Ch.28 Vol.4 | “He’s disgusting…” Inosuke thought dispassionately

Inosuke Hashibira
2021.01.30

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Today’s topic

Ch.28 Vol.4
Inosuke Hashibira (嘴平 伊之助)


なに座ってんだ　こいつ　気持ち悪い奴だな・・・

Why’re you sitting down? You’re disgusting!

Reference source : 五峠呼世晴 (2016) 鬼滅の刃4 集英社
Reference source : KOYOHARU GOTOUGE. (2019). DEMON SLAYER : KIMETSU NO YAIBA. VIZ Media, LL
Reference source : 五峠呼世晴 (2016) 鬼滅の刃4 集英社

Inosuke always throws brutal words to anybody but this word is also harsh. 
Here Inosuke looks like not talking to Zenitsu but he rather talks to himself. Do you know why I think so?

Let’s check the nuance of this phrase and how to use this topic-word “nani”.

Lesson

JPNなに座すわってんだ　こいつ　/　気持きもち悪わるい奴やつだな
JPN♪nani suwattenda koitsu / kimochiwarui yatsu dana
ENGHeck, this guy is sitting down. He is disgusting.
WORDJPN♪MEANING
なにnaniwhat *See Explanation
座すわってsuwatteto sit down
(=Basic form : 座る(suwaru))
んだndaused when explaining the situation
“nda” is put at the end of sentence, mainly used in conversation
(=Formal : のだ (noda))
こいつkoitsuthis guy, dude (informal, rude)
気持きもち悪わるいkimochiwaruidisgusting, suck
奴やつyatsuguy, fellow (informal, rude)
だda<sentence-ending particle> expressing “decision”
なna<sentence-ending particle> expressing “surprise”

Explanation | なに nani

Here we focus on the sentence “なに座ってんだ”.

What Inosuke said is literally translated as “ what are you sitting?”

Well, it sounds a little strange so changing into “why are you sitting?” and it sounds more suitable for a translation.
But still it is not enough to explain the original nuance! Check the deep nuance of “nani”.

Nuance of “nani”

The literal meaning of “Nani” is “what” but it is not important in this case. The point is a hidden feeling behind the phrase, which we have to read from the situation.

“nani” + question sentence

Using this form, we can express complex feeling without getting words out.
The form is like a question sentence but it is not actually asking but it’s more affirmative.

This “nani” is used mainly when

  • despising someone
  • disputing someone’s behavior or mistakes
  • laughing derisively
  • asking about something already obvious/clear
  • being angry
  • being surprised
  • being ironic

Examples: Inside parentheses is the real meaning.

JPNJPN♪MEANING
なに恥はずかしがってるの？nani hazukashi gatterunoWhy are you flattered? (You don’t have to be flattered.)
なにつまみ食ぐいしてるの！nani tsumamigui shiterunoWhy are you picking at the dish? (Do not steal a taste!)
なに泣ないてるんだ、修行しゅぎょうを続つづけろ！nani naiterunda, shugyo o tsuzukeroWhy are you crying?(Don’t cry.) Keep training!
なに言いってるんだ、お前まえは。nani itterunda, omae waWhat are you talking about? (Don’t be fool)

Inosuke’s self-talk

This Inosuke’s phrase can be interpreted as his self-talking because of his way of talking.
I’d like to explain why I recognize it as a self-talking phrase.

For the first reason, the situation explains that.
Clearly Inosuke is turned off by Zenitsu’s action (suddenly Zenitsu sat down in the middle of the street), because Inosuke usually talks loudly and picks a fight quickly but now he looks totally calm and just gazing at Zenitsu. It’s so rare!
Zenitsu’s action was supposed to be really appalling to Inosuke.

Second, it’s more decisive though, from the Japanese sentence we can see Inosuke doesn’t talk to Zenitsu.
If he talks to Zenitsu, he must have said “何座ってんだ　お前“. “お前” is “you“.
But in this original phrase, he says not “you” but “this guy(こいつ)”.
Using “こいつ (this guy)”, he expresses a distance between Inosuke and Zenitsu. (Not a physical distance but spiritual one in this case…)

From these reasons, I recognize that he does not talk to Zenitsu, but he just reads out what came to his mind. (Zenitsu could hear it though!)

That’s all 

Did you get the nuance of “Nani” + question sentence and the reason why this phrase is a self-talking?

Today’s scene was fun! Inosuke speaks his mind too honestly and his comment looks really hurt Zenitsu!
But I understand that for Inosuke how disgusting Zenitsu was… sitting in the middle of the street!

Sorry Zenitsu, I love you but you are quite weird and in this scene very ewwww! (>_<)

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