Japanese with Manga

Chinese history lesson on talismans with 中国

Kanji Explanation: Countries and realms with 国

Manga panel from カードキャプターさくら showing example of Chinese history lesson on talismans with 中国.
カードキャプターさくら » Volume 3 » Page 158

Sakura had to take a detour to get to class. She tells her friends at school about the shrine she saw along the way. Naoko says the talismans from there are popular, as they can grant wishes for things such as exams and romance.

山崎(やまざき):
「お守(まも)りっていうのはね　むかし　中国(ちゅうごく)で守(まも)り札(ふだ)を袋(ふくろ)にいれたのがはじまりらしいよ」
“You know, apparently good-luck charms began long ago in China, when people put protective talismans into bags.”
奈緒子(なおこ):
「今回(こんかい)は本当(ほんとう)っぽいね」
“This time it sounds true, huh?”
千春(ちはる):
「まだ　わかんないわよ」
“We don't know that yet!”

Key Points

1中国(ちゅうごく)で places the story in China
  • 中国(ちゅうごく) means China here. The particle で marks where people put the talismans into bags.
2お守(まも)りっていうのは introduces the thing being explained
  • っていうのは is a casual form of というのは. Here it introduces an explanation of how good-luck charms began.
  • The ね after は invites the listeners’ attention before Yamazaki continues.
3いれたのがはじまり identifies the origin
  • In 守(まも)り札(ふだ)を袋(ふくろ)にいれた, を marks what people put in, and に marks where they put it.
  • の turns the whole past-tense clause into a noun phrase. That act of putting talismans into bags is what Yamazaki calls the beginning.
  • らしい presents the story as something he has heard or learned. He is reporting an apparent origin, and よ presents it as information for his listeners.
4今回(こんかい)は本当(ほんとう)っぽいね gives a tentative reaction
  • 本当(ほんとう)っぽい means it sounds or seems true. Naoko is judging how believable the story is.
  • 今回(こんかい)は singles out this time, suggesting that she has doubted other stories. ね invites agreement.
5まだわかんないわよ pushes back
  • わかんない contracts わからない. With まだ, it means they do not know yet whether the story is true.
  • Chiharu’s わよ gives her reply an assertive, feminine tone. She cautions Naoko against accepting the story too soon.

Vocabulary

(China)

中国(ちゅうごく) is the name China, historically “the central state” or “middle kingdom”.

(Truth)

本当(ほんとう) means truth, real, or really.

See Also

カードキャプターさくら © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.