Lies and big talk
Idioms, Stage 4chunk 13 of 22Talking & listening
Lying, bragging and stretching the truth, from flat lies to fudged ages.
- ooguchi o tatakutalk big, brag about what you'll doliterally “bang out a big mouth (tataku: hit, here spout, as in kageguchi o tataku)”
- makka na usoa complete lieliterally “a bright-red lie”
- uso mo houbena white lie is sometimes neededliterally “a lie is also an expedient”
- hanashi o moruexaggerate a storyliterally “heap up the story (like food on a plate)”
- saba o yomufudge numbers (esp. one's age)literally “count mackerel”
Mix-ups makka na uso (a flat lie) vs uso mo houben (a white lie is sometimes fine); hanashi o moru pads a story, ooguchi o tataku brags about what you'll do, saba o yomu fudges a number.
ooguchi o tataku
polite ooguchi o tatakimasu
“bang out a big mouth (tataku: hit, here spout, as in kageguchi o tataku)”
talk big, brag about what you'll do
In English: talk big
Bragging about what you can or will do, usually as a put-down or a warning: ooguchi tataku na (stop talking big). It's about the boast itself; kuchi dake is about never following through. Politely, people say it of themselves before a bold promise: ooguchi o tataku you desu ga, kanarazu katsu tsumori desu (I may be talking big, but I fully intend to win).
Rougher, mostly male: dekai kuchi (o) tataku, as in dekai kuchi tataku na.
ooguchi tataku no wa katte kara ni shite.
Save the big talk for after you win.
大口叩くのは勝ってからにして。
ooguchi o tataku no wa katte kara ni shite kudasai yo.
Save the big talk until you've actually won.
大口を叩くのは勝ってからにしてくださいよ。
Written 大口を叩く · おおぐちをたたくHeard 50× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kuchi dakeMain list -te kara (Stage 4)
makka na uso
polite makka na uso desu
“a bright-red lie”
a complete lie
In English: a barefaced lie
Calls a rumour, an excuse or a claim totally untrue: sore, makka na uso da yo. The 'bright red' just means total and obvious.
Plain alternatives: oouso, zenbu uso.
ano uwasa? makka na uso da yo.
That rumour? It's a complete lie.
あの噂？真っ赤な嘘だよ。
ano uwasa desu ka? makka na uso desu yo.
That rumour? It's an outright lie.
あの噂ですか？真っ赤な嘘ですよ。
Written 真っ赤な嘘 · まっかなうそHeard 14× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside uso mo houben, hanashi o moru, saba o yomuMain list uso (Stage 2)
uso mo houben
“a lie is also an expedient”
a white lie is sometimes needed
Justifies a kind or convenient fib, such as telling a nervous friend they'll be fine: maa, uso mo houben da yo. Houben is a Buddhist word for a means to an end.
maa, uso mo houben tte iu shi.
Well, sometimes a white lie is for the best.
まあ、嘘も方便って言うし。
maa, uso mo houben tte iimasu shi ne.
Well, they do say a white lie can be necessary.
まあ、嘘も方便って言いますしね。
Written 嘘も方便 · うそもほうべんHeard 6× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside makka na uso, hanashi o moru, saba o yomuMain list mo (Stage 2)
hanashi o moru
polite hanashi o morimasu
“heap up the story (like food on a plate)”
exaggerate a story
In English: stretch the truth
Modern casual way to say someone is puffing up a story to make it funnier or more impressive: sore, motteru desho (you're exaggerating). Moru alone is enough, and morisugi (way overdone) also covers heavy makeup or edited photos.
Plain alternative: oogesa (exaggerated).
sore, zettai hanashi motteru desho.
You're totally exaggerating that.
それ、絶対話盛ってるでしょ。
sore, zettai hanashi mottemasu yo ne.
You're definitely exaggerating that, right?
それ、絶対話盛ってますよね。
Written 話を盛る · はなしをもるHeard 3× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside makka na uso, uso mo houben, saba o yomuMain list zettai (Stage 3), desho? (Stage 3)
saba o yomu
polite saba o yomimasu
“count mackerel”
fudge numbers (esp. one's age)
In English: shave a few years off
Mostly about age, height or weight, often as a joke: gosai saba yonderu desho (you're knocking five years off). It works in either direction, knocking years off or adding a few centimetres, and casual speech drops the o. The image is fishmongers counting mackerel in a hurry and getting the count conveniently wrong.
nijuu hassai? zettai saba yonderu desho.
Twenty-eight? You're definitely knocking a few years off.
二十八歳？絶対サバ読んでるでしょ。
jitsu wa, chotto saba yondemashita.
Actually, I knocked a few years off.
実は、ちょっとサバ読んでました。
Written サバを読む · さばをよむHeard too rare in film subtitles to countLearn alongside makka na uso, uso mo houben, hanashi o moruMain list zettai (Stage 3), desho? (Stage 3), jitsu wa (Stage 4)