りゃ(あ）& じゃ(あ） = rya(a) & ja(a) – Casual contraction

「ねむ〜い！」

= Nemuuui!

= I’m soooo sleepy!

「じゃあ、もう寝りゃいいじゃない!」

= Jaa mou nerya iijanai!

= Then why don’t you go to bed already!

Hi everyone! Before I hit the sack, I want to give you a lesson.

Today’s lesson is about casual suffixes. Here’s one of them that you don’t usually learn at school but you do hear a lot in daily conversation.

I have made

*~ ん(=n)

*なきゃ／なくちゃ(=nakya/nakucha)

*ちゃう＋ちゃった(=chau+chatta)

lesson in the past.

I got requests a long time ago to make more lessons of this type of casual contraction.

So today let’s learn

じゃ(あ）( = ja(a))  and りゃ（あ） ( = rya)/ りゃ(あ) ( = rya(a)

:n: Let’s start from じゃ ( = ja) /  じゃあ（ = jaa)

Have you ever seen the following expressions?

Ex. じゃ(あ)またね！

= Ja(a) matane!

= OK, see you! / Bye now!

Ex. じゃ(あ)お元気で！

= Ja(a) ogenki de

= OK, take care of yourself!

Or simply.

じゃ(あ)ね！= ja(a)ne! (female speech )

or

じゃ(あ)！( = ja(a))

It means, “See you!”, “I am off!”

じゃ(あ) ( = ja(a) is from では ( = dewa)

Ex. それでは、また明日！

= Soredewa mata ashita!

= OK, then I will see you tomorrow!

→それじゃ(あ)、また明日！

= Soreja(a) mata ashita!

Ex. それではお元気で！

= Soredewa ogenki de! (formal)

= OK, then, please take care of yourself!

→それじゃあ、元気で(ね)！

= Sorejaa genki de(ne)!

= OK, then, take care! (This is more casual.)

Note: じゃあ ( = jaa) or じゃ ( = ja) are almost the same. じゃ（ = jaa) is a bit lighter than じゃあ ( = jaa)It means, OK/ Then/ In that case/ if you say so, or you say that when you suggest something.

!kirakira! では ( = dewa) →じゃ（あ）( = ja(a))

Ex. では、ここで失礼します。

= Dewa koko de shitsurei shimasu.

= Then, I’ll excuse myself here.

じゃ(あ)、ここで失礼します。

= Ja(a) koko de shitsurei shimasu.

Ex. では、私は、どうしたらいいの？

= Dewa, doushitara iino?

= Then, what should I do?

じゃ(あ)、私はどうしたらいいの？

= Ja(a) watashi wa doushitara iino?

Ex. では、そんなに言うんだったらもうちょっとだけつきあうよ。

= Dewa sonnani iun dattara mou chotto dake tsukiauyo.

= Well, if you really insist,  I’ll hang out with you just a little longer.

じゃ(あ)、そんなに言うんだったらもうちょっとだけつきあうよ。

= Jaa sonnani iundattara mou chotto dake tsukiauyo.

Ex.マギー行かないの？では私もやめとく。

= Maggie ikanai no? Dewa  watashi mo yametoku.

= You are not going, Maggie? Well then (in that case), I won’t go either.

マギー行かないの？じゃ(あ)私もやめとく。

= Maggie ikanai no? Ja(a) watashi mo yametoku.

Note : ~ とく ( ~toku) is another casual contraction of ~ておく  ( = ~ te oku)

Ex. 犬ではなくて猫が欲しい。

= Inu dewa nakute neko ga hoshii.

= I want a cat, not a dog.

犬じゃなくて猫が欲しい。

= Inu janakute neko ga hoshii.

Ex. 来週では遅過ぎる。

= Raishuu dewa ososugiru

= If it is next week, it is going to be too late.

来週じゃ(あ)遅過ぎる。

= Raishuu ja(a) ososugiru

*******************
りゃ(あ） =  rya(a)

In my opinion じゃ(あ)  ( = ja(a)) is a casual — yet cute — contraction, りゃ(あ）= rya(a) is even more casual.

1) 〜れは( = rewa ) →りゃ  ( = rya) or りゃあ  ( = ryaa)

We have learned こそあど言葉(=kosoado kotoba), demonstrative adjective

When you use これ ( = kore)  = this 、それ(=sore) =it, this, that、あれ ( = are) = that and  a subject marker, は ( =  rewa ) with a surprised feeling or with more emotion, it will be

★それは  ( = sore wa) →そりゃ(あ)   ( = sorya(a))

★これは ( = kore wa)　→こりゃ(あ)  ( = korya(a))

★あれは  ( = are wa)　→ありゃ(あ)  ( = arya(a))

Ex. そりゃ（あ）ひょっとして風邪じゃない？

= Sorya(a) hyotto shite kaze janai?

= (Maybe you have a cold.) → Don’t you have a cold?

Ex. そりゃ(あ)おかしいよ

= Sorya(a) okashiiyo.

= It’s strange!

Ex. そりゃ(あ)そうだ

= Sorya(a) souda.

= You’re right.

Ex. そりゃ（あ）大変だね。

= Sorya(a) taihen dane.

= It’s tough, isn’t it?

Ex. そりゃないよ！

= Sorya naiyo!

= You can’t do that to me! / No way! / It can’t be true! / You must be kidding me!

Ex. こりゃ（あ）ありがたい (a kind of old fashioned.)

= Korya(a) arigatai!

= Thank heavens!

Ex. こりゃ（あ）すごい！

= Korya sugoi!

= This is great!

Ex.こりゃ（あ）高すぎる！

= Korya takasugiru!

= This is way too expensive!

Ex.なんだこりゃ(あ)！

= Nanda korya(a)!

= What is this??

Ex.ありゃ（あ）ひどい

= Arya hidoi.

= That’s horrible.

Ex.駄目だ、こりゃ！

= Dame da, korya!

= This is bad.

Note : りゃ ( = rya) and りゃあ （ = rya) means the same but りゃあ  ( = ryaa) stresses the feeling more.

１）verb + れば ( = reba) →　りゃ ( = rya)　or りゃあ ( = ryaa)

れば ( = reba)→ りゃ（あ） ( = rya(a)) is used when you suggest something or make a hypothetical situation.

You might think this is slang but this contraction is not new at all. Some of you might have heard an old saying,

!to right! 坊主憎けりゃ袈裟まで憎い。

= Bouzu nikukerya kesa made nikui.

= to hate everything about that person

• 坊主 = bouzu = a Buddhist priest, bonze

• 憎い = nikui = to hate

(憎ければ = nikukereba → 憎けりゃ = nikukerya = If you hate ~ )

• まで = made = even

• 袈裟 = kesa= a robe for Buddhist priests

This literally means if you hate a Buddhist priest, you even hate his robe.

Ex. いい点数を取りたければ勉強すればいいではないですか。

= Ii tensuu wo toritakereba benkyou sureba ii de wa nai desuka?

= If you want to get a good score, why don’t you just study?

いい点数を取りたけりゃ勉強すりゃ（あ）いいじゃない。(casual)

= Iitensuu wo toritakerya benkyou surya(a) iijanai.

Ex.  A :「今、忙しい？」

= Ima isogashii?

= Are you busy now?

B :「見ればわかるでしょ！。」

= Mireba wakaru desho!

= Can’t you tell?/ Isn’t it obvious? (If you see something/somebody you will know what it is/who they are.)

見りゃ(あ）わかるでしょ！(casual)

= Mirya(a) wakaru desho!

Ex. どうすればいいのだろう。

= Dousureba iinodarou.

= I don’t know what to do.

どうすりゃ(あ）いいんだろう。（casual)

= Dousurya(a)  iindarou

Ex.マギーのスッピンなんて見なければよかった。

= Maggie no suppin nante minakereba yokatta

= I wish I hadn’t seen Maggie’s face without make-up on.

マギーのスッピンなんて見なけりゃよかった。

= Maggie no suppin nante minakerya yokatta.

Ex. どんなに難しいかやってみればわかるよ。

= Donna ni muzukashii ka yatte mireba wakaruyo.

= If you try, you will see how hard it is.

どんなに難しいかやってみりゃわかるよ。

= Donnani muzukashii ka yatte mirya wakaru yo.

2) ありは ( = ariwa) ＋しない→ありゃ(あ）( = arya(a) + しない (  = shinai) = There is not~

Ex. いいことばかりありはしない。

= iikoto bakari ari wa shinai.

= You’re not always lucky.

いいことばかりありゃしない。

= iikoto bakari aryashinai.

⭐️ Special expression :

🔸 〜ったらない ( = ~ttara nai)＝There is nothing more than ~

adjective + ったらありゃしない ( = ~ ttara aryashinai)

= It is very ~/ It is so ~ (emphasize)

Ex. 面白いったらない。

= Omoshiroittara nai

= It is very interesting. It is so much fun. (There is nothing more fun than this.)

面白いったらありゃしない！

= Omoshiroittara aryashinai

Ex. ばかばかしいといったらない。

= Bakabakashii toittaranai.

= This is so ridiculous. / There is nothing more stupid than this.

ばかばかしいったらありゃしない。

= Bakabakashittara aryashinai.

 

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

ねむたいったらありゃしない！じゃあ、もう寝ますね。お休みなさい… 😴💤

= Nemutaittara aryashinai! Jaa mou nemasune. Oyasumi nasai…

= I am so sleepy! Well, then I’ll will go to bed now. Good night!

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