願ったり叶ったり
願ったり叶ったり
ねがったりかなったり
turning out exactly as one wished; having everything work out as desired; being like a dream come true
Literally: “things like desiring / requesting + things like (a wish) coming true”
The verb 願う (ねがう) can mean something like "to desire," "to wish for," "to hope for."
The verb 叶う (かなう) can mean something like "to (have a wish) come true," "to be realized," "to be fulfilled."
When we put these verbs into ～たり form and line them up one after another, we get a phrase meaning "turning out exactly as one wished," "being like a dream come true," etc.
If you're not familiar with ～たり form, then I recommend going back and reading these lessons:
- [NDL #357] - JLPT N5: たり～たりする (do... and do)
- [NDL #330] - JLPT N4: たり～たりする (expressing changes)
- [NDL #525] - JLPT N4: たり～たりする (sometimes... and sometimes)
Here's a Japanese definition of our target phrase:
希望と一致すること。すっかり願い通りになること。
きぼう と いっち する こと。 すっかり ねがい どおり に なる こと。
coinciding with one’s hopes or wishes; having everything turn out as one wished it would
Literally: “hope / wish + と + coinciding / agreeing + do + thing. + completely + wish / request + in accordance with + に + become + thing.”
Source: goo辞書
In the example sentence below, we can imagine that the speaker had been wanting to get a divorce, and having his wife cheat on him was the excuse he needed to finally make it happen:
妻が浮気をしてくれたのは願ったり叶ったりだ。
つま が うわき を して くれた の は ねがったり かなったり だ。
Having my wife cheat on me is exactly what I had been wishing for.
Literally: “wife + が + cheating + を + do (and) + gave (me) + の + は + turning out exactly as (I) wished + だ.”
Note: The nuance is that the speaker's wife did cheat on him.
When I first came across the phrase 願ったり叶ったり, I was surprised that it acts as a NOUN. That's why, in our example sentences, you'll see it followed by だ、です、and the particle の.
I suppose it makes sense that it acts as a NOUN, though, since ～たり typically pairs up with する (see the lessons mentioned earlier for more on this).
You're young, unemployed, and you absolutely love video games. Luckily, you just got offered a sweet job as a video game tester.
Thus, you say...
ゲームやって給料がもらえるなんて、願ったり叶ったりですよ！
ゲーム やって きゅうりょう が もらえる なんて、 ねがったり かなったり です よ！
Getting paid money to play video games — it’s like a dream come true!
Literally: “(video) game + do (and) + salary / income + が + can receive + なんて (~to think that), + turning out exactly as (I) wished + です + よ!”
You're getting transferred to Osaka for work.
This is a good thing. After all, you've always wanted to try living there.
You say...
大阪に住んでみたいとずっと思っていたから、願ったり叶ったりの転勤だ。
おおさか に すんで みたい と ずっと おもっていた から、 ねがったり かなったり の てんきん だ。
I’ve always wanted to try living in Osaka, so this job transfer is like a dream come true.
Literally: “Osaka + に + live (and) + want to see + と + always / forever + was thinking + because, + turning out exactly as (I) wished + の + job transfer / job relocation + だ.”
That's all for this one!
I was unfamiliar with the phrase 願ったり叶ったり until it came time to write this lesson.
I'm looking forward to trying to find an opportunity to use it in my own Japanese. After all, since Rei (who decides all of these lesson topics) chose 願ったり叶ったり to be featured in our 慣用句 (かんようく // phrasal idioms) lesson series, we can be certain that Japanese people do in fact use this phrase out in the real world. ^_^
Complete and Continue
ねがったりかなったり
turning out exactly as one wished; having everything work out as desired; being like a dream come true
Literally: “things like desiring / requesting + things like (a wish) coming true”
The verb 願う (ねがう) can mean something like "to desire," "to wish for," "to hope for."
The verb 叶う (かなう) can mean something like "to (have a wish) come true," "to be realized," "to be fulfilled."
When we put these verbs into ～たり form and line them up one after another, we get a phrase meaning "turning out exactly as one wished," "being like a dream come true," etc.
If you're not familiar with ～たり form, then I recommend going back and reading these lessons:
- [NDL #357] - JLPT N5: たり～たりする (do... and do)
- [NDL #330] - JLPT N4: たり～たりする (expressing changes)
- [NDL #525] - JLPT N4: たり～たりする (sometimes... and sometimes)
Here's a Japanese definition of our target phrase:
希望と一致すること。すっかり願い通りになること。
きぼう と いっち する こと。 すっかり ねがい どおり に なる こと。
coinciding with one’s hopes or wishes; having everything turn out as one wished it would
Literally: “hope / wish + と + coinciding / agreeing + do + thing. + completely + wish / request + in accordance with + に + become + thing.”
Source: goo辞書
In the example sentence below, we can imagine that the speaker had been wanting to get a divorce, and having his wife cheat on him was the excuse he needed to finally make it happen:
妻が浮気をしてくれたのは願ったり叶ったりだ。
つま が うわき を して くれた の は ねがったり かなったり だ。
Having my wife cheat on me is exactly what I had been wishing for.
Literally: “wife + が + cheating + を + do (and) + gave (me) + の + は + turning out exactly as (I) wished + だ.”
Note: The nuance is that the speaker's wife did cheat on him.
When I first came across the phrase 願ったり叶ったり, I was surprised that it acts as a NOUN. That's why, in our example sentences, you'll see it followed by だ、です、and the particle の.
I suppose it makes sense that it acts as a NOUN, though, since ～たり typically pairs up with する (see the lessons mentioned earlier for more on this).
You're young, unemployed, and you absolutely love video games. Luckily, you just got offered a sweet job as a video game tester.
Thus, you say...
ゲームやって給料がもらえるなんて、願ったり叶ったりですよ！
ゲーム やって きゅうりょう が もらえる なんて、 ねがったり かなったり です よ！
Getting paid money to play video games — it’s like a dream come true!
Literally: “(video) game + do (and) + salary / income + が + can receive + なんて (~to think that), + turning out exactly as (I) wished + です + よ!”
You're getting transferred to Osaka for work.
This is a good thing. After all, you've always wanted to try living there.
You say...
大阪に住んでみたいとずっと思っていたから、願ったり叶ったりの転勤だ。
おおさか に すんで みたい と ずっと おもっていた から、 ねがったり かなったり の てんきん だ。
I’ve always wanted to try living in Osaka, so this job transfer is like a dream come true.
Literally: “Osaka + に + live (and) + want to see + と + always / forever + was thinking + because, + turning out exactly as (I) wished + の + job transfer / job relocation + だ.”
That's all for this one!
I was unfamiliar with the phrase 願ったり叶ったり until it came time to write this lesson.
I'm looking forward to trying to find an opportunity to use it in my own Japanese. After all, since Rei (who decides all of these lesson topics) chose 願ったり叶ったり to be featured in our 慣用句 (かんようく // phrasal idioms) lesson series, we can be certain that Japanese people do in fact use this phrase out in the real world. ^_^
0 comments