Japanese meaning of 泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ
Reading:
なくことじとうにはかてぬ (naku ko to jitō ni wa katenu)
English Translation:
You can’t fight city hall
Meaning & Cultural Context
Meaning:
You can’t win against authority or a crying child.
Cultural Context:
Appears in Japanese folktales and everyday humor to express power imbalance.
権力者や泣く子にはかなわないという意味。
権力差を表すために、日本の昔話や日常の笑い話で登場する。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
• 泣く (naku) = “to cry” (verb, plain form)
• 子 (ko) = “child” (noun)
• と (to) = particle meaning “and” or “with”
• 地頭 (jito) = “local governor” (noun, historical term)
• には (ni wa) = particle に (“to/against”) + topic particle は
• 勝てぬ (katenu) = classical negative potential form of 勝つ (katsu, “to win”), meaning “cannot win”
Two subjects joined with と, followed by a potential negative predicate, emphasizing futility.
Trap for English Speakers
May be misunderstood as saying children always cry, not about forces that can’t be resisted.
Example
Basic Example
役所との争いは難しく、まさに泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ状況だ。
It is hard to win against the authorities—truly a case of “you can’t fight city hall.”
Applied Example
大会規定は絶対で、まさに泣く子と地頭には勝てぬ展開だ。
The tournament rules are absolute—truly a “you can’t fight city hall” scenario.