How do you say "It's nothing special, but..." in Japanese?

"It's nothing special, but..." in Japanese is "つまらないものですが". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "つまらないものですが" mean in English?

"つまらないものですが" means "It's nothing special, but..." in English. Usage tip: Literal translation is 'This is a boring thing'.

😅🤷

How to Say ‘It's nothing special, but...’ in Japanese

つまらないものですが

tsumara nai mono desu ga

[tsumara nai mono desu ga]

💬 Usage Tip: Literal translation is 'This is a boring thing'.

🇯🇵 In Japan: This humble phrase is used when giving a gift to downplay its value.

Phrase Breakdown

つまらない

tsumara nai

boring, trivial

Polite way to describe a gift as trivial or of little value.

Example

つまらない映画

boring movie

Words in this phrase

つまら

tsumara

[tsumara]

boring

Used modestly to describe a gift, implying humility.

Example

これはつまらないものですが、どうぞ。

This is a small gift, but please accept it.

ない

nai

[nai]

not

A negative suffix used to negate adjectives.

Example

これはつまらないものですが、どうぞ。

This is a small gift, but please accept it.

もの

mono

[mono]

thing

Refers to an object or entity.

Example

これはつまらないものですが、どうぞ。

This is a small gift, but please accept it.

ですが

desu ga

but

Polite way to soften the sentence ending.

Example

始めますが

I will start but...

Words in this phrase

です

desu

[desu]

polite verb ending

Used to give formal closure to sentences.

Example

これはつまらないものですが、どうぞ。

This is a small gift, but please accept it.

が

[ga]

but

A conjunction used to introduce a contrasting statement.

Example

これはつまらないものですが、どうぞ。

This is a small gift, but please accept it.

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