Vocab: Fifty-Fifty

September 16, 2006 on 9:47 am | In Language | | Email This Post

Random vocab I came across recently.

五分五分 - ごぶごぶ - gobugobu - fifty-fifty
I had no idea you could say “gobu gobu” to mean 50/50.

It surprised me because the kanji are so easy, and it sounds like something I should have run across before…

Learn something new everyday!

For example, the title of this newspaper article I found by googling 「五分五分」。

北の核実験、可能性は五分五分　強行か牽制か韓国緊張

きたのかくじっけん、かのうせいはごぼごぶ きょうこかけいせいかかんこくきんちょう

kita no kaku jikken, kanousei ha gobugobu kyouko ka keiseika kannkoku kinncyou

The North’s (North Korea) missile test, a show of force, or diversion? The possibility is 50/50. South Korea is tense.

Translation is not my strong point… How would you guys translate that headline?

- Harvey

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    You can also try saying 六つハーフダース to mean “6 of one, half dozen of the other.” Google on that! ;)

    Comment by mdchachi — September 17, 2006 #

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