Yomi
もとをとる
Rōmaji
moto o toru
Type
idiom
Literal Meaning
get the source
Meaning
get your money’s worth; get something worth at least what you’ve paid
Additional Info
For instance, when you go to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, you may feel obliged to 元を取る by keep eating the most expensive meal on the menu. However, if you eat too much and feel sick as a result of trying to get your money’s worth, that is 本末転倒 (ほんまつてんとう), a four-kanji word meaning “primary objectives are sidelined/overshadowed by secondary objectives”.
Example
飲み放題の居酒屋に行くと、いつも元を取ろうとしてビールを沢山飲む
When I go to an all-you-can-drink izakaya, I always try to get my money’s worth and drink a lot of beer.
(* Drinking beer helps you 元を取る because it cannot be diluted unlike other izakaya cocktails (e.g. lemon sour)
この大学に入るためにとても高い授業料を払ったので、この環境を最大限に活かして元を取ろうと思う
As I paid very expensive tuition fees to enter this university, I’ll make the most of this environment and get my money’s worth.
