I saw this on a website about Pokemon...

[Rachael]

It drove me nuts because my Japanese isn't advanced enough to figure it out.

恋愛関心度０（カスミに言わせるとお子ちゃま）

It says:

Ren'ai kanshin "０" (Kasumi ni iwaseru to okochama)

Not sure how to pronounce that round-looking character, as "o," "O," and "0" all look different. The best I can come up with is "Love interest zero (Kasumi calls him 'little child')," but if someone could confirm that I'd appreciate it.

Incidentally, I've only seen the suffix "chama" in one other place, and that was in a Tale of Genji manga, so it strikes me as old-fashioned. x_X

[Kasumi]

Hmm.. well, what were they talking about? I mean, is this refering to an specific episode?

[Kthleen]

Hmm.. well, what were they talking about? I mean, is this refering to an specific episode?It's from here (http://pokeani.com/regularchara-satoshi.html), talking about Satoshi's character. "Glutton" is right above it. :)

(Sorry, I can't help, either.)

[Rachael]

Kthleen, you've been there too, or did you just do a search? ;)

[Kthleen]

Both, kind of. I have been to Pokeani before, but I gave up trying to find my way around. Too many kana and kanji.... http://graphics.gaiaonline.com/images/template/smiles/icon_sweatdrop.gif I did do a search in this instance, though.


Iwaseru is the causative of iu. (Causative = "X made Y do something [V]".) The causative in Japanese can also imply allowing someone to do something. Normally, ni (or wo) would come after the object (Y). The use of ni or wo, and the implication of making vs letting, depends on whether the verb is transitive (it has or would have a direct object) or intransitive (it doesn't/wouldn't have a d.o.). As I understand it:

If the verb is intransitive, there are two types of sentence that can happen: the "X wa/ga Y wo V" the "X wa/ga Y ni V". The one with wo implies making, and the one with ni implies allowing.

ジョウはミミをかくれさせた。
Joe made Mimi hide. (kakuresaseru comes from kakureru, to hide oneself)

ジョウはミミにかくれさせた。
Joe allowed Mimi to hide.

Sentences with transitive verbs can only have ni after Y; the wo is usually taken up by the verb's object. It can only be "X wa/ga Y ni (O wo) V". Making or allowing would have to be taken by context.

ジョウはミミにほうせきをかくさせた。
Joe made/let Mimi hide the jewel. (kakusaseru comes from kakusu, to hide something)

That's really all I can give you. I don't know why that "to" is where it is, nor can I find anything explaining it. Without that (or maybe even with it? :/ ), I can't figure out what it means. Now you've got me wondering.

Could someone who knows more Japanese come here and tell us about this "ni iwaseru to"? Please?

[Zhen Lin]

to is a conjunction which imply logical or natural consequence. For example, turn right and you will see the post office. If you press that button, the sound system will activate.

[Kthleen]

I know, and it was one of my first thoughts, but I can't connect it to the "to" in that sentence. I have a feeling that "okochama" isn't a consequence. (Unless a noun can be a consequence?) A search of "ni iu to" turns up "Ore ni iu to naguru zo. If that was to me, I'll smack ya", but like I said, I don't think "okochama" is a consequence.

What does "Kasumi ni iwaseru to okochama" mean?

[Zhen Lin]

Ah, so that's the context. I got lost in all that theoretical discussion...

You might find this (Japanese) definition of to iu to (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/search.php?id=1370760-0000&kind=jn&mode=5) useful. (I haven't.)

The phrase is quite confusing... I suppose some phrase at the end has been omitted. Maybe it's supposed to be oko-chama-to suru, or maybe oko-chama-ni naru...

As a side note, the dictionary also has an entry for oko-chama (http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/search.php?MT=%A4%AA%A4%B3%A4%C1%A4%E3%A4%DE&jn.x=42&jn.y=4&jn=%B9%F1%B8%EC&kind=jn&mode=0) - it means more or less what you'd expect it to mean.

[Rachael]

Well, gosh, I guess it will forever remain a mystery. o_O I guess it means something like Satoshi doesn't have any interest in romance and Kasumi thinks he's childish because of it...?

[Zhen Lin]

I could ask my teacher tomorrow to make guesses at what phrase had been left out - but you'd need to know the background, i.e. the show, to make a good guess.

[Rachael]

If you could ask your teacher that, that would be great...just to see what the teacher says. ._.

[Jedi_Amara]

I emailed a Japanese friend who's good with Pokémon to see if he can help XD

[Rachael]

Cool! Even if your friend doesn't have an answer, please post the reply here! :3