If you have watched or read JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, you know this series is packed with so many unique characters and memorable quotes. Part 4 is many poeope’s favourtie, and probably Rohan Kishibe (岸辺露伴) has one of the most well-known phrases in the series.
だが断る。
Daga kotowaru
But I refuse.
Rohan used this phrase to decline Yuya Higashikawa(Highway Start)’s offer when Yuya suggested to let Rohan go if he lured Josuke inside the room. Rohan replies with this phrase, stating that he finds enjoyment to say no straight to the face of those people who think ‘they are hot shit’.
In this blog article, I am going to breakdown this quote, and also explore some phrases you can use when you decline an offer/suggestion in Japanese!
Breakdown of the quote
Firstly, let’s look at the vocabulary in this phrase! It’s a short phrase so it should be quite easy 🙂
だが : daga / however
断る: kotowaru / to refuse
Note「断る」here is the dictionary form (casual form) of 「断ります」. Obviously, Rohan is not showing any politeness to Yuya.
Saying no in Japanese
As you may already know, this phrase is very popular among not only JoJo fans but also any manga and anime lovers due to the context of the scene and the quote’s abrupt appearance. Having said that, saying no straight to someone’s face, as you can imagine, is quite rude and many Japanese people avoid that.
Therefore, I would like to introduce some phrases you can use when you actually want to say no in Japanese without appearing rude (^_^).
Let’s say someone invited you for a movie but you are not very keen, therefore, would like to say no. As discussed above, saying no can sound too direct and can come across rude in Japanese because you are expected to show consideration for the person who invited you and how they might feel when their offer was declined. Hence, here are steps you should follow:
1. Thank the person for inviting
Examples:
誘ってくれてありがとう : sasotte kurete arigato / thank you for inviting me
2. Express you are sorry that you cannot accept the invitation
Examples for the first part:
残念ですが : zannen desuga / Unfortunately
誠に不本意ですが: makoto ni fuhon’i desuga / it’s against my will (I really want to accept your invitation) [formal]
せっかくですが : sekkaku desuga / I am afraid, I appreciate your offer but
3. State why you cannot come
Examples:
家庭 (学校)の事情で行くことができません。：katei (gakkou) no jijou de ikukoto ga dekimasen / Due to family matters (school-related reasons) I won‘t be able to come
都合が合わないため行くことができません。tsugou ga awanai tame ikukoto ga dekimasen / Due to scheduling conflicts, I won‘t be able to come.
他に用事があるため行くことができません。: hoka ni youji ga arutame ikukoto ga dekimasen / I have another plan. Therefore, I won‘t be able to come.
4. Suggest an alternative idea if you want to or add a phrase to wish they still have a good time without you
Examples:
(Another time or day) はどうですか。: How about (Another time or day)?
本当にごめんなさい。：I am really sorry.
私の分も楽しんできてください：watashi no bun mo tanoshinde kite kudasai / Have fun for me.
Summary / まとめ
To sum up, this blog article talked about Rohan Kishibe‘s famous quote 「だが、断る。」(But, I refuse). Additionally, we discussed how we can politely decline an offer or a suggestion in Japanese. Remember, don‘t say no in the Rohan style in Japan!
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