Components

Example details

 
みんなおじぎしてそれからたばこくわえてマッチすったりどこか
ったりしました

Everyone bowed, and went off puffing on cigarettes, or making their way out somewhere.
Source: セロ弾きのゴーシュ 宮沢賢治
The Japanese たばこをくわえてマッチをすったり is an interesting turn of phrase. It literally means 'inserted a cigarette and smoked a match etc'! It's a mish-mash of two normal idioms - たばこをすう (smoke a cigarette) and マッチをする (strike a match). The たり form indicates this activity is just one of several.
Readings
This example is used in the following reading in the Reading Corner:
セロ
きのゴーシュ  Gauche the Cellist by
[宮沢](みやざわ
宮沢賢治
けんじ
賢治
)
Click for more information on this reading.
Grammar and points of interest
Conjugations and inflections
Words
3
adverb, noun
1. all; everyone; everybody  (often written with kana only)
2. everything  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
0
Most common form: お辞儀
bow; bowing  (see also: 辞儀; polite (teineigo) language)
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
1. to do  (often written with kana only)
2. to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into)  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 15 meanings and 1 form, examples and links)
1. that (indicating an item or person near the listener, the action of the listener, or something on their mind); it  (see also: 何れ, 此れ, 彼・あれ; often written with kana only)
2. that time; then
(click the word to view an additional 2 meanings and 3 forms, examples and links)
0
noun
1. tobacco; cigarette; cigaret; cigar  (often written with kana only; originally from Portuguese 'tabaco')
2. tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum)  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 4 forms, examples and links)
0 3
Most common form: 加える
ichidan verb, transitive verb
1. to add; to add up; to sum up; to append; to annex
2. to increase; to gather (e.g. speed); to pick up
(click the word to view an additional 2 meanings and 1 form, useful expressions, examples and links)
noun
match (to light fire with)  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 1 form, examples and links)
0
Most common form: 吸う
'u' godan verb, transitive verb
1. to smoke; to breathe in; to inhale
2. to suck; to sip; to slurp
(click the word to view an additional 2 meanings and 2 forms, examples and links)
1
expression, noun, adverb
somewhere; anywhere; in some respects  (often written with kana only)
(click the word to view an additional 2 forms, examples and links)
irregular godan verb 'iku/yuku'
to go out and away; to leave  (い may be dropped, particularly in plain or rough language)
(click the word to view an additional 1 reading and 2 forms, examples and links)
Kanji
シュツ   スイ   だ to take out, to put out   で to go out, to exit   
コウ   ギョウ   アン   ゆ    い to go   おこな to take place   
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step
イチ   イツ   ひと    ひと- one   
チョウ   テイ    a (city) block; counter for long/narrow things, blocks of tofu   
Flashcards
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More info on this sentence: Google Japan ⇗ Sentence translate
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