擦れ違う[surechigau]: pass/miss each other/talk pass each other

August 30, 2020

Sponsored Links

It is a verb that has three uses.
The first is “to pass”. It is used to describe situations in which someone/something goes past something else/someone else.
The second is “to miss each other”. It is used to describe situations in which two people are supposed to meet, but they can’t because one of them is busy or something.
The third is ”to talk past each other”. It is used to describe situations in which you feel like two people are not speaking the same language.

Ken is looking for Tom at the office.

  • Ken: I'd like to talk to Tom, but he isn't here. Have you seen him?
    トムと話したいんだけど、いないんだよね。見た?
  • Leo: I passed by him on the 20th floor a little while ago. I think he was about to attend the meeting, so he might go back to his seat after it finishes.
    ちょっと前に、20階で擦れ違ったよ。会議に出席するところだったから、終わったら戻ってくるんじゃないかな。
Leo is asking Ken about his plans on the weekend.

  • Leo: What are you doing this weekend? Are you going to see your girlfriend?
    週末は何するの?彼女とデートか?
  • Ken: No, we won’t see each other for a while.
    いや、しばらく会わないよ。
  • Leo: Why? What happened?
    なんで?何かあったの?
  • Ken: She is away on a business trip now and she won’t return until next week. But I am supposed to be very busy around that time. Hmm, it seems like we're always missing each other.
    今(彼女は)出張だし、来週まで戻らない。でも、その頃には俺が忙しくなっているからね。んー、彼女とは擦れ違ってばっかり(*)なんだ。
Meg was supposed to eat for dinner with her boyfriend last night, but he blew it off.

  • Meg: I can’t put up with his selfishness anymore!
    もう彼のわがままには我慢できない!
  • Amy: How come you’re angry?
    どうしてそんなに怒っているの?
  • Meg: I prepared his meal and waited for him to come home for more than 3 hours. But he ate out and drank with his clients. And then we had an argument.
    食事作って、3時間以上も(彼が帰って来るのを)待っていたの。でも彼は、外でお客さんとご飯食べて、飲んできたんだよ。それで、喧嘩した。
  • Amy: He should’ve told you about it before he went for a drink, right?
    飲みに行く前に、連絡するべきだよね?
  • Meg: Yeah. He thought that I was mad because he went out. But, I was upset because he didn’t tell me about it. Hmm, I always feel like we are not on the same page.
    そう。彼は外食した事を、私が怒っていると思っているけど、私は彼が連絡しなかった事にイライラしている。あー、なんか、いつも話が擦れ違っている気がする。
* ばっかり:It means "only/nothing but". If you're interested in more detail, please click HERE.

Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links

Recommendation

They have almost the same meaning, which is "at least". They can be interchangeable depending on the context. "せめて" is mainly used when you want ...

It is slang derived from “何か(なにか)”. It has two meanings. The first is “such“ and it is used to emphasize the noun that is put ...

There are two types of “なんて”. The first is derived from “などと”. It means “such“ and it is used to emphasize the noun that is ...

It has two meanings. The first is “and/or/etc“ and it is used to mention similar items with something or to give examples. It is interchangeable ...

You have heard of “だって” many times. Do you know what exactly it means and how to use it? [datte] It is a spoken language ...

The difference between the particles "は" and "が" depends on whether the subject or the predicate of a sentence is emphasized. "が" is used when ...

They have the same meaning which is "even." They are used when describing something by giving very unusual and surprising examples, but "すら" cannot be ...

It is a noun and it means "procrastination". It is used when you put off something that has to be done because it is unpleasant ...

It is a phrase and means “it can't be helped”. It is used when you can’t avoid something to happen or can’t find a way ...

It is an adjective and means "it's such a hassle". It is used when you don’t feel like doing something or you feel that someone ...

They are a conjunctive particle and they have a similar meaning. They are interchangeable in many cases, but the nuance is different. "から" is used ...

"はず" means "to be supposed to do" and it is used to emphasize an expectation that something will take place. You can use "思う" instead ...

They are adverbs that mean "as much as possible". They are used when describing situations in which you try to do something as much as ...

-LESSON
-,

Copyright© Learn Japanese with Ariel , 2024 All Rights Reserved.