Japanese with Manga

Testing one's detective ability with 能力

Kanji Explanation: Ability and capability with 能

Manga panel from 名探偵コナン showing example of Testing one's detective ability with 能力.
名探偵コナン » Volume 6 » Page 18

Conan finds himself in the clutches of dangerous pair, only to discover it’s his parents in disguise.

コナン:
「ハハ…　それでオレが薬(くすり)で小(ちい)さくされた事情(じじょう)を阿笠(あがさ)博士(はかせ)に聞(き)いて、こんな悪巧(わるだく)みを仕組(しく)んだってわけか…」
“So you heard from Dr. Agasa about how I was shrunk by a drug and cooked up this evil scheme, huh...”
父(とう)さん:
「悪巧(わるだく)みじゃないさ！　おまえの探偵(たんてい)としての能力(のうりょく)を試(ため)してんだよ…」
“It's not an evil scheme! I'm just testing your abilities as a detective...”
Literal: “It isn't an evil scheme! I'm testing your ability as a detective...”

Key Points

1能力(のうりょく) = ability or capacity
  • Here 能力(のうりょく) means Conan’s capability as a detective.
  • It refers to overall ability, broader than one specific skill.
2探偵(たんてい)としての能力(のうりょく) means ability in the role of a detective
  • としての frames the standard or role being judged.
  • The father is specifically testing Conan’s competence as a detective, not as a child or son.
3試(ため)してんだよ is casual explanatory speech
  • 試(ため)してんだ is a contraction of 試(ため)しているんだ.
  • It gives the line a relaxed but explanatory tone: “I’m testing you, that’s all.”
  • それで at the start of a sentence refers back to something previously said and introduces the result, much like “so” or “therefore” or “and then”.

Vocabulary

(Ability)

能力(のうりょく) generally means the power to accomplish things, or the function of that power. It includes both natural talents and qualities developed through learning and experience.

See Also

  • External: Past tense with 〜た・〜だ
名探偵コナン © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.