Let's read the story "Oni no Tsume". /Japanese Learning Support LLC
Let's read a Japanese folk tale called Oni no Tsume.
The title itself makes it seem scary.
This is a story featuring a popular character from fairy tales, the demon!
Now, let's read it right away!
Demon Claws
Once upon a time, there was a mean old woman.
When this old lady bought rice, she measured it out with a big spoon, and when she sold it, she measured it out with a small spoon.
The mean old woman was hated by everyone in the village.
As time passed, the mean old woman's health grew weaker and she eventually passed away.
So the priest from the village temple was in charge of the old woman's funeral.
The day before the funeral, a red demon and a blue demon appeared from the sky and said,
Red demon: "This old woman has always been mean, so she's destined for hell."
Blue Demon: "Tomorrow is the funeral day, we'll take you to hell."
Priest: "Dead people are innocent! I won't allow you to take them to hell!"
The priest said to the demons.
The next day, as the monks were carrying the old woman's coffin , the sky suddenly began to darken.
*Coffin: A box to put the deceased person in
A strong wind blew and the priest's paper sutra was blown away.
Soon, a demon's hand reached out from the dark clouds and tried to take the old woman's coffin to hell.
The priest grabbed the coffin firmly and pulled it hard to prevent it from being carried away.
The villagers thought that since she was a mean old woman, she deserved to go to hell, but the priest did not give up on her.
Priest: "The dead are innocent! Let's all recite sutras to drive away the demons!"
Seeing the priest working so hard, the villagers wanted to help him, and they all began reciting sutras together.
The demon finally ran away, but its claws remained stuck in the old woman's coffin.
Inside the coffin that had fallen to the ground was an old woman sleeping with a gentle face, and I was reminded that all the villagers are the same once they die.
How was it?
We introduced a slightly scary story called Oni no Claws.
Now, let's take a closer look at the Japanese that appears in the text.
In the main story, the red and blue ogres were talking like this:
Red demon: "This old woman has always been mean, so she's destined for hell."
Blue Demon: "Tomorrow is the funeral day, we'll take you to hell."
What does "~zo" at the end of a sentence mean?
Let's think about this together.
If you have watched Japanese anime or manga, you may have heard of it at least once.
This "~zo" is an emphatic particle, and "zo" by itself has no meaning.
However, by adding "zo", you can strengthen the meaning of the sentence.
This time, I would like to briefly introduce how to use "zo".
1. Attention and appeal to everyone
Sample1 Oh, Tanaka-san is here!
Sample2 It's dangerous to go that way.
Sample 3 Hey! There's a road over here! Let's go!
It is used to warn or get the attention of everyone in an area so that they can see.
Of course you can use "~yo", but in this case it gives a weaker sense of caution and is more commonly used when speaking one-on-one.
2. Will towards oneself
Sample1 Okay, I'll do my best.
Sample 2 I'm going to get out of this town as soon as possible!
Sample3 There's still a chance! I won't give up!
It can show your strong will and feelings.
This can also be replaced with "~yo", but while "~yo" is when you are speaking to someone (it requires a listener), "~zo" is valid even if there is no listener.
It feels like I'm talking to myself.
3. Your opinion
Sample1 The important thing about studying is to keep going.
Sample2 I won't let you have your way.
Sample 3: If you always stay up late, you'll catch a cold.
This can also be used to make your point more strongly to the other person.
This can also be replaced with "~yo", but "~yo" gives a gentler impression, and using "~zo" expresses a stronger opinion of the speaker.
Many people think of "~zo" as something that men use, but that doesn't mean that women can't use it.
In particular, the use of the word 2, which I introduced today, to mean one's own will, is often used by women as well.
In the Japanese version of the anime "Crayon Shin-chan," Shin-chan's use of the phrase "It is..." is quite memorable.
In reality, there aren't that many situations in which children would use "zo," so when Shin-chan says "~zo," it gives a cute impression and feels like a particle unique to that character.
Today, we talked about the story of Oni no Claws and the emphatic particle "~zo."
Did you enjoy it?
If you don't know what to do in your Japanese studies, start by practicing reading on this JLS blog!
We have a wide variety of stories for all levels of enjoyment!
That's all for today!
See you in the next blog!
