Dealing with people
Idioms, Stage 1chunk 9 of 21Getting on with people
How you treat someone: obey them, take them on, speak to them, count on them.
- iu koto o kikudo as you're told, obeyliterally “listen to the thing (someone) says”
- aite ni surudeal with, take on (an opponent); (negative) ignore, not bother withliterally “make (someone) your counterpart”
- kuchi o kikuspeak to someone, be on speaking termsliterally “make one's mouth work”
- ate ni surucount on, rely onliterally “make (it) your aim”
Mix-ups iu koto o kiku (obey) vs kuchi o kiku (be on speaking terms) both end in kiku; aite ni suru (bother with) vs ate ni suru (count on) differ by one sound.
iu koto o kiku
polite iu koto o kikimasu
“listen to the thing (someone) says”
do as you're told, obey
Parents, teachers and dog owners say it daily, usually without o: zenzen iu koto kikanai (won't listen at all). Also for a body or machine that won't cooperate (karada ga iu koto kikanai). It's obeying, not just hearing someone out (hanashi o kiku).
Parents' command: iu koto kikinasai.
uchi no ko, zenzen iu koto kikanai no.
My kid won't listen to a word I say.
うちの子、全然言うこと聞かないの。
uchi no ko, zenzen iu koto o kikanai n desu.
My kid won't listen to a word I say.
うちの子、全然言うことを聞かないんです。
Written 言うことを聞く · いうことをきくHeard 498× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kuchi o kikuMain list iu (Stage 2), kiku (Stage 2), koto (Stage 3), -nai (Stage 1)
aite ni suru
polite aite ni shimasu
“make (someone) your counterpart”
deal with, take on (an opponent); (negative) ignore, not bother with
Two everyday uses. In the negative it means ignoring someone: aite ni shinakute ii (just ignore him), daremo aite ni shite kurenai (nobody pays me any attention), aite ni sarenai (get brushed off). In the positive it means dealing with or taking someone on: kodomo o aite ni suru shigoto (a job dealing with kids), dare o aite ni shiteru to omotteru no? (who do you think you're dealing with?). Don't confuse it with ate ni suru (count on).
aite o suru (with o) = keep someone company, play with (kids).
anna yatsu, aite ni shinakute ii yo.
Just ignore a guy like that.
あんなやつ、相手にしなくていいよ。
ano hito no koto wa, aite ni shinakute ii desu yo.
Just ignore him.
あの人のことは、相手にしなくていいですよ。
Written 相手にする · あいてにするHeard 352× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside ate ni suruMain list suru (Stage 1), -nai (Stage 1), -areru / -rareru (Stage 2), -nakute mo ii (Stage 3), daremo (Stage 4)
kuchi o kiku
polite kuchi o kikimasu
“make one's mouth work”
speak to someone, be on speaking terms
In English: be on speaking terms
Mostly negative, after a fight: mou kuchi kikanai (I'm not speaking to you), kuchi kiite kurenai (she won't talk to me); also namaiki na kuchi o kiku na (don't talk back). The kiku is 利く (work), so it isn't iu koto o kiku (obey).
Also kuchi o kiite morau = get someone to put in a good word.
kenka shite kara, kanojo ga kuchi kiite kurenai.
Since our fight, she won't speak to me.
喧嘩してから、彼女が口きいてくれない。
kenka shite kara, kanojo ga kuchi o kiite kurenai n desu.
Since our fight, she won't speak to me.
喧嘩してから、彼女が口をきいてくれないんです。
Written 口をきく · くちをきくHeard 142× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside iu koto o kikuMain list -te kureru (Stage 2), -nai (Stage 1)
ate ni suru
polite ate ni shimasu
“make (it) your aim”
count on, rely on
Mostly in warnings and complaints: anmari ate ni shinaide (don't count on me too much), ano hito wa ate ni naranai (he's unreliable). Also for forecasts and promises; not aite ni suru (bother with someone).
ate ni naranai = unreliable; plain alternative: tayoru.
anmari ate ni shinaide ne.
Don't count on me too much, OK?
あんまり当てにしないでね。
amari ate ni shinaide kudasai ne.
Please don't count on me too much.
あまり当てにしないでくださいね。
Written 当てにする · あてにするHeard 120× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside aite ni suruMain list suru (Stage 1), naru (Stage 1), -naide (Stage 2), anmari (Stage 4)