Japanese Conversation · Level 126
60 words
Japanese word
勘弁
Pronunciation
Romajikanben
Meaning
- noungive me a break
Example
これ以上は勘弁してください。ko re i jō wa kan ben shi te ku da sa i
Please give me a break.
More examples
今回は勘弁してもらえませんか。kon kai wa kan ben shi te mo ra e ma se n ka
Could you let me off this time?
Core concept
Signals that a situation has reached a limit and that the speaker wants the other person to stop or let the matter go.
Common phrases
勘弁してくれkan ben shi te ku re
give me a break
Similar words
容赦yōsha: Mercy or leniency that prevents a person from receiving punishment or harsh treatment.
堪忍kannin: Forbearance that allows a fault or an unpleasant situation to be accepted without complaint.
許しyurushi: An act of forgiving someone for a mistake or offense.
Definition in Japanese
限界を感じ、相手にそれ以上のことをせず見逃してほしいと求める気持ち。gen kai o kan ji ai te ni so re i jō no ko to o se zu mi noga shi te ho shi i to moto me ru ki mo chi
Word origin
勘弁 (kanben) is a Sino-Japanese formation from 勘 (kan, "judgment") and 弁 (ben, "discernment"), and the compound came to express pardon or being spared.
Usage tips
- The phrase 勘弁してください (kanben shite kudasai) is more polite than the blunt 勘弁して (kanben shite), but both can express refusal, exasperation, or a request to be let off.
Other meanings
- spare menoun
- mercynoun
Related words
- 勘弁するkanbensuruspareverb