# Or failing that



## 涼宮

Good Afternoon Everyone

Could you help me with the following expressions in Japanese? because I cannot find them in any dictionary.


1) or failing that

Context:

For tomorrow you have to bring 10 plates of rice, or failing that, some other meal that has a similar taste.


どうぞよろしくお願いいたします


----------



## Strutter

It is my first time to see "or failing that", but probably I can understand what you wanted to say.

For tomorrow you have to bring 10 plates of rice, or failing that, some other meal that has a similar taste. 
明日に向けて、米を10人前持ってくる必要がある。もし米がないなら、代わりになるものを用意しなさい。

I've just think of an English sentence,

"You must wait his indication, or failing that, don't move."

Is it correct? if so, I can explain the expression like "or failing that" in Japanese.


----------



## 涼宮

You must wait his indication, or failing that, don't move.

No, I do not think it is correct, to me it makes not sense.

I would say: You must wait his indication , or failing that, my indication.( but not the indication of someone else)

And as I could see in your sentence in Japanese, prima facie perhaps in Japanese does not exist ''or failing that'' and you have to refer to the previous object?

I mean if I said this would be right?

このりんごしか食べない、もしこのりんごないなら、この他を食べなさい。

よろしくお願いします


----------



## Strutter

I see, I see.　I understand what was wrong in my understanding. 

このりんごしか食べない、もしこのりんごないなら、この他を食べなさい。
This Japanese sentence is little strange, but I can get what you want to say. probably you mean like; "eat the apple , or failing that, other."

"or failing that" = もし~がないなら

Bring me some light reading, or failing that, that newspaper.
なにか軽い読み物を持ってきてくれ、もしそれがないなら、その新聞を持ってきてくれ。 

It is correct, isn't it?


----------



## 涼宮

Yes! I think you got the point, because we can assume that ''if you cannot bring me something light to read then bring me something heavy like a newspaper''

We mostly use ''or failing that'' to express 2 opcions, if you cannot do something, well substitute it for something similar or something very different as well.


Then the final result is もし～がないなら, Perhaps could be having another way?

Because in Japanese you always can express the same thing in several ways.


よろしくお願い致します


----------



## Strutter

Yes, It seems what you say is what I wanted to say.

I realize; ''or failing that''→"もし～がないなら" is possible, but the reverse is impossible in many cases. It seems ''もし～がないなら+代わりに" is closer to literal meanig of that.

Please show me a few sentences with ''or failing that'". I'll deepen my understanding and translate it to Japanese.


----------



## 涼宮

Okay no problem.

I would love to have a ferrari or failing that a jailer.

She would be the best girlfriend on the world if she were not so lier or failing that, at least from time to time does not lie so obvious..

This country would be great if there were not so much garbage on the streets or failing that a better goverment.


Note: or failing that is a formal expression itself, it is not something that you hear in everyday's conversation unless of course you want to sound sophisticated jaja


----------



## Strutter

In Japanese "それが不可能なら" seems to be a expression to literally represent "or failing that".



> I would love to have a ferrari or failing that a jailer.


 
・I would love to have a ferrari それが不可能なら　a jailer
→僕はフェラーリを、それが不可能なら、ジェイラーを手にしたいなあ。



> She would be the best girlfriend on the world if she were not so lier or failing that, at least from time to time does not lie so obvious..


 
→彼女は世界で一番のガールフレンドなんだけどなあ。もし、あれほどまでに嘘つきじゃないか、それが不可能なら、少なくとも事あるごとに見え見えの嘘をつかなければ。



> This country would be great if there were not so much garbage on the streets or failing that a better goverment.


 
→この国はもっと良くなるのになあ。もし、道路のあんなにもたくさんのゴミがなくなるか、それが不可能なら、政府が改善されれば。



> in Japanese you always can express the same thing in several ways.


 
Yes we can.(like Obama)
E.g. それが無理なら、それができないなら、それが難しいなら、 but all of these is almost the same way as それが不可能なら. I mean; 無理, できない, 難しい is like a synonym for 不可能. I couldn't find new another way to literally represent "or failing that".


----------



## 涼宮

Thank you very much for your always great help (^_^)


----------



## Strutter

Never mind.

I'm just thinking of an interesting expression. Please, let me write it.

"Sometimes(or "from time to time")+don't+tell the truth/lie"→"ことあるごとに、～言うわけではない"

We somtimes don't tell the truth.(but very often we tell the truth)
ことあるごとに真実を言うわけではない。

He would be a downright liar, but at least, sometimes doesn't lie. 
彼はどうしようもない嘘つきかもしれないが、少なくとも、ことあるごとに嘘を言うわけではない。

If you learned that Japanese expression, it sounds really good. But it is littel far from the subject. So if you want to know anything more, give me a message. 

Thanks.


----------



## 涼宮

Really thank you for that, now I know a new expression in Japanese.


ほなな～


----------

