と来たら ①
When it comes to, That or this … of mine, That or this darn …, That or this blasted …
Structure
Explanation
The phrase ときたら is an informal way to single out (A) and express a sense of complaint or exasperation. It originates from the particle と followed by the conditional form of 来る, which is 来たら ('if/when it comes'). Although its literal meaning is 'when it comes to (A)', it's often used with a negative nuance, similar to saying 'That (A)...' followed by a grievance.
ときたら attaches directly to nouns.
- うちの同居人ときたら、いつもゲームばかりして、全然掃除しないんだ。That roommate of mine is always just playing video games and never cleans up.
- うちの猫ときたら、毎朝早く起こしてごはんを欲しがるから、本当に困る。That cat of mine, I swear... he wakes me up early every morning wanting food. It's such a hassle.
- 隣の人ときたら、夜遅くに大声で歌うから、うるさくて眠れない。My neighbor, of all people... he sings at the top of his lungs late at night, so I can't sleep because of the noise.
This grammar structure is nearly always written in hiragana. Knowing the verb it comes from may help you recall its meaning.
Fun Fact
Following its literal meaning, ときたら can also be used to point out a characteristic of (A) that is typical or unsurprising. Whether ときたら expresses frustration or simply states a well-known fact is determined by the rest of the sentence.
- おばあちゃんときたら、遊びに行くといつもお小遣いをくれるんだ。Speaking of my grandma, she always gives me some spending money whenever I visit. (As you'd expect)
- 今の子ときたら、スマホに慣れているから、操作が本当に上手だ。Kids these days are so used to smartphones, it's no surprise they're incredibly good at using them. (It's only natural)
Even though the nuances can seem quite different, it is useful to always think of ときたら as 'when it comes to (A)', and let the latter part of the sentence clarify whether the tone is positive or negative.
Examples
うちの弟ときたら、自分の部屋を全く掃除しないんだから。
'That brother of mine, he never cleans his own room.'
このスマホときたら、肝心なときにバッテリーが切れるんだ。
'This stupid smartphone, its battery always dies at the worst possible moments.'
うちの猫ときたら、夜中に運動会を始めるから寝不足だよ。
'My darn cat, it starts running around like crazy in the middle of the night, so I'm always short on sleep.'
うちの部長ときたら、言うことがコロコロ変わって困るよ。
'That boss of ours, his instructions are always changing, which is a real pain.'
最近の天気ときたら、週末になると必ず雨が降るんだ。
'When it comes to the weather lately, it always ends up raining on the weekend.'
今年の新人ときたら・・・（挨拶もろくにできない）
'These new employees this year... (they can't even greet people properly).'
うちの子ときたら、野菜を全然食べないで、お菓子ばかり欲しがるの。
'That kid of mine, she won't eat her vegetables at all and only ever wants snacks.'
あの会社ときたら、残業代も払わずに社員をこき使うらしい。
'That blasted company, I hear they work their employees to the bone without even paying overtime.'
姉は料理も裁縫も得意なのに、私ときたら、何もできない。
'My older sister is good at both cooking and sewing, but when it comes to me, I can't do anything.'
うちのインターネット回線ときたら、夜になるといつも遅くなるんだ。
'This internet connection of mine, it always gets slow at night.'
向かいの家の犬ときたら、人が通るたびにワンワン吠えてうるさい。
'That dog from the house across the street, it barks its head off every time someone passes by. It's so noisy.'
この国の政治家ときたら、自分たちのことしか考えていない。
'When it comes to the politicians in this country, they only ever think about themselves.'
山田くんときたら、約束の時間にいつも遅れてくるんだから、本当に頭にくるよ。
'That Yamada-kun, he's always late for our meetups. It really gets on my nerves.'
私の古い車ときたら、最近エアコンの調子が悪くて最悪だ。
'This old car of mine, the air conditioner has been acting up lately and it's the absolute worst.'