取り敢えず – Toriaezu, Finally Understand this Common but Hard to Translate Word
取り敢えず is one of those Japanese words that you hear all the time but don’t quite understand how you would say it in English. It pretty much is a way to express a tentative situation.
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Translating 取り敢えず from Japanese to English
There is not a single word that 取り敢えず can be translated into. Instead, in English, you have to use different phrases that will change with the situation.
■ for the time being
■ for now
■ without delay
■ straight away
■ first off
■ first things first
Specific Situations when to use 取り敢えず
Temporary or Tentative Situations
Deciding on doing something or letting something be a certain way temporarily:
取り敢えずホテルの予約をしておこう
For now, let’s just make a hotel reservation
When you are in a Hurry
When in a rush 取り敢えず means first things first and that there is something important that needs to be taken care of and excess time can’t be wasted:
もう時間がないんだ。取り敢えず何を見るか映画館で決めよう
We are out of time. first things first We can just decide what to watch when we get to the movie theater
Starting an Activity without fully Planning
Similar to above, but with less urgency. Here, it can mean let’s just start with, or for now. It is used when preparing to do some activity but have not fully decided on what to do:
家に帰ったら取り敢えず電話して
Anyway, just call first thing when you get back home
