Japanese with Manga

Ordering four curries with 〜ってば

Grammar Explanation: Insisting with 〜ってば

At a festival stall at night, Kyouko, seen from behind with her wavy hair pinned up and a rose-patterned yukata, stands beside Lulu, whose hair is tied with ribbons. Behind the counter, Chii-bou, wearing a cook's cap, ladles curry with a stiff grin.
キラキラとギラギラ » Volume 3 » Page 43

At the summer festival, Lulu and her friends join a long line at a popular food stall. It turns out to be the curry stand of Chii-bou, a rough guy they know. When the girls order four curries, he snaps at them and demands to know whether they came to mock him or to get in his way.

響子(きょうこ):
「だからカレー4(よっ)つだってば」
“I said, four curries.”
Literal: “So, it's four curries, I tell you.”
チー坊(ぼう):
「あっ　はい……」
“Oh... right...”

Key Points

1Noun ＋ だ ＋ ってば
  • カレー4(よっ)つ is a noun phrase, so it takes だ before ってば: カレー4(よっ)つだってば.
  • Kyouko is saying again what the girls want. ってば gives it the feel of “I said”.
2だから, “like I said”
  • だから often means “so” or “therefore”. Opening a reply like this, it means “like I said” and points back to something already stated.
  • Together, だから and ってば make it clear the order was never in doubt.
3Chii-bou backs down
  • あっ　はい is a meek “oh, yes”. Chii-bou drops his rough talk and answers like a stall owner taking an order.

Vocabulary

(Curry)

カレー is curry, especially Japanese-style curry served over rice. It is short for カレーライス.

See Also

キラキラとギラギラ © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.