This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

わざわざ憎まれ役を買って出るようだが、でも一つ聞きたいね。期待しているような客がもし一人もいなかったらどうすればいいんだ。

Sentence Analyzer

わざわざ 憎まれ役 買って 出る よう でも 一つ 聞きたい 期待している ような もし いなかったら どう すれば いい

English Translation

I may be playing the devil's advocate, but I have to ask, what are we going to do if we don't get all the customers we expect?

Furigana

わざわざ(にく)まれ(やく)()って()るようだが、でも(ひと)()きたいね。期待(きたい)しているような(きゃく)がもし(いち)(にん)もいなかったらどうすればいいんだ。

Romanji

Wazawaza nikumareyaku o katte deru yō da ga, demo hitotsu kikitai ne. kitaishiteiru yōna kyaku ga moshi ichi nin mo inakattara dō sureba ii n da.

Words

態々 (わざわざ)
expressly; specially; doing something especially rather than incidentally
憎まれ役 (にくまれやく)
thankless role; ungracious part
()
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.
買う (かう)
to buy; to purchase; to value; to have a high opinion; to stir; to provoke
出る (でる)
to leave; to exit; to go out; to come out; to get out; to leave (on a journey); to depart; to start out; to set out; to move forward; to come to; to get to; to lead to; to reach; to appear; to come out; to emerge; to surface; to come forth; to turn up; to be found; to be detected; to be discovered; to be exposed; to show; to be exhibited; to be on display; to appear (in print); to be published; to be announced; to be issued; to be listed; to come out; to attend; to participate; to take part; to enter (an event); to play in; to perform; to be stated; to be expressed; to come up; to be brought up; to be raised; to sell; to exceed; to go over; to stick out; to protrude; to break out; to occur; to start; to originate; to be produced; to come from; to be derived from; to be given; to get; to receive; to be offered; to be provided; to be presented; to be submitted; to be handed in; to be turned in; to be paid; to answer (phone, door, etc.); to get; to assume (an attitude); to act; to behave; to pick up (speed, etc.); to gain; to flow (e.g. tears); to run; to bleed; to graduate
(よう)
appearing ...; looking ...; way to ...; method of ...ing; form; style; design; like; similar to; thing (thought or spoken)
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative
()
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and
でも (でも)
but; however; though; nevertheless; still; yet; even so; even; however; no matter how; even if; even though; ... or something; either ... or ...; neither ... nor ...; pseudo-; quack; in-name-only; for lack of anything better to do
一つ (ひとつ)
one; for one thing; only; (not) even; just (e.g. "just try it")
聞く (きく)
to hear; to listen (e.g. to music); to ask; to enquire; to query; to learn of; to hear about; to follow (advice); to comply with; to smell (esp. incense); to sample fragrance
(ね、ねえ)
indicates emphasis, agreement, request for confirmation, etc.; is it so; hey; come on; listen; not
期待 (きたい)
expectation; anticipation; hope
様だ (ようだ)
(usu. at sentence-end) seeming to be; appearing to be; like; similar to; in order to (e.g. meet goal); so that; indicates hope, wish, request or mild command
(きゃく、かく)
guest; visitor; customer; client; shopper; spectator; audience; tourist; sightseer; passenger
若し (もし)
if; in case; supposing
(いち)
one; best; first; foremost; beginning; start; bottom string (on a shamisen, etc.)
(じん)
-ian (e.g. Italian); -ite (e.g. Tokyoite); indicates nationality, race, origin, etc.; -er (e.g. performer, etc.); person working with ...; indicates expertise (in a certain field); (usu. in compound words) man; person; people
()
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
要る (いる)
to need; to want
如何 (どう、いかが、いか)
how; in what way; how about
為る (する)
to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
いい (いい)
good; excellent; fine; nice; pleasant; agreeable; sufficient (can be used to turn down an offer); ready; prepared; profitable (e.g. deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial; OK
()
yes; yeah; uh huh; negative verb ending used in informal speech (abbr. of negative verb ending "nu"); abbr. of particle "no"; abbr. of particle "ni" (used especially when it precedes the verb "naru")

Kanji

Readings: ゾウ、 にく.む、 にく.い、 にく.らしい、 にく.しみ
Meanings: hate, detest
Readings: ヤク、 エキ
Meanings: duty, war, campaign, drafted labor, office, service, role
Readings: バイ、 か.う
Meaning: buy
Readings: シュツ、 スイ、 で.る、 -で、 だ.す、 -だ.す、 い.でる、 い.だす
Meanings: exit, leave, go out, come out, put out, protrude
Readings: イチ、 イツ、 ひと-、 ひと.つ
Meanings: one, one radical (no.1)
Readings: ブン、 モン、 き.く、 き.こえる
Meanings: hear, ask, listen
Readings: キ、 ゴ
Meanings: period, time, date, term
Readings: タイ、 ま.つ、 -ま.ち
Meanings: wait, depend on
Readings: キャク、 カク
Meanings: guest, visitor, customer, client
Readings: ジン、 ニン、 ひと、 -り、 -と
Meaning: person