Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Japanese saying ~8~ け ke

I introduce a Japanese saying that begins from け(ke).
That is... けが(kega) の(no) こうみょう(koumyou)


Kega means, injured.
Koumyou means, lucky.
This saying means a lucky success resulting from a misfortune.
Actually, if you experienced unlucky thing, that experience may change to
good thing later.

When I hear this saying, I remind a saying.
にんげん(Ningen) ばんじ(banji) さいおう(saiou) が(ga) うま(uma)
This saying came from China. We call this kind of Chinese saying "Kojiseigo".
Ningen means all human being
Banji means everything
Saiou means old man who live in the place named "Sai".
Uma means horse.
This saying comes from a story.

There was a old man. He was a fortune-teller. He has a horse.

One day, his horse has got out of his house.

When people consoled the old man, he answered. "Something lucky must be coming
after this event "

One day, his horse came back to his house with a great horse.

When people celebrate the old man, he answered. "This great horse
must cause something bad."

One day, his son fell from the great horse and broke his leg.

When people consoled the old man, he answered. "This accident must cause something
lucky."

One day, a war broke out and almost all young people died.
But his son did not need to join the war because his son broke his leg.
So his son lived up in spite of the war.

This saying tells us lucky things may turn to unlucky thing and unlucky thing
may turn to lucky thing in the future.
I like this story. And I like this saying.
I guess there are a lot of Japanese people who know this saying.
(We usually learn this saying in junior high school or high school.)

If you face very bad situation, how about remind this saying?

Is there something like this saying in your culture?


  Today, I read a book which is about language teaching of Japanese.
I may try to learn the way to teach Japanese. Actually there is a
volunteer activity that is for foreign people who live in Japan.
I like to introduce Japanese culture. If I could teach Japanese as well,
it must be better.

  I just wondered.

2 comments:

Saku said...

I like this saying!
I don't know if there is really a saying like this in Germany ^^;
But when something bad happens, I sometimes say
"It maybe will be good for something"
or
"Who knows for what this will be a good thing for"

marimari said...

To Saku

You may remind this idea easily in daily life, if you remember this saying.