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【No. 1482】Kaish (会社 - Company)

Jan 8, 2019 23:36
Kaisha

Most adults work at kaisha (会社).

Kaisha is an organization established for the purpose of profit and is usually translated into English as "company" or "office."

Kai (会) means "to get together" or "to assemble," and sha (社) means "organization."

Originally, both this term and its inverted version shakai (社会) were used in a broad sense, such as "society," "group," and "fellow," as the letters indicate.

However, since the early Meiji era (about 150 years ago), kaisha and shakai have been clearly distinguished -- kaisha means "company" and shakai means "society."
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【No. 1481】Namahanka (生半可 - Half-Hearted)

Jan 7, 2019 10:44
Namahanka

If you want to change yourself, you must not have an attitude of namahanka (生半可).

Namahanka means that someone/something is halfway, half-hearted, or lukewarm.

In the Edo period, people who displayed a know-it-all attitude about fashion or play were called hankatsū (半可通) with contempt.

Han (半) means "half," ka (可) means "possible," and tsū (通) means "acquainted/familiar."

Later, it changed to hanka (半可) by removing tsū, then the term namahanka was made by adding nama (生), which means "immature" or "halfway."
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【No. 1480】Kado ga Tatsu (角が立つ - Creating Bitter Feelings)

Jan 6, 2019 21:01
Kado ga Tstsu

Yesterday, I introduced you to the idiom kado ga toreru (角が取れる), which means that someone who is harsh comes to have a gentle nature.

Today, I would like to introduce another idiom kado ga tatsu (角が立つ), which also uses kado (角).

Since kado means "corner" and tatsu (立つ) means "to stand" or "to stand out," the literal meaning of kado ga tatsu is "corners stand out."

A spiny situation that corners are standing out implies bad personal relationships.

Because of this, kado ga tatsu means to create bitter feelings and bad relationships.
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【No. 1479】Kado ga Toreru (角が取れる - Mellowing)

Jan 5, 2019 22:13
Kado ga Toreru

When someone who is harsh becomes to have a gentle nature due to his/her life experience, it is expressed as kado ga toreru (角が取れる) in Japanese.

Kado (角) usually means "corner," but here it means a sharp point of one's personality.

In addition, toreru (取れる) means "to remove" or "to come off."

Therefore, kadoga toreru means that a sharp part of one's personality removes, in other words, it means that one's personality becomes gentle or mellow.

Incidentally, I watched the movie "A Christmas Carol," and I thought that this term can be is used for Scrooge.
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【No. 1477】Isshin Furan (一心不乱 - Heart and Soul)

Jan 4, 2019 10:22
Isshin Furan

Yesterday, I introduced you to the four-character idiom chototsu moushin (猪突猛進), which means to rush headlong into some activity recklessly.

There is another idiom isshin furan (一心不乱), which has a similar meaning to chitotsu moushin.

I/ichi (一) means "one," shin (心) means "heart," fu (不) is a negative prefix, ran (乱) means "be confused," so the literal meaning of this idiom is "one heart is not confused."

As the characters imply, isshin furan means that someone concentrates on one thing without being confused by other things.

Chitotsu moushin is often used in a negative sense, whereas isshin furan is often used in a positive way.
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【No. 1478】Zettai Zetsumei (絶体絶命 - Certain Death)

Jan 4, 2019 22:49
Zettai Zetsumei

Several days ago, I was being fallen into a situation called zettai zetsumei (絶体絶命) in Japanese.

Ze/zetsu (絶) means "to end," tai (体) means "body," mei (命) means "life."

Each idiom, zettia (絶体) and zetsumei (絶命) means "one's body (is about to) ends" and "one's life (is about to) ends," respectively.

In addition, the combination zettai zetsumei means a situation that you are driven to the last extremity and cannot do anything.

People sometimes write 絶対絶命 (zettai zetsumei) using 絶対 (zettai - meaning "definite/absolute") instead of 絶体 (zettai), but note that this is incorrect.
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【No. 1476】Chototsu Moushin (猪突猛進 - Rushing Recklessly)

Jan 2, 2019 20:21
Chototsu Moushin

Since the animal symbol of this year is the boar (猪/亥 - read as 'inoshishi/i'), these days we often see the four-character idiom chototsu moushin (猪突猛進).

Cho (猪) means "boar," totsu (突) means "rush," mou (猛) means "fierce," shin (進) means "proceed/head."

The combination, chototsu moushin, means to rush headlong into a purpose wildly.

This idiom was born from the fact that boars rush straight without looking sideways.

Some people use this idiom in a positive sense, but it is usually used in a negative sense because it contains a nuance that you act without thinking consequences or surroundings.
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【No. 1475】Neshōgatsu (寝正月 - Staying at Home during the New Year's Holiday)

Jan 1, 2019 23:26
Neshōgatsu

Happy New Year.

This year I have done neshōgatsu (寝正月).

Ne (寝) means "sleep" and shōgatsu (正月) means "New Year's holiday," the literal meaning of neshōgatsu is "sleeping during the New Year's holiday."

The actual meaning of neshōgatsu is to stay at home during the New Year's holiday.

In Japan, there is a traditional custom that people greet Toshigami-sama (年神様 - literally "god of the incoming year") from December 31st to January 1st, then sleep and stay at home during January 1st.

Therefore, first selling and New Year's events are often held from January 2nd.
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【No. 1474】Ichaicha (いちゃいちゃ - Lovey-Dovey)

Dec 31, 2018 18:38
Ichaicha

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese term chinchin kamokamo (ちんちんかもかも), which means that a woman and a man snuggle each other.

There is another term, ichaicha (いちゃいちゃ), which has a similar meaning to chinchin kamokamo, and is more commonly used.

Originally, ichaicha was used to mean to argue, but later it has come to mean to make out or snuggle.

Usually, this term is used as ichaicha suru (いちゃいちゃする) by adding suru (する - meaning "do").

Or its verb form icha tsuku (いちゃつく) is used instead.
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【No. 1473】Chinchin Kamokamo (ちんちんかもかも - Making Out/Snuggling)

Dec 30, 2018 23:29
Chinchin Kamokamo

To describe that a woman and a man make out or snuggle each other, you can use the Japanese term chinchin kamokamo (ちんちんかもかも).

Chinchin (ちんちん) is an onomatopoeia that means that water is boiling, and it also means a feeling of jealousy.

Furthermore, since you might feel jealous when seeing snuggling couple, chinchin (ちんちん) can also mean such a feeling.

In addition, it is thought that kamokamo (かもかも) is added to chinchin just for adjusting the tones.

Incidentally, if you just say chinchin, it can be taken to mean an obscene thing.
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【No. 1472】Kachō Fūgetsu (花鳥風月 - Beauties of Nature)

Dec 29, 2018 23:23
Kachō Fūgetsu

To describe a beautiful landscape of nature, you can use the four-character idiom kachō fūgetsu (花鳥風月).

Ka (花) means "flower," chō means "bird," fū (風) means "wind," and getsu (月) means "moon."

This idiom can be divided into two parts: kachō (花鳥) and fūgetsu (風月).

Kachō means to enjoy watching nature such as flowers or birds, and fūgetsu means to make poetry about nature such as wind or a moon.

By combining these two idioms, it can mean various beautiful nature.
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【No. 1471】Kiki Ippatsu (危機一髪 - Having a Close Shave)

Dec 28, 2018 23:42
Kiki Ippatsu

If you want to describe an extremely dangerous situation, you can use kiki ippatsu (危機一髪) in Japanese.

Ki (危) means "danger," ki (機) means "moment" or "chance," i/ichi (一) means "one," and patsu/hatsu (髪) means "hair."

That is to say, kiki ippatsu implies that a danger moment is approaching to you, and the distance is as long as one hair.

This idiom is often used to describe the past event, for example, kiki ippatsu de tasukatta (危機一髪で助かった - I had a close shave).
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【No. 1470】Kikokushijo (帰国子女 - Returnee Children)

Dec 27, 2018 22:41
Kikokushijo

A child who returned to his/her home country after living another country (at least one year) is called kikokushijo (帰国子女) in Japanese.

Ki (帰) means "to return to somewhere" and koku (国) means "country," so kikoku (帰国) means "to return (back) to one's country."

Shi (子) usually means "child," but here it means "son."

In addition, jo (女) usually means "woman," but here it means "daughter."

In other words, kikokushijo literally means "a son or a daughter who returned back to the home country."
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【No. 1469】Taichō/Guai ga Warui (体調/具合が悪い - Feeling Sick)

Dec 26, 2018 17:11
Taichō/Guai ga Warui

These days, I can say taichō ga warui (体調が悪い) about myself.

Tai (体) means "body" or "physical being," chō (調) means "condition," warui (悪い) means "bad," so taichō ga warui literally means "one's physical condition is bad."

When you want to say that your physical condition is bad, you can also use guai ga warui (具合が悪い) instead of taicho ga warui.

Gu (具/ぐ) means "condition" or "case," and ai (合) means "fit," so the literal meaning of guai ga warui is "one's fit condition is bad."

Taichō ga warui can only be used for people, whereas guai ga warui can be used for both people and things.
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【No. 1468】Kotatsu (こたつ)

Dec 25, 2018 17:59
Kotatsu

I spent the winter without kotatsu (こたつ) over the past two years.

However, this year I bought a kotatsu as a Christmas present for myself.

A kotatsu is a kind of Japanese heating equipment and can warm up a portion of space -- it is made by putting a heat source in a table and covering the table with a comforter or something.

Once you enter the kotatsu, it is difficult to get out of there due to the comfort, so kotatsu is sometimes described as akuma no kagu (悪魔の家具 - "devil furniture") or hito wo dame ni suru kagu (人をダメにする家具 - "a piece of furniture that ruins man").

I will start to use it today.
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【No. 1467】Kamoku (寡黙 - Silent)

Dec 24, 2018 14:52
Kamoku

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese word mukuchi (無口) which means to talk little or a person who has few words.

However, this word is not used in a positive manner when describing someone.

There is another word kamoku (寡黙), which has a similar meaning to mukuchi and is more formal.

Ka (寡) means "less" or "a person who lost his/her partner," and moku (黙) means "to silence."

That is to say, it is thought that kamoku implies that a person who falls silent due to the loss of his/her partner.
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【No. 1466】Mukuchi (無口 - Having Few Words)

Dec 23, 2018 14:54
Mukuchi

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Japanese oshaberi (おしゃべり), which means to talk a lot about something.

On the other hand, if you want to mean to talk little, you can use the word mukuchi (無口).

Since mu (無) means "nothing" and kuchi (口) means "mouth," the literal meaning of mukuchi is "nothing mouth."

Just like oshabery can mean a person who talks a lot, mukuchi can also mean a person who talks little.

However, we often call such a person mukuchi na hito (無口な人), by adding hito (人 - literally meaning "person")
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【No. 1465】Oshaberyi (おしゃべり - Gabbing/Babbler)

Dec 22, 2018 21:25
Oshaberi

I am not a person called oshaberi (おしゃべり ) very much.

Osyaberi is a word made by adding the polite prefix o (お) to shaberi (しゃべり), which is the noun form of the verb shaberu (喋る - literally means "to talk").

That is to say, oshaberi means to talk a lot about something or talk about something lightly.

In addition, oshaberi can be used to mean a person who has a loose tongue or big mouth.

Since this word is not used in a good sense when describing someone, please be careful when you use it.
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【No. 1464】Harawata ga Niekuri Kaeru (はらわたが煮えくり返る - Boiling with Anger)

Dec 21, 2018 22:16
Harawata ga Niekuri Kaeru

Today, I was about to harawata ga niekuri kaeru (はらわたが煮えくり返る).

Harawata ga niekuri kaeru means to feel anger boiling up inside someone.

Harawata (はらわた) means "guts/bowels," nie (煮え) means "to boil," kaeru (返る) means "to turn over," and kuri (くり) is a term to strengthen nie and kaeru.

In other words, harawata ga niekuri kaeru means that someone's guts/bowels boil up and turn over.

Since "guts/bowels/stomach" imply heart or mind in Japan, this phrase has the meaning of "anger."
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【No. 1463】Houfuku Zettou (抱腹絶倒 - Holding One's Stomach and Laughing)

Dec 20, 2018 15:57
Houfuku Zettou

Have you ever had a big laugh enough to roll around a floor?

To describe such a laugh, you can use the four-character idiom houfuku zettou (抱腹絶倒).

Hou (抱) means "to hold something," fuku (腹) means "stomach," ze/zetsu (絶) means "very" or "surely," and tou (倒) means "to turn over," so the literal meaning of this idiom is "someone turns over while holding his/her stomach."

Originally, another kanji 捧 (meaning "to hold something with both hands") was used instead of 抱.

However, since 抱 was more common and was widely used, 捧腹絶倒 changed to 抱腹絶倒.