Japanese from zero · N1 Lesson 8
Mori's department
〜に言わせれば ・ 〜ときたら ・ いかにも ・ 〜ぶり/〜っぷり
In this lesson, you will learn to give your own frank view with 〜に言わせれば, to bring up someone you are about to grumble about with 〜ときたら, to say something is exactly what you would expect with いかにも, and to talk about the way someone does something with 〜ぶり and 〜っぷり. In Lisa's second week in the trade department, Ai, her trainer, takes her out to lunch and talks about their manager.
By the end you will be able to say
うちの 部長ときたら、毎朝 七時に 来るんだから。Honestly, our manager comes in at seven every morning.
私に言わせれば、部長ほど 誠実な 人は いない。If you ask me, there's no one as sincere as the manager.
いかにも 部長らしい 仕事ぶりです。It's a way of working that is so like the manager.
リサ、いい 食べっぷりだね。Lisa, you really tuck in.
部長は 新人の 仕事ぶりを よく 見て います。The manager keeps a close eye on the way the new employees work.
The grammar in this lesson
- 〜に言わせれば — if you ask (me); in (someone's) view — A person + に言わせれば puts forward that person's own, often frank, opinion.
- 〜ときたら — and as for (them), honestly — A noun + ときたら brings up someone or something the speaker is about to grumble about, tease or marvel at.
- いかにも — truly; just as you would expect — いかにも says something fits its type perfectly, usually with 〜らしい or 〜そうだ.
- 〜ぶり / 〜っぷり — the way someone does it — A noun or a ます-stem + ぶり describes how someone does something; っぷり is a hearty, casual version.