Daily Bunshou: Fad Fire

日本では、何か流行りだすと、
火をつけたように皆同じことをしたがるようだ。

ファッション、食べ物、持ち物。
流行しはじめると、
あっという間にみんな同じものを求める。

流行り　はやり　fad, trend, popular thing

だす　　literally: to get out. In this instance: to appear suddenly

• When trying to exit a building in Japan, look for 出口. The same kanji, 出, goes along with だす. The feeling is that, all of a sudden, something happens. 思い出す, to remember all at once, is just one example of where だす is employed.

火をつける　to ignite a fire

皆　みな everyone/everybody. (Why's it sometimes みな and sometimes みんな?)

同じ　おなじ　the same (opposite of 違う)

したがる　　(he/she/they) want to do

• We all know したい, right? Well, したい is for your own desire to do something. When you talk about other people's desires (third person), use 〜たがる.
• したい　ー＞　したがる
• たべたい　ー＞　たべたがる
• さむい　ー＞　さむがる
• Ah, what's that last one? An adjective? That's because the 〜たい form of verbs is quite like an い-adj. Form the がる form by knocking off the い of い-adj and attaching がる.

食べ物　たべもの stuff you can eat (as opposed to 食品, which is more like ingredients)

持ち物　もちもの stuff you have, possessions

あっという間に A phrase, idiomatically meaning "quite quickly"

• あっ - the shortest pronunciation of あ (as if cut off in the middle of vocalizing the sound)
• と言う - say, plus the quoting particle と
• 間に　まに　during, in the time when
• あっという間に - in the time it takes to say あっ

求める　もとめる　to seek

Translation:

In Japan, whenever something popular comes out, it seems like everyone wants to do the same thing, as quickly as a fire starts to flame. Clothing, food, possessions. When a new fad starts, everyone goes after it before you can say "Tickle-Me Elmo."


日本人のために：
"Before you can say ___" can have anything inserted into the blank. Usually it should be appropriate to the situation. "Tickle-Me Elmo" was a very, very popular toy a few years ago, and I still remember how many people ran to the stores to get one for their children. Fads can be very dangerous things; 気をつけてね.