Itachi Uchiha Quotes in Japanese: "Forgive Me, Sasuke" and More
Itachi Uchiha's quotes in Japanese rely on polite, almost literary speech: the childish 「許せサスケ…また今度だ」 — "forgive me, Sasuke... another time", the imperative 許せ instead of a soft apology, the address 愚かなる弟よ, where 愚かなる is an archaic literary form of the adjective. Below are Itachi's quotes with readings, translations, and a breakdown of one language detail in each, without revealing plot twists.
Let's look at why the older brother doesn't "ask for forgiveness" but "commands forgiveness", how Sasuke addresses Itachi in Japanese, and why at the end of their story the usual また今度 "another time" turns into a different phrase. We'll also check the grammar of the 〜うと construction in Itachi's last words — and we won't spoil the plot for those who haven't finished watching.
Main Itachi Quotes in the Original
Most often quoted are Itachi Uchiha's childhood phrase before the forehead poke, his mocking address to Sasuke, and his short monologue about how everyone sees reality in their own way — without revealing what happens to the characters later.
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 許せサスケ…また今度だ | Yuruse Sasuke... mata kondo da · Yuruse Sasuke... mata kondo da | Forgive me, Sasuke... another time (Itachi to Sasuke in childhood — before the forehead poke instead of training together) |
| 愚かなる弟よ… | Orokanaru otōto yo... · Orokanaru otōto yo... | Foolish little brother... (Itachi to Sasuke; 愚かなる is an archaic literary form of 愚かな) |
| 人は誰もが己の知識や認識に頼り縛られ生きている。それを現実という名で呼んでな。 | Hito wa daremo ga onore no chishiki ya ninshiki ni tayori shibarare ikite iru. Sore o genjitsu to iu na de yonde na. · Hito wa daremo ga onore no chishiki ya ninshiki ni tayori shibarare ikite iru. Sore o genjitsu to iu na de yonde na. | Everyone lives relying on their own knowledge and perception, bound by them. That is what they call "reality" (Itachi to Sasuke — on the nature of perception) |
How Itachi speaks: briefly and bookishly
愚かなる is a form of the adjective 愚かな "foolish", attached to the archaic なる instead of the usual な: it is rarely used in modern speech, but often appears in old poetry and formal texts. With Itachi it sounds cold and detached — exactly as intended for an outwardly icy character.
兄 — "Older Brother": How Sasuke Calls Itachi
兄 — значение: older brother — онъёми: ケイ、キョウ — кунъёми: あに — 5 штрих(ов). 兄 — "older brother": Itachi is Sasuke's older brother, and the address 兄さん uses exactly this character.
兄 (ani) — how a Japanese person refers to their older brother when talking to others, without a personal address. But when speaking directly to a brother, a different word is used: 兄さん (nii-san) — polite and warm, with a touch of respect. Sasuke calls Itachi exactly 兄さん — both in childhood and many years later. The paired word is 弟 "younger brother": this is the word Itachi uses for Sasuke.
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 兄 | ani · ani | Older brother — when talking to others about one's own |
| 兄さん | nii-san · nii-san | Addressing an older brother — politely and warmly |
| 弟 | otōto · otōto | Younger brother |
| 兄弟 | kyōdai · kyōdai | Brothers; siblings |
| お兄ちゃん | onii-chan · onii-chan | "Big brother" — a childish, affectionate address |
Why "nii-san", not "ani"
兄 without a suffix is a word, not an address: it is used to refer to a brother in the third person, telling someone else about him. To call a brother directly, a separate vocative is needed — 兄さん, 兄ちゃん, or the childish お兄ちゃん. The difference is the same as between "my older brother" and the address "brother": one describes, the other calls.
Write 兄 along the guides — the character for "older brother", which is used for Itachi in the manga.
"Forgive Me, Sasuke": 許せ and the Forehead Poke
許せ is the imperative form of 許す "to forgive", not a soft apology like ごめん. The difference is fundamental: ごめん acknowledges guilt and asks for leniency, while 許せ sounds like a command — "accept this as it is", not "I'm sorry". For a cold, distant older brother, this is exactly the tone he needs.
Two Ends of One Phrase
In childhood, the phrase ended with また今度 — "another time", a promise to return later. In the final battle between the brothers, the same formula from Itachi sounds different — 「許せサスケ…これで最後だ」, "forgive me, Sasuke, this is the last time". The word 今度 "next time" is replaced by 最後 "last time", and this substitution changes the whole phrase from a promise to a farewell.
Itachi's Farewell Words and the Grammar of 〜うと
In his farewell words to Sasuke, Itachi uses the 〜うと construction — the volitional form of a verb plus と, "no matter what". It gives the phrase the meaning "no matter how things turn out", rather than describing a specific event: the meaning rests on grammar, not on the details of the scene.
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| お前がこれからどうなろうと、俺はお前をずっと愛している | Omae ga korekara dō narō to, ore wa omae o zutto aishite iru. · Omae ga korekara dō narō to, ore wa omae o zutto aishite iru. | No matter what you become, I will always love you (Itachi to Sasuke — どうなろうと "no matter what happens", volitional なろう + と) |
〜うと: "No Matter What Happens"
The formula is simple: the volitional form of a verb (なろう from なる "to become") plus the particle と — this yields a concession, "no matter how". The same pattern works with any verb: 何が起ころうと "no matter what happens", どこへ行こうと "no matter where you go". The specific content of the phrase doesn't matter in this construction — what matters is the readiness to accept any outcome.
FAQ
- What are Itachi Uchiha's most famous quotes?
- The childhood 「許せサスケ…また今度だ」 — "forgive me, Sasuke... another time" before the forehead poke, the mocking 「愚かなる弟よ…」 — "foolish little brother", and the monologue about how everyone lives within the framework of their own knowledge and perception, which they call "reality".
- How does "Forgive me, Sasuke, another time" sound in Japanese?
- 「許せサスケ…また今度だ」 (Yuruse Sasuke... mata kondo da) — "forgive me, Sasuke... another time". 許せ is the imperative form of 許す "to forgive", not a soft apology like ごめん; また今度 literally means "again, next time".
- What did Itachi say to Sasuke in their last meeting?
- In the scene of their last conversation, Itachi says a phrase with the どうなろうと construction — "no matter what happens" — and confesses his affection for his brother. We analyze its grammar separately, without retelling the scene itself.
- How does Sasuke address Itachi in Japanese?
- 兄さん (nii-san) — a polite address to an older brother directly, with respect and warmth. The word 兄 (ani) without a suffix is used only when telling someone else about a brother, not when addressing him personally.
- What does 「愚かなる弟よ」 mean?
- "Foolish little brother": 愚かなる is an archaic literary form of the adjective 愚かな "foolish", and the よ at the end is an address. Such grammar is almost never found in living speech and sounds deliberately cold and detached.
- What does the name Itachi mean?
- イタチ is written in katakana and sounds the same as the word for "weasel" (the animal, written with the kanji 鼬). In "Naruto", almost all characters' names are written in katakana, and no explanation has been found for why the author chose this particular name.
Sources
Updated: 2026-09-24