腑に落ちない
腑に落ちない
ふにおちない
cannot understand; hard to swallow; doesn’t make sense; unconvincing
Literally: “gut + に + doesn’t fall.”
You can use this phrase when you are unable to understand something. Rather than carrying the nuance that something cannot be understood because it is particularly complex, 腑に落ちない makes it sound like something "doesn't add up," "doesn't make sense," "is unconvincing," etc.
I like that the literal meaning of this idiom is "doesn't fall in (my) gut." It reminds me of the English phrase "doesn't sit well [right]," which we use when something seems off, fishy, disagreeable, etc.
A Japanese definition of the phrase:
納得がいかない。合点がいかない。
なっとく が いかない。 がってん が いかない。
to not understand or be satisfied with; to not grasp
Literally: “to not understand (=understanding / agreement + が + doesn’t go). + to not grasp (=consent / comprehension / grasp + が + doesn’t go).”
Source: goo辞書
🏙 Example City 🏙
You and a girl took both took a test. In your opinion, she's not the sharpest tool in the shed.
And yet, she passed. You didn't. Accordingly, you say...
彼女が受かって私が落ちたのは腑に落ちない。
かのじょ が うかって わたし が おちた の は ふにおちない。
I can’t understand how she passed but I failed.
Literally: “she + が + passed (e.g. an exam) (and) + I + が + failed (e.g. an exam) (lit. fell) + の + は + cannot understand.”
You just moved out of your apartment, and you suspect that the landlord is trying to screw you over...
敷金が１円も返って来なかった。腑に落ちないなあ。
しききん が いちえん も かえって こなかった。 ふにおちない なあ。
I didn’t even get back a single yen of my (security) deposit. It doesn’t make sense.
Literally: “(security) deposit + が + 1 yen + も + return (and) + didn’t come. + doesn’t make sense + なあ.”
Your (male) friend at school got hit in the face by a girl. The teacher then told him to apologize!
Looking at your friend, you think...
彼は、どうも腑に落ちないという顔をしている。
かれ は、 どうも ふにおちない という かお を している。
He looks completely baffled.
Literally: “he + は, + no matter (how much he tries) + doesn’t understand + という + face + を + is doing.”
Although 腑に落ちない will usually appear in the negative form (～ない), it's also possible to have it used in the positive form:
説明を聞いて、やっと腑に落ちた。
せつめい を きいて、 やっと ふにおちた。
After hearing the explanation, it finally made sense.
Literally: “explanation + を + listen to (and), + finally + understood.”
Finished!
I learned this idiom a long time ago... but I've yet to try using it in my own Japanese. Maybe it's time...
Complete and Continue
ふにおちない
cannot understand; hard to swallow; doesn’t make sense; unconvincing
Literally: “gut + に + doesn’t fall.”
You can use this phrase when you are unable to understand something. Rather than carrying the nuance that something cannot be understood because it is particularly complex, 腑に落ちない makes it sound like something "doesn't add up," "doesn't make sense," "is unconvincing," etc.
I like that the literal meaning of this idiom is "doesn't fall in (my) gut." It reminds me of the English phrase "doesn't sit well [right]," which we use when something seems off, fishy, disagreeable, etc.
A Japanese definition of the phrase:
納得がいかない。合点がいかない。
なっとく が いかない。 がってん が いかない。
to not understand or be satisfied with; to not grasp
Literally: “to not understand (=understanding / agreement + が + doesn’t go). + to not grasp (=consent / comprehension / grasp + が + doesn’t go).”
Source: goo辞書
🏙 Example City 🏙
You and a girl took both took a test. In your opinion, she's not the sharpest tool in the shed.
And yet, she passed. You didn't. Accordingly, you say...
彼女が受かって私が落ちたのは腑に落ちない。
かのじょ が うかって わたし が おちた の は ふにおちない。
I can’t understand how she passed but I failed.
Literally: “she + が + passed (e.g. an exam) (and) + I + が + failed (e.g. an exam) (lit. fell) + の + は + cannot understand.”
You just moved out of your apartment, and you suspect that the landlord is trying to screw you over...
敷金が１円も返って来なかった。腑に落ちないなあ。
しききん が いちえん も かえって こなかった。 ふにおちない なあ。
I didn’t even get back a single yen of my (security) deposit. It doesn’t make sense.
Literally: “(security) deposit + が + 1 yen + も + return (and) + didn’t come. + doesn’t make sense + なあ.”
Your (male) friend at school got hit in the face by a girl. The teacher then told him to apologize!
Looking at your friend, you think...
彼は、どうも腑に落ちないという顔をしている。
かれ は、 どうも ふにおちない という かお を している。
He looks completely baffled.
Literally: “he + は, + no matter (how much he tries) + doesn’t understand + という + face + を + is doing.”
Although 腑に落ちない will usually appear in the negative form (～ない), it's also possible to have it used in the positive form:
説明を聞いて、やっと腑に落ちた。
せつめい を きいて、 やっと ふにおちた。
After hearing the explanation, it finally made sense.
Literally: “explanation + を + listen to (and), + finally + understood.”
Finished!
I learned this idiom a long time ago... but I've yet to try using it in my own Japanese. Maybe it's time...
0 comments