Japanese with Manga

Determining the cause of death with 解剖

Kanji Explanation: Separating and understanding with 解

Manga panel from 名探偵コナン showing example of Determining the cause of death with 解剖.
名探偵コナン » Volume 16 » Page 25

Inspector Megure suggests the murder suspect committed suicide by drowning himself. The medical examiner disagrees.

監察医(かんさつい):
「ですが死因(しいん)は溺死(できし)ではありません…」
“However, drowning wasn't the cause of death...”
目暮(めぐれ):
「え？」
“What?”
監察医(かんさつい):
「解剖(かいぼう)してみないと断定(だんてい)できませんが…　おそらく毒物(どくぶつ)を飲(の)んだあと池(いけ)に入(はい)ったものと…」
“I can't say for certain without an autopsy... but it's likely he took poison and then entered the pond...”
Literal: “I can't determine it unless we try an autopsy... but perhaps he entered the pond after drinking poison...”

Key Points

1解剖(かいぼう) here means an autopsy
  • In this scene, 解剖(かいぼう) is a medical examination of the body after death.
  • The examiner needs it to determine the true cause of death, not just the apparent one.
2してみないと = unless we actually try doing it
  • 解剖(かいぼう)してみないと adds the sense of “unless we go ahead and perform one”.
  • The 〜てみる part is not “try for fun” here; it means carrying out the procedure to check.

See Also

名探偵コナン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.