当たり前

あたりまえ【当たり前】

1 〔当然〕 ～の proper; right; just; fair; (as a matter) of course; 〔もっともな〕 justifiable; reasonable; 〔自然な･不思議でない〕 natural; not strange.

●当たり前のこと a matter of course

・日本人が日本語を話すのは当たり前のことだ. It's not [It's hardly] surprising that Japanese people speak Japanese. | There's nothing surprising in somebody Japanese being able to speak Japanese. | Obviously [Of course] Japanese people can speak Japanese. | Japanese people should be [ought to be] able to speak Japanese.

・忘れ物を届けるという当たり前のことをしただけです. そんなに恐縮しないでください. I just did what anybody would've done in the circumstances and brought you what you'd left behind. There's really no need to thank me so profusely.

・正直に事実を話すのは人間として当たり前のことだ. For a human being to say honestly what really happened is simply right. | People [We] should simply tell the honest truth. | It is simply obvious that one should tell the unvarnished truth.

・たばこは有害だという当たり前のことがまだわからないのか. Do you still not understand the simple fact that cigarettes are harmful? | Don't you even realize that cigarettes are obviously harmful? | You don't even have the common sense to realize that cigarettes are bad for you?

・当たり前のことだと思う take 《it》 for granted

・卒業したら就職するのは当たり前のことだと思っていた. I had taken it for granted that people would get a job when they graduated [that anybody who had been to university could get a job].

・性能がよくて安い商品が売れるのは当たり前のことだと思う. It seems obvious [natural] to me that high-quality, low-priced goods should sell. | I don't think there is anything odd about good, cheap goods selling well.

●2 と 2 を足せば 4 になるのは当たり前だ. Two and two obviously make four. | Obviously, 2 and 2 make 4.

・それは当たり前さ. That goes without saying. | That's obvious [not surprising].

・彼が人からあのように同情されるのは当たり前だ. It's not surprising that people sympathize with him like that. | He deserves the sympathy he's receiving.

・君がそんな目にあうのは当たり前だ. It serves you right. | 《口》 You got what was coming to you. | You've brought it on yourself.

・彼が怒るのは当たり前だ. It's natural that he should be [get] angry. | He has good reason to be angry. | His anger is natural [not surprising].

・あいつが怒るのも, 当たり前といえば当たり前だ. It's hardly surprising that he got angry. | Perhaps it was only to be expected that he would lose his temper.

・この程度の漢字は書けて当たり前だ. Anyone [You] should be able to write this level of kanji.

・「怒った?」「当たり前さ」 “Are you angry?”―“Of course (I am).” | “Are you angry?”―“Obviously. What do you think?”

・「君も今度の計画に参加するかい?」「当たり前さ」 “Are you taking part in this project, too?”―“Of course [Naturally, Obviously, 《口》 Sure].” <▲> Obviously は「もちろん, 訊くまでもない」の意.

・「ここは車を止められないな」「当たり前だろ, 消防署の前じゃないか」 “We can't stop here.”―“Obviously (not). It's right in front of the fire station.”

2 〔普通〕 ～の ordinary; average; normal; usual; 《英》 《口》 common or garden.

●ごく当たり前の absolutely normal; completely unexceptional [normal]; taken completely for granted; not strange in any way

・それはごく当たり前のキーホルダーだった. It was just a very [completely] ordinary key ring.

・当たり前のことを当たり前にやる do ordinary [everyday] things in the ordinary [everyday, usual] way

・当たり前の手段ではだめだ. We [They] won't be able to solve the problem in the ordinary way [without taking special measures]. | The usual method will be useless.

・親が年とって子供の世話になるのは当たり前のことだ. There is nothing odd about parents depending on their children as they grow older. | It is normal for the elderly to get help from their children. | Elderly parents should [ought to] be able to depend on their children.

●当たり前でない unusual; odd; strange; extraordinary.

●当たり前ならもう課長になっているところだ. He ought to be a [the] section chief by now. | In the normal way of things he would be a [the] section chief by now.

当たり前に in the ordinary way; in the normal course of events; 〔常のように〕 as usual.

●当たり前にやったのではとても彼にはかなわない. I would be no match for him if we played (in) the normal way [if we played fair].

・今日も当たり前に学校へ行った. They went to school today as usual.