Japanese with Manga

Free time to be loafing around with 油を売る

Manga panel from 美少女戦士セーラームーン showing example of Free time to be loafing around with 油を売る.
美少女戦士セーラームーン » Volume 3 » Page 273

Rubeus finds Esmeraude spying on Prince Demande.

ルベウス:
「エスメロード こんな(ところ)(あぶら)()ってるヒマはあるのか?」
“Esmeraude, do you have time to be loafing around in such a place?”

Key Points

1(あぶら)()ってる = “loafing around” / “slacking off”
  • (あぶら)() is an idiom meaning to waste time chatting or idling instead of doing what you should be doing.
  • Here Rubeus is criticizing Esmeraude for being distracted instead of focusing on her mission.
2()ってる = casual spoken form of ()っている
  • 〜てる is a very common spoken contraction of 〜ている.
  • That contraction keeps the line sharp and conversational, fitting an irritated reprimand.
3こんな(ところ)で = “in a place like this”
  • こんな(ところ) adds a critical tone: “here, of all places” or “in a place like this”.
美少女戦士セーラームーン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.