Let’s have a look at a Japanese-English dictionary. In the English translation, there is not only one word for toriazezu.
- toriaezu ima wa watashi no pen o tsukatte. (Just use my pen for now.)
- toriaezu mise no mae o soji shite oite. (Clean up in front of the shop first.)
- dekiruka doka wakaranai kedo, toriaezu yatte miru. (I don’t know whether I can do it, but I will try anyway.)
This commonality is
Do something you should or want to do now, and in the meantime put aside other things or something you can do later.
The following are definitions and examples in the Japanese dictionary.
1. To do something first while leaving other things for later.
example) toriaezu okane ga hitsuyo da. (The first thing I need is money.)
2. To do something immediatelyexample) jiko da! toriaezu kega nin ni okyushochi o shiyo. (Let’s give first aid to the injured person as an emergency/temporary measure. )
3. Without considering the future, for the presentexample) toriaezu kono mama ni shite oku. (We will leave it as it is for the time being.)
Even though the translations of these examples are different, can you see all the previous examples have a common meaning?
Let’s get back to the first phrase, “toriaezu beer”. The thing you have at the start of a meal is beer, and you are not thinking now about what you order later, or think about it later. If a waiter hears this phrase, he probably assumes that you will order additional items afterward. However, if I realized that I made the wrong choice after entering a restaurant, I would go ahead and say “toriaezu beer” and make the waiter believe me. And then, I would drink the beer quickly and leave there without ordering other things!
For your information, the “nama” in nama beer means “raw” or “uncooked”. In other words, nama beer is unpasteurized beer, so it is in the same condition as nama zake (unpasteurized sake) nama zakana (raw fish), nama yasai (uncooked vegetable), nama tamago (raw egg), and so on.
kanpai! (Cheers!)
Omoshiroi expression. I just learn it by listening to Harajuku Iyahoi when she says: Toriaezu Iyahoi!
返信削除Strob san, konnichiwa.
削除What is "Iyahoi"? Is that a restaurant in Harajuku?
Ohayougozaimasu, Okamoto-san.
返信削除I am quite confused between the difference of先ず (mazu) and 取り敢えず (toriaezu) can you explain this if you have time?
まず is like "first(ly)". It's used when you order actions in a list.
削除For example, you are taking a cooking lesson. Your teacher explains a recipe. "まず やさいを きってください。つぎに、やさいを やいてください。さいごに、しおと こしょうを ふってください。"
On the other hand, when you are ready to cook and ask your teacher what to do. But, the teacher is still busy preparing and goes "とりあえず やさいを きってください。" This implies the teacher will give you other instructions later when she gets ready.