In search GIMI

I should say, that right off the bat, I have a little trouble with GIMI, even if I have a great mnemonic device for it.

GIMI (Gimee) a little! That's how I remember it! Why? Because it means "little bit" like... "He looks a little bit tired". It sort of means that something has a tendency to be something, or that if seems like something.

Learn Japanese Free suggests that it means that whatever it is, the feeling of the sensation is very low, which I think is sort of a helpful way of thinking about it. Like... he's-not-fat,-it-just-looks-like-me-sort-of-be-on-the-way-towards-it kind of feeling. Or maybe, I'm-not-really-that-tired-but-I'm-sort-of-starting-to-feel-it kind of feeling.

Where I found it is on a great website that I'm now in love with. It's called Hitotsuna which is a really interesting site where you write a message, take a photo of you holding it, and someone responds to it in the same way. Then that person, in turn, asks a question or makes a statement. There is a cute explanation written in very simple Japanese with English translations here. I found our grammar point in this little exchange:

So the first message is:

• 夏バテ気味です。
• NatsuBATE gimi desu.

There is a translation provided there, which says "the heat is getting to me" which I think is about as close as you're going to get to a comprehensible English sentence if you're going to translate it. This blog, however, isn't necessarily about translation, so I'm going to try and work out the mechanics of what this grammar point is really saying.

•  夏バテ= Summer heat (associated with suffering in the heat)
• 気味です= vague sensation

So what this is really trying to say is that he's starting to feel the heat. Is it hot yet? No, but it's getting there.

The answer, which I love, is from that adorable office lady who says: Let's fall in love!

Haha! I think this also funny because his phrase indicates that it's not quite summer yet (it's just starting to feel like it) and spring is associated with love. So, the ladies response is funny on its own, but there's a little extra layer of hilarity there too.

Anyway, browse the website! It's amazing! It's fun! And sometimes there are some really profound exchanges.

I, for example like:

• Beer is too delicious.
• It's a good thing if it's delicious!

Or my favorite:

• What should I do to get a better sense of security?
• Alcohol!

For the most part, the translations are spot on, so if you're Japanese isn't as good as you'd like it to be, you can rely on those a bit.