Jisho

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1 Reply ・ Started by Ikiru at 2024-09-06 12:23:00 UTC ・ Last reply by Seikimatsuhasha at 2024-09-08 01:52:11 UTC
This is a discussion about 余裕

How 余裕 is used

I feel like the usage of this word is rather unique in Japanese and the translations given don't really do it justice. I am adding the following link so anyone else looking for this word can learn how it's actually used:

https://selftaughtjapanese.com/2014/05/01/%E4%BD%99%E8%A3%95%EF%BC%88yoyuu-a-unique-and-useful-japanese-word/

In case the link stops working I'll copypaste the relevant information here:

Space

うちの部屋に置く余裕がないよ。
I have no space to put (that) in my room.

Time

今日はばたばたしててゆっくりする余裕があまりなかった。
Today I was very busy and had almost no time to relax.

Money

俺、金がなくて新車を買う余裕ないかも。
I don’t have (much) money and might not be able to afford a new car.

Emotion

This usage is the hardest to understand and the most difficult to translate to English. You can think of it as a mental energy, or “bandwidth” of sorts.
彼は余裕で敵を倒しました。
He defeated his enemy with ease.

I have a strange memory where at times I can forget important things, but sometimes I can clearly remember the first time I heard a Japanese word. This is true for 余裕 – I first heard it playing an old Playstation snowboarding game called ‘SSX’. There was a Japanese character, and when she did some great trick she yelled “余裕! 余裕!” which I now understand is similar to the last example above, and basically means she was bragging about how easily she outdid the other participants.

19692b310aea248c298145b649c8bce1
Seikimatsuhasha at 2024-09-08 01:52:11 UTC

Yes, you're right.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BD%99%E8%A3%95

https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%BD%99%E8%A3%95-655079
The Japanese dictionary defines the two meanings, which are distinguished when you used it to describe something physical or a mental state. "No sweat".

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