Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Conan continue talking about the news that a new transfer student is coming to their school. (Previous article: [N4] What does “X demo Y demo” mean?)
Ayumi (歩美)
ねえ、コナン君？
あゆみ: ねえ、こなんくん？
Ayumi: Nē, Konan-kun?
Ayumi: Hey, Conan-kun?
Conan (コナン)
はん？
こなん: はん？
Conan: Han?
Conan: Huh?
Ayumi (歩美)
コナン君は、どんな子だと思う？
あゆみ: こなんくんは、どんなこだとおもう？
Ayumi: Konan-kun wa, donna ko da to omou?
Ayumi: What kind of kid do you think they are, Conan-kun?
Conan (コナン)
えー。さぁ、案外がり勉タイプのむっつり君かもよ。
こなん: えー。さぁ、あんがいがりべんたいぷのむっつりくんかもよ。
Conan: Ē. Sā, angai gariben taipu no muttsuri-kun kamo yo.
Conan: Well… who knows, they might unexpectedly be a straight-laced, brooding type.
Ayumi (歩美)
ということは、男の子ってこと？
あゆみ: ということは、おとこのこってこと？
Ayumi: Toiukoto wa, otokonoko tte koto?
Ayumi: Which means, it’s a boy?
📖 Grammar Explanation
Let’s break down each sentence and analyze the grammar!
1. ねぇ、コナン君？
- Interjection: “ねえ (nē)” is an interjection used to casually grab someone’s attention or show affection, translated as “Hey” or “Say”. “コナン君 (Konan-kun)” combines the name Conan with the casual title “君 (kun)”, used for boys or close peers.
2. はん？
- Interjection: “はん？ (han?)” is a casual interjection expressing confusion, surprise, or mild distraction, similar to “Huh?” or “What?” in English.
3. コナン君は、どんな子だと思う？
- Particles: “コナン君は (Konan-kun wa)” is marked by the topic particle “は (wa)”, making Conan the focus of the question. “どんな子 (donna ko)” combines the demonstrative interrogative “どんな (donna – what kind of)” directly with the noun “子 (ko – kid/child)”.
- Modality Expression: “だと思う (da to omou)” combines the plain copula “だ (da)” with the quotation particle “と (to)” and the plain form verb “思う (omou – to think)”. This structure functions as a modality expression indicating the speaker’s subjective opinion, framing the casual question as “what kind of kid do you think [they are]?”.
4. えー。さぁ、案外がり勉タイプのむっつり君かもよ。
- Interjection: “えー (ē)” is an interjection used as a hesitation filler while thinking, like “Well…” or “Let me see”. “さぁ (sā)” is an interjection indicating uncertainty, lack of knowledge, or evasion, meaning “Who knows” or “I have no idea”.
- Adverb & Particles: “案外 (angai)” is an adverb meaning “unexpectedly” or “contrary to expectations”. “がり勉タイプのむっつり君 (gariben taipu no muttsuri-kun)” uses the noun-modifying particle “の (no)” to connect the noun phrase “がり勉タイプ (gariben taipu – grind/nerd type)” with “むっつり君 (muttsuri-kun – brooding/gloomy boy)”.
- Modality Expression: “かもよ (kamo yo)” attaches directly to the noun phrase. “かも (kamo)” is a shortened casual version of “かもしれない (kamo shirenai)”, a modality expression meaning “might be” or “may be”” to show conjecture, while “よ (yo)” is a sentence-ending particle that adds a confident or conversational nuance.
5. ということは、男の子ってこと？
- Grammar Pattern: This sentence features the grammar pattern “ということは、～（って）こと (toiukoto wa, … [tte] koto)”, which is used to draw a conclusion or clarify a statement, meaning “Which means…” or “So that means…”.
- Part of Speech & Connection: In terms of part of speech and connection, the opening conjunction “ということは (toiukoto wa)” introduces the logical deduction, while the nominal clause ending “（って）こと (tte koto)” attaches directly to the plain form of verbs, adjectives, or nouns (with the casual quotation particle “って (tte)” representing “という (to iu)”).
- Modality Expression: The sentence functions as a verification modality expression; by adding a rising intonation at the very end, the speaker uses this framework to rephrase the previous information and ask for confirmation, meaning “So, does that mean they are a boy?”.
Vocabulary List
| Word / Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ねえ (nē) | hey / say (interjection) |
| 君 (kun) | name suffix for boys or close friends |
| はん (han) | huh? (interjection) |
| どんな (donna) | what kind of |
| 子 (ko) | kid / child |
| と (to) | quotation particle |
| 思う (omou) | to think |
| えー (ē) | well / let me see (interjection) |
| さぁ (sā) | who knows / well (interjection) |
| 案外 (angai) | unexpectedly |
| がり勉 (gariben) | nerd / grind (studying hard) |
| タイプ (taipu) | type |
| の (no) | noun-modifying particle |
| むっつり (muttsuri) | brooding / gloomy / quiet person |
| かも (kamo) | might be / maybe (conjecture) |
| よ (yo) | sentence-ending particle for emphasis |
| ということは (toiukoto wa) | which means / in other words |
| 男女の子 (otokonoko) | boy |
| ってこと (tte koto) | means that / the fact that |
Quick Quiz
Fill in the blanks ( ) to complete the natural conversation.
A: 田中さん、まだ仕事がいっぱい残っているそうですよ。
B: えっと、( )、田中さんは飲み会に来られないってことですね。
1: ところで
2: ということは
3: がいうことは
Check the Correct Answer & Explanation
Correct Answer: 2
📝 Dialogue Translation
A: I heard that Tanaka-san still has a lot of work left, you know.
B: Well, which means Tanaka-san cannot come to the drinking party, right?
💡 Explanation
The conjunction “ということは (toiukoto wa)” is used at the beginning of a sentence to mean “which means,” “in other words,” or “so that means.” It allows the speaker to draw a logical conclusion or inference based on the information provided by the previous speaker. Since Speaker A says Tanaka-san has a lot of work left, Speaker B naturally concludes that this means he cannot join the party. Therefore, Option 2 is correct. Option 1 (ところで) means “by the way” and is used to change the topic. Option 3 (がいうことは) is grammatically incorrect and does not form a meaningful conjunction.
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