父(ちち) chichiも mo父(ちち) chichiなら nara、息(むす)子(こ) musukoも mo息(むす)子(こ) musuko。 Like father, like son — they're both hopeless. Literal Father [also-も] father [if-なら], son [also-も] son. The set expression AもAなら、BもBだ means 'A is bad enough, and B is just as bad.' Unlike the English 'like father, like son' (which can be neutral), the Japanese version is always negative — criticizing both parties. An important pragmatic distinction. familyproverbs and sayingsconditionalも (also/too)~なら (conditional)copula omissionことわざ (proverb)
父(ちち) chichiも mo父(ちち) chichiなら nara、息(むす)子(こ) musukoも mo息(むす)子(こ) musuko。 Like father, like son — they're both hopeless. Literal Father [also-も] father [if-なら], son [also-も] son. The set expression AもAなら、BもBだ means 'A is bad enough, and B is just as bad.' Unlike the English 'like father, like son' (which can be neutral), the Japanese version is always negative — criticizing both parties. An important pragmatic distinction. familyproverbs and sayingsconditionalも (also/too)~なら (conditional)copula omissionことわざ (proverb)