Post by Cure Tsukiakari on Jul 25, 2013 14:38:12 GMT -8
Ever since I heard this Japanese expression, "ganbatte kudasai," it has intrigued me.
I am sure that most (if not all) girls reading this forum already know the meaning of the phrase, which is "please, do your best." This is interesting and intriguing to me because it is used in the same context that Americans would say, "good luck."
I think that cultural norms are embedded in language, so I think that the difference between these two expressions, "ganbatte kudasai" and "good luck" is interesting food for thought.
On one level, "good luck" is passive. That phrase says nothing about what type of effort you are going to put into the activity, it just wishes one fortune. On another level, "good luck" is a wish about the outcome....good luck, good fortune, we are hoping the endeavor has good results.
"Ganbatte kudasai" is almost the exact opposite. It is active in the sense that it is encouraging one to make her best effort in an endeavor, "please, do your best." On the other level, it says nothing about the actually outcome of the endeavor. I can see at least two meanings of this difference, which are likely not mutually exclusive. One meaning may be a confidence that if one does her best, there will be a good outcome; the other meaning may be that the actual outcome of an endeavor is not important, so long as one does her best.
There is another interesting converse assumption embedded in the difference between these too phrases. In the American, "good luck," one's effort is not remarked upon. One could presumably have good luck without having put in any effort. Basically, with "good luck" it is the result that matters.
With "ganbatte kudasai," it would seem that effort is much more significant than outcome. If one by good fortune and random circumstance, one has a good outcome to the endeavor, that would not matter unless the person was also doing her best.
This difference can be seen in the Magic Girl genre. The girls are *never* able to defeat evil until they are really doing their best, and if they are doing their best and their current powers are not strong enough, they will get new powers or a new Senshi (or both) and will be able to defeat the evil opponent.
I am sure that most (if not all) girls reading this forum already know the meaning of the phrase, which is "please, do your best." This is interesting and intriguing to me because it is used in the same context that Americans would say, "good luck."
I think that cultural norms are embedded in language, so I think that the difference between these two expressions, "ganbatte kudasai" and "good luck" is interesting food for thought.
On one level, "good luck" is passive. That phrase says nothing about what type of effort you are going to put into the activity, it just wishes one fortune. On another level, "good luck" is a wish about the outcome....good luck, good fortune, we are hoping the endeavor has good results.
"Ganbatte kudasai" is almost the exact opposite. It is active in the sense that it is encouraging one to make her best effort in an endeavor, "please, do your best." On the other level, it says nothing about the actually outcome of the endeavor. I can see at least two meanings of this difference, which are likely not mutually exclusive. One meaning may be a confidence that if one does her best, there will be a good outcome; the other meaning may be that the actual outcome of an endeavor is not important, so long as one does her best.
There is another interesting converse assumption embedded in the difference between these too phrases. In the American, "good luck," one's effort is not remarked upon. One could presumably have good luck without having put in any effort. Basically, with "good luck" it is the result that matters.
With "ganbatte kudasai," it would seem that effort is much more significant than outcome. If one by good fortune and random circumstance, one has a good outcome to the endeavor, that would not matter unless the person was also doing her best.
This difference can be seen in the Magic Girl genre. The girls are *never* able to defeat evil until they are really doing their best, and if they are doing their best and their current powers are not strong enough, they will get new powers or a new Senshi (or both) and will be able to defeat the evil opponent.
