Skip to content

2017

  • in Diary
  • 4 min read

【No. 0929】Finished Watching Friends

Jul 4, 2017 12:45
Today I finally finished watching the TV drama, Friends, from season one to ten.

Since all characters has grown nicely through the ten years, I feel nostalgic when I think back on the first season.

I watched all episodes with Japanese subtitles, but from now on, I will watch them again from the first episode with English subtitles.

Incidentally, one episode of this drama is about 22 minutes, and there were totally 238 episodes, so it means that I watched them for a total of about 87 hours.

On the other hand, it is said that you need about 500 hours listening if you want to an acquire English ability that is enough to travel abroad.

The milestone will be attained if I watch all episodes six times, but it looks like a tough road.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0928】Mouth and Tongue

Jul 3, 2017 09:21
There are many idioms that use a part of a body in both English and Japanese.

Today I found an interesting rule in such idioms.

The rule is that Japanese idioms tend to use mouth, whereas English idioms tend to use tongue instead of mouth.

For example, to say something unnecessary is expressed as "kuti ga suberu" (口が滑る - slip one's mouth) in Japanese, wheares it's expressed as "make a slip of the tongue" in English.

Also, to be silent is expressed as "kuchi wo tsumugu" (口をつむぐ - hold one's mouth), wheares it's expressed as "hold one's tongue" in English.

Furthermore, to be careful in one's speech is expressed as "kuchi no kikikata ni kiwotukeru" (口の利き方に気をつける -watch the usage of one's mouth), whereas it's expressed as "watch one's tongue" in English (it seems also be expressed as "watch one's mouth," though).

I think that these are interesting differences.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0927】Poop Kanji Workbook

Jul 2, 2017 09:22
Japanese people learn about 2000 kanji characters before graduating from junior high school.

Also, it is said that general Japanese adults can read about 3000 to 4000 kanji characters, but young people tend to be not good at kanji.

Meanwhile, "unko kanji doriru" (うんこ漢字ドリル), the literal meaning of which is "poop kanji workbook," became a bestseller throughout Japan.

In this kanji workbook, all example sentences of kanji characters include unko (うんこ - poop).

For example, for the kanji "今" (ima - now), "ここで今すぐうんこをすることもできるんですよ" (I can poop right here right now).

For the kanji "英" (ei - English), "英語さえわかれば、アメリカ人ともうんこの話ができるのに" (if I could speak English, I would talk about unko (poop) with Americans).

I don't know what will become popular.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0926】Setogiwa (瀬戸際 - Brink)

Jul 1, 2017 17:24
Have you ever teetered on the brink of life-or-death or win-or-lose.

Such a situation is called "setogiwa" (瀬戸際) in Japan.

"Seto" (瀬戸) of setogiwa means a strait that is narrowed by two land masses, and "giwa" (際) means a boundary.

That is to say, the original meaning of setogiwa is a boundary between a strait and sea.

By extension, setogiwa has come to refer to an important branch point in our lives.

In English, it seems to be expressed as "brink" or "edge" -- I think that the etymology of setogiwa is almost same as these words.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0925】Wanpaku (わんぱく - Mischief)

Jun 30, 2017 17:10
We sometimes call a child who is naughty and beyond control of adults "wanpaku" (わんぱく).

Wanpaku is written as "腕白" in kanji, here "腕" means "arm" and "白" means "white."

However, since these kanjis are just phonetic symbols, there is no relationship between wanpaku and white arms.

The most widely accepted theory of its etymology is that kanpaku changed into wanpaku.

Kanpaku refers to a bureaucratic position that do politics instead of the Emperor.

That is to say, wanpaku children can exert their powers as a kanpaku with authority can.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0924】Hiyokko (ひよっこ - fledgling)

Jun 29, 2017 14:02
In English, the call of chicks is expressed as "cheep-cheep" or "peep-peep," while in Japanese, it's expressed as "piyo piyo" (ピヨピヨ) or "hiyo hiyo." (ヒヨヒヨ)

The Japanese name of chicks, "hiyoko" (ひよこ), comes from the sound "hiyo hiyo."

Furthermore, hiyoko is sometimes called "hiyokko" (ひよっこ) by using the choked sound.

Of course hiyokko can mean hiyoko (chicks), but if you say hiyokko, it often refers to a person with little experience or a young person.

The etymology is very simple -- it was derived from the fact that newborn chicks are immature and inexperienced.

As a similar expression, there is "shiri ga aoi" (尻が青い - blue hip).
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/81406964592254932562079633885566370862
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0923】Chichin Puipui (ちちんぷいぷい)

Jun 28, 2017 08:17
I think that almost all Japanese people have heard the spell, "chichin puipui."

This spell is mainly used to relieve pain when a child is injured.

In the actual situation, it's often used like "chichin puipui, itaino itaino tondeike" (here "itaino" means "pain" and "tondeike" means "blow away something").

In the past, it was chanted as "chichin puipui goyo no ontakara" (ちちんぷいぷい 御代の御宝), and it's thought that this came from "chijin buyu goyo no ontakara" (智仁武勇御代の御宝)

Chijin means "knowledge," buyu means "force," goyo no ontakara means "our treasure," and it is said that a foster mother of Iemitsu TOKUGAWA, the third Shogun, used this phrase when she made her son stop crying, with the feeling that please don't cry because you are our treasure with both knowledge and power.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0922】Wake Wakame (わけわかめ)

Jun 27, 2017 08:50
I sometimes introduce slang terms, but some of them are becoming obsolete.

For example, there is a slang term, "wake wakame" (わけわかめ), which is used when you can't understand something.

This term comes from the sentence "wake ga wakaranai," the literal meaning of which is "I can't understand the reason" (here "wake" means "reason," and "wakaranai" means "can't understand").

Also, "wakame" of "wake wakame" means "seaweed," and it's a pun for "wakaranai."

Wake wakame once became a dead term after it had spread in 1980s, but it became popular again since it has nominated for the popular word grand prix among high/junior high school girls in 2011.

Unfortunately it's becoming obsolete again now, but I sometimes use it because I like the sound.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0921】Tenya Wanya (てんやわんや)

Jun 26, 2017 19:39
When participating in a drinking party, sometimes it becomes "tenya wanya" (てんやわんや).

"Tenya wanya" is a term that represents that a lot of people are moving disorderly and they're being confused.

It is thought that this term comes from two words, "tenden" and "waya."

"Tenden" means "each," and "waya" is a Kansai dialect, which means "impossible" or "unreasonable."

"Tenya wanya" was used as a slang term since the Edo period, but it became very popular in 1948 because it was used as a title of a novel in a newspaper and the novel became a movie.

【No. 0920】Wedding Party Part 2

Jun 25, 2017 01:42
Yesterday, I participated in a wedding party of my college friend.

It was really nice and I enjoyed meeting and talking with my friends from college for the first time in a long time.

In my yesterday's post, I wrote that about 30% of couples who didn't hold a wedding ceremony divorced, but this was wrong.

I'm sorry.

The fact is that about 30% of all Japanese couples divorce.

Also, according to a survey, about 80% of the divorced couples didn't hold a wedding ceremony.

Since about half of Japanese couples don't hold a wedding ceremony, this survey suggests that people who don't hold a wedding ceremony tend to divorce.

On the other hand, according to the study at Emory University, people who spend a lot of money on their wedding seem to tend to divorce.

【No. 0919】Japanese Wedding Ceremony

Jun 24, 2017 10:30
Today I will go to my friend's party associated with his marriage.

(I will be careful not to drink too much.)

Recently in Japan, about half of married couples don't hold a wedding ceremony.

The main reason is because it costs too much money or it's difficult to prepare for it.

Also, from the same reasons, couples that hold a small wedding ceremony with only their relatives have increased.

My friend and his partner belong to such a couple -- today's party is just a party with their friends to celebrate their marriage, which is not a wedding ceremony.

Maybe you should consider a wedding ceremony, because I found several interesting information: about 90% of couples who held a wedding ceremony were satisfied it; about 30% of couples who didn't held a wedding ceremony divorced; almost all women have a longing for a wedding ceremony.
  • in Diary
  • 2 min read

【No. 0918】Regret

Jun 23, 2017 19:06
Yesterday, I ate dinner with my bosses, and went to several bars until around 3 o'clock in the morning.

Three days ago, I introduced the word "hebereke," which means that someone gets so drunk, but I was in the state of hebereke yesterday.

Since I had to participate in a research meeting in this morning, I decided to go back to my university by taxi and go to bed in my laboratory.

However, in the early morning, I woke up because I felt awful, then I vomited.

Eventually, I participated in the meeting while feeling terrible, but of course it was very painful.

Now I'm flooded with regret.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0917】Uzai (うざい - Annoying)

Jun 22, 2017 12:44
In order to travel to Japan or enjoy Japanese contents, I think that you need to learn not only textbook terms but also several slang terms that are used by young people.

This is the reason why I sometimes introduce slang terms here.

If you use slang terms in a conversation, maybe you can give an impression that you are good at the language.

However, I recommend that you don't use negative slang terms very much, though you should understand the meaning.

For example, there is an expression, "uzai," which means "annoying" or "depressing."

Uzai is short for "uzattai," and uzattai comes from the onomatopoeia, "uzauza" or "ujauja," which represents that similar things are gathered or someone says something stupid repeatedly.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0916】Futodoki (不届き - Unscrupulous)

Jun 21, 2017 13:55
There are several terms that mean something thoughtless, but today I'd like to introduce the term "futodoki" among them, that tends to be used by high-ranked people (this tendency is my opinion).

"Fu" means a denial and "todoki" means to reach, so the literal meaning of futodoki is "not to reach something," and formerly it was used in this meaning.

Later, "principle" and "law" came to be applied as the object that you don't reach, then futodoki has come to mean actions that counter to principles or laws.

Recently, the meaning of futodoki has expanded further -- it often means something outrageous, careless, or insensitive.

Incidentally, a person who have such a character is called "futodoki mono" (不届き者).
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0915】Hebereke (へべれけ)

Jun 20, 2017 20:53
I have come into a state called "hebereke" (へべれけ) several times.

Hebereke is a term that means that someone gets drunk too much to lose his/her consciousness or memory.

There is a theory that this term comes from the Greek word, "Hebe erryake," which means something like "Hebe pours alcohol."

Here, Hebe is the goddess who controls the youth in Greek mythology.

However, it's not sure whether or not this etymology is correct.

Incidentally, there is another theory that says that it comes from the Japanese onomatopoeia, "hero hero" and "bero bero," which can refer to a drunk state.
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0914】Mittomonai (みっともない - disgraceful)

Jun 19, 2017 13:32
When I started wearing a suit, my shirt tail was often put out from my pants.

Every time my mother found it, and she told me "mittomonai" (みっともない).

Mittomonai is an adjective that means that something looks awkward or someone looks disgraceful.

This term comes from "mitakumonashi" (見たくもなし), the literal meaning of which is "I don't want to see it."

In the past, mittomonai was used to mean that you don't want to see something, but now it's mostly used in the meaning that something/someone looks disgraceful.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 0913】Orekireki (お歴々)

Jun 18, 2017 18:39
Even though I am Japanese, I sometimes come across Japanese words I don't know when referring a dictionary.

Today, I found the Japanese term "orekireki" (お歴々), which refers to people who have a high identity and a high status.

Here "reki" (歴) means that something follows histories or places in succession, or something is clearly different.

Also, the latter "reki" has a function that emphasizes the term just before it, and "rekireki" has come to mean that someone is different (someone has a high identity), in addition to its original meaning.

Later, the polite prefix "o" has often come to added to rekireki, and now orekireki mainly has the above meaning.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 0912】Kyoro kyoro (きょろきょろ)

Jun 17, 2017 20:12
Have you ever gazed your surroundings with no cease, while turning to the right and the left repeatedly?

I will take such an action if I go to a new place.

You can refer to the action such as looking at surroundings curiously by using the Japanese onomatopoeia, "kyoro kyoro" (きょろきょろ).

While it can be used as an adverb, like "kyorokyoro to mawari wo miru" (きょろきょろを周りを見る), it can also be used as an noun, like "kyoro kyoro suru" (きょろきょろする).

Also, there is the similar onomatopoeia, "gyoro gyoro."

Gyoro gyoro represents that you look around keenly with your big eyeballs.
  • in Essay
  • 4 min read

【No. 0911】Giongo and Gitaigo (Onomatopoeia)

Jun 16, 2017 13:16
Up to now, I introduced several times about Japanese giongo (擬音語) / giseigo (擬声語) and gitaigo (擬態語).
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/86267710602984537206970840486887149264

Both of them can be translated into English as onomatopoeia, but there is a clear difference in the way of use.

Giongo/giseigo is a term that represents an actual sound caused by people, animal, or things.
For example, a dog's bark is "wan wan" (ワンワン), and a sound of thunder is "goro goro" (ゴロゴロ).


On the other hand, gitaigo represents someone's/something's state or emotion that doesn't generate any sound.
For example, something shining/new/beautiful is "kira kira" (きらきら), and staring at someone's face or something is "jiro jiro" (じろじろ).

It might be hard for foreigner to understand gitaigo, but it's necessary in our daily conversation.

From now on, I will sometimes write about Japanese gitaigo, adding a tag "onomatopoeia."
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 0910】Jaja Uma (じゃじゃ馬 - Shrew)

Jun 15, 2017 03:50
In yesterday's post, I introduced the word "otenba," which means a spirited girl.

Actually, there is the similar term, which is called "jaja uma" (じゃじゃ馬).

"Jaja" is an onomatopoeia that represents something noisy/spoiled, "uma" means a horse, and jaja uma originally refers to a restive horse that doesn't get used to people.

This came to be metaphorically used to humans, especially women.

Both otenba and jaja uma refer to a spirited girl, but in the strict sense, jaja uma refers to an wayward woman who are hard to deal with.

I think that this is really idle information, but I prefer to both otenba and jaja uma.