or her reaction.

微笑んで見た。: You smiled at someone and saw his or her reaction.

私は、右手を挙げて微笑んだ。: I raised my right hand towards him/her and smiled.

私は、彼に微笑んで見た。: I smiled at him and saw his reaction.

私は、彼に、左手を挙げて微笑んで見た。: I raised my left hand toward him and smiled, then saw his reaction.



To my surprise, he smiled and waved back with his left hand.
驚いた！何と、彼が左手を挙げてこちらを見て笑っているではないか！

驚いた！ (おどろいた！): I was surprised!

何と！(なんと！): What!, Wow! (in the feeling of surprise)

驚いた！何と、……  To my surprise, .... , Wow!

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

左手 (ひだりて) : the left hand

挙げる (あげる) : to raise (verb)

左手を挙げた。: You raised your left hand.

彼が左手を挙げた。: He raised his left hand.

彼が左手を挙げて、.... : He raised his left hand and/then/so .....

こちら: this side, my side, my place, toward me

見る (みる): to see, to watch, to look at something (verb)

見た。: You saw it. You watched it. You looked at it.

こちらを見た。: You looked at me. You looked here.

こちらを見て : You saw/watched me and/then/so ..... , You looked at me and/then/so .....

笑う(わらう): to smile (verb) /  to laugh (verb)

彼がこちらを見ている。: He is looking at me.

笑っている (わらっている): You are smiling. / You are laughing. (current situation)

彼が笑っている : He is smiling. / He is laughing.

ではないか！: Wow! It's happening! / Oh! I see this! (You probably don't need to translate this part into English. Please just try to get the nuance.)

Example:

英語 (えいご) : English (language)

嫌い！ (きらい) : You hate it!

英語嫌い (えいごぎらい) : someone who hates learning English (noun clause)

少女 (しょうじょ) : a girl, the girl

今 (いま) : now

フロリダ : Florida

USF (ユー・エス・エフ) : USF, University of South Florida

留学 (りゅうがく) : studying abroad (noun)

している。: You are doing it.

留学する : to study abroad (verb)

留学している。: You are studying abroad.

少女が、留学している。: The girl is studying abroad.

今はフロリダのUSFに留学している。: You are now studying at USF in Florida.

驚いた！ 何と、あの英語嫌いだった少女が、今はフロリダのUSFに留学しているではないか！: To my surprise, the girl who had hated English is now studying at USF in Florida!





Well, it's time to go and pick up my wife. 

さて、そろそろ妻を迎えに行く時間だ。

さて、…… : Well, ……

そろそろ : It is almost or good time to do it /  Let's begin to do it. Let's start.

妻(つま): wife

迎え (むかえ) : welcoming someone(noun), picking up someone somewhere  (noun)

行く (いく) : to go (verb)

迎えに行く : You go to a certain place and pick him or her up there / You go to a certain place, such as an airport, a station, etc. and  welcome your guest.

妻を迎えに行く : You go there and pick up your wife.

時間 (じかん) : a time, the time

行く時間 : the time when you go or leave

迎えに行く時間 : the time for you to pick up someone (noun clause)

時間だ。: It is time to do it.

そろそろ行く時間だ。: It is time to go there. It's time to leave here.

さて、そろそろ時間だ。: Well, it's time to do it.

I have to close the SNS app on my iPhone. 
SNSからログオフしなければ。


SNS (エスエヌエス) : SNS

SNSから : from the SNS

ログオフ: logging off (noun)

しなければ : if I don't do it

いけない。: It's bad. It's not good. It's not acceptable. It's a problem.

しなければいけない。: I must do it. (literally "It's bad if I don't do it.")

しなければ。: I must do it. ("いけない" is omitted.)

ログオフしなければいけない。: I must log out now.

ログオフしなければ。: I must log out now. ("いけない" is omitted.)

Example:

妻 (つま) : wife

言った。(いった) : You said. You told.

寝る (ねる) : to sleep (verb)

時間 (じかん) : a time, the time

だから、.... : So, .....

妻が言った。「そろそろ寝る時間だから、SNSからログオフしなさい！」: His wife said, “It’s time to go to bed. Log off from SNS now!”

Well, I've paid my bill but something is wrong. 

今、レジの支払いもした。あれ？おかしいなぁ。

今 (いま) : now, right now, recent days

レジ (れじ) : the checkout counter (“レジ” is a loan word borrowed from an English word “register machine.”)

支払い (しはらい) : a payment (noun), paying money for a good or service (noun)

支払う (しはらう) / 支払いをする: to make a payment, to pay your a service or good (verb)

レジの支払いをする: You pay your bill to the cashier (verb)

レジの支払いをした。: You have paid your bill to the cashier.

レジの支払いもした。: You have already paid your bill to the cashier anyway.

今、した。: You have just done it.

あれ？: Oh? Well? Dear? Why?

おかしい : funny  / wrong / weird / strange (depends on the context)

おかしいなぁ。: It’s funny.  / Something is wrong. (depends on the context)

I don’t see the man anymore. Where is he? 

彼がいない。どこに行った？ 

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

いない。: You are not here/there. I don't see you now.

彼がいない。: He is not here/there. He has gone somewhere. You don't see him.

どこ？: Where?

行く(いく): to go somewhere (verb) /  to go away (verb)  to disappear (verb) / to leave (verb) /  to visit somewhere or someone (verb)

行った。(いった): You went there. You have gone. You visited there.

行った？: Did you go there? Have you been there?

どこに行った？ : Where did you go? Where have you been? Where did you move it away? Where are you? Where is that? It is missing.

What I see is the large mirror without him.

大きな鏡は有るけど、彼の姿は見当たらない。

大きい (おおきい) : large, big (adjective with or without a following noun)

大きな (おおきな) : large, big (adjective with a following noun)

鏡(かがみ): a mirror

大きい鏡 / 大きな鏡 : a large mirror (Don't say "大きいな鏡".).

この鏡は大きい。: This mirror is large. (Don't say "この鏡は大きな。".)

有る (ある) : Such a thing is here/there. You have it.

鏡は有る。 : A mirror is here/there. You have a mirror.

鏡は有るけど、....... : There is a mirror but .....

大きな鏡は有るけど、.....  : There is a large mirror but .....

彼 (かれ) : he/his/him

姿(すがた): appearance

彼の姿 : his appearance

見当たらない。(みあたらない): You don’t see it. You can't find it.

彼の姿は見当たらない。: We don’t see him. He has been disappeared. You can't find him.



Example:

妻 (つま) : wife

子供 (こども) : a child, children

妻と子供の姿が見当たらない。どこ行った？:  I don’t see my wife and children. Where are they now?

Menu