Otoko-no-ko-wa, sukoshi-mo jitto-shite inakute ... (Boys can't keep still, even for a moment.)

Situation 1: One Sunday, Mrs. Shiba is at home with her baby boy, Jun. Her mother-in-law visits and sits down for a cup of tea while Jun runs around.

芝 :　　 落ち着かなくて、すみません。男の子は、少しもじっとしていなくて...。

義母：　 それは、子供によるでしょ。達彦なんか、ほんとに おとなしくて手のかからない子だったわ。

Shita: Ochitsukanakute, sumimasen. Otoko-no-ko-wa, sukoshi-mo jitto-shite inakute ...

Gibo: Sore-wa, kodomo-ni yoru-desho. Tatsuhiko-nanka, honto-ni otonashikute te-no kakaranai ko-datta-wa.

Shiba: I'm sorry it's a bit crazy around here. Boys can't keep still, even for a moment.

Mom-in-law: It depends on the child. (Your husband) Tatsuhiko was very quiet and not the least trouble, you know.

Today we will introduce some combined verbs made up of various adverbial onomatopoeia combined with the conjunction particle と and the verb する (do). The onomatopoeic adverb じっと (still) expresses that someone or something does not move at all, as in 彼(かれ)は彼女(かのじょ)をじっと見(み)つめた (He gazed at her). じっとする is the combined verb used by Ms. Shiba in Situation 1.

Situation 2: Mr. Okubo comes home from the office and looks at his youngest daughter, Mariko, sleeping.

大久保：　 どんなに疲れて帰っても、まり子の寝顔を見ると、 ほっとするよ。

妻：　　　 私は、子供達が寝てくれると、別の意味でほっとするわ。

Ōkubo: Donna-ni tsukarete kaette-mo, Mariko-no negao-o miru-to, hotto-suru-yo.

Tsuma: Watashi-wa kodomotachi-ga nete-kureru-to, betsu-no imi-de hotto-suru-wa.

Okubo: However tired I may be when I get home, I feel a sense of relief the moment I see Mariko's sleeping face.

Wife: When the children fall asleep, I feel relieved in a different way.

Mr. Okubo's ホッとする describes his feeling of relief. Another example is: 難(むずか)しい契約(けいやく)がまとまって、ほっとした (I was relieved that the difficult contract had been concluded). Other verbs of this kind are: むっとする (to feel angry), すっとする (to feel refreshing), はっとする (to feel startled), ぎょっとする (to be shocked), どきっとする(to be startled), etc. Example sentence: 会議(かいぎ)で居眠(いねむ)りしていたら突然(とつぜん)指名(しめい)されて、どきっとした (While I was dozing off in the meeting, [the chairman] called on me suddenly and I woke with a start.)

Bonus Dialogue: Mr. Mita has just got back to the office.

三田： 今日(きょう)、お客(きゃく)のクレーム対応(たいおう) させられたんだ。いやなことばかり言(い)われて、 むっとしちゃったよ。

グレイ：　 お疲(つか)れ様(さま)！ 冷蔵庫(れいぞうこ)にレモネードがあるから、飲(の)んだら？すっとするから。

三田：　　 サンキュ！ああ、うまい。ところで、さっき、はっと するような美人(びじん)とすれ違(ちが)ったんだけど、 あれ、誰(だれ)？

グレイ：　 ああ、新(あたら)しく入(はい)ったバイトさん、なかなかいい子(こ)よ。三田(みた)さんも気(き)に入(い)ると思(おも)う。

三田：　　 もう、とっくに気に入っているよ！何(なん)だかぼくと話(はなし)が合(あ)いそうな気がする。

グレイ：　 彼女(かのじょ)、専務(せんむ)の姪御(めいご)さんなんだけど、ハーバード大学(だいがく)の医学(いがく)研究 (けんきゅう)科(か)でクローンの研究をしているの。日本(にほん)には休暇(きゅうか)で遊(あそ)びに来(き)ているんだけど、７か国語(こくご)がペラペラだから、どうしてもって、バイト頼(たの)まれちゃったんですって。

三田：　　 何だかぎょっとするような経歴(けいれき)だなあ。 まあ、ぼくとはあんまり話が合わないかも...。

Mita: Today I had to deal with a customer who'd made a complaint (about our products). He had nothing but bad things to say, and I got annoyed.

Gray: You must be tired! Why don't you take some lemonade from the refrigerator? It'll freshen you up.

Mita: Thanks! Yeah, that tastes good! By the way, I passed a startlingly pretty lady a minute ago. Who's she?

Gray: Ah, she's our new part-time staff member — quite a nice girl. You'll like her, too.

Mita: I really do already. I feel she might be easy for me to talk to.

Gray: She's the executive director's niece. She's doing research into cloning at the medical research school at Harvard University. She came to Japan to enjoy her vacation, but she was strongly urged to work here temporarily, since she's fluent in seven languages.

Mita: That's a pretty astonishing record. Now I feel she may not be that easy to talk to.