Quotes
Japanese meaning of 藤木くん、君は臆病者なんかじゃない！君は卑怯者だ！！
— Kimio Nagasawa ／ Chibi Maruko-chan
Voice sample:
ふじきくん、きみはおくびょうものなんかじゃない！きみはひきょうものだ！！ (Fujiki-kun, kimi wa okubyōmono nanka ja nai! Kimi wa hikyōmono da!!)
English Translation:
Fujiki, you're not a coward! You're a sneak!!
Original Scene & Cultural Context
Scene in the Original Work:
In Chibi Maruko-chan, Fujiki, Nagasawa, Yamane and Yamada go to the Sakura family's house to pick up something they left behind, and bees swarm out of a nest in the garden and attack them. Fujiki panics and tries to protect himself by using Nagasawa as a shield. Afterwards, Nagasawa says this to him.
日本語で読む
『ちびまる子ちゃん』で、藤木、永沢、山根、山田の4人がさくら家へ忘れ物を取りに行くと、庭のハチの巣からハチが大量に出てきて襲われる。腰をぬかした藤木は永沢を盾にして身を守ろうとし、そのあと永沢がこう言う。
Cultural Context:
臆病者 is someone who is easily scared, while 卑怯者 is someone who does unfair things, such as saving only himself. Nagasawa is Fujiki's friend and is known for his sarcastic way of talking.
日本語で読む
「臆病者」はこわがりな人、「卑怯者」は自分だけ助かろうとするなど、ずるいことをする人。永沢は藤木の友達で、皮肉っぽい物言いが特徴。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
•「臆病者」= coward. •「卑怯者」= someone who acts unfairly or sneakily. •「〜なんかじゃない」= "is not something like ~", a strong denial.
日本語で読む
•「臆病者」はこわがりな人。•「卑怯者」はずるいことをする人。•「〜なんかじゃない」は強く打ち消す言い方。
Trap for English Speakers
The first sentence sounds like comfort, but it leads to an even harsher judgment. 卑怯者 is a much stronger accusation than 臆病者.
日本語で読む
前半はなぐさめのように聞こえるが、後半でもっときびしい言葉が続く。「卑怯者」は「臆病者」よりずっと強い非難。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
ドッジボールで友達を盾にしてボールをよけた同級生に、兄は「健太くん、君は臆病者なんかじゃない！君は卑怯者だ！！」と言い放った。
To a classmate who dodged the ball in dodgeball by using a friend as a shield, my brother declared, "Kenta, you're not a coward! You're a sneak!!"
Example 2Applied Example
（最後のからあげを、だれも見ていないすきに食べた兄に、妹が）お兄ちゃん、君は食いしん坊なんかじゃない！君は卑怯者だ！！
(A little sister, to her big brother, who ate the last piece of fried chicken while no one was looking) "Big brother, you're not a glutton! You're a sneak!!"
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「藤木くん、君は臆病者なんかじゃない！君は卑怯者だ！！」 mean?