In Japan, businesses value customer feedback so much that stores, supermarkets, museums and aquariums typically have a box asking for customer feedback. There has been a trend lately to turn these suggestion boxes into a sort of therapy box.
The Kyoto Aquarium in Umekoji Park created a special feedback box for patrons to share their problems and worries, such as romance, anonymously. The aquarium staff then reply. However, the advice you may get is not always constructive, as a 16-year old high school student learned after sharing his blues over not meeting a girl.
Fools fall in love
男子高校生なので出会いが「全く」ない・・・
“I’m in high school, so I can’t meet anyone at all…”
全く違うよ: That’s totally different!
Staff from the aquarium’s fish department/team (魚類チーム) replied back with a funny, but not a very helpful solution.
クマノミという魚はメスがいなくなると一番大きなオスがメスに性転換します。
女子高校生になってみてはいかがでしょうか？
新しい恋を始めましょう！
“When there are no female clownfish, the largest male will change its sex to female. How about becoming a high school girl?
Start a new love life!”
Express ‘truly,’ ‘completely,’ or ‘not at all’ in Japanese
The adverb 全く strongly expresses a state of completion and translates “truly,” completely,” and “really” in English. It’s an emotional word, that conveys the speaker’s strong feelings about something.
- くそのりです: I totally agree with you; exactly!
- 全くうよ: That’s totally different!
- 全くじだ: That’s exactly the same!
- まったく、ショーンさんは!: Come on, Shawn!/ Oh my God, Shawn! (disappointment or exasperation)
全くのばか: A complete fool.
You often find this adverb in a sentence ending in ない, in which case 全く translates “not at all.”
- 全くらない: I don’t know at all.
- 全くがない: I do not have any memory at all.
- 全くそのをいたことがない: I haven’t heard about this at all.
It can also be attached to a word with the particle “の.”
- 全くのばか: A complete fool.
- 全くの: A complete lie.
Vocabulary
出会い deai Encounter クマノミ kumanomi Clownfish メス mesu Male オス osu Female 性転換する seitenkan suru Change sex ～いかがでしょうか ikaga deshou ka How about ～? 新しい恋 atarashii koi New love
