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

ビルとお兄さんの区別がつかない。

Sentence Analyzer

びる 兄さん 区別 つかない

English Translation

I never can tell Bill from his brother.

Furigana

ビルとお(にい)さんの区別(くべつ)がつかない。

Romanji

Biru to o niisan no kubetsu ga tsukanai.

Words

ビル (ビル)
multi-floor building; multi-storey building; bill
()
if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)
(お、おん)
honorific/polite/humble prefix
兄さん (にいさん、あにさん)
older brother; elder brother; brother (as older-brother figure in friendly and or work relationship); (vocative) young man; buddy; fella; laddie
()
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
区別 (くべつ)
distinction; differentiation; classification
()
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and
点く (つく)
to be lit (e.g. electricity comes on); to be lighted; to catch fire

Kanji

Readings: ケイ、 キョウ、 あに
Meanings: elder brother, big brother
Readings: ク、 オウ、 コウ
Meanings: ward, district
Readings: ベツ、 わか.れる、 わ.ける
Meanings: separate, branch off, diverge, fork, another, extra, specially