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Decoration is really fun! Many Americans put up spooky decorations for Hallowe'en or festive and wintry decorations for Christmastime. Some people might even decorate their yards with bunnies and eggs for Easter.
But how do we talk about decorating? It's actually trickier than you might expect!
日本語の「飾る」を和英辞典で検索したら、「decorate」という言葉が出るかもしれませんが、
気をつけてください！これは間違いの原因です！
In English, "decorate" means to add an ornament or ornaments (装飾品) to something. In other words:
英語の「decorate」の意味は「何かに装飾を施す」です。「飾る」の使い方とは異なることもあります！
Let's look at some examples:
We will decorate the cake with sprinkles.
私たちはケーキにスプリンクルを散りばめる。
You can decorate your house for Christmas using cheerful lights, glass baubles, and evergreen boughs.
クリスマスの季節に楽しい豆電球、ガラス製のクリスマスオーナメント、常緑樹の大枝等を家に飾ることができます。
Some people decorate their cars, but I think it looks tacky.
車に物を飾る人もいますが、自分としては趣味が悪い感じがします。
じゃあ、「飾る」はどう訳せばいいでしょうか？
Let's look at some examples:
リビングに絵を飾っています。
I have a picture hanging in my living room.
ドライフラワーを飾ってみたら、あまり綺麗じゃなかった。
When I put up some dried flowers, it didn't look very pretty.
鏡餅の飾り方がわかりません。
I don't know how to display kagami mochi.
写真を家に飾るのが好き。
I like decorating my house with photos.
Good rule to remember:
日本語では、飾るものは装飾品です。
In English, the thing you decorate is a wall, a face, a door, or something plain （無地なもの）.
All in all, the differences between these two words can be very confusing, but I hope that this article helps to explain things a bit!
Interested in more grammar insights and speaking practice? Check out my lessons!
-Lizzie
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