Exploring a cave in the woods with 探検

Kanji Explanation: Searching and probing with 探

During a camping trip, Conan and his friends are out collecting firewood when they happen upon a cave. Seeing the entrance roped off, and an obsure message carved into a rock, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta set their gathered sticks on the ground and they head inside.

コナン:: 「おいおい　お前(まえ)ら…」; “Hey, you guys...”
歩美(あゆみ):: 「いーじゃない　ちょっと探検(たんけん)するだけだから…」; “It's okay. We're just going to explore a little.”

Key Points

探検(たんけん)する = “to explore”
- In this line, 探検(たんけん) is being used as a verbal noun with する, so the phrase means “to go exploring” or simply “to explore”
- By itself, 探検(たんけん) is a noun meaning an expedition or exploration; adding する turns it into the action Ayumi says they are doing
ちょっと softens the proposal
- ちょっと literally means “a little”, but here it also makes the idea sound lighter and less serious
- That helps Ayumi present going into the cave as a small, harmless thing
だけだから = “it’s only that / we’re only…”
- だけ limits the action: they are only going to explore a little
- だから gives the reason behind いーじゃない: “Come on, it’s fine, because we’re just exploring a little.”