Learn Japanese with Anime - One Day, Morning Will Come (Suzume no Tojimari)

Analysis

今(いま)は真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る)か(か)も(も)し(し)れ(れ)な(な)い(い)け(け)れ(れ)ど(ど)

今(いま) (noun) means “now”.

は (particle) marks the topic and can also indicate contrast. In this case, it contrasts the present with the future.

真っ is the prefix adding intensity to the following word 暗(くら)闇(やみ) (noun) meaning “darkness”, so 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ) means “complete darkness” or “total darkness”.

に (particle) 思(おも)え(え)る(る) (verb) means “it seems like”, so 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る) means “it seems like total darkness”.

か(か)も(も)し(し)れ(れ)な(な)い(い) means “might” or “may”, expressing possibility or uncertainty.

け(け)れ(れ)ど(ど) (conjunction) is a more formal version of け(け)ど(ど) meaning “but”.

So, 今(いま)は真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る)かもしれないけれど means “Right now, it might seem like total darkness, but…”

い(い)つ(つ)か(か)必(かなら)ず(ず)朝(あさ)が来(く)る(る)

い(い)つ(つ)か(か) (adverb) means “one day” or “someday”. The particle は can be added, as in いつかは, to emphasise the contrast with 今(いま).

必(かなら)ず(ず) (adverb) means “certainly” or “definitely”.

朝(あさ)(noun) means “morning”.

が (particle) marks the subject of the verb.

来(く)る(る)(verb) means “to come” or “will come”.

So, いつか必(かなら)ず(ず)朝(あさ)が来(く)る(る) means “one day, morning will certainly come”.

So today’s quote 今(いま)は真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る)かもしれないけれど、いつか必(かなら)ず(ず)朝(あさ)が来(く)る(る) means “Right now, it might seem like total darkness, but one day, morning will certainly come”. In the movie, this is paraphrased as, “The night might seem endless right now, but one day, morning will come”.

Review1: 〜に思(おも)え(え)る(る)

Noun or な-Adjective に思(おも)え(え)る(る) means “it seems like”.

You may already be familiar with だと思(おも)う(う), which means “to think that”.

They both express a mental process, and 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)だと思(おも)う(う) and 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る) could both work, but there is a subtle difference in nuance.

真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)だと思(おも)う(う) means “you think it’s total darkness” indicating that she’s actively forming an opinion that “it’s total darkness”, which is an intentional action. On the other hand, 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る) means “it seems like total darkness” indicating that she perceives the impression of ‘total darkness’ naturally, without any intentional thought. So, 真(ま)っ(っ)暗(くら)闇(やみ)に思(おも)え(え)る(る) fits better in this context, as she’s focusing on her natural perception rather than her intentional thoughts. This choice reflects more empathy and understanding.

Review2: 必(かなら)ず(ず)

必(かなら)ず(ず) (adverb) means “certainly” or “definitely”, expressing strong certainty.

There are words like 絶(ぜっ)対(たい) and き(き)っ(っ)と(と), which also convey strong certainty, but these three words are used in different contexts.

必(かなら)ず(ず) refers to something that will definitely happen in affirmative sentences. It’s commonly used in formal or objective contexts, based on rules or facts. It can be translated as “certainly”, “definitely”, or“without fail”.

絶(ぜっ)対(たい) can be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. It’s often used in casual situations and strongly conveys the speaker’s subjective feelings, based on a strong belief. It can be translated as “absolutely” or “without a doubt.”

き(き)っ(っ)と(と) can also be used in both affirmative and negative sentences. It’s also used in casual situations and conveys the speaker’s subjective feelings, but with less emphasis than 絶(ぜっ)対(たい), as it’s based on speculation or assumption. It can be translated as “surely” or “most likely”.

For this quote, all the words could work, but in this scene, she’s talking to her younger self, and since she already knows her definite future, she can tell her what is going to happen with strong certainty, as if it’s fated. Therefore, 必(かなら)ず(ず), which is used in fact-based situations, is the most fitting word for this context.