Hazy memory and hindsight
Conversation phrases, Stage 2chunk 37 of 71Telling what happened
Lets you hedge details you are not sure of and look back on events.
- tashikaif I remember right; I'm pretty sure
- yoku oboetenai kedoI don't remember exactly, but...
- isshun ... ka to omottafor a second I thought...
- ima omoebalooking back now; in hindsight
Mix-ups tashika (if I remember right) is not tashikani (certainly; true).
tashika
if I remember right; I'm pretty sure
Put it at the start to flag that you're going from memory and might be slightly off.
'Tashika ni' is a different use: 'true, good point'. 'Tashika na' means 'certain, reliable'.
tashika raishuu no kayoubi datta yo.
If I remember right, it's next Tuesday.
確か来週の火曜日だったよ。
tashika sangatsu ni hikkoshita to omoimasu.
I'm pretty sure they moved in March.
確か三月に引っ越したと思います。
Written 確か · たしかWho you say it and hear itHeard 32× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
yoku oboetenai kedo
polite yoku oboete inai n desu kedo
I don't remember exactly, but...
Hedges before a fuzzy memory so you're not held to the details.
Oboeteru = 'remember (still have in mind)'; plain oboeru means 'to learn, memorize'.
yoku oboetenai kedo, tabun gonen mae kana.
I don't remember exactly, but maybe five years ago.
よく覚えてないけど、たぶん五年前かな。
yoku oboete inai n desu kedo, tashika eki no chikaku deshita.
I don't remember well, but I think it was near the station.
よく覚えていないんですけど、確か駅の近くでした。
Written よく覚えてないけど · よくおぼえてないけど · よく覚えていないんですけどWho you say itHeard 28× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
isshun ... ka to omotta
polite isshun ... ka to omoimashita
for a second I thought...
Telling about a brief scare or mix-up; the thing you wrongly thought goes in the gap.
Isshun alone means 'an instant': isshun de, 'in no time'.
isshun saifu otoshita ka to omotta.
For a second I thought I'd lost my wallet.
一瞬財布落としたかと思った。
isshun saifu o otoshita ka to omoimashita.
For a moment I thought I'd dropped my wallet.
一瞬財布を落としたかと思いました。
Written 一瞬〜かと思った · いっしゅん〜かとおもった · 一瞬〜かと思いましたWho you say it and hear itHeard 567× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles
ima omoeba
looking back now; in hindsight
Opens a reflection on the past, often a mild regret or a late realization.
ima omoeba, ano toki yamete yokatta.
Looking back, I'm glad I quit back then.
今思えば、あの時やめてよかった。
ima omoeba, ii keiken deshita.
Looking back, it was a good experience.
今思えば、いい経験でした。
Written 今思えば · いまおもえばWho you say itHeard 12× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitles