June 2017 – Learning English and Japanese

Toru Jun 30, 2017Jan 03, 2024 authority, bureaucratic, child, Emperor, etymology, kanji, naughty, phonetic, power, wanpaku

Wanpaku (わんぱく – Mischief)

We sometimes call a child who is naughty and beyond control of adults “wanpaku” (わんぱく). わんぱく Wanpaku is written as Read More

Culture Essay Etymology Idiom Japanese tradition Onomatopoeia Uncorrected

Toru Jun 29, 2017Jan 03, 2024 cheep, chicks, etymology, experience, expression, hiyokko, hiyoko, Japanese, peep, sound

Hiyokko (ひよっこ – fledgling)

Hiyokko ひよっこ In English, the call of chicks is expressed as “cheep-cheep” or “peep-peep,” while in Japanese, it’s expressed as Read More

Culture Essay Etymology History Idiom Japanese tradition Kanji Onomatopoeia Uncorrected

Toru Jun 28, 2017Jan 03, 2024 chichin puipui, crying, foster mother, Iemitsu Tokugawa, Japanese culture, knowledge and power, ontakara, pain relief, Shogun, spell

Chichin Puipui (ちちんぷいぷい)

Chichin Puipui ちちんぷいぷい I think that almost all Japanese people have heard the spell, “chichin puipui.” 日本人なら「ちちんぷいぷい」という呪文を聞いたことがあると思います。 This spell is Read More

Culture Essay Etymology History Idiom Slang Uncorrected

Toru Jun 27, 2017Jan 03, 2024 1980s, 2011, obsolete, popular, pun, reason, seaweed, slang, understand, wake wakame

Wake Wakame (わけわかめ)

I sometimes introduce slang terms, but some of them are becoming obsolete. わけわかめ For example, there is a slang term, Read More

Culture Essay Etymology History Idiom Japanese tradition Slang Uncorrected

Toru Jun 26, 2017Jan 03, 2024 disorderly, drinking party, Edo period, Kansai dialect, movie, newspaper, novel, popular, slang term, tenya wanya

Tenya Wanya (てんやわんや)

Tenya Wanya てんやわんや When participating in a drinking party, sometimes it becomes “tenya wanya” (てんやわんや). 飲み会やパーティでは「てんやわんや」になることがあります。 “Tenya wanya” is a Read More