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Japanese meaning of 油断せずに行こう

— Kunimitsu Tezuka ／ The Prince of Tennis

ゆだんせずにいこう (Yudan sezu ni ikō.)

English Translation:

Let's not let our guard down.

Work: Character: Emotion: Scene:

Original Scene & Cultural Context

Scene in the Original Work:

This is the habit phrase of Tezuka, captain of the Seigaku tennis club. He says it to his teammates before matches.
日本語で読む
青学（青春学園中等部）テニス部の部長・手塚の口ぐせ。試合の前などに、部員たちに言う。

Cultural Context:

Tezuka is a third-year captain known for his calm, grown-up personality; he rarely smiles and trains his team strictly.
日本語で読む
手塚は中学3年生の部長で、大人顔負けの落ち着いた性格。めったに笑わず、部員にもきびしい練習を課す。

Grammar & Learning Points

Grammar Point

•「油断」= carelessness, letting your guard down. •「〜せずに」= "without doing", a firmer form of しないで. •「行こう」= volitional, "let's go".
日本語で読む
•「油断」は気をゆるめること。•「〜せずに」は「〜しないで」のかたい言い方。•「行こう」は「さあ、そうしよう」と呼びかける形。

Trap for English Speakers

油断 is a noun; to let your guard down is 油断する. Here 行こう means "let's carry on", not literally "let's go somewhere".
日本語で読む
「油断」は名詞で、動詞にすると「油断する」。ここの「行こう」は「その調子でやろう」という意味で、どこかへ移動するわけではない。

Example

Example 1Basic Example

  1. 3点リードで迎えた最終回、キャプテンが「油断せずに行こう」とチームに声をかけた。

    Going into the last inning with a three-run lead, the captain told the team, "Let's not let our guard down."

Example 2Applied Example

  1. （目覚まし時計を5個セットした兄が）油断せずに寝よう。

    (My brother, after setting five alarm clocks) "Let's sleep without letting our guard down."

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Quick check

Meaning

What does 「油断せずに行こう」 mean?

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