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2017

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【No. 1069】Manma (まんま - Meal)

Nov 21, 2017 15:52
In Japan, "manma" (まんま) is a baby word that means a "meal."

According to the Internet, one of the easiest word to pronounce for babies is "ma-ma," and this fact is common in the world.

Because of this, "mama" has come to mean "mother" in many countries.

On the other hand, since Japanese people thought that babies said "ma-ma" in order to request a meal (and it was sounded like "manma"), "manma" has come to mean a meal in Japan.

Incidentally, since these days it has widespread to call your mother "mama" even in Japan, if you want to say "mother, I'm hungry" in baby language, it will be "mama, manma."
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【No. 1068】Manako (まなこ - Eye)

Nov 20, 2017 15:23
The most common Japanese word that means "eye" is "me" (め/目), but you can also use another word "manako" (まなこ/眼).

The "ma" (ま) of "manako" a changed form of "me" (目 - eye), the "na" (な) means "of," and the "ko" (こ) means "child."

Therefore, the literal meaning of "manako" is a "child of your eye."

This comes from the fact that "manako" was used to mean just a black part of your eye.

Incidentally, the pronunciation of "namako" (ナマコ) is very similar to "manako" (まなこ - eye), but "namako" means "sea cucumber."
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【No. 1067】Nodo (喉 - Throat)

Nov 19, 2017 03:48
I have a sore "nodo" (喉) now.

"Nodo" refers to a back of your mouth, where the part above your esophagus and trachea -- it's a throat.

In the past, this Japanese word is called "nomido" (のみど).

The "nomi" (のみ) means "to drink" and the "do/to" (ど/と) means "door," so the combination "nomido" refers to "door for drinking."

I think that it's not necessary to explain any more why "nodo" has come to mean "throat."

Also, "nodo" can mean "singing voice," "weak point," and "a part that binds a book."
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【No. 1066】Cold or Food Poisoning

Nov 18, 2017 15:14
Yesterday I became sick.

Since I had a sore throat and a headache, I thought that I caught a cold.

Therefore, I went home early, ate dinner, and went to bed.

However, I woke up in the middle of the night due to a severe headache and a feeling of nausea, then I vomited all food I ate for dinner.

It was very painful because I woke up repeatedly with the headache and the nausea.

After I slept for about 18 hours, these symptoms were finally lessened somewhat.

However, my condition is still bad -- in such a day, I will post a simple diary like this.
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【No. 1065】Kaze wo Hiku (風邪をひく - Catching a Cold)

Nov 17, 2017 13:39
There are various diseases in the world.

Japanese people usually say "(disease name) ni kakaru" or "(disease name) wo wazurau" when they catch the disease.

Of course you can say "kaze ni kakaru" (風邪にかかる) or "kaze wo wazurau" (風邪を患う) -- where "kaze" means "cold."

However, only in the case of "kaze," we often say "kaze wo hiku" (風邪をひく).

The "hiku" means "to drag," and it seems to be derived from the fact that ancient Chinese people thought that you would catch a cold when dragging bad vibes into your body.

By the way, I'm having a cold now.
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【No. 1064】Yonabe (夜なべ - Nightwork)

Nov 16, 2017 06:02
Now I'm doing my work, which is called "yonabe" (夜なべ).

"Yonabe" means a work that is done in the middle of the night.

The "yo" (夜) means "night," but there are several theories about what the "nabe" (なべ) means.

The most accepted theory says that the "nabe" is written in kanji as"鍋," which means a one pot dish.

According to this theory, the word "yonabe" comes from the fact that people work at night while eating "nabe" (one pot dish).

Also, another theory says that "nabe" is written in kanji as "延べ," which means "extension" -- this implies that your work is extended until night.
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【No. 1063】Kamase Inu (かませ犬 - Underdog)

Nov 15, 2017 12:21
I like dogs, but many terms/idioms that use dog have negative meanings.

The idiom "kamase inu" (かませ犬), that I will introduce today, is one of them.

The "kamase" (かませ) means "to let someone bite," "inu" (犬) means "dog," and the combination means a weak dog that is prepared to be bitten by another dog in dog fighting.

Unfortunately, this weak dog (kamase inu) is just used to give a confidence to the fighting dog.

Because of this background, "kamase inu" is also used to mean a weak person who emphasizes a main character.

Incidentally, the top character of the kamase-inu ranking in anime is Yamcha of Dragon Ball.
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【No. 1062】Kebyou (仮病 - Pretended Illness)

Nov 14, 2017 12:36
In recent years, the number of young people who are absent from school or work due to "kebyou" (仮病) has been increased.

The "ke" (仮) means "temporary" or "fake," the "byou" (病) means "illness," and the combination "kebyou" means "to pretend to be illness."

As the symptoms of kebyou, headache, stomach ache, nausea and fever are often used.

Especially headache and stomach ache seem to be commonly used because it's difficult to confirm the symptom by a third party.

Also, people also use "miuchi no fukou" (身内の不幸 - bereavement) as a reason for playing hooky.

They make a story something like that their families or relatives were dead.

You should never tell such a lie.
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【No. 1061】Nimaijita (二枚舌 - Double Tongue)

Nov 13, 2017 11:33
There are several Japanese expressions that means to tell a lie.

The term "nimaijita" (二枚舌) is one of them.

The "nimai" (二枚) means "two pieces," and the "jita/shita" (舌) means "tongue," so the literal meaning of "nimaijita" is "two tongues."

However, this term is used to mean that someone tells a lie or say contradictory things.

Since people who say lies or contradictions fluently are as if they have two tongues and each one says different things, this term has come to be used.

Incidentally, today I learned English has a similar expression -- "speaking with a forked tongue" means to tell a lie.
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【No. 1060】Ude ga Naru (腕が鳴る - Itching to Do)

Nov 12, 2017 15:03
Have you ever been excited due to a feeling that you want to show someone your skills or power?

If you want to represent such a feeling, you can say the Japanese idiom "ude ga naru" (腕が鳴る).

The "ude" (腕) means "arm," the "naru" means "making a sound," so the literal meaning of "ude ga naru" is "one's arms make a sound."

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the etymology about this idiom.

However, since "ude" can also mean "skill" or "power," probably Japanese people thought that "ude" lets us know to want to be exerted by making a sound.
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【No. 1059】November 11th

Nov 11, 2017 12:02
I think that it's not widely known, but there are some anniversaries every single day of the year.

Among them, November 11th is a special day.

This day has 31 different anniversaries in 2015, and now, it has 44 different anniversaries.

The most popular anniversary of November 11th is probably "Pocky & Pretz Day."

I wrote about this anniversary on November 11th last year.
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/128654817496066258554196170905421467344

Besides, there are "Heteroconger Hassi Day," "Salmon Day," "Mirror Day," "Origami Day," and many other anniversaries, then we celebrate them.

However, I think that it's too much.

To tell you the truth, I haven't known these anniversaries other than "Pocky & Pretz Day" until today.
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【No. 1058】Dasai (ダサい - Uncool)

Nov 10, 2017 15:52
There is the Japanese adjective word (slang expression), "dasai" (ダサい), which means "uncool" or "countrified."

This word has been used among young people in the Kanto region since the 1970s, but the exact etymology hasn't been clarified.

One of the most accepted theories about the etymology is that it comes from "inaka" (田舎), which means "countryside."

The theory says that the kanji of the noun "inaka" (田舎) can be read as "dasha" by the Chinese reading, and it changed to an adjective by adding "i" (い).

Another theory says that it comes from "datte saitama dakara" (だって埼玉だから - Because it's Saitama), which is a phrase for ridiculing Saitana citizens by Tokyo citizens.
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【No. 1057】Ookina Osewa (大きなお世話 - None of Your Business)

Nov 9, 2017 13:21
There is a Japanese term, "ookina osewa" (大きなお世話).

Here the "ookina" (大きな) means "big," and the "osewa" (お世話) means "care" or "favor."

You might think that the combination "ookina osewa" has some kind of good meanings.

However, it means "unnecessary care" or "unwelcome favor," and is used when you want to refuse someone's favor/act.

In addition, since this term is usually used containing an ironic meaning, please be careful when you use it.

If you want to say it in English, you can say "None of your business" or "Leave me alone."
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【No. 1056】Dogimo wo Nuku (度肝を抜く - Surprising the Hell out of Someone )

Nov 8, 2017 13:01
Have you ever surprised the hell out of someone?

This action is sometimes called "dogimo wo nuku" (度肝を抜く) in Japanese.

The "kimo/gimo" (肝) originally means "liver," but it can also mean "heart" or "soul."

Also, the "do" (度) is a prefix for emphasising the following word, and the "nuku" (抜く) means "to pull something out."

Therefore, the literal meaning of "dogimo wo nuku" is "to pull someone's heart out," and it implies that you surprise someone enough to pull the heart out.

If you want to mean just "to surprise someone" in Japanese, you can say "odorokasru" (驚かせる).
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【No. 1055】Hashoru (端折る - Shortening)

Nov 7, 2017 10:50
To shorten and organize something is called "hashoru" (はしょる) in Japanese.

"Hashoru" comes from "hashioru," which is written in kanji as "端折る."

Here the "hashi" (端) means "edge," and the "oru" (折る) means "to fold."

Therefore, this term originally meant an action of folding a hem of kimono (traditional Japanese clothes) and putting it into obi (kimono's belt-like accessory).

The meaning has been extended, and these days it is often used to mean to shorten an explanation or a story.

Note that "hashoru" is sometimes regarded as oral language or an slang term.

If you want to say it more formally, use the verb "shōryaku-suru" (省略する).
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【No. 1054】Suna wo Kamu (砂を噛む)

Nov 6, 2017 17:22
There is a Japanese phrase, "suna wo kamu youna omoi" (砂を噛むような思い).

The "suna" (砂) means "sand," the "kamu" means "to bite," and the "omoi" means "feeling," so the literal meaning of the combination is "feeling like biting sand."

Can you guess how this phrase is used?

Today, I will show you three choices, so please think about which one is correct.

A. Extremely frustrating feeling.

B. Feeling that something isn't interesting.

C. Feeling that everything is happy.

This term represents that you feel things are dull because it has no taste.

Therefore, the correct answer is the second choice.
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【No. 1053】Kaze (風/風邪 - Wind/Cold)

Nov 5, 2017 15:09
The Japanese word "kaze" has two different meanings; "wind" (風) and "(common) cold" (風邪), and both are often used in daily conversation.

The "ka" of "kaze" means a movement of the atmosphere, and "ze" means wind, so originally "kaze" meant either of them.

The reason why it has come to mean a cold (a kind of illness) is because the illness could spread due to the movement of the atmosphere or the wind.

You can use "kaze" (風 - wind) like: "Kaze ga fuku" (風が吹く - The wind blows), or "Kaze ga tsumetai" (風が冷たい - The wind is cold).

You can use "kaze" (風邪 - cold) like: "Kaze wo hiku" (風邪をひく - I get a cold), or "Kaze wo utsusareru" (風邪をうつされる - I pick up a cold).
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【No. 1052】Naraku no Soko (奈落の底- Abyss)

Nov 4, 2017 14:42
A severe situation that you can't turn around is called "naraku no soko" (奈落の底) in Japanese.

The "naraku" (奈落) comes from a Buddhism term (Sanskrit language), "naraka," which means "hell," and the "soko" (底) means "bottom."
("Naraka" was translated into Chinese as "奈落" (naraku), and it has also come to be used in Japan.)

Therefore, "naraku no soko" originally means "the bottom of hell," and now it can mean "rock bottom" or "severe situation that you can't turn around."

For example, it's used as "naraku no soko ni ochiru" (奈落の底に落ちる - I fall into a bottomless pit).
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【No. 1051】Chaban (茶番 - Farce)

Nov 3, 2017 18:15
Nonsense plays, theatrical behavior, and ridiculous acts are called "chaban" (茶番) or "chaban-geki" (茶番劇) in Japan.
(Here the "geki" (劇) means "drama/play.")

"Chaban" is short for "chaban kyogen" (茶番狂言 - chaban comedic drama), which means a traditional short comedic drama using accessible things by poor actors or amateurs.

The literal meaning of "cha" (茶) means "tea," and the "ban" (番) means "role," so "chaban" originally meant waiting staff who serve tea.

Since they often performed "kyogen" (狂言 - short comedic drama) as a sideshow of Kabuki (traditional Japanese drama performed by male actors), it came to be called "chaban kyogen," and it has come to have the current meaning.
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【No. 1050】Chienetsu (知恵熱)

Nov 2, 2017 10:52
There is a Japanese term "chienetsu" (知恵熱), which is often used incorrectly.

The "chie" (知恵) means "wisdom," and the "netsu" (熱) means "fever," but can you guess the meaning of the combination, "chienetsu?"

"Chienetsu" means unexplained fever found in infants in half a year to a year after birth.

The etymology comes from the fact that this symptom occurs when infants start to get wisdom.

However, it's often used incorrectly to mean "fever due to an excessive use of one's head."

Incidentally, this fever is referred to as "teething fever" in English because it occurs when teeth begin to grow.