Straight or soft
Idioms, Stage 2chunk 8 of 21Talking & listening
Talking things out directly with someone, set against softening it or being brutally blunt.
- hanashi o tsukerusettle it by talking to someone, sort it out with themliterally “attach (settle) the talk”
- men to mukatteto someone's faceliterally “facing (them) with one's face”
- tantou chokunyuustraight to the pointliterally “single sword, straight in”
- hara o watte hanasutalk frankly, have a heart-to-heartliterally “split the belly open and talk”
- oburaato ni tsutsumusay something harsh gentlyliterally “wrap it in edible starch film”
- mi mo futa mo naibrutally blunt, put so baldly there's nothing left to sayliterally “neither box nor lid”
Mix-ups hanashi o tsukeru (settle a matter) vs hara o watte hanasu (open up honestly); oburaato ni tsutsumu (soften it) vs mi mo futa mo nai (brutally blunt); tantou chokunyuu = get to the point, men to mukatte = to someone's face.
hanashi o tsukeru
polite hanashi o tsukemasu
“attach (settle) the talk”
settle it by talking to someone, sort it out with them
In English: square it with someone
Going to someone, often the other side or the person in charge, and settling a problem or getting their OK by talking: ore ga hanashi tsukete kuru (I'll go sort it out with them). Crime dramas give it a hint of muscle, but everyday use is just arranging things.
Once settled: hanashi ga tsuita (it's been sorted out).
ooya-san ni wa watashi ga hanashi tsuketoku ne.
I'll sort it out with the landlord.
大家さんには私が話つけとくね。
ooya-san ni wa watashi kara hanashi o tsukete okimasu ne.
I'll get it settled with the landlord myself.
大家さんには私から話をつけておきますね。
Written 話をつける · はなしをつけるHeard 79× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside hara o watte hanasuMain list -toku (Stage 1), watashi (Stage 1)
men to mukatte
“facing (them) with one's face”
to someone's face
In English: to someone's face
Goes with what you say, or can't say, directly to the person, usually in the negative: men to mukatte wa ienai. It's about complaints, thanks or confessions, not just meeting in person (that's chokusetsu au).
sonna koto, men to mukatte ienai yo.
I can't say that to her face.
そんなこと、面と向かって言えないよ。
sonna koto, men to mukatte iemasen yo.
I couldn't say that to her face.
そんなこと、面と向かって言えませんよ。
Written 面と向かって · めんとむかってHeard 46× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside tantou chokunyuu, oburaato ni tsutsumu, mi mo futa mo naiMain list iu (Stage 2), -eru / -rareru (Stage 2)
tantou chokunyuu
“single sword, straight in”
straight to the point
In English: cut to the chase
Announces that you're about to say or ask something directly: tantou chokunyuu ni iu to / kiku kedo... (to put it plainly / I'll just ask). It sounds a bit formal, so friends often say zubari instead.
Casual alternative: zubari.
tantou chokunyuu ni kiku kedo, kanojo iru?
I'll just come out and ask: got a girlfriend?
単刀直入に聞くけど、彼女いる？
tantou chokunyuu ni kikimasu kedo, kanojo wa imasu ka?
I'll get straight to the point: do you have a girlfriend?
単刀直入に聞きますけど、彼女はいますか？
Written 単刀直入 · たんとうちょくにゅうHeard 35× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside men to mukatte, oburaato ni tsutsumu, mi mo futa mo naiMain list iu (Stage 2), kiku (Stage 2)
hara o watte hanasu
polite hara o watte hanashimasu
“split the belly open and talk”
talk frankly, have a heart-to-heart
In English: have a heart-to-heart
An invitation to drop the politeness and say what you really think, usually as hara (o) watte hanasou (let's talk honestly): to clear the air after friction, to get closer, or between rivals laying their cards on the table. The hara (belly) is where your true intentions are kept.
Casual speech often drops the o: hara watte hanasou.
ikkai chanto hara watte hanasou yo.
Let's sit down and have a proper heart-to-heart.
一回ちゃんと腹割って話そうよ。
ichido, hara o watte hanashimasen ka?
Why don't we sit down and talk frankly sometime?
一度、腹を割って話しませんか？
Written 腹を割って話す · はらをわってはなすHeard 36× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside hanashi o tsukeruMain list hanasu (Stage 2), -ou / -you (Stage 4), chanto (Stage 3), -nai? (Stage 4)
oburaato ni tsutsumu
polite oburaato ni tsutsumimasu
“wrap it in edible starch film”
say something harsh gently
In English: sugarcoat it
About softening a blunt message, often as a request: mou chotto oburaato ni tsutsunde (put it more gently). The negative oburaato ni tsutsumazu ni iu means saying it straight out. Oburaato is the thin film once used to swallow bitter medicine.
mou chotto oburaato ni tsutsunde yo.
Could you put it a bit more gently?
もうちょっとオブラートに包んでよ。
mou chotto oburaato ni tsutsunde moraemasu ka?
Could you phrase that a little more gently?
もうちょっとオブラートに包んでもらえますか？
Written オブラートに包む · おぶらーとにつつむHeard 2× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside men to mukatte, tantou chokunyuu, mi mo futa mo naiMain list mou chotto (Stage 1)
mi mo futa mo nai
polite mi mo futa mo nai desu
“neither box nor lid”
brutally blunt, put so baldly there's nothing left to say
A reaction to a remark so blunt or bleak that it kills the conversation, usually sore o itcha mi mo futa mo nai (if you say that, there's nothing left to talk about). Typical triggers are harsh truths like 'it all comes down to money'. Also mi mo futa mo nai iikata (a brutally blunt way of putting it).
sore o itcha, mi mo futa mo nai yo.
Well, if you put it that bluntly, there's nothing left to say.
それを言っちゃ、身も蓋もないよ。
sore o itcha, mi mo futa mo nai desu yo.
Putting it that way leaves nothing to discuss.
それを言っちゃ、身も蓋もないですよ。
Written 身も蓋もない · みもふたもないHeard 2× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside men to mukatte, tantou chokunyuu, oburaato ni tsutsumuMain list mo (Stage 2), -nai (Stage 1), sore (Stage 1)