# Specific Japanese Language Q: "Behind" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2015, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895 "2015-03-01T00:29:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2015, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/21 "2015-03-05T22:55:29Z")
I’m going to guess that the OP’s examples are mis-tranlsations for “ushiro”, or a related term, rather than “oshiri”. Ushiro = I am walking behind the group Oshiri = The group is walking over my behind I’d probably translate it as “back” if ever there was the potential for it to be confused in English. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/22 "2015-03-06T00:10:19Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Thanks, I stand corrected. I must have misunderstood something I read on the topic, and ended up with the impression that Hangul was simply a modification of Chinese characters. They are not, but even if they were, that would not imply that they were the same as Kana. As noted, Korean script looks nothing at all like Kana. It is probably the most scientifically design alphabet in existence, since the shape of the letters are taken from the shape of the mouth and/or position of the tongue when pronouncing the corresponding sound. (That’s oversimplified a bit, but basically correct.) The Japanese Kana are syllabaries, not alphabets. Each symbol represents a consonant-vowel pair (with a few exceptions). ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/23 "2015-03-06T00:53:39Z")
> [@TokyoBayer](#): > > Because the number of J-Pop song writers in Japan speaking English fluently can be counted on less than one finger? 😉 Yeah, nonsense or broken English is the norm. However, I went through this band’s (small) catalogue and didn’t find any egregious errors in English, where it was used. I tried to find out who was the lyricist but didn’t get any leads. Perhaps the lyricist is bilingual, or perhaps they get their English checked by someone. (N.B.That’s more likely than one of the band members speaking English, Japanese and Korean fluently enough to translate the English (and Japanese) terms into Korean - lol):smack: Honestly, I can’t see any reason here to say that the writer, whoever it is, did not intend to say they missed their lover’s butt. I’m willing to concede if further evidence otherwise comes to light, but until then… I give it the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/24 "2015-03-06T02:39:05Z")
I doubt it’s literally meant to be taken as them missing their butt. It strikes me as the same sort of figurative “butt” in phrases like “get your butt/ass over here”. It’s a common synecdoche in English, to use a person’s rear to stand for “them” in some way. Just like “I’ll kick your ass/butt” just more figuratively means you’re going to beat that person up or otherwise tear them down. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/25 "2015-03-06T02:45:59Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > I doubt it’s literally meant to be taken as them missing their butt. It strikes me as the same sort of figurative “butt” in phrases like “get your butt/ass over here”. It’s a common synecdoche in English, to use a person’s rear to stand for “them” in some way. Just like “I’ll kick your ass/butt” just more figuratively means you’re going to beat that person up or otherwise tear them down. Yes. Of course. I didn’t discount a figurative meaning of ‘behind’. I didn’t even imply a literal meaning. Butt it’s anyone’s guess, in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895/26 "2015-03-06T02:50:15Z")
I’m just saying there’s no reason to think the writer made a mistake and really meant something like “you left me behind”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/specific-japanese-language-q-behind/713895.md?page=1)