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

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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?

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 来週じゃ(あ)遅過ぎる。

= Raishuu ja(a) ososugiru

*******************
:mm: 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) →りゃ(あ)   ( = sorya(a))

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

あれは  ( = are wa) →りゃ(あ)  ( = arya(a))

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

= Korya(a) arigatai!

= Thank heavens!

Ex. りゃ(あ)すごい!

= Korya sugoi!

= This is great!

Ex.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.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?

:rrrr: 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.)

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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 ~

:rrrr: 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.)


:rrrr: 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.

:rrrr: 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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23 Comments

  1. マギーセンセイ、ありがとうございます! :w:
    じゃあ、りゃあの使い方が面白くて、今からよく使います! ;8)

    1. @チャン
      どういたしまして!カジュアルですが日常(にちじょう= daily life)でよく使う言葉ですよ。
      少しずつ練習してね。

  2. 今日は、先生!元気ですか?日本はまだ暑いかな?
    このレッスンを作ってくれて有り難うございます!
    質問がありますね
    なきゃ can stand for なければ or なければならない/いけない. Is なけりゃ completely equivalent to なきゃ or it stands only for なければ?

    1. @Orti

      こんにちは!Orti! はい、日本はまだまだ37〜39度の暑い日が続いていいますよ。
      なければ has two casual contractions : なきゃ and なけりゃ.
      I can’t think of the big difference at the moment but we don’t usually finish the sentence with なけりゃ.
      勉強しなくちゃ。
      勉強しなけりゃ。(strange)

      I will add if I find other differences.

  3. Ex. ばかばかしいといったらない

    マギー先生、もう一度説明してくれてくださいませんか?

    「ばかばかしいったらない」の言うことが理解できる。

    しかし「 ばかばかしいといったらない」の言うことを理解するな。

    有り難う御座います、 ご苦労様でした。

    1. @glenn
      First,
      ~といったらない is the most formal form.
      *i-adjective+ といったらない
      *na-adjective+ といったらない
      *verb (dictionary form) + といったらない

      Ex. ばかばかしいといったらない = It is extremely ridiculous
      And if you want to make it sound more casual, we say

      ばかばかしいったらない
      more casual↓
      ばかばかしいったらありゃしない

      How’s that?

  4. I would like this to recommend to my other fellow Japanese language learners. Maggie you’re so good I want to marry you..haha.
    冗談だ。やばいだ!

  5. Maggie, why not mentioning that famous 落ち from those Japanese comedians? They always ended up saying ダメだこりゃ! I would like to know about them actually, hah.

    I’d also buy your books, hehe.

    1. @Cygnus
      Wow! I’m impressed that you know the line ダメだこりゃ! www
      You’re right. It is a famous line of いかりや長介, a leader of a comedian group, ドリフターズ.
      It is a kind of old show but it used to be very popular.
      There is a series of the skit in their show called,
      もしもこんな〜がいたら/あったら What if there is a person like this in ~ / What if there is a place/shop/ like this.
      Ex.もしもこんな先生がいたら…Ex. もしもこんな病院があったら

      Here’s a link! “もしもシリーズ”
      They show a very extreme situational comedy skit. And it always finish with a line of the leader, ダメだこりゃ!

      Good! Now I can sell at least “5” books! :wink:

  6. 先生、ちょっとまちがいましたかもしれない。
    この辺:

    B ; 「見ればわかるでしょ!。」
    = Mireba wakaru dewa nai desuka.
    = 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 janai ka.

    1. @WolfHavenXIII

      Ooops!! ほんとだ〜!
      途中で文章変えたんですがローマ字を変えるのを忘れていました。ありがとう!!

  7. このレーソンは面白いったらありゃしない!Awesome lesson. Have you ever thought about writing some kind of book? I would definitely buy a copy, and probably one for a couple friends of mine learning Japanese too.

    とにがく、それじゃ;)

    1. @aookezoid

      Haha, you can use them perfectly!
      Yes, I’d love to publish a book someday. じゃあ、本を作ったら2、3冊は確実に売れますね! :)

      1. 本を書いて下さい!ブログを読んだら、いつもたくさん学びますよ!

        ありがとうございます〜ミ☆

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