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Does しかたない imply disappointment?

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4

From the context of the original Japanese text, is seems that しかたない does not imply a negative feeling such as disappointment or dissatisfaction. Instead, it seems to mean "That's just the way it is" without any negative connotations.

However, all the English translations I have found, such as...

• I can tolerate it


• I can live with it


• I can accept it


• Oh well...

do imply some degree of negative feeling. (One translation is "I don't like it, but I can live with it.")

The Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikata_ga_nai is ambivalent about this question.

The context in which しかたない is being used is, for example:

• I have a headache.


• Here is a tablet. It takes 10 minutes to have an
  effect.


• しかたない

In English, that feels like (possibly slight) disappointment, but apparently, in Japanese, it does not.

meaning nuances

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

4

From the context of the original Japanese text, is seems that しかたない does not imply a negative feeling such as disappointment or dissatisfaction. Instead, it seems to mean "That's just the way it is" without any negative connotations.

However, all the English translations I have found, such as...

• I can tolerate it


• I can live with it


• I can accept it


• Oh well...

do imply some degree of negative feeling. (One translation is "I don't like it, but I can live with it.")

The Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikata_ga_nai is ambivalent about this question.

The context in which しかたない is being used is, for example:

• I have a headache.


• Here is a tablet. It takes 10 minutes to have an
  effect.


• しかたない

In English, that feels like (possibly slight) disappointment, but apparently, in Japanese, it does not.

meaning nuances

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

add a comment | 

From the context of the original Japanese text, is seems that しかたない does not imply a negative feeling such as disappointment or dissatisfaction. Instead, it seems to mean "That's just the way it is" without any negative connotations.

However, all the English translations I have found, such as...

• I can tolerate it


• I can live with it


• I can accept it


• Oh well...

do imply some degree of negative feeling. (One translation is "I don't like it, but I can live with it.")

The Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikata_ga_nai is ambivalent about this question.

The context in which しかたない is being used is, for example:

• I have a headache.


• Here is a tablet. It takes 10 minutes to have an
  effect.


• しかたない

In English, that feels like (possibly slight) disappointment, but apparently, in Japanese, it does not.

meaning nuances

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

share|improve this question

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

New contributor

Graham Horton is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

asked 2 hours ago

Graham HortonGraham Horton

494

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

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6

しかたない is a negative phrase, and it does imply some dissatisfaction, disappointment, etc. All the English translations you have found seem fine to me. In your last example, the speaker clearly dislikes the fact that the tablet takes 10 minutes to have an effect.

Etymologically, 仕方【しかた】 is "way (of doing something)" or "choice", and ない is "there is no ～". So "nothing can be done" or "there is no (better) choice" is the basic meaning.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "There is no choice" does not describe a negative feeling per se. (Although it is clear that there are situations in which it would imply it.)
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you for your answer. The (Japanese) person who used this phrase claimed it was a specifically Japanese attitude that is not found in the West. The Wikipedia article appears to support this. From his other statements on the subject, it seems that he meant that しかたない carried no feeling of dissatisfaction (towards a certain product attribute). However, your answer suggests that is not the case.
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I believe the concept of しかたない is universal, and I have no idea why such a mundane and uninteresting phrase is treated as something special in the English version of Wikipedia. (It reminded me of this.) Someone might say Japanese people are relatively forbearing in general, but I don't think it's a good idea to treat this phrase as if it were some mysterious catchphrase.
  
  – naruto
  52 mins ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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6

しかたない is a negative phrase, and it does imply some dissatisfaction, disappointment, etc. All the English translations you have found seem fine to me. In your last example, the speaker clearly dislikes the fact that the tablet takes 10 minutes to have an effect.

Etymologically, 仕方【しかた】 is "way (of doing something)" or "choice", and ない is "there is no ～". So "nothing can be done" or "there is no (better) choice" is the basic meaning.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "There is no choice" does not describe a negative feeling per se. (Although it is clear that there are situations in which it would imply it.)
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you for your answer. The (Japanese) person who used this phrase claimed it was a specifically Japanese attitude that is not found in the West. The Wikipedia article appears to support this. From his other statements on the subject, it seems that he meant that しかたない carried no feeling of dissatisfaction (towards a certain product attribute). However, your answer suggests that is not the case.
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I believe the concept of しかたない is universal, and I have no idea why such a mundane and uninteresting phrase is treated as something special in the English version of Wikipedia. (It reminded me of this.) Someone might say Japanese people are relatively forbearing in general, but I don't think it's a good idea to treat this phrase as if it were some mysterious catchphrase.
  
  – naruto
  52 mins ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

6

しかたない is a negative phrase, and it does imply some dissatisfaction, disappointment, etc. All the English translations you have found seem fine to me. In your last example, the speaker clearly dislikes the fact that the tablet takes 10 minutes to have an effect.

Etymologically, 仕方【しかた】 is "way (of doing something)" or "choice", and ない is "there is no ～". So "nothing can be done" or "there is no (better) choice" is the basic meaning.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  "There is no choice" does not describe a negative feeling per se. (Although it is clear that there are situations in which it would imply it.)
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  Thank you for your answer. The (Japanese) person who used this phrase claimed it was a specifically Japanese attitude that is not found in the West. The Wikipedia article appears to support this. From his other statements on the subject, it seems that he meant that しかたない carried no feeling of dissatisfaction (towards a certain product attribute). However, your answer suggests that is not the case.
  
  – Graham Horton
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I believe the concept of しかたない is universal, and I have no idea why such a mundane and uninteresting phrase is treated as something special in the English version of Wikipedia. (It reminded me of this.) Someone might say Japanese people are relatively forbearing in general, but I don't think it's a good idea to treat this phrase as if it were some mysterious catchphrase.
  
  – naruto
  52 mins ago
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

しかたない is a negative phrase, and it does imply some dissatisfaction, disappointment, etc. All the English translations you have found seem fine to me. In your last example, the speaker clearly dislikes the fact that the tablet takes 10 minutes to have an effect.

Etymologically, 仕方【しかた】 is "way (of doing something)" or "choice", and ない is "there is no ～". So "nothing can be done" or "there is no (better) choice" is the basic meaning.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295

answered 1 hour ago

narutonaruto

158k8151295