This site will be taken down March 31st, 2026.

This was not an easy decision to make. For the last couple years, I have been struggling to find motivation for this site and to keep up with basic maintenance and security updates. With the rise of AI and more sophisticated tools, the usefulness of sites like this is questionable and traffic has nose-dived. I just don't have it in me to keep doing this. Thank you all for 10 years of support!

Zach

あの人たちのトラブルのもとは些細なことだ。

Sentence Analyzer

あの 人たち とらぶる もと 些細な こと

English Translation

Their trouble stems from a trifling matter.

Furigana

あの(ひと)たちのトラブルのもとは些細(ささい)なことだ。

Romanji

Ano hitotachi no toraburu no moto wa sasaina koto da.

Words

彼の (あの、かの)
that (someone or something distant from both speaker and listener, or situation unfamiliar to both speaker and listener)
人達 (ひとたち)
people
()
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
トラブル (トラブル)
trouble
(もと)
origin; source; base; basis; foundation; root; cause; ingredient; material; (somebody's) side; (somebody's) location; original cost (or capital, principal, etc.); (plant) root; (tree) trunk; first section of a waka; counter for blades of grass, tree trunks, etc., and for falcons (in falconry); handle (chopsticks, brush, etc.); grip
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
些細 (ささい)
trivial; slight
(こと、こん)
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble; crisis; circumstances; situation; state of affairs; work; business; affair; after an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker does not feel close to; nominalizing suffix; pretending to ...; playing make-believe ...; alias; aka; nickname; alternative name; also known as
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: ジン、 ニン、 ひと、 -り、 -と
Meaning: person
Readings: サ、 シャ、 ち.と、 ち.っと、 いささか
Meanings: a little bit, sometimes
Readings: サイ、 ほそ.い、 ほそ.る、 こま.か、 こま.かい
Meanings: dainty, get thin, taper, slender, narrow, detailed, precise