海賊王に俺はなる
kaizoku-ō ni ore wa naru
The English phrase "I am going to be king of the pirates" is translated into Japanese as 海賊王に俺はなる (kaizoku-ō ni ore wa naru).
This phrase is a declaration of a strong ambition to become the leader of all pirates.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down into the following parts: kaizoku (pirate), ō (king), ni (to/as), ore (I/me), wa (topic marker) and naru (to become).
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle ni follows the noun kaizoku-ō to indicate the state or role that the subject is becoming. The verb naru is in the dictionary form, which in this context expresses a strong, resolute intention or a future state. By placing the object kaizoku-ō ni at the beginning and the subject ore wa in the middle, the sentence uses inversion to place heavy emphasis on the goal of becoming the Pirate King.
How do you pronounce it?
kaizoku-ō ni ore wa naru
Did you know?
- This specific phrasing is the iconic catchphrase of Monkey D. Luffy from the global phenomenon One Piece. It is recognized by millions of people worldwide even if they do not speak Japanese.
- While kaizoku means 'pirate', the word is composed of the characters for 'sea' and 'bandit'. Historically, this referred to the 'Wokou' raiders who plagued the coasts of Japan and China.
- The word ō (king) is used here, but Japanese history has very few indigenous 'kings', as the country was historically ruled by an emperor (tennō).
Examples in context
- 海賊王に俺はなる！Kaizokuou ni ore wa naru!I am going to be king of the pirates!
- いつか必ず、海賊王に俺はなる。Itsuka kanarazu, kaizokuou ni ore wa naru.Someday, without fail, I am going to be king of the pirates.
Example conversation
Ren tells Himari about his big dream.
- 蓮 Renいいか、海賊王に俺はなる！Ii ka, kaizoku-ō ni ore wa naru!Listen, I'm going to be king of the pirates!
- 陽葵 Himariまたそんなこと言ってるの？Mata sonna koto itteru no?Are you saying that again?
- 蓮 Ren本気だぞ！Honki da zo!I'm serious!
- 陽葵 Himariはいはい、頑張ってね。Hai hai, ganbatte ne.Yeah, yeah, good luck with that.
