Shouganai

Shouganai (しょうがない) is actually a shortened or slurred way of saying shiyou ga nai. Directly translated, shiyou ga nai means, “there is no way of doing/going.” It is used interchangeably with shikata ga nai, which translates identically.

Although it is not a strict Japanese mindset it still holds the power and strength it makes me feel. You can also hold on to the western way of saying it. In English: It can’t be helped. In French: C’est la vie. In Dutch: Het zij zo etc. There are lots and lots of ways to say it, so just take the one that speaks to you most.

In the example I made for you the girl dropped her sandwich off of the table. It landed face down so there’s nothing she can do. That’s when you would say shouganai, there’s nothing to do about it. It doesn’t mean you should leave it and not do anything about it, but rather just go on and don’t fuss about it.

I love the idea behind the japanese phrase shouganai. The main thing for me to take from it is to stop worrying about little things that I have no control over.