Japanese with Manga

Speaking through Mokona with 語りかける

Vocabulary Explanation: Words ending in 掛ける

Clef, with a stern face, a jeweled circlet, and a large ornate collar, looms over the scene. Below him, Umi rests her head with her eyes closed, and Mokona sits in the lower right.
魔法騎士レイアース » Volume 2 » Page 71

Umi lies injured while Hikaru fights the woman in black alone. Umi wishes she had learned magic from Clef, the sorcerer who is Mokona’s true master, so she could help. The jewel on Mokona’s forehead turns from red to blue, and Clef’s voice calls her name.

海(うみ):
「……クレフ…？」
“...Clef...?”
クレフ:
「そうだ」
“That's right.”
「このモコナを通(つう)じておまえの心(こころ)に直接(ちょくせつ)語(かた)りかけている」
“I'm speaking directly to your heart through this Mokona.”
「聞(き)こえるか？」
“Can you hear me?”
海(うみ):
「聞(き)こえるわ」
“I can hear you.”

Key Points

1語(かた)りかける, speaking to someone
  • 語(かた)る means to tell or relate. Adding かける aims the words at a listener, so 語(かた)りかける means to speak to someone or address them.
  • It often appears with 心(こころ)に, speaking to someone’s heart. That fits Clef reaching Umi with magic instead of his voice.
2〜を通(つう)じて, “through”
  • このモコナを通(つう)じて means “through this Mokona”. 〜を通(つう)じて marks the channel or medium something passes through.
3〜ている for what’s happening right now
  • 語(かた)りかけている describes an action in progress: Clef is speaking to her at this moment.
4聞(き)こえる, being able to hear
  • 聞(き)こえる means a sound reaches someone, “can be heard”. 聞(き)こえるか？ checks whether his words are getting through.
  • Umi answers 聞(き)こえるわ. The わ is a soft sentence ending often used by female speakers.

Vocabulary

(So)

そう means “like that” or “that way”. Said alone, it agrees: “right”. After a verb stem or adjective, it means something looks or seems a certain way.

(This)

この means “this” or “these” and comes directly before a noun. It points to something near the speaker or something the speaker is referring to in the conversation.

(To get through)

通(つう)じる is to get through or connect, such as a road leading somewhere or a message being understood. 〜を通(つう)じて means “through” or “by way of”.

(You)

おまえ is a casual, rough word for “you”. Men often use it toward people of equal or lower standing. It is also written お前(まえ).

(Heart, mind)

心(こころ) is the heart or mind, where a person’s feelings, thoughts, and will are. 心(こころ)の目(め), “the mind’s eye”, is seeing or understanding without using your eyes.

(To speak to)

語(かた)りかける is to speak to someone directly, often earnestly or heart to heart. Eyes, music, or a scene can also be said to speak to a person.

(To be heard)

聞(き)こえる means a sound reaches someone’s ears, “can be heard”. 聞(き)こえる？ asks whether someone can hear you.

See Also

魔法騎士レイアース © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.