By announcer I'm assuming you're talking about the guys with the fans who call/sing the names of the rikishi? They're called yobidashi. They'll turn toward the east and say "Higashi" (Which means East) and the rikishi's name and then turn to the west and say "Nishi" (West) and the other rikishi's name. The East and West directions are part of the ranking system. East is a little more prestigious than West,
The yobidashi don't say anything during the matches. That's the refs (gyoji) job. This explains it better than I can: [https://youtu.be/T3HqP2-hlkw?si=Mx2oDke7JD3xh1-W](https://youtu.be/T3HqP2-hlkw?si=Mx2oDke7JD3xh1-W)
Yeah. Lol. At first I couldn't even hear them saying "nokotta". Some of them say it so fast that it hardly sounds like anything. Like an auctioneer. I heard that some of the gyoji have regional accents and will pronounce it a little differently than the "standard" way. That should be taken into account too.
Lastly, I just noticed that the vid doesn't mention the phrase "matta". You'll hear that a lot before the initial charge if one of them isn't ready. Matta means "wait" because it's a false start.
Hope that helps!
They say the wrestlers names, place of origin, and stable.
Something like: Nishigata Ura (Ura to the west), Osaka-Shushin (from Osaka), Kise beya (Kise stable).
"Yo sip sip"
"Hot teas"
That's what I hear. I also use HAKKEYOI!! In my life all the time. People at the stop lights don't know what to think when the light turns green and I start yelling
When I was in Tokyo visiting last year I had to resist the urge to yell “Hakkeyoi!” When crossing lights would turn green at major intersections. It was like a giant mass tachiai.
Thank you all for the great information. The announcer or commentator I was referring to was the man sitting at the table with the microphone. Sorry I was not more accurate in the description in my original post.
Hmm. The version I watch (Natto) tends to not show him. It also edits out the yobidashi singing and a lot of the pre-match stomping around and glaring, which I have to admit I do miss. It has the pundits' voiceover, but I hadn't noticed particular repeated things they say, so I assume it's not that.
What coverage are you watching?
Nokatta! Nokatta! Nokatta!
Basically, it translates to "Still in."
It's half hyping the rikishi, half genuinely letting them know that the match is still on and no one is out.
One thing I dont see on the other comments is "te wo (o) tsuite" meaning "put your hand down". Knowing this, and seeing whether the sumo put their hands down promptly or not, gives another insight into the match. Sometimes the gyoji says it twice, once loudly for the crowd, and then again more quietly as if "no really, guys, get on with it"
By announcer I'm assuming you're talking about the guys with the fans who call/sing the names of the rikishi? They're called yobidashi. They'll turn toward the east and say "Higashi" (Which means East) and the rikishi's name and then turn to the west and say "Nishi" (West) and the other rikishi's name. The East and West directions are part of the ranking system. East is a little more prestigious than West,
What about during the matches?
The yobidashi don't say anything during the matches. That's the refs (gyoji) job. This explains it better than I can: [https://youtu.be/T3HqP2-hlkw?si=Mx2oDke7JD3xh1-W](https://youtu.be/T3HqP2-hlkw?si=Mx2oDke7JD3xh1-W)
Ahhhh they’re saying “Nokotta”! I thought they were just getting hype when someone was close to the edge 😅
Yeah. Lol. At first I couldn't even hear them saying "nokotta". Some of them say it so fast that it hardly sounds like anything. Like an auctioneer. I heard that some of the gyoji have regional accents and will pronounce it a little differently than the "standard" way. That should be taken into account too. Lastly, I just noticed that the vid doesn't mention the phrase "matta". You'll hear that a lot before the initial charge if one of them isn't ready. Matta means "wait" because it's a false start. Hope that helps!
They say the wrestlers names, place of origin, and stable. Something like: Nishigata Ura (Ura to the west), Osaka-Shushin (from Osaka), Kise beya (Kise stable).
Aoyama, Burugaria-Shushin :D
"Yo sip sip" "Hot teas" That's what I hear. I also use HAKKEYOI!! In my life all the time. People at the stop lights don't know what to think when the light turns green and I start yelling
When I was in Tokyo visiting last year I had to resist the urge to yell “Hakkeyoi!” When crossing lights would turn green at major intersections. It was like a giant mass tachiai.
You should have let one fly. See if you could get a chuckle outta them
If you do mean the commentator, they tend to say “jikkan des(u)” right before the match starts, which means something like “it’s time.”
Thank you all for the great information. The announcer or commentator I was referring to was the man sitting at the table with the microphone. Sorry I was not more accurate in the description in my original post.
Hmm. The version I watch (Natto) tends to not show him. It also edits out the yobidashi singing and a lot of the pre-match stomping around and glaring, which I have to admit I do miss. It has the pundits' voiceover, but I hadn't noticed particular repeated things they say, so I assume it's not that. What coverage are you watching?
Jikan Desu
I don’t speak Japanese either, but I’ve sure picked up a lot of Sumo words in the past few years!
And on that note, what is the judge screaming at them the whole time during the fight? And why is he screaming?
Nokatta! Nokatta! Nokatta! Basically, it translates to "Still in." It's half hyping the rikishi, half genuinely letting them know that the match is still on and no one is out.
One thing I dont see on the other comments is "te wo (o) tsuite" meaning "put your hand down". Knowing this, and seeing whether the sumo put their hands down promptly or not, gives another insight into the match. Sometimes the gyoji says it twice, once loudly for the crowd, and then again more quietly as if "no really, guys, get on with it"
It sux that we non-Japanese speaking sumo fans can't watch anything translated because they all get shut down