| Let's Sing the "Rudolph" Song in Japanese | |
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Page 2 of 2
Here is the explanation of the Japanese lyrics line by line.
Makka na ohana no tonakai-san wa
"Ma （真）" is a prefix to emphasize the noun that comes after "ma."
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makka 真っ赤 |
bright red |
massao 真っ青 |
deep blue |
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masshiro 真っ白 |
pure white |
makkuro 真っ黒 |
black as ink |
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manatsu 真夏 |
the middle of summer |
makkura 真っ暗 |
pitch-dark |
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massaki 真っ先 |
at the very first |
mapputatsu 真っ二つ |
right in two |
The prefix "o" is added to "hana (nose)" for politeness. The names of animals are sometimes written in katakana, even if they are native Japanese words. In songs or children's books, "san" is often added to the names of the animals to make them more like humans or for friendliness.
Itsumo minna no waraimono
"~ mono （者）" is a suffix to describe the nature of the person.
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waraimono 笑い者 |
The person who is made fun of. |
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ninkimono 人気者 |
The person who is popular. |
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hatarakimono 働き者 |
The person who works hard. |
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kirawaremono 嫌われ者 |
The person who is disliked. |
Demo sono toshi no kurisumasu no hi
"Kurisumasu （クリスマス）" is written in katakana because it is an English word. "Demo （でも）" means "however" or "but". It is a conjunction used at the beginning of a sentence.
Santa no ojisan wa iimashita
Although "ojisan （おじさん）" means "uncle," it is also used when addressing a man.
Kurai yomichi wa pika pika no
"Pika pika （ピカピカ）" is one of the onomatopoeic expressions. It describes giving off a bright light or the glittering of a polished object.
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Hoshi ga pika pika hikatte iru. 星がピカピカ光っている｡ |
The stars are twinkling. |
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Kutsu o pika pika ni migaita. 靴をピカピカに磨いた｡ |
I gave my shoes a good shine. |
Omae no hana ga yaku ni tatsu no sa
"Omae （お前）" is a personal pronoun, and means "you" in an informal situation. It should not be used to your superior. "Sa （さ）" is a sentence ending particle which emphasizes the sentence.
Itsumo naiteta tonakai-san wa
"~ teta （～てた）" or "~ teita （～ていた）" is the past progressive. "~ teta" is more colloquial. It is used to describe past habitual action or past states of being. To make this form, attach "~ta" or "~ita" to "te form" of the verb.
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Itsumo naiteta tonakai-san. いつも泣いてたトナカイさん |
The reindeer that used to cry all the time. |
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Terebi o mite ita. テレビを見ていた｡ |
I was watching TV. |
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Denki ga tsuite ita. 電気がついていた｡ |
The light was on. |
Koyoi koso wa to yorokobimashita
"Koyoi （今宵）" means "this evening" or "tonight". It is usually used as literary language. "Konban （今晩）" or "konya （今夜）" is commonly used in conversation.
The "Rudolph" Song in Japanese > Page 1, 2
