以前は氷を売ることなどだれも思いつかなかった。

Sentence Analyzer

English Translation

No one had ever thought of selling ice before.

Furigana

以前(いぜん)は氷(こおり)を売(う)ることなどだれも思(おも)いつかなかった。

Romanji

Izen wa kōri o uru koto nado dare mo omoitsukanakatta.

Words

以前 (いぜん)

ago; since; before; previous

は (は)

topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis

氷 (こおり)

ice; shaved ice (usually served with flavored simple syrup)

を (を)

indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.

売る (うる)

to sell

事 (こと、こん)

thing; matter; incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble; crisis; circumstances; situation; state of affairs; work; business; affair; after an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker does not feel close to; nominalizing suffix; pretending to ...; playing make-believe ...; alias; aka; nickname; alternative name; also known as

等 (など)

et cetera; etc.; and the like; and so forth; or something; the likes of

誰 (だれ、たれ、た)

who

も (も)

too; also; in addition; as well; (not) either (in a negative sentence); both A and B; A as well as B; neither A nor B (in a negative sentence); even; as much as; as many as; as far as; as long as; no less than; no fewer than; even if; even though; although; in spite of; further; more; again; another; the other

思い付く (おもいつく)

to think of; to hit upon; to come into one's mind; to be struck with an idea