Japanese with Manga

Calling out through a video game with 呼びかける

Vocabulary Explanation: Words ending in 掛ける

Inside a slanted inset frame, a small cartoon Sailor V in her mask and sailor uniform stands with her legs apart and points forward. Usagi's question runs down beside her.
美少女戦士セーラームーン » Volume 2 » Page 13

Sailor Venus has just revealed that she is Sailor V, the heroine Usagi idolizes. Venus says she has been in touch with Usagi all along through the arcade’s Sailor V video game, and her cat Artemis adds that the game let Usagi practice fighting. Usagi remembers the time the Sailor V on the game screen spoke to her and urged her into battle.

うさぎ:
「――あの時(とき)呼(よ)び掛(か)けてくれたのもＶちゃん本人(ほんにん)だったのね！？」
“So it was really V-chan herself who called out to me that time, too!?”

Key Points

1呼(よ)び掛(か)ける, calling out to someone
  • 呼(よ)ぶ means to call. Adding 掛(か)ける directs the call at someone, so 呼(よ)び掛(か)ける means to call out to a person or appeal to them.
  • This page writes it with the kanji 掛(か). You will also see it written 呼(よ)びかける.
2〜てくれた, an action done for Usagi
  • 呼(よ)び掛(か)けてくれた frames the call as a favor to Usagi. It is the past tense of 〜てくれる.
3〜のも〜だったのね, “that was also you”
  • の turns あの時(とき)呼(よ)び掛(か)けてくれた into a noun phrase: “the one who called out to me that time”.
  • も means “also”. Usagi has just learned that V-chan taught her to fight through the game, and now she realizes the voice was her too.
  • のね confirms what she has just figured out, and ！？ shows her surprise.
4Ｖちゃん本人(ほんにん), the real person
  • 本人(ほんにん) means the person in question. Usagi had taken the voice for part of the game. Ｖちゃん本人(ほんにん) means it was the real Sailor V.

Vocabulary

(That)

あの comes before a noun to mean “that” or “those”. It points to someone or something away from both speakers, or something they both know about.

(Time)

時(とき) is a point or stretch of time. 〜時 means “when” or “at the time of”.

(To call out to)

呼(よ)び掛(か)ける is to call out to someone to get their attention. It can also mean to appeal to a group, as with a public request. It is also written 呼(よ)びかける.

(To give)

くれる is for someone to give something to the speaker or the speaker’s side. After a て-form verb, it means someone does something for the speaker.

See Also

美少女戦士セーラームーン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.