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Japanese meaning of 生まれがどーのこーのじゃねェ　お前が弱いから悪いんだ

— Makoto Shishio ／ Rurouni Kenshin

うまれがどーのこーのじゃねぇ　おまえがよわいからわるいんだ (Umare ga dō no kō no ja nē. Omae ga yowai kara warui n da.)

English Translation:

It's not about how you were born. It's your fault for being weak.

Work: Character: Emotion: Scene:

Original Scene & Cultural Context

Scene in the Original Work:

In Rurouni Kenshin, Shishio meets the young Sojiro Seta, who is being abused by the family that took him in, and tells him this. It comes from the same scene as 「所詮、この世は弱肉強食…」.
日本語で読む
『るろうに剣心』で、引き取られた家でひどい扱いを受けていた少年時代の瀬田宗次郎に、志々雄が言う。「所詮、この世は弱肉強食…」と同じ場面のセリフ。

Cultural Context:

Sojiro later becomes the strongest of Shishio's Juppongatana (Ten Swords). He is known for always smiling and for his speed in battle, called 縮地 (shukuchi).
日本語で読む
宗次郎はのちに、志々雄の部下「十本刀」の中でいちばん強い剣客になる。いつも笑顔でいることと、「縮地（しゅくち）」と呼ばれる速さで知られる。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

•「どーのこーの」= casual どうのこうの, "this and that", complaining about details. •「じゃねェ」= rough じゃない. •「〜から悪いんだ」= it's bad (your fault) because ~.
日本語で読む
•「どーのこーの」は「どうのこうの」で、あれこれ言うこと。•「じゃねェ」は「じゃない」の乱暴な形。•「〜から悪いんだ」は、わけを言って相手のせいにする言い方。

Trap for English Speakers

生まれ here means family background, not a birthday. お前が悪い is harsh blame, so don't say it seriously to real people.
日本語で読む
ここの「生まれ」は誕生日ではなく、どんな家に生まれたかということ。「お前が悪い」は強く相手を責める言い方なので、本気で人に言うのはやめておこう。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 「家が遠いから遅刻した」と言いわけする後輩に、先輩が「家がどーのこーのじゃねェ　お前が起きないから悪いんだ」と笑った。

    When a junior made the excuse that he was late because he lives far away, his senior laughed, "It's not about where you live. It's your fault for not getting up."

Example 2Applied Example

  1. （空っぽのエサ皿の前で鳴きつづける猫に、父が）皿がどーのこーのじゃねェ　お前が食べるのが速いから悪いんだ。

    (Dad, to the cat meowing nonstop in front of its empty bowl) "It's not about the bowl. It's your fault for eating so fast."

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Meaning

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