似合ってる
niatteru
The phrase "it suits you" is translated into Japanese as 似合ってる (niatteru).
似合ってる is used to tell someone that a piece of clothing or a style looks good on them. It uses the ~te iru form to describe a continuous state, implying the item currently looks good on the person.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form 似合ってる (niatteru) is a contraction of the more formal 似合っている (niatte iru).
How do you pronounce it?
niatteru
Did you know?
- The kanji 似 inside the phrase means 'to resemble', implying that for something to suit you, there must be a visual likeness or harmony between the object and the wearer.
- In Japan, complimenting someone's appearance with 似合ってる can sometimes be met with a polite denial or modesty rather than a simple 'thank you'.
- While 似合ってる describes visual harmony, Japanese has a separate word 合う specifically for things that 'suit' each other in taste or flavor, such as a wine that suits a certain cheese.
Examples in context
- 「ねぇ、トム、見て！昨日パーマをかけたよ！どう思う？」「すごい髪クルクルになったね。でも、似合ってるよ！」"Hey Tom, look! I got a perm yesterday! What do you think?" "Your hair's all curly now, but it suits you!"This example shows how to use 似合ってる when complimenting someone's new hairstyle.Tatoeba #9501547 by small_snow, translation #9501548 by DJ_Saidez
- 似合っているよ！その髪型、すごく似合ってるね。It suits you! That hairstyle looks really good on you.
- その帽子、すごく似合ってるね。Sono boushi, sugoku niatteru ne.That hat really suits you.
- 新しい髪型、とても似合ってるよ。Atarashii kamigata, totemo niatteru yo.Your new hairstyle suits you very well.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are at a clothing store.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔、その青いシャツ似合ってるよ！Hiroto, sono aoi shatsu niatteru yo!Hiroto, that blue shirt suits you!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当？ありがとう。Hontou? Arigatou.Really? Thanks.
- 美咲 Misakiすごく色がきれいだね。Sugoku iro ga kirei dane.The color is really beautiful.
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、これを買おうかな。Jaa, kore o kaou kana.Well, maybe I'll buy this then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
