Declining stamina with 低下

Manga panel from よつばと! showing example of Declining stamina with 低下.
よつばと! » Volume 1 » Page 13

Jumbo helps his friend Yousuke move into his new house. After unboxing things, Yousuke stops for a break.

葉介(ようすけ):
「なんか俺(おれ) 体力(たいりょく)低下(ていか)してんなあ… 手(て)がふるふる…」
“Man, I feel like my stamina is dropping... My hands are shaking...”
Literal: “Somehow, my stamina is declining, huh... My hands are trembling...”
ジャンボ:
「おまえさ 近所(きんじょ)にあいさつで配(くば)る粗品(そしな)とか用意(ようい)してるか?」
“Hey, are you preparing any little gifts to hand out to your neighbors when you go around saying hello?”
Literal: “You, have you prepared things like small gifts to hand out around the neighborhood as greetings?”

Key Points

1体力(たいりょく)低下(ていか) = stamina dropping
  • Yousuke uses 低下(ていか) for the drop he feels in his body after moving boxes.
  • With 体力(たいりょく), he means his stamina is wearing down.
2低下(ていか) marks a drop in level
  • The 低 in 低下(ていか) marks a low state; 下 adds downward movement.
  • It’s used for measured or ranked levels: stamina, performance, temperature, or quality.
3してんなあ is casual しているなあ
  • 低下(ていか)してんなあ is a rough spoken contraction of 低下(ていか)しているなあ.
  • With なあ, Yousuke sounds like he is muttering about his own condition.
4手(て)がふるふる shows the fatigue
  • ふるふる is a mimetic word for small trembling or shaking.

Vocabulary

(I)

俺(おれ) means “I” or “me”. Men commonly use it in casual speech, and it sounds rougher and more masculine than 私(わたし) or 僕(ぼく).

(Physical strength)

体力(たいりょく) means physical strength, stamina, or endurance.

(Decline)

低下(ていか) means a decline or drop in value, level, quality, or degree.

(Neighborhood)

近所(きんじょ) means the neighborhood or an area nearby.

(Small gift)

粗品(そしな) is the humble term for a small gift. It plays down the gift’s value.

See Also

よつばと! © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.