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【No. 1562】Nagori (なごり - Remnant)

Mar 29, 2019 06:55
Nagori

Today is the last working day at my university.

Now I am feeling nagori (なごり) to this university where I have been working for three years.

Nagori means feelings, odors or atomosphere that is left/remains after things pass by.

It is thought that this term was made by shortening naminokori (波残り). (Note that this word is no longer used.)

Since nami (波) means "(sea) wave" and nokori (残り) means "remnant," "leftover" or "residual."

That is to say, naminokori means various things that remain after waves break on a shore.
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【No. 1561】Dowasure (ど忘れ - Lapse of Memory)

Mar 28, 2019 17:11
Dowasure

I often do dowasure (ど忘れ).

Dowasure means that you suddenly forget something you know well and simply can't come up with it.

Wasure (忘れ) means "to forget," but I think that most Japanese people do not know where do (ど) comes from.

Do is written in kanji as 度, and it means "degree" or "dimension."

This term was borne from the Chinese story 韓非子 -- in this story, a man measured his foot dimensions to buy shoes, but he went to a store without the dimension notes.

【No. 1560】Suima ni Osowareru (睡魔に襲われる - Getting Sleepy)

Mar 27, 2019 22:23
Suima ni Osowareru

I am very sleepy now.

When you become very drowsy or sleepy, it can be described as suima ni osowareru (睡魔に襲われる) in Japanese.

Sui (睡) means "sleep," ma (魔) means "devil," osou (襲う) means "to attak," and wareru (われる) is a passive expression, so the literal meaning of this phrase is "to be attacked by a devil of sleep."

As you can guess, this phrase compares strong sleepiness that is hard to resist to a devil of sleep.
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【No. 1559】Saiketsu (採血 - Blood Sampling)

Mar 26, 2019 23:05
Saiketsu

Today I went to a hospital for a health check.

Among the health check, there was saiketsu (採血) that I do not like.

Since sai (採) means "to collect" and ketsu (血) means "blood," the combination saiketsu literally means "to collect blood."

When collecting my blood, the nurse said, "it is very easy to collect blood from your blood vessels."

The reason was that seven vessels for blood collection could be observed clearly.

The nurse also said, "your arm is best for injection practice for novice nurses," but I thought that it was really disgusting.
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【No. 1557】Nizukuri (荷造り - Packing)

Mar 25, 2019 00:55
Nizukuri

Now I am doing nizukuri (荷造り) for moving out of my apartment.

Since ni (荷) means "package" and zukuri/tsukuri (造り) means "to make," the literal meaning of nizukuri is "to make a package."

Actually, this term means to put various things together in a box/bag or tie them together with a string.

In English, it can be translated as "packing."

It is said that packing should be started two weeks before moving, but I started packing a week before moving.

The move will take place after three days, but packing has not finished at all.
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【No. 1558】Bon to Shōgatsu ga Issho ni Kita-yō (盆と正月が一緒に来たよう - Very Busy)

Mar 25, 2019 16:48
Bon to Shōgatsu ga Issho ni Kita-yō

I am very busy now because of retirement, entering a new job, and moving.

Such a busyness can be described as bon to shōgatsu ga issho ni kita-yō (盆と正月が一緒に来たよう) in Japanese.

Bon (盆) is the Buddhist Festival of ancestral spirits, shōgatsu (正月) means "New Year's holidays," issho (一緒) means "together," and kita-yō (来たよう) means "as if something came," so the literal meaning of this phrase is "as if both Bon and new year came together."

If there were an American version of this, it could be "as if Thanksgiving and Christmas came at the same time."
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【No. 1556】Sudatsu (巣立つ - Leaving a Nest)

Mar 23, 2019 23:56
Sudatsu

In my yesterday's post, I used the Japanese word sudatsu (巣立つ).

Since su (巣) menas "nest" and datsu/tatsu (立つ) means "to stand" or "to fly," the literal meaning of sudatsu is "to fly a nest."

Of course, this word literally can mean that birds' children grow and leave their nests.

However, when using it to people, it means that children leave their parents or graduate from school/university then go into the world.

By using this word, you can emphasize feelings of pathos compare to just saying shakaijin ni naru (社会人になる - literally means "to become a member of society") or dokuritsu suru (独立する - literally means "to become independent").
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【No. 1555】Megashira ga Atsuku Naru (目頭が熱くなる - One's Eyes Fill with Tears)

Mar 22, 2019 23:49
Megashira ga Atsuku Naru

The day before yesterday, a graduation ceremony took place at my university.

When I saw students who would spread their wings, my eyes filled with tears.

When one's eyes fill with tears like my case, it can be expressed as the Japanese phrase megashira ga atsuku naru (目頭が熱くなる).

Me (目) means "eye," gashira/kashira (頭) means "head," and the combination means "inner corner of one's eye."

In addition, atsuku naru (熱くなる) means "to get hot," so the literal meaning of this phrase is "inner corners of one's eyes get hot."

It is thought that it comes from the fact that tears accumulated in your eyes would make you feel warm.
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【No. 1553】'Yōshi Tanrei' and 'Bimoku Shūrei' (「容姿端麗」と「眉目秀麗」 - "Beautiful Features")

Mar 21, 2019 01:03
Yōshi Tanrei and 'Bimoku Shūrei'

Yesterday, I introduced you to the four-character idom saishoku kenbi (才色兼備), which means to be both beautiful and talented.

If you want to talk about only someone's beautiful features, you can use other idioms, yōshi tanrei (容姿端麗) or bimoku shūrei (眉目秀麗).

Since yōshi (容姿) means "features" and tanrei (端麗) means "beauty/beautiful," the literal meaning of yōshi tanrei is "beautiful features."

Since bi (眉) means "eyebrow," moku (目) means "eye," and shūrei means "beauty/beautiful," the literal meaning of bimoku shūrei is "beautiful eyebrows and eyes."

The former can be used to both men and women, whereas the latter is usually used to men.
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【No. 1554】Sihou Happou (四方八方 - Every Direction)

Mar 21, 2019 20:58
Sihou Happou

In my previous post, I introduced the word happou (八方), which means every direction in the surroundings.

Of course, happou itself makes sense, but if you want to emphasize that directions are diverse, you can use the four-character idiom sihou happou (四方八方).

Shi (四) means "four," ha/hachi (八) means "eight," hou/pou (方) means "direction," so the literal meaning of this idioms is "four directions and eight directions."

Both sihou (四方) and happou (八方) mean every direction, but in the narrow sense, the former means north, south, east and west, and the latter means northeast, northwest, southeast and northeast in addition to sihou.
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【No. 1552】Saishoku Kenbi (才色兼備 - Being both Talented and Beautiful)

Mar 20, 2019 21:43
Saishoku Kenbi

Have you ever seen a person with both talent and beautiful features?

Such a person is described as the four-character idiom saishoku kenbi (才色兼備).

Sai (才) means "talent/gift" and shoku (色) means "features," so the combination saishoku (才色) means "talent and beautiful features."

In addition, ken (兼) means "both" and bi (備) means "to have," so the literal meaning of saishoku kenbi is "to have both talent and beautiful features."

It can also mean a person having both brains and beauty.

Note that this idiom is usually used to women.
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【No. 1551】Atama ga Panku (頭がパンク - One's Head is Explode)

Mar 19, 2019 00:20
Atama ga Panku

I am about to atama ga panku (頭がパンク).

Atama (頭) means "head" and panku (パンク) comes from the English "punctured," so the literal meaning of 'atama ga panku (suru)' (頭がパンクする) is "one's head is punctured (flattened)."

I think that it is not difficult to imagine situations where this phrase is used.

You can use this when you have too many jobs or tasks to do and your brain is about to literally be punctured.

In English, it can be translated as "one's head/mind is going to explode" or "to be about to panic."
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【No. 1550】Shucchō (出張 - Business Trip)

Mar 18, 2019 12:54
Shucchō

I am now visiting the US on a business trip.

To visit a different area from one's usual place of work is referred to as shucchō (出張) in Japanese.

Shucchō (出張) comes from the verb debaru (出張る) -- the former is Chinese reading, whereas the latter is Japanese reading.

Since de (出) means "to go out" and baru/haru (張る) means "to set up," the literal meaning of debaru is "to go out and set up something."

Originally, this term was used to mean to go to another area for war.

The two kanji character 出 and 張 imply that you go to the battlefield and set up the camp.
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【No. 1549】Monku (文句 - Complaint/Criticism)

Mar 17, 2019 12:26
Monku

I do not like people who often say monku (文句).

Since mon (文) means "sentence" and ku (句) means "phrase," the literal meaning of monku is "sentences and phrases."

Of course, this term can mean its literal meaning.

However, if you use just monku without adjectives, it will mean "complaint" or "criticism."

[Example 1] Kare wa itsumo monku wo itte iru (彼はいつも文句を言っている - "He always make complains").

[Example 2] Kanojo wa monku nashi no tensai da (彼女は文句なしの天才だ - "She is an undisputed genius").
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【No. 1547】The Toilet was Clogged

Mar 15, 2019 05:47
The Toilet was Clogged

I have visited Washington D.C. to attend an academic conference.

And I have stayed at a hotel near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, but I had big trouble this morning.

The toilet in my room was clogged.

I might have used too much toilet paper.

As a last resort, I called the front desk and said "Excuse me. The toilet in my room is blocked. Can someone come and fix it?"

The front desk clerk said "Okay," but no one came to my room for a while, so I left five dollars as a chip and headed to the conference venue.

I would like to be more careful in the future.
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【No. 1548】Yō wo Tasu (用を足す - Go to the Bathroom)

Mar 15, 2019 23:56
Yō wo Tasu

I used the expression yō wo tasu (用を足す) in my yesterday's post.

Yō (用) means "errand" and tasu (足す) means "to add" or "to do what is necessary."

Of course, this expression can literally mean "to do a necessary errand," but if you say just yō wo tasu (用を足す), it will mean to go to the bathroom in most cases.

It implies that you do what is necessary as a human in the bathroom.

As other indirect expressions, there are ohana tsumi ni iki (お花摘みに行く - "I will go picking flowers") and kiji uchi ni iki (雉撃ちに行く - "I will go pheasant hunting"), though they are now rarely used.
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【No. 1546】Shichiten Hakki (七転八起 - Never Giving Up)

Mar 13, 2019 04:11
Shichiten Hakki

If there is a person who tries many times despite repeated failures, his/her behavior can be described as the four-character idiom shichiten hakki (七転八起).

Shichi (七) means "seven," ten (転) means "to fall down," ha/hachi (八) means "eight," and ki (起) means "to get up," so the literal meaning of this idiom is "fall down seven times, get up eight times."

You might think that the number of getting up must be seven when the number of falling down is seven, but "seven" and "eight" here just imply that the number is large.

Incidentally, you can say it as nanakorobi yaoki (七転び八起き) by using Japanese readings.
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【No. 1545】Gobu Gobu (五分五分 - Half and Half)

Mar 12, 2019 18:20
Gobu Gobu

Yesterday, I introduced you to the four-character idiom kubu kurin (九分九厘), which means that a probability or achievement is almost 100% (literally means 99%).

If you want to express that the probability is about 50%, you can use the four-character idiom gobu gobu (五分五分).

Go (五) means "five," bu (分) is a unit representing ratios, and ichibu (一分 - "one bu") is 10%, so the literal meaning of this idiom is "50% and 50%."

Gobu gobu can mean not only probability but also that there is no priority between two persons (or two things).
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【No. 1544】Kubu Kurin (九分九厘 - A Hundred to One)

Mar 11, 2019 15:14
Kubu Kurin

Yesterday, I introduced you to the four-character idiom jucchū hakku (十中八九), which means that the probability is high.

When interpreting this idiom literally, the probability is 80% to 90%.

If you want to express a higher probability, such as 99%, you can use the four-character idiom kubu kurin (九分九厘).

Ku (九) means "nine," and bu (分) and rin (里) are units representing ratios or probabilities -- they mean "10%" and "1%," respectively.

That is to say, kubu kurin literally means 99%.

This idiom can be used not only for probability but also for progress or completeness of things.
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【No. 1543】Jucchū Hakku (十中八九 - Ten to One)

Mar 10, 2019 22:07
Jucchū Hakku

To express that possibility is high or something is most likely to happen, you can use the four-character idiom jucchū hakku (十中八九)

Ju/jū (十) means "ten," chū (中) means "in" or "inside," ha/hachi (八) means "eight," and ku/kyū (九) means "nine."

That is to say, jucchū hakku means that the possibility is eight or nine when the total of the possibility is ten.

In other words, it means that the possibility is 80% to 90%.

[Example] Ashita wa jucchū hakku hareru (明日は十中八九晴れる - "Ten to one it will be fine tomorrow.")