KudoZ home » Japanese to English » Marketing / Market Research

イイトシ（いい年）

English translation: Marrigeable age

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

22:05 Jan 14, 2010

Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Marketing / Market Research

Japanese term or phrase: イイトシ（いい年）

『みんなイイトシです。』

This is from copy that is intentionally cute. It is describing some people who wish to get married. Does it mean:

"Everyone is a suitable age"?
"Everyone is still young"?
"Everyone is old enough" (to marry)?
"Everyone is of a marriageable age" (ie., not too old)?

or something else?

Thanks for your help!

avaaid KudoZ activity Questions: 53 (1 open) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 10
Local time: 21:11

English translation:Marrigeable age

Explanation:
I would vote for first or and/or last of your choices.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day3 hrs (2010-01-16 01:48:37 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Typo again -- not "or and/or" just and/or.

Selected response from:

humbird
United States
Local time: 20:11

Grading comment

Thanks, everyone, for your help. As the text did not offer any additional detail about the actual age of the people under discussion, I decided to go in the end with the somewhat neutral "all are of a suitable age."
2 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +1

(Everybody is) mature / old

matsuquin37

4 +1

ripe old age

Tina Wooden

Marrigeable age

humbird

Answers

29 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

(Everybody is) mature / old

Explanation:
When Japanese people say 「いい年」, it implies that "he/she is old enough (to do something) or (therefore, she/he should be do something or not to do something)" but it has slightly negative nuance. For example, when someone says 「彼女いい年してまだ独身なんです」 it's "she's old but still single". In many occasions, the meaning behind is "Why doesn't she get married? She's getting old (or perhaps getting too old to get married!)".
If it needs to sound positive, then I think "mature" would be my choice!

matsuquin37
Local time: 04:11
Native speaker of:

English,

Japanese

2 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

ripe old age

Explanation:
The actual phrase means something like "old enough to know better" -- as in 「いい年してミニスカートをはくなんて！」="Doesn't she know better than to wear a mini-skirt at her age?!"
In this context, maybe "They are all a ripe old age" would be a funny equivalent.

Tina Wooden
United States
Local time: 23:11
Native speaker of:

English,

Japanese