Jan 14, 2010 22:05
14 yrs ago
Japanese term
イイトシ （いい年）
Japanese to English
Bus/Financial
Marketing / Market Research
『みんなイイトシです。』
This is from copy that is intentionally cute. It is describing some people who wish to get married. Does it mean:
"Everyone is a suitable age"?
"Everyone is still young"?
"Everyone is old enough" (to marry)?
"Everyone is of a marriageable age" (ie., not too old)?
or something else?
Thanks for your help!
This is from copy that is intentionally cute. It is describing some people who wish to get married. Does it mean:
"Everyone is a suitable age"?
"Everyone is still young"?
"Everyone is old enough" (to marry)?
"Everyone is of a marriageable age" (ie., not too old)?
or something else?
Thanks for your help!
Proposed translations
(English)
| 4 | Marrigeable age |
humbird
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| 4 +1 | (Everybody is) mature / old |
matsuquin37
|
| 4 +1 | ripe old age |
Tina Wooden
|
Proposed translations
1 day 2 hrs
Selected
Marrigeable age
I would vote for first or and/or last of your choices.
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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2010-01-16 01:48:37 GMT)
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Typo again -- not "or and/or" just and/or.
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Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2010-01-16 01:48:37 GMT)
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Typo again -- not "or and/or" just and/or.
2 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks, everyone, for your help. As the text did not offer any additional detail about the actual age of the people under discussion, I decided to go in the end with the somewhat neutral "all are of a suitable age." "
+1
29 mins
matsuquin37
Native in Japanese
&
English
Native Translator & Native Proof Reader
Native in: English 
, Japanese
Works in: Japanese to English, English to Japanese
(Everybody is) mature / old
When Japanese people say 「いい年」, it implies that "he/she is old enough (to do something) or (therefore, she/he should be do something or not to do something)" but it has slightly negative nuance. For example, when someone says 「彼女いい年してまだ独身なんです」 it's "she's old but still single". In many occasions, the meaning behind is "Why doesn't she get married? She's getting old (or perhaps getting too old to get married!)".
If it needs to sound positive, then I think "mature" would be my choice!
If it needs to sound positive, then I think "mature" would be my choice!
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Geraldine Oudin
: I would rather say "They are all mature" ("old" would be too strong, since they are most likely in their 30s/40s. It has a negative connotation and definitely implies that these people are a bit old to get married (which in Japan often means 30+).
3 hrs
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Thank you!
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+1
2 hrs
ripe old age
The actual phrase means something like "old enough to know better" -- as in 「いい年してミニスカートをはくなんて！」="Doesn't she know better than to wear a mini-skirt at her age?!"
In this context, maybe "They are all a ripe old age" would be a funny equivalent.
In this context, maybe "They are all a ripe old age" would be a funny equivalent.
Note from asker:
| Thanks very much, Tina. "Ripe old age" fits the bill! |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Yasutomo Kanazawa
: Yes, the real meaning is one must be old enough to know better.
1 hr
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Doumo! ^_^
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| agree |
Tokyo_Moscow
: I also think this is something like "old enough"
3 hrs
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Thanx!
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| disagree |
humbird
: Hi Tina, I'm under impression that you are alluding to "act to your age, not to your shoe size". But this いい年 is something else. I think this means 結婚にイイトシ, namely 婚活にイイトシ. What you think?
1 day 1 hr
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That's certainly a possibility, but I'm thinking it's more in reference to the oft-whispered phrase, 「いい年してまだ結婚していない」, pointing to someone who is past the prime marrying age (or older than 25 for women).
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