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SAMURAI!
THE PE-JI


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ou knew it had to happen... Well, here it is: SAMURAI - The Page!
HOW TO SPEAK LIKE A SAMURAI

This is Clay at a jidai festival - Fukui 1999MOOD SETTING:
imagine taiko drumming in the distance amidst a pale red sunset... (this is important yo!)


1) でござる OR でございます ~de gozaru or ~de gozaimasu (polite form of desu - (to be))

Japanese: (Youir Name) でございます。
Romaji: (Your Name) de gozaimasu.
Meaning: I'm (Your name)

NOTES: You probably know this verb from "ohayou gozaimasu!" 'gozaru' is an older or more polite form of 'DESU.' To sound more samurai-ish use this in place of DESU.


2) 拙者 sessha - I, me

Japanese: 拙者は熊のプーさんの用心棒でござる。
Romaji: sessha wa kuma no pu-san no youjinbou de gozaru.
Meaning: I am Winnie the Pooh's bodyguard.

VOCAB:

kuma - bear
熊のプーさん kuma no pu-san - Winnie the Pooh (Mr. Pooh the bear)
no - possessive ('s)
用心棒 youjinbou - bodyguard

NOTES: (the pronoun of choice with the modern Samurai! Pronounced with a slight pause between 'se' and 'sha')


3) 其方 sochi - you

Japanese: 拙者は其方が好きでござる。
Romaji: sessha wa sochi ga suki de gozaru.
Meaning: I likest thou. (a romantic samurai)

VOCAB:

wa - topic particle; can be translated, "as for... (me)"
ga - subject particle
好き suki - to like

NOTES: This was mainly directed to a woman (from a man) Like SESSHA, SOCHI is not used in modern Japanese BUT everyone should know it.


4) かたじけない katajikenai - thank you, be thankful, grateful

Japanese: 蜂蜜をもらった熊のプーさんは、「かたじけない」と言いました。
Romaji: hachimitsu wo moratta kuma no pu-san wa "katajikenai" to iimashita.
Meaning: Having received honey, Winnie the Pooh said, "I am grateful."

VOCAB:

蜂蜜 hachimitsu - honey
wo - direct object particle (honey)
もらった moratta - simple past of MORAU (to receive)
熊のプーさん kuma no pu-san - Winnie the Pooh
と言いました to iimashita - said; (TO is like a question mark that sets off the quote: IIMASHITA is the simple past of IU - to say)

NOTES: "HACHIMITSU WO MORATTA" is a phrase that attaches itself to KUMA NO PU-SAN.  So a more literal translation would be "honey-received-Winnie the Pooh said thank you."


5) 斬り捨て御免 kirisute gomen - (I apologize in advance for this one...) After a samurai killed someone he would say this to the people around him.  (lit. I cut him and threw him away - sorry)

Japanese: Use this when you would normally use '御免なさい (I'm sorry).'
Romaji: Use this when you would normally use 'gomen nasai (I'm sorry).'
Meaning: It adds to the mood...


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