Keeping still while her ribbon dries with 〜間

Manga panel from ふだつきのキョーコちゃん showing example of Keeping still while her ribbon dries with 〜間.
ふだつきのキョーコちゃん » Volume 5 » Page 80

Kyouko’s ribbon needs to be washed. Since she is a jiāngshī (vampire), she will uncontrollably attack people to drink their blood when her ribbon is removed. For this reason, her brother tries to tie her up with a rope. Kyouko hides in the bathroom, then sneaks out the window only to find Kenji waiting outside.

ケンジ:
「干(ほ)してる間(あいだ)じっとしてればすぐ済(す)むだろ。」
“While it's drying, if you'd just keep still it'd be over soon.”
Literal: “During the time it is drying, if you keep still, it will be done right away.”
ケンジ:
「なんで毎回(まいかい)そんなにイヤがる!!」
“Why do you seem to hate it so much every time?!”

Key Points

1干してる間 means while it is drying
  • 干(ほ)してる is the casual form of 干(ほ)している.
  • 間(あいだ) marks the time span during which the ribbon is drying.
2The condition is じっとしてれば
  • じっとしていれば means “if you stay still”.
  • してれば is a casual contraction of していれば.
3すぐ済むだろ minimizes the problem
  • 済(す)む means the matter will be finished.
  • だろ frames it as obvious: if Kyouko waits, it will be over soon.

Vocabulary

(Every time)

毎回(まいかい) means every time or on each occasion.

See Also

ふだつきのキョーコちゃん © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.