Comes to mind
Idioms, Stage 3chunk 22 of 22Noticing & the mind
Ideas and pictures surfacing, or almost surfacing.
- pin to kuruit clicks, it rings a bellliterally “come with a ping”
- atama ni ukabucome to mindliterally “float up in the head”
- me ni ukabucan just picture itliterally “float up in the eyes”
- nodo made dekakatteruon the tip of my tongueliterally “it's half out, up to the throat”
Mix-ups atama ni ukabu (an idea comes to mind) vs me ni ukabu (you can picture it); pin to kuru means it clicks or rings a bell, and pin to konai means it doesn't grab you.
pin to kuru
polite pin to kimasu
“come with a ping”
it clicks, it rings a bell
In English: it clicks
Said when something clicks, like a hunch, a name or the right answer: pin to kita (it clicked). The negative pin to konai is just as common, for a name that doesn't ring a bell or an idea or design that doesn't grab you (imaichi pin to konai).
sono namae, imaichi pin to konai.
That name doesn't really click for me.
その名前、いまいちピンとこない。
sono namae wa, imaichi pin to kimasen ne.
That name doesn't really click for me.
その名前は、いまいちピンときませんね。
Written ピンとくる · ぴんとくるHeard 57× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama ni ukabu, me ni ukabu, nodo made dekakatteruMain list kuru (Stage 1), -nai (Stage 1)
atama ni ukabu
polite atama ni ukabimasu
“float up in the head”
come to mind
In English: spring to mind
For ideas, faces or words that pop into your head: ii aidea ga ukanda. It's very often negative, nanimo ukabanai (nothing comes to mind), and atama ni is often dropped. It differs from omoidasu (remember on purpose), and me ni ukabu is picturing a scene.
Plain alternative: omoitsuku (think of, hit on).
ii namae ga zenzen atama ni ukabanai.
I can't think of a good name at all.
いい名前が全然頭に浮かばない。
ii namae ga zenzen atama ni ukabimasen.
I can't think of a good name at all.
いい名前が全然頭に浮かびません。
Written 頭に浮かぶ · あたまにうかぶHeard 57× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside pin to kuru, me ni ukabu, nodo made dekakatteruMain list -nai (Stage 1)
me ni ukabu
polite me ni ukabimasu
“float up in the eyes”
can just picture it
For a scene you can see in your mind, usually someone's face: a reaction you can already picture (okaasan no okoru kao ga me ni ukabu) or a memory that's still vivid (ima demo ano hi no koto ga me ni ukabu). Atama ni ukabu is an idea or word popping up; me ni ukabu is a picture.
kanojo no yorokobu kao ga me ni ukabu yo.
I can just picture how happy she'll be.
彼女の喜ぶ顔が目に浮かぶよ。
okusan no yorokobu kao ga me ni ukabimasu ne.
I can just picture how happy your wife will be.
奥さんの喜ぶ顔が目に浮かびますね。
Written 目に浮かぶ · めにうかぶHeard 33× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside pin to kuru, atama ni ukabu, nodo made dekakatteru
nodo made dekakatteru
polite nodo made dekakatte imasu
“it's half out, up to the throat”
on the tip of my tongue
In English: on the tip of my tongue
Said while you're straining to remember a name or word, usually after are, nan datta kke..., about yourself and in the -teru form. In the past, nodo made dekakatta is something you nearly said and held back: nodo made dekakatta kedo, iwanakatta.
Also koko made dekakatteru (with a hand at the throat).
are, nan datta kke... nodo made dekakatteru n da kedo.
What was it... it's on the tip of my tongue.
あれ、何だったっけ…喉まで出かかってるんだけど。
are, nan deshita kke... nodo made dekakatteru n desu kedo.
What was it... it's on the tip of my tongue.
あれ、何でしたっけ…喉まで出かかってるんですけど。
Written 喉まで出かかってる · のどまででかかってるHeard 2× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside pin to kuru, atama ni ukabu, me ni ukabuMain list -teru (Stage 1), kke (Stage 1), n da kedo (Stage 1)