Shōganai

You’ve just missed the train? Use しょうがない shōganai: this expression literally means ‘there’s no other way’ and is often used in everyday conversation. It refers to the lack of control of a situation and at the same time the acceptance for that lack. It also reflects in a way the buddhist ‘suffering is part of life’-attitude. In 1975 Emperor Hirohito even used it when he expressed his thoughts toward the atomic bomb.

Written by Jannick Scherrer