Difference between 断る and 真っ平


Is there a substantial difference 断る and 真っ平 ?  
Can you replace one with the other without affecting the meaning ?

Here is some context:

> 今ここで諦めても‌いずれ俺は槙島聖護を見逃した自分を許せなくなる‌  
>  そんなのは真っ平だ‌
>
> If I give up now,‌ eventually I'll come to resent myself for letting
> Makishima Shougo get away.‌  
>  I could never allow that to happen.‌

Thanks in advance




> Is there a substantial difference 断【ことわ】る and 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】?

Yes. For starters, 断【ことわ】る is a verb, and 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 is a _-na_ adjective.

> Can you replace one with the other without affecting the meaning?

No.

  * 断【ことわ】る means _"to refuse, to reject, to turn down a request"_. 
  * 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 literally means _"completely flat, completely open; entirely [so]"_.  
Idiomatically, the meaning has shifted in general usage, and now the term is
more commonly used a bit like _"flatly [no] → absolutely [not]"_.
Historically, the word was used so often in a kind of fixed construction with
negatives that it became shorthand for the negative sense, and the actual
negative word is often omitted anymore. Think of it like _"completely
unacceptable, absolutely not"_.

Note that 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 is a very strong statement, imparting an unambiguously
negative value judgement, often with overtones of intense dislike. 断【ことわ】る,
meanwhile, is much more neutral.

Here's an example. Let's say there are two fellows talking about a woman
interested in one of them. She's asked the one fellow if they could go see a
movie.

  * If the askee says to his friend 断【ことわ】る, that just means that he'll turn her down, ostensibly in reference to this one time. Maybe he has a doctor's appointment, maybe he's sick, maybe he's not sure about her, we don't know. They might already be dating, or even if not, they might still do something together some other time.
  * If the askee says 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 instead, we know that he's completely not interested in her -- even more than that, he is actively _dis_ ​interested in her, and will likely never date her.

* * *

Please comment with any questions about the above.




> Is there a substantial difference 断【ことわ】る and 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】?

Yes. For starters, 断【ことわ】る is a verb, and 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 is a _-na_ adjective.

> Can you replace one with the other without affecting the meaning?

No.

  * 断【ことわ】る means _"to refuse, to reject, to turn down a request"_. 
  * 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 literally means _"completely flat, completely open; entirely [so]"_.  
Idiomatically, the meaning has shifted in general usage, and now the term is
more commonly used a bit like _"flatly [no] → absolutely [not]"_.
Historically, the word was used so often in a kind of fixed construction with
negatives that it became shorthand for the negative sense, and the actual
negative word is often omitted anymore. Think of it like _"completely
unacceptable, absolutely not"_.

Note that 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 is a very strong statement, imparting an unambiguously
negative value judgement, often with overtones of intense dislike. 断【ことわ】る,
meanwhile, is much more neutral.

Here's an example. Let's say there are two fellows talking about a woman
interested in one of them. She's asked the one fellow if they could go see a
movie.

  * If the askee says to his friend 断【ことわ】る, that just means that he'll turn her down, ostensibly in reference to this one time. Maybe he has a doctor's appointment, maybe he's sick, maybe he's not sure about her, we don't know. They might already be dating, or even if not, they might still do something together some other time.
  * If the askee says 真【ま】っ平【ぴら】 instead, we know that he's completely not interested in her -- even more than that, he is actively _dis_ ​interested in her, and will likely never date her.

* * *

Please comment with any questions about the above.

