よりによって
よりによって
of all the ~
Literally: “selecting / choosing + に + select / choose (and)”
よりによって is not a very positive phrase.
You use it when lamenting that, of all the possible choices that one could make, an undesirable choice was made.
That fits with this Japanese definition, too, by the way:
他にもっと適当な選び方があると思われるのに、わざわざ変な選び方をして。
ほか に もっと てきとうな えらびかた が ある と おもわれる のに、 わざわざ へんな えらびかた を して。
intentionally choosing a peculiar course of action even though there are other more appropriate ones
Literally: “other + に + more + suitable + way of choosing + が + there is / have + と + is thought + although (=のに), + expressly / intentionally + strange / peculiar + way of choosing + を + do (and).”
Source: goo辞書
I find that it's similar to a phrase like "of all the ~, it had to be ~," such as in the sentence, "Of all the days that my parents could choose to come and visit me, it had to be the day my roommate decided to become a nudist."
Since we're kanji nerds, in one of our examples below, we do use the kanji for よりによって：
選りに選って
However, it is unlikely that you'll see the kanji used.
Feel free to just write this one in hiragana: よりによって.
Let's say that you're extremely busy studying, working, etc.
To your dismay, one of your good friends just showed up at your house to hang out.
You think...
よりによってこんな忙しい時に来るなんて...。
よりによって こんな いそがしい とき に くる なんて...。
He had to come now, when I’m so busy.
Literally: “of all the (times), + this kind of + busy + time + に + come + なんて.”
Note that the one choosing an inappropriate or undesirable course of action might not be a person.
In the sentence below, for example, the weather "chose" to be rainy on the speaker's wedding day:
よりによってなんで今日なの？！
よりによって なんで きょう なの？！
Why today, of all days?!
Literally: “of all the (days) + why + today + なの?!”
The speaker in our sentence below had a very important secret.
Specifically, she had one particular person that she wanted to keep this secret from.
Well, you guessed it...
選りに選って一番知られたくない人に知られてしまった。
よりによって いちばん しられたくない ひと に しられて しまった。
The one person I didn’t want to find out about this the most found out. // The one person I wanted to keep this from the most found out about it.
Literally: “of all the (people) + the most / number one + don’t want to be known + person + に + (unfortunately) was known.”
That's all for this one.
I've heard this phrase many, many times in Japanese. Writing this lesson, though, I realized that I hadn't been using it in my own speech.
Time to level up, I suppose...
Complete and Continue
of all the ~
Literally: “selecting / choosing + に + select / choose (and)”
よりによって is not a very positive phrase.
You use it when lamenting that, of all the possible choices that one could make, an undesirable choice was made.
That fits with this Japanese definition, too, by the way:
他にもっと適当な選び方があると思われるのに、わざわざ変な選び方をして。
ほか に もっと てきとうな えらびかた が ある と おもわれる のに、 わざわざ へんな えらびかた を して。
intentionally choosing a peculiar course of action even though there are other more appropriate ones
Literally: “other + に + more + suitable + way of choosing + が + there is / have + と + is thought + although (=のに), + expressly / intentionally + strange / peculiar + way of choosing + を + do (and).”
Source: goo辞書
I find that it's similar to a phrase like "of all the ~, it had to be ~," such as in the sentence, "Of all the days that my parents could choose to come and visit me, it had to be the day my roommate decided to become a nudist."
Since we're kanji nerds, in one of our examples below, we do use the kanji for よりによって：
選りに選って
However, it is unlikely that you'll see the kanji used.
Feel free to just write this one in hiragana: よりによって.
Let's say that you're extremely busy studying, working, etc.
To your dismay, one of your good friends just showed up at your house to hang out.
You think...
よりによってこんな忙しい時に来るなんて...。
よりによって こんな いそがしい とき に くる なんて...。
He had to come now, when I’m so busy.
Literally: “of all the (times), + this kind of + busy + time + に + come + なんて.”
Note that the one choosing an inappropriate or undesirable course of action might not be a person.
In the sentence below, for example, the weather "chose" to be rainy on the speaker's wedding day:
よりによってなんで今日なの？！
よりによって なんで きょう なの？！
Why today, of all days?!
Literally: “of all the (days) + why + today + なの?!”
The speaker in our sentence below had a very important secret.
Specifically, she had one particular person that she wanted to keep this secret from.
Well, you guessed it...
選りに選って一番知られたくない人に知られてしまった。
よりによって いちばん しられたくない ひと に しられて しまった。
The one person I didn’t want to find out about this the most found out. // The one person I wanted to keep this from the most found out about it.
Literally: “of all the (people) + the most / number one + don’t want to be known + person + に + (unfortunately) was known.”
That's all for this one.
I've heard this phrase many, many times in Japanese. Writing this lesson, though, I realized that I hadn't been using it in my own speech.
Time to level up, I suppose...
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