いったい[ittai]: on earth

August 1, 2020

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Do you know how to emphasize your question/doubt?
Have you heard of "いったい"?

It is an adverb that means "on earth". It is used to emphasize an interrogative sentence. It is often used to blame someone/something.

Ken and Leo are in the different place. They're making a video call, but Ken doesn't have a stable internet connection.

  • Leo: Hey, you suddenly disappeared. What's wrong?
    ねぇ、いきなり居なくなった(or突然消えた)じゃん。いったいどうしたの？
  • Ken: I'm sorry, I lost my internet connection. I don't know what the hell is going on.
    ごめん、インターネットに接続できなかった。いったい何が起こっているんだろう？
  • Ken: It'll be better soon. We’ll see how it goes.
    すぐ(ネットの接続状況が)よくなるよ。とりあえず、しばらくやってみよう。
Meg is asking her boyfriend about what he wants to eat for dinner.

  • Meg: There're chicken and beef in the fridge. What shall I cook for dinner?
    冷蔵庫には鶏肉と牛肉があるな。夕食は、何を作ろうか？
  • Tom: Anything is fine.
    何でもいいよ。
  • Meg: Do you want curry and rice?
    カレーライスでいい？
  • Tom: Oh, I ate them for lunch.
    あっ、昼に(カレーライスを)食べた。
  • Meg: Uh-huh. So is steak okay?
    あそっ。じゃぁ、ステーキでいい？
  • Tom: Hmm, I am not in the mood for that.
    あー、ステーキって気分じゃないな。
  • Meg: What on earth do you want to eat?
    いったい、何が食べたいの？

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Related posts:

  1. 刺激的[shigeki teki]: stimulating
  2. The difference between "が" and "で"
  3. ググる [guguru]: google something
  4. How to describe your personality
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