The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
1–10 of 28 posts
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#2I wouldn't take advice from the Japanese on relationships.
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/01/16/national/media-...
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#3"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it.
It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan.
Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do.
Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#4I think there are some characteristics that will induce koi no yokan:
- jishin ((quiet?) confidence)
- ii kanji (feeling of good)
- yasashii kanji (feeling of gentleness -- maybe something like "has empathy")
- atama ga ii (smart). This is only popular in certain circles and is more typically valued by women in men than the other way) -- most Japanese men seem. It to want their wives to be smarter than they are (although a small portion do).
- a few more?
I just want to express how difficult it was to write the above. I started in English, but then realized that it was only accurate if I used Japanese. The translations are rough, and they are things that strike me as fairly easy to understand in a Japanese context for me, but less so in an English/US context -- maybe due to a wider range of values held in the latter.
On a personal level, a woman I dated when I was younger when I lived in Japan had koi no yokan for me. I regret not marrying her -- she knew us better than I did.
I would love to hear other people's additions and opinions on this matter.
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#5"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it. It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan. Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do. Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
Mila Kunis was asked in an interview how the hell she ended up married to Ashton Kutcher, especially since they had played boyfriend and girlfriend on TV for years and nothing happened.
She said something to the effect that she has a type, and she was at a party and sees this good looking guy across the room, in profile, and thinks, “oh my, who is that?” When he turns around and she sees it’s Ashton she says to herself, “uh oh, I’m in trouble.”
Sounds like that may be closer to the situation here than the more cliched love at first sight.
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#6"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it. It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan. Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do. Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence
Sounds like limerence. Which is a sort of made up word, but a useful one.
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#7I wouldn't take advice from the Japanese on relationships. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2011/01/16/national/media-...
I wouldn’t take romantic advice from the French either, and yet people do.
The thing I like about other cultures is how we find different solutions to similar problems. They often aren’t better, or are only better in certain situations (see also eating utensils, and availability or scarcity of metal), but they broaden your views on things.
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#8"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it. It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan. Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do. Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerence Sounds like limerence. Which is a sort of made up word, but a useful one.
Aren't all words sort of made up?
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#9"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it. It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan. Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do. Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
sounds like the French term "coup de foudre"
Re: The ‘untranslatable’ Japanese phrase that predicts love
#10"Premonition of love". Oh, there, I translated it. It's not untranslatable. It's just not a popular culture thing anywhere except Japan. Sure, it's different from "love at first sight" because you feel you will love them, not that you already do. Personally, sounds a lot like "lust" or just "interest" to me.
sounds like the French term "coup de foudre"
“Coup de foudre” is love at first sight.