An upperclassman from our seminar was the same way. He was sure it was hopeless, but he said "I'll just give it a shot," and he actually got into that company.
へえ、そうなんだ。
Oh, really?
だから、とにかくあきらめないで、最後までがんばろうよ。
So whatever happens, don't give up, and let's hang in there until the end.
Means "after doing ~, it has stayed that way ever since (and never happened again)," as in "I haven't seen my friend since we parted two years ago."
Connection V-た + きり ＊話し言葉では「V-た＋っきり」も使われる
Examples
彼は「ごめん」と言ったきり、黙ってしまった。
He said "I'm sorry" and then fell silent.
家には2、3回使ったきりの健康器具がいくつもある。
We have several pieces of exercise equipment at home that have been used only two or three times.
あの歌手、何年か前にテレビで見たきりだけど、今どうしているのかなあ。
That singer: I saw him on TV once several years ago and haven't seen him since. I wonder how he's doing.
ステーキなんて、半年前に食べたっきりだよ。
Steak? I had it once half a year ago and haven't had it since.
うちの犬は体がすっかり弱って、毎日ほとんど寝たきりだ。
Our dog has become completely weak, and he is bedridden almost every day.
What people say in everyday speech
きり／っきり
「きり」is already perfectly natural spoken Japanese. Among friends,「一年前に会ったきり、会ってない」sounds completely normal, and there is no need to replace it with anything else. For a more casual feel, people often use the geminated variant「っきり」(the line「ステーキなんて、半年前に食べたっきりだよ」in this lesson is that looser pronunciation). The meaning and tone are the same; only the pronunciation is more relaxed. This grammar point is common in both writing and speech, so there is no need to swap it out.
Used to explain that your current situation is "not a state in which you can do ~ (so you can't)."
Connection N／V-る + どころではない／どころじゃない
Examples
今日は会社の忘年会だったが、大雪で電車が止まってしまって、忘年会どころではなかった。
Today was supposed to be the company year-end party, but the trains stopped because of heavy snow, so there was no way we could think about a party.
旅行先でお腹をこわして観光をするどころではなかった。
I got an upset stomach while traveling, so I was in no state to go sightseeing.
大学時代はアルバイトに追われて勉強どころではなかった。
In my university days I was busy with part-time jobs and had no time to think about studying.
What people say in everyday speech
どころじゃない
「〜どころじゃない」is a spoken expression through and through. People use it all the time when arguing, complaining, or turning down an invitation. In this lesson, Kiyama says「旅行どころじゃないよ」, which is perfectly natural, and it almost never appears in formal writing or solemn occasions (on formal occasions it would be replaced with something like「〜する余裕がない」). No replacement is needed here; it is already the most casual version.
A strong way of saying "it is true that ~ (I wanted it and bought it), but..." To emphasize the fact, the particle「は」is often used.
Connection 普通形 + ものの ［なAだな／Nだ］
Examples
水泳教室に通ってはいるものの、いまだに25メートルしか泳げない。
I take swimming lessons, but so far I can only swim 25 meters.
この靴、デザインが気に入って買ったものの、履く機会が全然ないんだ。
I bought these shoes because I liked the design, but I've had no chance to wear them at all.
新しい技術が開発されたとはいうものの、実用化にはまだ時間がかかるだろう。
A new technology has been developed, but putting it to practical use will probably take time.
両国間の関係修復は、困難ではあるものの、改善に向けての努力は必要だ。
Repairing relations between the two countries is difficult, but efforts must still be made to improve them.
What people say in everyday speech
〜けど／〜だけど
「〜ものの」is a contrastive word with a somewhat written or explanatory tone, often used in essays and reports. Among friends, it is more natural to use「〜けど」or「だけど」directly. Kiyama could easily have said「情報は集めてるけど、なかなか厳しくて」, which sounds more relaxed and more like real conversation.「ものの」carries a hint of "formal statement," so「けど」sounds better in casual chat.
Inverts "I'm troubled because I have no money" into "to my trouble, I have no money," and is used to strongly express the speaker's feeling or emotion.
As soon as I entered the hotel room, to my delight, there was a bouquet of roses on the table along with a welcome message from the hotel manager.
うれしいことに、うちの高校が合唱コンクールで優勝したんですよ。
To our delight, our high school won first place in the choral contest.
五色沼は不思議なことに、5つある沼の水の色が全部違うそうだ。
Strangely enough, they say the five ponds of Goshikinuma each have a different water color.
残念なことに、行きつけの美容院が閉店してしまった。
To my regret, the beauty salon I used to go to has closed.
What people say in everyday speech
困るのは〜／困ったんだけど
The pattern "state the feeling first, then give the fact," as in「Aたことに、B」, is actually rather written or speech-like and is common in essays and reflective writing. In everyday speech, it is more common to just mention the feeling word up front naturally, or to drop the structure altogether and say「困ったんだけど、この業界、募集はどこも若干名なんだよ」, or more casually,「やばいのが、募集がどこも若干名でさ」. The emphatic inverted construction can actually sound contrived in conversation.
A: That coat looks great. B: My mother wore this thirty years ago. For something from that era, the design isn't outdated, is it?
そのおすし、初めて作ったにしては上手にできたじゃない。
For a first attempt at sushi, you did quite well.
What people say in everyday speech
〜わりに（は）
「にしては」is also used a lot in speech and is not especially written. But a more relaxed, casual alternative is「〜わりに」, as in「人気の業界のわりに、求人少ないんだね」.「わりに」feels lighter, like a remark that just slipped out, while「にしては」carries a slight sense of commenting or evaluating. Both can be used in conversation, but「わりに」is closer to the offhand comparisons made among friends.
Used to describe, with feeling, what you have done or felt up to now. Often used together with words such as「どんなに・どれだけ・どれほど」, and used as a kind of monologue.
A typhoon seems to be coming this weekend, and I'm worried. If the sports day is canceled, how disappointed my daughter, who has been looking forward to it so much, will be!
What people say in everyday speech
〜か分からない／何回も〜たよ
「〜たことか」is an exclamatory expression of a written or semi-written style, seen in novels and monologues. In real everyday conversation, it is more natural to say something like「自己PR、何回書いたか分からないよ」, or to exclaim directly,「何回も書いたよ、ほんとに」. Saying「ことか」to a friend can sound a bit "literary." It is not that you can never use it, but it is less natural than a plain exclamatory sentence.
A: Have you finished the report? B: Almost. All I have left is to write the final summary, and then I'm done.
そちらのご都合さえよければ、明日伺わせていただきます。
If it is convenient for you, I will visit you tomorrow.
A：あの車、すてきなデザインね。 B：車なんて走りさえすればいいんだよ。
A: That car has a really nice design. B: With a car, all that matters is that it runs.
食べられさえすれば、味は問わないよ。
As long as I can eat it, I don't care about the taste.
残念だったね、さくらちゃん。転びさえしなければ1位だったのに…。
That's too bad, Sakura. If you just hadn't fallen, you would have taken first place...
留学生活は大変だけど、健康でさえあればどんな困難も乗り切れると信じてがんばろうと思う。
Life as an international student is hard, but I believe I can overcome any difficulty as long as I stay healthy, so I'll do my best.
What people say in everyday speech
さえ…ば
The pattern「〜さえ…ば」is very commonly used in everyday speech and is not especially formal. Among friends,「やる気さえあれば」sounds completely natural. For something even more casual, you can simplify it to「やる気があれば」(dropping「さえ」, which makes it slightly weaker). But「さえ…ば」is already a natural spoken expression and needs no major rewriting.
Means "because of a reason (I don't know either), I can't do ~ (teach)," as in "I don't know either, so there's no way I can teach it."「どうしようもない」means that nothing can be done.
Connection V-ます + ようがない
Examples
出張の予定だったが、大雪で飛行機が欠航してしまったので行きようがない。
I was going to go on a business trip, but the flights were canceled because of heavy snow, so there was no way to go.
A: Why didn't you contact me for a whole week? B: Sorry, I lost my phone, so I had no way of contacting you.
タケダ産業に就職したいが新卒の採用がないので、どうしようもない。
I wanted to work at Takeda Sangyo, but they have no recruitment of new graduates, so there is nothing I can do.
What people say in everyday speech
ようがない／どうしようもない
「〜ようがない」is already a thoroughly spoken expression, and people use it all the time to grumble that there's no way to do something, as in「連絡しようがなかった」. A closely related set phrase is「どうしようもない」(also mentioned in the usage note), which means "nothing at all can be done" without naming a specific action. Both are equally conversational, but「〜ようがない」attaches to a specific verb, while「どうしようもない」is a fixed phrase, so they are not freely interchangeable.
A: Dad, I failed, and I have to repeat the second year. B: What? You played around everywhere and ended up repeating a year. What were you thinking?
さっきのお客さん、あれこれ試着したあげく、何も買わずに帰っちゃって…。
That customer just now tried on all kinds of clothes for ages and then left without buying anything...
3時間以上迷ったあげく、店員に初めにすすめられたパソコンを買うことにした。
After hesitating for over three hours, I ended up deciding to buy the computer the shop assistant had recommended at the very beginning.
What people say in everyday speech
結局／最後は
「〜あげく」has a narrative tone of "recounting the course of events and summing up the result." It is more often used when complaining about past events or summing up lessons in writing, so it is slightly written or narrative in style. A more offhand way to grumble in everyday speech is「結局」or「最後は」, as in「さんざん苦労して、結局どこにも就職できなかったらどうしよう」.「あげく」leans toward a retrospective summary, whereas「結局」sounds like something that just slips out.
Used to remind or warn: "you must not ~, you shouldn't ~."
Connection V-る + ものではない／もんじゃない
Examples
楽をしてお金をもうけようなんて考えるもんじゃない。
You shouldn't think about making money the easy way.
人の悪口を言うもんじゃありません。
You shouldn't speak ill of others.
社内のことは小さいことでも、部外者に話すものではない。
Things inside the company, even small ones, shouldn't be told to outsiders.
A：どうも、すみませ〜ん。 B：何、笑ってるんだ！謝るときにはへらへら笑うもんじゃない。
A: I'm so sorry~. B: Don't laugh! You shouldn't grin when you're apologizing.
What people say in everyday speech
もんじゃない
「もんじゃない」is the contracted spoken form of「ものではない」(もの becomes もん), and it is the most casual version this grammar point has. When friends advise or scold each other, saying「そんなこと考えるもんじゃないよ」directly is the most natural spoken form. If you said「考えるものではない」instead, the tone would become formal and more admonishing, like an elder or a teacher scolding you, so no replacement is needed.
A: I'm so busy that I probably can't get time off. B: The section chief is in a good mood today, so why not ask and see?
このドレス、すてきだよね。似合わないかもしれないけど、着るだけ着てみようかな。
This dress is really pretty. It may not suit me, but I'll at least try it on.
What people say in everyday speech
V-るだけV
The "do what you can, even if it may not work" expression「V-るだけV」is itself a very natural spoken expression. When encouraging someone to "just give it a try," people often say it this way, as in「行くだけ行ってみようよ」. No replacement is needed. This grammar point is common in both writing and speech, and it is a regular in spoken Japanese.