Today’s phrase / 今日のフレーズ
Today’s phrase is by 空条承太郎 (Jotaro Kujo) from ジョジョの奇妙な冒険三部 – JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 3.
michi to iu no wa jibun de kirihiraku mono da
道（みち）というのものは自分（じぶん）で切（き）り開（ひら）くものだ。
A road is something you make.
By reading this blog post, you will understand the following:
- How to use an expression ‘[Noun] is something you [verb].’
First, let’s look at the vocabulary in this phrase
道（みち）: a road
というもの: a thing which is called …
自分で: by oneself
切り開く: to cut open
もの: a thing
So, the first part of the phrase 道というものは is ‘A thing called road’.
Then, look at the second part of the sentence. When you see a plain form verb (切り開く) sitting right before a noun (もの), then this is what’s called a relative clause – in English, you can express this by saying [noun] which you [verb].
Therefore, 自分で切り開くものだ is ‘a thing that you cut open by yourself’.
This structure (Nounというのは､Verb ものだ) is useful in many other occasions.
Example / 例（れい）
お金（かね）というものは、自分で稼（かせ）ぐものだ。
Money is something you earn yourself.
あいさつというのもは、誰（だれ）にでもするものだ。
Greeting is something you do to anyone.
You can also use an adjective instead of a verb. For instance,
動物（どうぶつ）というものは、かわいいものだ。
Animals are something cute.
子育（こそだ）てというものは、難（むずか）しいものだ。
Raising children is something difficult.
みなさん、わかりましたか？Now, you are one step closer to talking like Jotaro Kujo!
What quotes from Jotaro did you find the most inspiring? Let me know if the comment section below.
Comments