Japanese with Manga

Requesting a duel with 申し込む

Vocabulary Explanation: Words ending in 込む

Manga panel from それでも歩は寄せてくる showing example of Requesting a duel with 申し込む.
それでも歩は寄せてくる » Volume 6 » Page 27

After starting her first year of high school, Rin signs up for the same club as her upperclassmen from middle school. She expected to be signing up for the kendo club, only to find that Ayumu (Tanaka) and Takeru are in the shogi club now. Rin tells Urushi, as the club’s leader, to give them back.

凛(りん):
「田中(たなか)先輩(せんぱい)に決闘(けっとう)を申(もう)し込(こ)みます」
“I challenge Tanaka to a duel.”

Key Points

1決闘(けっとう)を申(もう)し込(こ)む = challenge someone to a duel
  • Rin uses 申(もう)し込(こ)む to put forward the duel as a formal challenge.
  • With 決闘(けっとう)を, translate the phrase as challenge to a duel. In application contexts, translate the same verb as apply or sign up.
2田中(たなか)先輩(せんぱい)に marks the person challenged
  • The particle に marks Tanaka as the target of the challenge.
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