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

彼は誰の言うことも聞こうとしない。石像にでも話し掛けるほうがましだ。

Sentence Analyzer

言う こと 聞こう しない 石像 でも 話し掛ける ほう まし

English Translation

He will not listen to any of us; you might as well talk to a figure of stone.

Furigana

(かれ)(だれ)()うことも()こうとしない。石像(せきぞう)にでも(はな)()けるほうがましだ。

Romanji

Kare wa dare no iu koto mo kikou to shinai. sekizō ni demo hanashikakeru hō ga mashi da.

Words

(かれ)
he; him; his; boyfriend
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
(だれ、たれ、た)
who
()
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
言う (いう、ゆう)
to say; to utter; to declare; to name; to call; to go (e.g. "the alarm went ping"); to make a noise
(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
()
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
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
()
if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)
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
石像 (せきぞう)
stone statue
()
at (place, time); in; on; during; to (direction, state); toward; into; for (purpose); because of (reason); for; with; by; from; as (i.e. in the role of); per; in; for; a (e.g. "once a month"); and; in addition to; if; although
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
話しかける (はなしかける)
to address (someone); to accost a person; to talk (to someone); to begin to talk; to start a conversation
切っ先 (きっさき、ほう)
point (of a sword, etc.); pointed verbal attack
()
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and
増し (まし、マシ)
better; less objectionable; preferable; more; increase; extra; increase; growth
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: ヒ、 かれ、 かの、 か.の
Meanings: he, that, the
Readings: スイ、 だれ、 たれ、 た
Meanings: who, someone, somebody
Readings: ゲン、 ゴン、 い.う、 こと
Meanings: say, word
Readings: ブン、 モン、 き.く、 き.こえる
Meanings: hear, ask, listen
Readings: セキ、 シャク、 コク、 いし
Meaning: stone
Reading: ゾウ
Meanings: statue, picture, image, figure, portrait
Readings: ワ、 はな.す、 はなし
Meanings: tale, talk
Readings: カイ、 ケイ、 か.ける、 -か.ける、 か.け、 -か.け、 -が.け、 か.かる、 -か.かる、 -が.かる、 か.かり、 -が.かり、 かかり、 -がかり
Meanings: hang, suspend, depend, arrive at, tax, pour