指切り+ 約束 ( = yubikiri+yakusoku ) (Mini Lesson )　

「約束ね！指切りしよ！」

= Yakusoku ne! Yubikiri shiyo!

= Let’s make a promise with pinkie?

「針、千本かあ…」

= Hari senbon kaa…

=Um…(if I break my promise, I need to swallow) one thousand needles, huh?

Today’s word is 指切り = yubikiri

指= yubi = fingers

切り = kiri = cutting

Yes, it’s about cutting fingers. Are you scared? I am! :)

The verb form is

•指切りする

= yubikiri suru

or

•指切りをする

= yubikiri wo suru

It is a gesture to make a promise or to swear to keep one’s words by interlocking one’s  pinkies.

You might have seen some Japanese kids stick out their pinkie saying,

「約束だよ！」

= Yakusoku dayo!

“Promise?”

It is mainly for children but sometimes even grownups (usually women) say this when they want other people to make a promise,

「じゃあ、指切りしよう！」/ 「指切りね！」

= Jaa yubikiri shiyou! ? /Yubikirine!

OK, then let’s make a promise and swear with pinkies.

We hook pinkie with each other like this :u:

and sing this “oath” ,

!onpu! 指切げんまん(=拳万)、嘘ついたら針千本呑(=飲)ます!

= Yubikiri genman uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu.

= Yubikiri genman ( = Cutting fingers- punching with fists 10,000 times), if you lie, I will make you swallow (drink) one thousand needles.

• 拳 = gen = it is read as “kobushi “= fist (supposedly to hit someone with one’s fist)

• 万 = man = 10,000

• 嘘ついたら = uso tsuitara = (conditional) If you lie

• 針 = hari = needles

• 千本 = senbon = 1,000 pieces (of needles)

We count sticks or long items with 本  ( = hon/bon/pon)

( !to right! Go check my counter lesson)

•吞ます(or 飲ます）= nomasu = to make someone drink/swallow

Sometimes it follows with a line,

!onpu! 指切った

= Yubi kitta

= Have cut a finger!

So you will see how dangerous it will be if you lie. You have to swallow a thousand needles or you will get ten thousands fist punches. Oh my…

!kirakira! Cultural Note : This is a traditional children song that everybody in Japan knows.

But it is said that the origin of 指切り ( = yubikiri) goes back to 江戸時代 ( =  Edo jidai), Edo Period.

Some 遊女( = yuujo) prostitutes in 遊郭 ( = yuukaku) the red-light district cut off the tip of their  pinkie and gave it away to their important customer to show their loyalty and love.

(Some says they actually faked it buying a pinkie of cadaver and gave it to their customer.)

I am so happy that I don’t have a pinkie…

So, when children swear something with their friends or parents, they do 指切り ( = yubikiri)

「マギーちゃん、私達はずっとお友達だよ！」

= Maggie chan watashitachi wa zutto otomodachi dayo.

= Maggie, we are going to be friends forever!

「うん、じゃあ約束！」

= Un jaa yakusoku!

= Yes, then let’s make a promise.

And hook our pinkies, and while shaking the interlocked pinkies up and down, we sing

!onpu! 指切りげんまん（=拳万）、嘘ついたら….

= Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara….

Now “promise” in Japanese is

約束 = yakusoku

verb form is

:s: to make a promise

約束する

= yakusoku suru

or

約束をする

= yakusoku wo suru

Ex.  「お父さん、どうして遊園地に連れて行ってくれないの？約束したじゃない！」

= Otōsan doushite yūenchi ni tsurete itte kurenai no? Yakusoku shitajanai!

= Dad, how come you don’t take me to the amusement park? We promised!

:ee: to keep one’s word, to keep one’s promise

is

約束を守る

= yakusoku wo mamoru

The negative form is

!to right! 約束を守らない

= Yakusoku wo mamoranai

Ex. 彼はいつも約束を守らない。

= Kare wa itsumo yakusoku wo mamoranai.

= He always fails to keep his promise.

:kkk: to break one’s promise is

約束を破る

= yakusoku wo yaburu

!kirakira! Note : 約束 ( = yakusoku) also has a meaning of engagement, plans, appointment or a date with someone

Ex.今日は友達とランチの約束がある。

= Kyō wa tomodachi to ranchi no yakusoku ga aru.

= I have a lunch date with my friend.

Ex. ６時にちょっと約束があるからもう行かないと。

= Rokuji ni chotto yakusoku ga arukara mou ikanaito.

= I have some plans at 6 o’clock so I gotta go.

:i: If you have an appointment for a beauty salon, dentist, doctor, etc, we call it 予約 = yoyaku = reservation

マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

みんな、毎日このブログに来てね。約束だよ！

= Minna mainichi kono burogu ni kite ne. Yakusoku dayo!

= Come to this blog every day! We promise, OK?

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