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

我々の大学時代にはしのぎを削った者だ。

Sentence Analyzer

我々 大学 時代 しのぎ 削った

English Translation

We used to compete furiously in college.

Furigana

我々(われわれ)大学(だいがく)時代(じだい)にはしのぎを(けず)った(もの)だ。

Romanji

Wareware no daigaku jidai ni wa shinogi o kezutta mono da.

Words

我々 (われわれ)
we
()
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
大学 (だいがく)
post-secondary education institution, incl. university, college, etc.; former central university of Kyoto (established under the ritsuryo system for the training of government administrators); the Great Learning - one of the Four Books
時代 (じだい)
period; epoch; era; age; the times; those days; oldness; ancientness; antiquity; antique; period piece
()
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
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
(しのぎ)
ridges on a blade (sword, knife, etc.); ridged pattern in building
()
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.
削る (けずる)
to shave (wood or leather); to sharpen; to plane; to whittle; to pare; to scrape off; to shave off (e.g. a budget, expenses, a salary, etc.); to curtail; to cut down; to cross out; to reduce; to curtail; to remove; to erase; to delete
(もの、もん)
person
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: ガ、 われ、 わ、 わ.が-、 わが-
Meanings: ego, I, selfish, our, oneself
Readings: ダイ、 タイ、 おお-、 おお.きい、 -おお.いに
Meanings: large, big
Readings: ガク、 まな.ぶ
Meanings: study, learning, science
Readings: ジ、 とき、 -どき
Meanings: time, hour
Readings: ダイ、 タイ、 か.わる、 かわ.る、 かわ.り、 か.わり、 -がわ.り、 -が.わり、 か.える、 よ、 しろ
Meanings: substitute, change, convert, replace, period, age, counter for decades of ages, eras, etc., generation, charge, rate, fee
Readings: サク、 けず.る、 はつ.る、 そ.ぐ
Meanings: plane, sharpen, whittle, pare, shave
Readings: シャ、 もの
Meanings: someone, person