【Top 10】日本人が使いすぎな英語のフレーズ・単語
このブログでは日本人がついつい使いすぎてしまうフレーズ・単語をご紹介します。決して間違いではないのですが、ネイティブスピーカーには少し「不自然」に聞こえる言い回し【トップ10】を選んでみました。より自然な言い方にも触れていますので、是非参考にしてみてくださいね。
1. To request
“My husband/wife requested that I stop at the supermarket to get some shopping before coming home.”
Comments:
The English is accurate, but sounds overly formal. In day-to-day conversations involving requests or favours between friends, family or colleagues, we tend to use “ask”.
“My husband/wife asked me to stop at the supermarket to get some shopping before coming home.”
2. to proceed
“We are going to proceed the project.”
Comments:
This sentence is ungrammatical because “proceed” cannot take a direct object. Minimally, the word “with” is required:
“We are going to proceed with the project.”
The correction is now natural and acceptable, but native speakers will often alternate this verbal phrase with “go ahead with”, with the nuanced meaning that something will now happen after a period of consultation and subsequent approval.
“We are going to go ahead with the project.”
3. There
“We went to a Chinese restaurant. The food there was very good. I loved all dishes there, but the next time I go there, I’ll order something more adventurous!”
Comments:
The English is accurate, but there is overuse of the word “there”. Once the location is established and thus obvious to the listener, it need not be referred to again. Simply nothing – no alternative or additional word – is better!
“We went to a Chinese restaurant. The food (there) was very good. I loved all dishes, but the next time I go, I’ll order something more adventurous!”
4. To give up
“We saw the long queue (line) for the attraction and gave up.”
Comments:
The English is accurate, but the nuance of “give up” is not quite right.
“to give up doing something” suggests trying first, discovering problems with doing and as a result of the difficulty, stopping or “giving up”. In this example sentence, there is no indication of trying first. “decide against [doing something]” is a better choice of phrasing.
Compare:
“We saw the long queue (line) for the attraction and decided against it.”
“After one hour of waiting in a queue (line) with no real progression, we gave up.”
5. To challenge
“I’m going to challenge with this project.”
This sentence sounds unnatural and stems from another bad translation of the 和製英語 of チャレンジする. The correct translation, when talking about oneself, is “to challenge myself”
“I’m going to challenge myself with this project.”
This is now acceptable in English, however there is one caveat. In English, we use this expression to describe “big” challenges that we want to undertake. We don’t use it for small day-to-day challenges with a relatively high likelihood of success.
E.g. “I’m going to aim to respond to all these emails by lunchtime.”
6. To travel
“We want to travel to Greece for 3 days at New Year.”
This sentence is not wrong, but the speaker is wanting to focus on the destination; on the reason for travelling to Greece – a vacation. Travel as a verb is used to focus on the journey itself; getting from A to B.
Much more common in natural English is to say “go on holiday” for British speakers and “go on vacation” for American speakers.
“We want to go on holiday to Greece for 3 days at New Year.”
7. Glad
“I was very glad during my school years.”
This sentence is not impossible, but “glad” has a more nuanced meaning in English. It is a combination of “happy” and “relieved”. (One exception below). The latter element is important. Under most circumstances, it sounds strange to feel “relieved” for talking about general happiness. The emotion is just “happiness”.
“I was very happy during my school years.”
Compare:
“I’m happy about the choice of candidate we made.”
General meaning: that after interviewing several candidates, I feel happy (and presumably confident) about selecting one candidate over the others.
“I’m glad about the choice of candidate we made.”
Six months later, the new employee is doing a great job. I feel happy and relieved, with the benefit of hindsight, that I chose the right candidate.
One exception:
“I was glad to help.”
“I will be glad to help.”
Glad to do something = to be happy and willing to do something
8. that’s true
“You’re taking a day off tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“(That’s) true.”
This sounds slightly unnatural. More common would be to say “that’s right”.
This is especially the case when replying to someone who is essentially just checking that they hold correct information.
“That’s true” is used in response to a statement of fact or opinion that sounds novel to you but convincing.
“London is expensive.”
“That’s right.” = I have thought the same.
“London is in many ways very similar to Tokyo: dense population; large metropolis; big transport networks.”
“That’s true” = I have never thought about this before, but I can’t deny the truth to the claim.
9. Bad condition
“I’m in bad condition”
This phrase means something other than what is usually intended.
“in bad condition” = in a poor state of health and/or physically unfit
Usually, people just want to say that they have a cold and are feeling a little bit unwell.
In such case, use “I’m feeling (a bit) unwell,”; “I’m feeling under the weather.”; “I’m not at my best today.”.
10. Cost performance
“The cost performance of that restaurant was good.”
Comments:
This sentence sounds unnatural and stems from a bad translation of the 和製英語 of コスパ. It’s better to say “value for money”. In English, the phrase originates in the specialised language of economists when discussing the Cost Performance Index.
“That restaurant offered good value for money.”
PS Englishでは、ロンドン・イギリスだけでなく、オンラインで世界中に拠点を置く日本人の皆様を対象に、英会話教育を行っています。より自然な英語を話せるように、ネイティブスピーカーの講師がマンツーマンでレッスンを行います。ネイティブのようなナチュラルな英語を話したい！イギリス英語を学びたい！という方は是非こちらから無料コンサルテーションをお申込みください。
一般英語だけでなく、ビジネス英語、IELTS対策、お子様向けレッスンも行っています。また、履歴書や論文などの添削サービスも提供していますので、お気軽にご相談ください。