Look who's talking
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 15 of 21Talking & listening
Calling out someone's nerve or hypocrisy, and admitting your own.
- yoku iu yoyou've got some nerve, look who's talkingliterally “you say it well”
- kotchi no serifuthat's my line; I should be the one saying thatliterally “this side's line (in a script)”
- ii dokyou shiteruyou've got some nerve (usually a sarcastic warning)literally “you have fine guts”
- tana ni ageruignore one's own faults while criticising othersliterally “lift it onto a shelf”
- hito no koto ienaiI'm not one to talk, I'm no better myselfliterally “can't say things about others”
Mix-ups yoku iu yo and ii dokyou shiteru both come out as 'you've got some nerve': yoku iu yo scoffs at a remark, ii dokyou shiteru is a veiled warning; kotchi no serifu throws their words back, hito no koto ienai turns it on yourself, tana ni ageru describes the hypocrisy.
yoku iu yo
polite yoku iimasu ne
“you say it well”
you've got some nerve, look who's talking
In English: you've got some nerve
A retort when someone says something cheeky, shameless or hypocritical: yoku iu yo, jibun datte... (you've got a nerve, when you...). Among friends it's often half-laughing. It's a different thing from plain yoku iu (people often say), which has no retort tone. Even as yoku iimasu ne it is a jab: say it to equals or about a third person, never to a boss.
Variant: yoku ieru ne (how can you even say that).
yoku iu yo, jibun datte okureta kuse ni.
Look who's talking. You were late too!
よく言うよ、自分だって遅れたくせに。
yoku iimasu ne. sochira datte okurete kita ja nai desu ka.
That's rich. You were late too, weren't you?
よく言いますね。そちらだって遅れてきたじゃないですか。
Written よく言うよ · よくいうよHeard 79× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kotchi no serifu, ii dokyou shiteru, tana ni ageru, hito no koto ienaiMain list iu (Stage 2), yo (Stage 1)
kotchi no serifu
polite kotchi no serifu desu
“this side's line (in a script)”
that's my line; I should be the one saying that
In English: that's my line
Throws someone's complaint or accusation straight back at them: sore wa kotchi no serifu da yo. You hear it in arguments and teasing, for example after 'you're late' or 'you're annoying'.
Formal: kochira no serifu desu.
osoi tte, sore kotchi no serifu da yo.
'You're late'? That's my line!
遅いって、それこっちのセリフだよ。
osoi tte, sore wa kotchi no serifu desu yo.
'Late'? I should be the one saying that.
遅いって、それはこっちのセリフですよ。
Written こっちのセリフ · こっちのせりふHeard 35× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside yoku iu yo, ii dokyou shiteru, tana ni ageru, hito no koto ienaiMain list kotchi (Stage 3), sore (Stage 1)
ii dokyou shiteru
polite ii dokyou shitemasu
“you have fine guts”
you've got some nerve (usually a sarcastic warning)
In English: you've got some nerve
A sarcastic warning to someone who has just done or said something bold or cheeky, half-joking among friends or mock-threatening from a senior. Unlike yoku iu yo, which calls out hypocrisy, it's about daring to do something. It can also be grudging admiration: ii dokyou da, ki ni itta (you've got guts, I like that).
Just as common, and blunter: ii dokyou da (na), with na rougher and mostly male.
watashi no purin tabeta no? ii dokyou shiteru ja nai.
You ate my pudding? You've got some nerve.
私のプリン食べたの？いい度胸してるじゃない。
watashi no purin, tabeta n desu ka? ii dokyou shitemasu ne.
You ate my pudding? You've got some nerve.
私のプリン、食べたんですか？いい度胸してますね。
Written いい度胸してる · いいどきょうしてるHeard 22× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside yoku iu yo, kotchi no serifu, tana ni ageru, hito no koto ienaiMain list ii (Stage 1), -teru (Stage 1), no? (Stage 1)
tana ni ageru
polite tana ni agemasu
“lift it onto a shelf”
ignore one's own faults while criticising others
In English: the pot calling the kettle black
Almost always jibun no koto wa tana ni agete..., calling out someone who criticises others for what they do themselves. It's also an admission: jibun no koto wa tana ni agete iu kedo (I know I'm no better, but...). Not to be confused with tanaage ni suru (shelve a plan or problem).
jibun no koto wa tana ni agete, hito no monku bakkari.
He ignores his own faults and just complains about everyone else.
自分のことは棚に上げて、人の文句ばっかり。
buchou tte, jibun no koto wa tana ni agete, hito no monku bakari desu yo ne.
The boss ignores his own faults and just complains about everyone else, doesn't he?
部長って、自分のことは棚に上げて、人の文句ばかりですよね。
Written 棚に上げる · たなにあげるHeard 7× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside yoku iu yo, kotchi no serifu, ii dokyou shiteru, hito no koto ienaiMain list jibun (Stage 1), hito (Stage 3), bakkari (Stage 2)
hito no koto ienai
polite hito no koto wa iemasen
“can't say things about others”
I'm not one to talk, I'm no better myself
In English: I'm not one to talk
Softens your own complaint by admitting you do the same thing: watashi mo hito no koto ienai kedo... Turned on someone else, hito no koto ieru? is the jab 'are you really one to talk?'
maa, watashi mo hito no koto ienai kedo ne.
Well, I'm not one to talk.
まあ、私も人のこと言えないけどね。
maa, watashi mo hito no koto wa iemasen kedo ne.
Well, I'm hardly one to talk.
まあ、私も人のことは言えませんけどね。
Written 人のこと言えない · ひとのこといえないHeard 3× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside yoku iu yo, kotchi no serifu, ii dokyou shiteru, tana ni ageruMain list hito (Stage 3), koto (Stage 3), iu (Stage 2), -eru / -rareru (Stage 2)