Skip to content

Essay

  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1349】Shikaesi, Fukushū, Houfuku (仕返し、復讐、報復）

Aug 28, 2018 20:26
Shikaesi, Fukushū, Houfuku

I introduced you to the Japanese term shippe gaeshi (しっぺ返し - paying back) yesterday.

In addition to it, there are other terms that mean something like "revenge" -- shikaeshi (仕返し), fukushū (復讐) and houfuku (報復).

The most common one is shikaeshi, and it is often used for petty things such as quarrels.

On the other hand, when the scale of the given harm is large, fukushū or houfuku would be used.

Houfuku contains a nuance of an acute resentment.

Fukushū can be used for not only personal matters but also groups or countries.

Additionally, shippe gaeshi is usually used for petty things as well as shikaeshi, but it has a nuance of "immediately" or "in the same way."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1348】Shippe Gaeshi (しっぺ返し - Paying Back)

Aug 27, 2018 21:27
Shippe Gaeshi

When someone does something bad to you, if you pay him/her in the same coin, the act is called shippe gaeshi (しっぺ返し).

Originally, shippe gaeshi was called shippei gaeshi (竹篦返し).

Shippei (竹篦) is a bamboo stick that is used to mentor Zen monks, and gaeshi/kaeshi (返し) means "to get back."

In Zen sitting meditation, when the posture of a monk is disturbed due to distracting thoughts, the guide hits shippei on the monk's shoulder.

That is to say, shippei gaeshi means to hit back shippei. Later, shippei changed to shippe.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1347】Akane Gumo (茜雲 - Rosy Cloud)

Aug 26, 2018 18:22
Akane Gumo

Yesterday, I introduced you to my favorite kind of clouds, nyūdō gumo (入道雲).

I also like some other types of clouds.

For example, I like akane gumo (茜雲 – literally “madder clouds”), which are made by the morning sun or the setting sun.

Akane (茜) is a perennial and climbing plant, and its root can become a dark red dye, so this term also means such a color.

Additionally, gumo/kumo (雲) means "cloud."

That is to say, akane gumo are clouds with dark red that you can see at sunrise or sunset.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1346】Nyūdō Gumo (入道雲 - Cumulonimbus Cloud)

Aug 25, 2018 21:20
Nyūdō Gumo

I like nyūdō gumo (入道雲), which you can see in the summer sky.

Nyūdō gumo are huge and clear clouds like mountains that are made by rising air currents -- which are called cumulonimbus clouds in English.

Nyūdō (入道) is a traditional Japanese specter who has a shaven head, and gumo/kumo (雲) means "cloud."

This term was made by comparing this specter with the high cumulonimbus clouds.

Incidentally, nyūdō gumo is a slang term, and its official name in Japan is sekiran un (積乱雲 - literally "piled and disordered clouds").
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1345】Kami wo Suku (髪をすく - Thinning Out One's Hair)

Aug 24, 2018 11:12
I had my hair cut at a barbershop yesterday.

Whenever I go to a barbershop, in addition to the order of cut length, I always say "suite kudasai" (すいて下さい) by using the Japanese verb suku (すく).

Suku originally meant to comb, fix or shove one's hair.

However, when you use this verb at barbershops or hair salons, it is usually mean to thin out one's hair or reduce the volume of one's hair.

The reason is probably that the character su (す) itself has a nuance of "hollow."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1344】Fuseki (布石 - Preparation)

Aug 23, 2018 18:47
Fuseki

I introduced you to Japanese terms two days ago and three days ago.

Additionally, yesterday I introduced a coined word that is made by combining the previous two Japanese terms.

As I did, to prepare for something in advance for the future is called fuseki (布石) in Japanese.

Fu (布) means "to arrange/deploy" and seki (石) means "stone," especially here it is "Go stone."

Originally, fuseki was a term of Go, and it has meant to arrange/deploy stones in the early stage preparing for the later stage.

Connected to the above meaning, it has come to be used in various situations.
  • in Essay
  • 3 min read

【No. 1343】Urayamakeshikaran (うらやまけしからん)

Aug 22, 2018 12:14
Urayamakeshikaran

I introduced you to keshikaran (けしからん) two days ago and urayamashī (うらやましい) yesterday.

Today I would like to introduce the slang term urayamakeshikaran (うらやまけしからん), which was made by combining these two terms.

As explained in previous posts, keshikaran expresses a feeling of anger to unreasonable/undesirable things, whereas urayamashī expresses a sense of longing for someone's lucky situation.

Therefore, the combination means that a situation is unreasonable, so you should against for that, but you have a longing for the situation in your heart.

Urayamakeshikaran is mainly used when seeing sexual situations or cute animals.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1342】Urayamashī (うらやましい - Envious)

Aug 21, 2018 21:39
Urayamashī

When you think that someone is favored/rich and you want to become such a person, you can say urayamashī (うらやましい) to express the feeling.

Urayamashī is an adjective form of the verb urayamu (うらやむ).

Ura (うら) means inside/behind something, especially here it means "one's heart."

In addition, yamu (やむ) means to be taken sick.

Originally, this term literally meant that one's mind becomes a disease by seeing someone's privileged status.

However, these days it is mainly used to express a sense of longing that you want to become such a gifted or lucky person.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1341】Keshikaran (けしからん - Unreasonable)

Aug 20, 2018 14:21
Keshikaran

When something is unreasonable and undesirable, you can express anger feelings by using the following phrase:

"Keshikaran" (けしからん).

Keshikaru/keshikara can be written as 異しかる or 怪しかる in kanji, and it means that something is abnormal.

Additionally, -n (ん) is a change in the sound of the negative auxiliary verb -zu/nu (ず/ぬ).

You might think that the denial of abnormal is normal.

However, the denial of abnormal here expresses that it is not just abnormal, it is terribly abnormal.

Meanwhile, these days on the Internet, this phrase is often used to mean "it is too sexy/cute."
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1340】Ochame (お茶目 - Mischievous)

Aug 19, 2018 20:08
Ochame

There are some people around me who are called ochame (お茶目).

Ochame means that someone is mischievous or innocent and lovable.

O (お) is a polite prefix, but there are several theories about the etymology of chame (茶目).

One theory says that chame was made by combining cha (茶) and me (め).

Cha usually means "tea," but it can also mean "antic" or "cursory."

Also, me usually means "eye," but it can also mean "to comport oneself as something."

Another theory said that chame comes from chameri (ちゃめり), which means "antic" or "playful."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1336】Fūrin (風鈴 - Wind Bell)

Aug 15, 2018 17:58
Fūrin

Three years ago, I wrote an article about fūrin (風鈴 - wind bell).

Today I would like to talk about fūrin in more detail.

Fū (風) means "wind" and rin (鈴) means "bell."

Therefore, fūrin is a bell that sounds by taking the wind as the characters indicate.

In the past, fūrin was used as a tool of fortune telling in China.

This was imported to Japan as an amulet tool when the time Buddhism was introduced.

Then, over a long period of time, it has changed to an item that represents summer.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1335】Yukata (浴衣)

Aug 14, 2018 05:19
Yukata

In this season, I sometimes see people who are wearing yukata (浴衣).

Yukata is a kind of Japanese summer clothes, which is an unlined kimono (着物 - traditional Japanese clothes).

This term comes from yukatabira (湯帷子), which was used during the Heian period.

Yu (湯) means "bath" and katabira (帷子) means an unlined kimono for summer.

Therefore, yukatabira means a cloth to hide one's skin while taking a bath.

Originally, only those of high-rank used yukatabira, but after cotton spread in the Edo period, it came to be called yukata for short and became common as casual wear for summer.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1334】Gobusata (ご無沙汰)

Aug 13, 2018 11:52
Gobusata

The most common Japanese greeting when you meet with someone for the first time in a long time is hisashiburi (久しぶり) or ohisashiburi desu (お久しぶりです).

In addition, there is the more formal expression, gobusata shiteorimasu (ご無沙汰しております).

Go (ご) is a polite prefix, bu (無) means "nothing," and sata (沙汰) means "contact" or "news."

That is to say, gobusata means "These days we have not made contact."

However, if you use just gobusata as a noun, it could become a slang term which implies that you have not done sexual activity for a while.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1333】Ikagawashii (いかがわしい)

Aug 12, 2018 21:08
Today I saw ikagawashii yume (いかがわしい夢).

Ikagawashii (いかがわしい) is an adjective that means "dubious" or "doubtful," and yume (夢) means "dream."

Ika (いか) was a word expressing a feeling of doubt, and it became a basis of ikaga (いかが), which is an adverb that is used to asking for opinions.

Furthermore, ikaga changed to the adjective ikagashi (いかがし), and it finally changed to ikagawashii.

However, note that these days ikagawashii often means "obscene" or "unethical."

For example, if you say ikagawashii yume, it will probably mean "wet dream" or "lewd dream."
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1331】Gomenkudasai (ごめんください - Anyone Around?)

Aug 10, 2018 02:34
Gomenkudasai

When visiting someone's house, Japanese people often say gomenkudasai (ごめんください) at the entrance.

Go (ご) is a polite prefix, men (めん) mean "pardon" or "forgive," and kudasai (ください) means "please."

That is to say, gomenkudasai implies your feelings of apologies for suddenly visiting someone's house.

Originally, this phrase literalle meant apologies, but these days it is mainly used as a greeting when visiting someone's house.

If you say gomen-nasai (ごめんなさい), by replacing kudasai (ください) with nasai (なさい), it just means "I'm sorry."
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1330】Kokoro ni Shimiru (心にしみる - Being Impressed)

Aug 9, 2018 15:22
Kokoro ni Shimiru

When expressing that you are impressed by something in English, you probably say in the way that something acts on someone, such as "to be impressed by" or "to be moved by."

On the other hand, Japanese people usually express it in the way that the someone just acts, such as kandō shita (感動した - literally "I did kandō").

However, there is another Japanese expression, which uses the way of saying that something acts on someone.

It is kokoro ni shimiru (心にしみる).

Kokoro (心) means "heart" and shimiru (しみる) means "to soak into."

Therefore, this expression means that someone is impressed as if something soaks into the one's heart.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1329】Kono Ue Naku (この上なく - Supremely)

Aug 8, 2018 14:56
Kono Ue Naku

Today I would like to introduce you to the Japanese expression kono ue naku (この上なく), which means "most" or "supremely."

Kono (この) means "this," ue (上) means "up" or "top," and naku means "nothing," so the literal meaning of kono ue naku is "There is nothing that is higher than this."

As you can guess, this expression implies that the thing is the best.

You can make a more calm and elegant impression by using this than using direct expressions such as saikō (最高 - best/greatest).

【Example sentence】
Kono ue naku shiawase da (この上なく幸せだ - I'm as happy as can be).
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1328】Hadazamui (肌寒い - Chilly)

Aug 7, 2018 13:39
Hadazamui

It is raining today, so I feel a little cold air in spite of summer.

To feeling a cold like this is expressed as hadazamui (肌寒い) in Japanese.

Hada (肌) means "skin" and zamui/samui (寒い) means "to feel cold."

That is to say, hadazamui literally means to feel a little cold on your skin.

However, since hadazamu (肌寒) was originally a season word for autumn in haiku (俳句 - Japanese seventeen-syllable poems), traditionally, this term was used from the end of summer to the beginning of autumn.
  • in Essay
  • 1 min read

【No. 1326】Yudan (油断 - Carelessness)

Aug 5, 2018 22:26
Yudan

To let one's guard down or to be careless is called yudan (油断) in Japanese.

Yu (油) means "oil" and dan (断) means "to cut off" or "to break."

There are two major theories about its etymology.

One is that it comes from the story of Buddhist scriptures; "A king gave his servant a bowl of oil, and said that when he spills the oil, his life would be cut off."

The other one is that it comes from the archaic Japanese word yutani (ゆたに), which means to relax.
  • in Essay
  • 2 min read

【No. 1325】The World's Shortest Love Letter Part 2

Aug 4, 2018 16:41
The World's Shortest Love Letter Part 2

When the New Year came, the research members in the Antarctic got messages with telegrams from their families.

Among them, a wife of a member tried to send a message from Japan by her own hands with the help of engineers.

The message was アナタ (read as 'anata'), which means "you" in English.

Since these characters looked as if it was a love letter containing various feelings, such as "love," "loneliness," and "anxiety," the research members were deeply impressed.

However, what she really wanted to say was "You, don't drink too much."