Glossary entry

Japanese term or phrase:

チャリ

English translation:

ding (of a bicycle)

Added to glossary by Lara Silbert
Apr 17, 2010 16:32
14 yrs ago
Japanese term

チャリ

Japanese to English Art/Literary Poetry & Literature
As in the sound, not as in a bicycle. I'm not quite sure what the English equivalent would be.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +4 ding (of a bicycle)

Proposed translations

+4
26 mins
Selected

ding (of a bicycle)

Without context, it's hard to say the exact sound you'd use, but if it's a bicycle it'd be "ding" or "ching", while for coins or something small like that, it'd be "clink" or "plink." Does this work within the context?
Note from asker:
yep that works well, thx :)
Peer comment(s):

agree Yumico Tanaka (X) : "clink clank" may do as well.
5 hrs
thanks!
agree Yumiko English
10 hrs
thanks!
agree Joyce A
10 hrs
thanks!
agree Eric Quek
1 day 18 hrs
thanks!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "thanks! :) very helpful"

Reference comments

2 days 1 hr
Reference:

May be not an onomatopoeia/擬音語でない可能性があります。

自転車ではない、ということですが、鎖やポケットの小銭が鳴る音でしょうか。

だとすると、clink(チャリ)やtinkle (チャリーン)などの擬音語が該当すると思いますが、自転車の場合、以下のリンクにある通り、語源として(1)擬音語(自転車のベルの音)によるとする説と、(2)チャヂョンゴ(자전거)という韓国語を語源とする2つの説が存在します。

http://zokugo-dict.com/17ti/charinko.htm

(1)であれば擬音語と同様にclink(チャリ)やtinkle (チャリーン)が該当すると思います。

しかし、(2)の場合、実際に「自転車をチャリチャリこぐ」などの表現が存在することから、「チャリンコ」を語源とする擬態語であると考えられます。したがって英語でも自転車をこぐ(pedaling)擬態語が必要であるということになります。

ご参考にして頂けましたら幸甚です。

Presumably the sound of a metal chain or changes in the pocket if it is not bike-related.

The onomatopoeia "clink" or "tinkle" would be appropriate for the translation in this case.

If it is related to a bicycle as mentioned by the others, there are two options because the word チャリンコ has two etymological theories, i.e. (1) sound of a bicycle bell, and (2) korean word 자전거 (jajeongeo: bicycle) as seen on the webpage at the link below:

http://zokugo-dict.com/17ti/charinko.htm

If (1) is the case, the onomatopoeia "clink" or "tinkle" also works.

However, if (2) is the case, it is considered to be a mimetic word for biking or pedaling derived from the word チャリンコ, and therefore the English equivalent thereof should be the target word.

As a native Japanese speaker, I feel more of "cruising slowly" than "zooming fast" when I hear somebody saying "チャリチャリこぐ," (biking up; cruising on a bike peacefully, or not vigorously, applying force on the pedal as appropriate to maintain the cruise.)

So the option may be "cruising on a bike" if no mimetic word is available in English.

I hope this helps you and everybody posting a target.
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