Super Mario 64 2-2

Star #2 - 砦の天辺へ  > とりでのてっぺんへ > Towards the Top of the Fortress

The English localization for this course is a direct translation of the the Japanese wording: "To the Top of the Fortress". With the Whomp King crushed by Mario's rear-end, now waiting in his place is a tricky tower to be scaled. This phrase introduces a very important grammar particle: へ.  

1. 砦 > とりで > Toride ＞ Fortress

Appearing for the third time in a row, this kanji is hopefully starting to become familiar. While its use is generally rare, it can also frequently be seen in Japanese text referencing the fortresses of Super Mario Brothers 3 and Super Mario World.

2. の > No > Denotes location

Here the の is combined not with a person or object, but with the direction of "top" to indicate location. The の translates to "Top OF the Fortress". Before beginning to climb it, the game’s lone, giant bullet bill is a little surprise that's not mentioned in the level description!

3. 天辺 > てっぺん > Teppen > Top, Summit, Apex

Here's a very interesting way to describe a summit, as the kanji 天辺 literally translates into "Vicinity of Heaven". 天 (て/Te) is thought to be a person standing upright with an exaggerated head (raised towards the heavens/sky). The etymology for 辺 (っぺん/ppen (Vicinity/Boundary) is difficult to explain and is perhaps best left for a future time were it appears. You may recognize 天 as the character that appears on Gouki/Akuma's back in Street Fighter.

4. へ > He > Denotes direction of action

Despite the hiragana character へ (he) being used, in this context it's pronounced え (e). へ basically acts as the word "towards". "Towards (bold) the top of the Fortress". Throughout your immersion into the Japanese language, you'll be encountering this word as often as a goomba or coin.

Hopefully you were able to understand this important lesson, which made use of two new, frequently used kanji and two new grammar particles. Once again, it all combines to: 砦の天辺へ >　とりでのてっぺんへ　> Towards the Top of the Fortress

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