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Quotes

Japanese meaning of おろ？

— Kenshin Himura ／ Rurouni Kenshin

おろ？ (Oro?)

English Translation:

Oro? (Huh?)

Work: Character: Emotion: Scene:

Original Scene & Cultural Context

Scene in the Original Work:

In Rurouni Kenshin, the wandering swordsman Kenshin Himura says this whenever he is confused or knocked over, showing his gentle, clumsy side even though he was once the feared assassin Hitokiri Battosai.
日本語で読む
『るろうに剣心』で、流浪人の緋村剣心が、とまどったり転ばされたりしたときに口にする。かつて「人斬り抜刀斎」と恐れられた剣客の、やさしくとぼけた一面を表すセリフ。

Cultural Context:

Kenshin also speaks in an old-fashioned way, calling himself 拙者 and ending sentences with 〜でござる.
日本語で読む
剣心は自分を「拙者」と呼び、「〜でござる」と話す古風な話し方でも知られる。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

• おろ is not a standard word; it works like あれ？ or え？ (huh?).
日本語で読む
•「おろ」は辞書にある言葉ではなく、「あれ？」「え？」に近い驚きの声。

Trap for English Speakers

Do not use おろ as real Japanese for "huh"; most people will recognize it only as Kenshin's line.
日本語で読む
ふつうの会話の「あれ？」の代わりにはならず、剣心のセリフとして通じる言葉。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 戸棚を開けたらお菓子が空っぽで、姉は「おろ？」と首をかしげた。

    When she opened the cupboard and found the snacks gone, my sister tilted her head: "Oro?"

Example 2Applied Example

  1. （自動ドアが開かず、おでこをぶつけた柴犬が）おろ？

    (A Shiba dog, bumping its head on an automatic door that didn't open) "Oro?"

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Meaning

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