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For Life
2005.07.15

It must be hard to be Mother Nature. Whether you bring rain or sunshine, there are always people who feel the need for protection. Here are the shields of choice for many!

Today's LessonCATEGORY: 混同しやすい言葉CATEGORY: ジャパニーズイングリッシュ
UMBRELLA vs. PARASOL   (雨)傘 vs. 日傘

Explanation

  • An umbrella is an object you hold above your head to protect yourself from the rain. It's usually a piece of material, spread over a frame of thin metal rods, that you can fold and carry on a long handle.

    A parasol looks like an umbrella, but you use it to protect yourself from the sun.

    Be Careful! We don't say “sun umbrella”, as in the Japanese 日傘, to mean parasol.
  • umbrella とは、雨に濡れないように頭の上にさす物です。つまり、雨傘のことです。通常、折りたたむことができる細い金属製の骨組みに布地が張ってあり、持ち運び用に長い柄がついています。

    parasol とは、雨傘によく似ていますが、太陽の日差しを避けるためにさす物です。つまり、日傘のことです。

    注意:英語では、parasol のことを日本語の日傘のように sun umbrella とは言いません。

examples

  1. a: What happened? You're all wet!
    b: I got caught in the rain and didn't have an umbrella.
  2. It's a good idea to always carry a collapsible umbrella(折りたたみ傘)during the rainy season.
  3. When it started to rain, everyone put up their umbrellas. After that, it was hard to see the game.
  4. I'd better take a parasol; it's going to be a hot, sunny day.
  5. The woman was holding a beautiful white lace parasol as she stood in front of the great pyramid.

英会話レッスンHave a great weekend, whatever the weather may bring!