Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Get" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "get", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
お腹が空く
おなかがすく (onaka ga suku)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
罷り通る
まかりとおる (makaritōru)
N1 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "get" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between お腹が空く and 罷り通る.
In Japanese, お腹が空く (おなかがすく (onaka ga suku)) is typically associated with "to get hungry" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents A common phrase to express hunger. 「お腹」means stomach, and 「空く」means to become empty. It's always used with the particle 「が」. Often used in the past tense: 「お腹が空いた」..
On the other hand, 罷り通る (まかりとおる (makaritōru)) maps to "to get away with (something), to be accepted (unjustly/despite flaws), to go unchallenged" (Syllabus Level: N1) and represents Often used in a somewhat critical or exasperated tone, describing a situation where something illogical, unfair, or incorrect is accepted or allowed to happen without proper challenge. It can also mean that something. A literal translation of "get" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "お腹が空く"
もうお昼ごはんの時間なので、お腹が空きました。
It's already lunchtime, so I'm hungry.
Bilingual Context for "罷り通る"
この会社では、不正な経費申請が罷り通っているらしい。
It seems that fraudulent expense claims are going unchallenged in this company.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "もうお昼ごはんの時間なので、お腹が空きました。" (Meaning: "It's already lunchtime, so I'm hungry.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "お腹が空く" fits here because it means "to get hungry" in the context of: "It's already lunchtime, so I'm hungry.". "罷り通る" represents "to get away with (something), to be accepted (unjustly/despite flaws), to go unchallenged".