Japanese with Manga

Not able to swim with 泳がれへん

Grammar Explanation: Negation with 〜ない

Manga panel from カードキャプターさくら showing example of Not able to swim with 泳がれへん.
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Sakura and Kero are supposed to discuss a Clow Card causing problems at the elementary school school. After taking her homemade pancakes to her brother and Yukito, Sakura’s happiness over making something for Yukito overtakes her concern of Clow Cards. Kero tries to get her back on track.

桜(さくら):
「カードより雪兎(ゆきと)だよーーー」
“Forget the cards, Yukito's way more important!”
Literal: “It's Yukito more than the cards!”
ケロ:
「おいおい！なんとかせな」
“Hey hey! You've gotta do something about it!”
「安心(あんしん)してプールで泳(およ)がれへんで！」
“The pool can't be swam in safely!”

Key Points

1泳(およ)がれへん means “won’t be able to swim” in Kero’s Kansai speech
  • The common-language equivalent is 泳(およ)げない, the negative potential form of 泳(およ)ぐ.
  • Here it describes what the trouble at the school pool will prevent, not Sakura’s swimming ability in general.
2なんとかせな means “we’ve got to do something about it”
  • This is a clipped Kansai obligation. Compare common-language なんとかしなければ or なんとかしないと.
  • The rest, such as あかん “it won’t do”, is left unsaid because the need to act is already clear.
3安心(あんしん)して describes how someone would swim
  • In 安心(あんしん)してプールで泳(およ)ぐ, the て-form means “swim feeling at ease”.
  • プールで marks the pool as the place where the swimming happens.
4Sentence-final で gives Kero’s warning a push
  • This Kansai で works much like common-language よ here. Kero is pressing the consequence on Sakura.
5カードより雪兎(ゆきと)だ puts Yukito ahead of the cards
  • カードより sets “the cards” as the comparison baseline. Sakura leaves the scale unstated, but her meaning is that Yukito matters more.

Vocabulary

(Peace of mind)

安心(あんしん) means peace of mind or relief from anxiety. It describes feeling that there is no longer a reason to worry.

See Also

カードキャプターさくら © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.