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

彼は昨年たばこを止めようとしたが、無駄だった。

Sentence Analyzer

昨年 たばこ 止めよう した 無駄 だった

English Translation

He tried to give up smoking last year, but it was in vain.

Furigana

(かれ)昨年(さくねん)たばこを()めようとしたが、無駄(むだ)だった。

Romanji

Kare wa sakunen tabako o tomeyou to shita ga, muda datta.

Words

(かれ)
he; him; his; boyfriend
()
topic marker particle; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
昨年 (さくねん)
last year
煙草 (たばこ、えんそう、けぶりぐさ、けむりぐさ、タバコ)
tobacco; cigarette; cigaret; cigar; tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum)
()
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
止める (とめる)
to stop; to turn off; to park; to prevent; to suppress (a cough); to hold back (tears); to hold (one's breath); to relieve (pain); to stop (someone from doing something); to dissuade; to forbid; to prohibit; to notice; to be aware of; to concentrate on; to pay attention to; to remember; to bear in mind; to fix (in place); to fasten; to tack; to pin; to nail; to button; to staple; to detain; to keep in custody
()
if; when; and; with; particle used for quoting (with speech, thoughts, etc.); quoting particle; promoted pawn; indicates question (sentence end)
為る (する)
to do; to cause to become; to make (into); to turn (into); to serve as; to act as; to work as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.); to judge as being; to view as being; to think of as; to treat as; to use as; to decide on; to choose; to be sensed (of a smell, noise, etc.); to be (in a state, condition, etc.); to be worth; to cost; to pass (of time); to elapse; verbalizing suffix (applies to nouns noted in this dictionary with the part of speech "vs"); creates a humble verb (after a noun prefixed with "o" or "go"); to be just about to; to be just starting to; to try to; to attempt to
()
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; still; and
無駄 (むだ)
futility; uselessness; pointlessness
()
be; is; indicates past or completed action; indicates light imperative

Kanji

Readings: ヒ、 かれ、 かの、 か.の
Meanings: he, that, the
Reading: サク
Meanings: yesterday, previous
Readings: ネン、 とし
Meanings: year, counter for years
Readings: シ、 と.まる、 -ど.まり、 と.める、 -と.める、 -ど.め、 とど.める、 とど.め、 とど.まる、 や.める、 や.む、 -や.む、 よ.す、 -さ.す、 -さ.し
Meanings: stop, halt
Readings: ム、 ブ、 な.い
Meanings: nothingness, none, ain't, nothing, nil, not
Readings: ダ、 タ
Meanings: burdensome, pack horse, horse load, send by horse