二人とも
futaritomo
The Japanese phrase for "both of you" is 二人とも (futaritomo).
二人とも is used to refer to a pair of people together. Because Japanese often omits explicit pronouns, this phrase can refer to "both of you", "both of us" or "both of them" depending on the context of the conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
futaritomo
Did you know?
- The phrase 二人とも uses a special reading for 'two people' called futari. This is one of the few remaining vestiges of an ancient Japanese counting system that existed before the language adopted Chinese numerals.
- If you want to address 'both of you' with extra politeness, you can simply add the honorific prefix お to create お二人とも. This small addition transforms the phrase from a casual observation into a respectful way to address guests or superiors.
- Because Japanese is a high-context language, the most natural way to say 'both of you' is often to say nothing at all. If the two people are already the focus of the conversation, mentioning 二人とも can actually sound redundant or unnatural.
Examples in context
- 二人とも大好きよ。I love both of you.This sentence shows how to express affection toward both people using 二人とも.Tatoeba #10159853 by small_snow, translation #2380235 by CK
- 二人とも正しいよ。Both of you are right.This sentence is useful for stating that both people are correct using 二人とも.Tatoeba #10212639 by small_snow, translation #2507034 by CK
- 二人ともありがとう。Thanks to both of you.This sentence shows how to express gratitude to both people using 二人とも.Tatoeba #2991029 by tommy_san, translation #3049960 by CK
- お二人はご夫婦ですか？Are both of you married?
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui is talking to Hiroto and another friend about dinner.
- 結衣 Yui二人とも、何を食べたい？Futari tomo, nani o tabetai?What do both of you want to eat?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕はパスタがいいな。Boku wa pasuta ga ii na.I'd like pasta.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、パスタにしようか。Jaa, pasuta ni shiyou ka.Then, shall we go with pasta?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、賛成！Un, sansei!Yeah, I agree!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
