みなさん、再びこんにちは。
久しぶりにブログを書きます。
今日はイギリス英語で非常によく使われるフレーズ、「rubbish」をご紹介したいと思います。
「rubbish」は名詞としては基本的に廃棄物やゴミを意味しますが、形容詞としては何かの質が非常に悪いことを意味します。
また、人が嘘をついているか、無意味なことを言っているという意味もあります。

「ゴミ箱を英語で何と言うか」という質問をよく聞かれますが、その答えは様々です。
例えばイギリス英語では「a rubbish bin」または「a dust bin」と答えますが、アメリカ英語では「trash can」または「garbage can」となります。
イギリス人と同様に、アメリカ人も好きではないものを「garbage」や「trash」と表現します。

[例文]

I take the rubbish out every Tuesday and Friday.
(私は毎週火曜日と金曜日にゴミを出します。)

What? Are you serious? Don’t talk rubbish.
(えっ、本気？そんなばかなこと言わないで。)

Have you seen the new “Lord of the Rings” series? It was the most expensive tv show ever made and it’s absolutely rubbish.
(新しい「ロード・オブ・ザ・リング」シリーズを見ましたか？これまでで最も高額なテレビ番組で、完全につまらないです。)

I really don’t see what kids find so attractive about all the rubbish on tiktok. It drives me crazy watching them scroll through it for hours on end.
(子どもたちがTikTokのつまらないものの何にそんなに魅力を感じているのか、私には理解できません。彼らが何時間もそれをスクロールしているのを見ると気が狂いそうです。)

[会話での例]

I don’t have time to finish my homework mum!
(宿題を終わらせる時間がないよ、お母さん！)

Don’t talk such rubbish! Try staying off your phone for an hour or two and I’m sure you will find the time.
(そんなばかなこと言わないで！携帯を1時間か2時間置いておけば、時間は作れるはずよ。)

garbage (アメリカ英語)

[例文]
JK Rowling's new book was complete garbage. I gave up on it after the first few chapters.
(J.K.ローリングの新しい本は完全なゴミでした。最初の数章で読むのを諦めました。)

crap

(下品ですがよく使われます)

[例文]

The weather is going to be totally crap this weekend. I’m going to stay at home on the sofa all weekend binge watching Netflix
(今週末の天気は本当に最悪になりそうだ。週末はずっと家のソファでNetflixを一気見するよ。)

というわけで、「rubbish」は決してくだらない言葉(rubbish word)ではないですね！
様々な方法で使われ、特にイギリス英語でよく使われています。
イギリス人以外の人と話すときは、「garbage」や「trash」に言い換えれば、同じ意味を伝えることができますよ。

Jaimie

Rubbish

Hello again everyone, it’s been a while since I’ve written a new blog but today I’d like to introduce you to one very commonly-used British phrase, ‘rubbish’. Rubbish in its noun form basically means waste or trash but in the adjective form it can mean that the quality of a thing is very bad. It can also mean that a person is lying or talking nonsense.

British vs American

Firstly, a question I am often asked is “How do you say ゴミ箱 in English?” and the answer to that is there are many different ways. For example in British English the answer would be “a rubbish bin” or “ a dust bin” but in American English it is “trash can” or "garbage can” Similarly to the British, the Americans also describe something as being garbage or trash if they don’t like it. 

Examples

Ex.1 I take the rubbish out every Tuesday and Friday.

Ex.2 What? Are you serious? Don’t talk rubbish.

Ex.3 Have you seen the new “Lord of the Rings” series? It was the most expensive tv show ever made and it’s absolutely rubbish. 

Ex. 4 I really don’t see what kids find so attractive about all the rubbish on tiktok. It drives me crazy watching them scroll through it for hours on end. 

Ex. 5. “I don’t have time to finish my homework mum!” “Don’t talk such rubbish! Try staying off your phone for an hour or two and I’m sure you will find the time.” 

Similar Phrases

Garbage (American) 

JK Rowling's new book was complete garbage. I gave up on it after the first few chapters. 

Crap ( vulgar but commonly used) 

The weather is going to be totally crap this weekend. I’m going to stay at home on the sofa all weekend binge watching Netflix

Summing Up

So, there you have it. Rubbish is not such a rubbish word after all! It can be used in a variety of different ways and is commonly used in British English. If you are talking with people from outside the UK just switch it up to garbage or trash and you will get your point across just the same. 

Jaimie