There is a tendency for Japanese to want to know a certain amount of personal information about someone such as age, position and whether they are married or not, before they feel comfortable talking with a stranger.
The boxer said he would knock down his opponent in the first round.
そのボクサーは第1ラウンドで相手を倒すつもりだと言った。
A fortune-teller read my hand.
占い師に手相を見せました。
Man is a more dangerous foe to man than the elements of nature or animals in the wild.
人間にとっては自然に属するものや野性の動物よりも人間のほうが危険な相手なのである。
I have lots of friends I can talk things over with.
私には相談する友達がたくさんいる。
Such things as the textbook controversy, lack of recognition of historical events, and the prime minister's worshipping at the Yasukuni Shrine have caused discord with China.
教科書問題や歴史認識、靖国神社への首相の参拝などで、日中関係に波風が立っている。
The detective took six months to get at the truth of that affair.
探偵がその事件の真相をつかむまで半年かかった。
Since I am not familiar with tax, I will participate in a consulting service to receive advice.
税金のことが良く分からないので、相談会に行って相談する。
She sued him for damages.
彼女は彼を相手取って損害賠償の訴訟を起こした。
Will I do as your partner?
お相手願えましょうか。
Silvio Berlusconi is an Italian politician, the current Prime Minister of Italy, as well as a successful entrepreneur.
シルヴィオ・ベルルスコーニはイタリアの政治家、現在のイタリア首相、また成功した実業家。
In the Greek football game, the players on one team tried to carry a ball across a line in the other team's territory.
The company took action against its former accountant.
会社は元会計を相手取って訴訟を起こした。
The peace talks failed again, with both sides blaming the other for the failure.
和平会談は再度失敗したが、双方とも相手方に失敗の責任ありと非難した。
His rival was discouraged by his triumph.
彼の大勝利に競争相手は落胆した。
Your sister's as beautiful as ever.
君の姉さん、相変わらず美人だね。
The Foreign Minister said that war was inevitable.
外相は、戦争は避けられないと言った。
The difference is not so great for me.
その相違は私にはそれほど重要でない。
Happy birthday, Miss Aiba!
お誕生日おめでとう相葉ちゃん!
Tell me the truth.
僕に真相を話してくれ。
We discussed the matter among ourselves.
自分たちだけでその問題を相談した。
Beating the other team was no sweat at all.
相手チームをやっつけるのは朝飯前だった。
The Prime Minister was unable to form a Cabinet.
首相は組閣に失敗した。
The girl who Brown married is a nurse.
ブラウンの結婚した相手は看護婦です。
The newspaper reports the prime minister has died of cancer.
新聞によれば、首相がガンでなくなった。
He has great enthusiasm.
彼は大の相撲狂だ。
I still have not learned to drive a car.
私は相変わらず車の運転を習っていない。
We have no chance against those top players.
こんな一流選手が相手では勝ち目がない。
The Prime Minister was obliged to resign from the Cabinet.
首相は内閣からの辞職を余儀なくされた。
It is likely that these two consonants are in complementary distribution.
この2つの子音は相補分布をなしていそうである。
He succeeded to his father's large property.
彼は父親の大きな土地を相続した。
If the other person does mention his family, then it is perfectly OK to ask about the ages of the children, and if you have children, to compare educational and cultural differences in raising children.