Fair point
Idioms, Stage 3chunk 19 of 22Noticing & the mind
Granting that someone's reaction or guess makes sense.
- muri mo naino wonder, it's understandableliterally “not even unreasonable”
- ichiri aruhave a pointliterally “there is a grain of reason”
- ii sen itteruclose, on the right trackliterally “going along a good line”
Mix-ups muri mo nai (no wonder, understandable) vs ichiri aru (you have a point); ii sen itteru means close to the right answer, not agreement.
muri mo nai
polite muri mo arimasen
“not even unreasonable”
no wonder, it's understandable
In English: no wonder
Said in sympathy once you hear why someone is tired, upset or angry, usually as X no mo muri (wa) nai: okoru no mo muri nai (no wonder she's angry). Don't confuse it with muri on its own (impossible, too much) or muri shinaide (don't overdo it).
Also muri wa nai. Close: douri de (no wonder: douri de nemui wake da).
tetsuya? nemui no mo muri nai ne.
An all-nighter? No wonder you're sleepy.
徹夜？眠いのも無理ないね。
tetsuya desu ka? nemui no mo muri wa arimasen ne.
An all-nighter? No wonder you're sleepy.
徹夜ですか？眠いのも無理はありませんね。
Written 無理もない · むりもないHeard 73× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside ichiri aruMain list muri (Stage 3), mo (Stage 2), aru (Stage 1)
ichiri aru
polite ichiri arimasu
“there is a grain of reason”
have a point
In English: there's something in that
Used to concede part of someone's argument without fully agreeing: tashika ni, sore mo ichiri aru ne. It's said of the opinion, not the person: kimi no iken ni mo ichiri aru.
Plain alternative: tashika ni (fair enough).
tashika ni, sore mo ichiri aru ne.
True, you've got a point there.
確かに、それも一理あるね。
tashika ni, sore mo ichiri arimasu ne.
True, you've got a point there.
確かに、それも一理ありますね。
Written 一理ある · いちりあるHeard 42× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside muri mo naiMain list aru (Stage 1), mo (Stage 2)
ii sen itteru
polite ii sen itte imasu
“going along a good line”
close, on the right track
In English: on the right track
Said about a guess that's nearly right (ii sen itteru kedo, chigau) or an attempt that's pretty good but not quite there, and sometimes about a person who's a decent prospect. It's light and a little playful, and you'll hear it in the -teru form.
Plain alternative: oshii (so close).
oshii! ii sen itteru kedo, chigau.
So close! You're on the right track, but no.
惜しい！いい線いってるけど、違う。
oshii desu ne! ii sen itte imasu kedo, chigaimasu.
So close! You're on the right track, but no.
惜しいですね！いい線いっていますけど、違います。
Written いい線いってる · いいせんいってるHeard 14× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesMain list ii (Stage 1), iku (Stage 1), -teru (Stage 1)