となりのトトロ
tonari no totoro
となりのトトロ (tonari no totoro) is the Japanese translation for My Neighbor Totoro.
This phrase is the title of a famous Japanese animated film about two sisters and a forest spirit.
What does it mean word for word?
となりの is composed of tonari, meaning next door or neighbor and the particle の, which is a possessive particle indicating an association or relationship. This makes tonari no mean neighbor's or next door's. The final part, トトロ, is the proper noun Totoro, the name of the forest spirit character.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the hiragana script for となりの but uses the katakana script for トトロ because it is a character name.
How do you pronounce it?
tonari no totoro
Did you know?
- The name トトロ is an onomatopoeic invention by Hayao Miyazaki, designed to sound like the deep, echoing sounds of a forest.
- The word トトロ is written in katakana, which is usually for foreign words, but here it signifies that Totoro is a supernatural entity rather than a human with a traditional Japanese name.
- While となり refers to the immediate next door, Japanese has different words for 'neighbor' depending on distance, such as 近所 for a general neighborhood. Using となり emphasizes that Totoro is right beside the girls, not just in the same area.
Examples in context
- 『となりのトトロ』には怖い裏話があるらしい。It seems "My Neighbor Totoro" has a scary inside story.This sentence is useful for hearing how to refer to the title となりのトトロ in a conversation.Tatoeba #2390173 by wakatyann630, translation #2398671 by orcrist
- 子供の頃、『となりのトトロ』が大好きでした。Kodomo no koro, 'Tonari no Totoro' ga daisuki deshita.I loved 'My Neighbor Totoro' when I was a child.
- 今夜は『となりのトトロ』を一緒に見よう。Konya wa 'Tonari no Totoro' o issho ni miyou.Let's watch 'My Neighbor Totoro' together tonight.
Example conversation
A brother and sister are choosing a movie to watch at home.
- 陽太 Yota今日は何のアニメを見る？Kyou wa nan no anime o miru?What anime are we watching today?
- 陽葵 Himari『となりのトトロ』が見たいな。'Tonari no Totoro' ga mitai na.I want to see 'My Neighbor Totoro'.
- 陽太 Yotaいいよ、陽葵。じゃあ、再生するね。Ii yo, Himari. Jaa, saisei suru ne.Okay, Himari. I'll play it then.
- 陽葵 Himariやった！ありがとう、陽太兄ちゃん。Yatta! Arigatou, Youta niichan.Yay! Thank you, big brother Youta.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
