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【No. 0902】Udo no Taiboku (Just a Big Oaf)

Jun 7, 2017 11:30
When I'm looking for Japanese terms to introduce on Lang-8, I can find various indirect expressions that abuse someone.

I think that the reason why various indirect expressions were born is because Japanese people tended to say praises and insults indirectly rather than directly.

For example, today I found the phrase "udo no taiboku."

Udo no taiboku means a person or something that has a big body but is useless.

"Udo" is a kind of plant, "aralia cordata" in English, and its buds are often used as food.

The udo grows very big like "taiboku," meaning "big tree," but then it can't be used as not only food but also building materials -- it will be almost garbage.

From this fact, udo no taiboku has come to mean a useless person or something.
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【No. 0901】Ochanoko Saisai (A Piece of Cake)

Jun 6, 2017 17:40
Previously I wrote about "asameshi mae," which means that it's quite easy to do something.
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/291692739634610672381429665747648285644

In Japanese, there is a more casual term "ochanoko saisai," which has the same meaning as "asameshi mae."

"Ochanoko" means Japanese cakes served with tea, and since it's easy to eat and digest them, it came to have the above meaning.

"Saisai" is a kind of exclamation that is used in traditional Japanese folk songs, and have no particular meaning.

I like the sound of this phrase, but unfortunately the number of people who use it seems to be decreasing.

Incidentally, "he no kappa" has also the similar meaning.
http://lang-8.com/kanotown/journals/191665208695223752666684613979550944204
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【No. 0900】Mizo-ochi (Epigastrium)

Jun 5, 2017 20:32
There are many vital parts in human bodies.

Today I'd like to introduce the part called "mizo-ochi" among of them.

Mizo-ochi refers to a concave part in the center of your chest or the upper side of your stomach -- it's technically called epigastrium.

There are so many sympathetic nerves in the back of mizo-ochi (which is technically called “celiac plexus”), it is very sensitive to pain.

If an impact is sent there, your diaphragm may temporarily stop, which may cause dyspnea.

Incidentally, "mizo-ozhi" comes from "mizu ochi," which means "where water falls" (mizu means water and ochi means to fall).
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【No. 0899】Nintendo Switch

Jun 4, 2017 11:46
I finally bought a Nintendo Switch yesterday.

Software that I bought at the same time were The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Playing games was for the first time in a while and the hardware was not easy to obtain, so I was very excited.

I played these games until midnight losing track of time, and fell asleep without getting wrapped in blankets.

As a result, I seem to have caught a cold.

I'm feeling weak and having a sore throat.

Since I have to work from tomorrow, I will rest my body using a long time today.
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【No. 0898】Hanikamu

Jun 3, 2017 14:39
"Hanikamu" (はにかむ) is a verb that means to feel embarrassed or get shy.

I think that the basis to feel embarrassed is divided into two patterns -- happy feeling and pitiable feeling.

Hanikamu implies the happy feeling, and people usually make a little smile when they do it.

This term originally meant to have misaligned teeth, then it changed to mean to bare teeth.

Furthermore, since bared teeth looks like an embarrassed smile, it has come to have the above meanings.

Note that if you write it in Katakana like "ハニカム," it will mean honeycomb structure.
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【No. 0897】Kerenmi (けれん味)

Jun 2, 2017 07:52
How many compliments do you have?

Of course, I think that there are various types of compliments in every language.

Today I'd like to introduce Japanese one of them, "kerenmi ga nai" (けれん味がない), which is high-toned and is difficult to use even for us.

"Kerenmi" comes from a Kabuki term, and it means to call a bluff or to play dumb.

Therefore, "kerenmi ga nai" (there is no 'kerenmi') means that there is no pretense, bluff, and lie -- that refers to sincerity.

Basically this term is used as a compliment, but note that it could be used with a negative connotation, for example in the media world where bluffs and lies are needed.
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【No. 0896】Nigami Bashiru

Jun 1, 2017 10:08
As Japanese terms that represent a man with good appearance, there are "otoko mae" and "ike men" ("ike" is short for "iketeru," which means "cool").

In most cases, we use these terms or the English loanword "handsome."

However, if the man is very attractive with a tight face, "nigami bashitta ii-otoko" may be more appropriate.

"nigami" means "bitter taste," "bashitta" mean "run" or "spread," and "ii-otoko" means "regular guy."

If you eat something bitter, you will frown up your face, and some people will think that it's a firm face and attractive.

Because of this, becoming such a firm face has come to be called "sibumi bashiru," and now it is usually used as an adjective, such as "nigami bashitta kao" ("kao" means "face") or "nigami bashitta otoko" ("otoko" means "man").

I think that this the meaning of term is similar to the one of the English word "dandy."
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【No. 0895】Taihen

May 31, 2017 09:50
When showing that someone is very busy or something is deadly/important, we often say "taihen (大変)."

I think that many of us have negative images for "taihen," such as "hard," "tiring," or "major incident."

In fact, taihen is usually used in a bad meaning.

On the other hand, the kanji "大 (tai)" and "変 (hen)" mean "big" and "change" respectively, so "taihen" can also impliy "big change."

Because of this, some people think of taihen as a positive sense -- it's a big chance to change yourself.

However, since it still has a strong negative image, please be careful to use it.
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【No. 0894】Sode wo Nurasu

May 30, 2017 08:44
In Japan, there have been a lot of expressions that use word association since ancient times.

For example, in the Heian Period people often said "sode wo nurasu" instead of "naku," which means to cry.

The literal meaning of "sode wo nurasu" is to wet your sleeve -- since people wiped tears with their sleeves, wet sleeves symbolized tears.

There is a similar expression, "sode wo siboru," the literal meaning of which is to wring your sleeve.

It implies that your sleeve gets so wet that you can wring it by hand.

Incidentally, since pillows have become commonly used, the expression "makura wo nurasu" (to wet your pillow) has also come to be used to mean to cry.
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【No. 0893】Hidoi (Auful/Terrible)

May 29, 2017 07:18
During watching Japanese dramas or anime, you may hear the dialogue "hidoi (ひどい)."

"Hidoi" is an adjective that refers to that something is cruel or very bad.

In Buddhism, training to seek enlightenment is called "dou (道)," the literal meaning of which is "road."

Also, going off the dou is called "hidou (非道)," by attaching the negative prefix "hi (非)."

This "hidou" has gradually come to mean to go off humanity, then it has also come to mean inhumanity or a lack in common sense.

"Hidoi" is an adjective form of this "hidou."
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【No. 0892】Meboshi wo Tsukeru (目星をつける)

May 28, 2017 10:10
It is important to make an educated guess or establish a goal when you conduct/investigate something.

Such making an educated guess is often called "meboshi wo tsukeru (目星をつける)" in Japan.

"Me (目)" means "eye," "boshi (星)" usually means "star," but it also means "mark" derived from "star mark."

Since "tsukeru (つける)" means "to put/attach something," the literal meaning of "meboshi wo tsukeru" is "to put a mark."

In turn, this term has come to mean "to make an educated guess" or "to establish a goal."
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【No. 0891】Gotaku wo Naraberu (Give a Song and Dance )

May 27, 2017 18:21
Woman: "Why were you late for our date today?"

Man: "Yesterday, I played a game until midnight after work. The game is an online game, and I played with my friends. You know, we have to cherish friends, right?
It also can release stress of my work. Although I played the game, I got up early in the morning. Believe me. However, it was hard to decide my hairstyle..."

Woman: "Enough. Don't line up gotaku (Don't give me a song and dance)!"

The idiom "gotaku wo naraberu" means to say selfish reasons in a snobbish manner like this man.

"Gotaku" is an abbreviation for "gotakusen," which means to say someone's thought as if it were a statement of God, and "naraberu" means to "line up something."

In such a case, you should say sorry first instead of lining up gotaku.
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【No. 0890】Yabusaka dehanai

May 26, 2017 09:11
Japanese people tend to avoid direct expressions, and use euphemism/ambiguous ones in daily communication.

You may think that it's difficult to convey the true intention, but we feel that Japanese speakers who handle euphemism skillfully are cool.

For example, there is the expression "yabusaka dehanai."

"Yabusaka" is a term that refers to a negative feeling, such as hesitation or wobble.

By attaching the negative term "dehanai" to this, it can refer to a positive attitude, such as "I don't mind doing that," or "I would rather do that."

If a foreigner says "yabusaka dehanai," I may think that he/her uses Japanese better than recent young Japanese people.
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【No. 0889】Sechigarai

May 25, 2017 11:03
Recently in Japan, you can hear the keyword "sechigarai (世知辛い)" frequently.

This term means that it's difficult to live in the world.

"Sechi (世知)" of "sechigarai" is a Buddhist term,and it originally represents "secular wisdom" or "worldly talent."

In turn "sechi" took on another meaning, that is, "shrewd," "calculating," or "petty."

Also, "garai" of "sechigarai" is a suffix word that emphasizes "sechi."

Since it's difficult to live in a world where there are many shrewd people, "sechigarai" has come to the above meaning.

In most cases, it's used like "sechigarai yononaka da" (it's the difficult world).
("Yononaka" means the world.)
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【No. 0888】Tsuru no Hitokoe

May 24, 2017 10:17
When discussing with a lot of people, it's difficult to reach agreement.

In such a case, a person of influence/power may suppress others' opinions and bring an end to the argument by only a single statement.

The statement is called "tsuru no hitokoe (鶴の一声) " in Japan.

Here, "tsuru" means "crane" and "hitokoe" means "statement."

Cranes are known as animals that sing in a high pitch note while displaying a threatening attitude.

Since the song has enough power to make surroundings silence for a moment, a statement that silences people came to be called "tsuru no hitokoe" (crane's statement).

Incidentally, this term is also called "suzume no senkoe tsuru no hitokoe."

The literal meaning of "suzume no senkoe (雀の千声)" is "sparrows' thousand statements," and it expresses a lot of low value statements.
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【No. 0887】Okuyukashii

May 23, 2017 01:04
What is the element required for an attractive woman in your country?

In Japan, we tend to regard "okuyukashii (奥ゆかしい)" women as beautiful.

"Okuyukashii" is an adjective word that means that something/someone is modest, elegant, and sensitive to people.

"Oku" means "deep inside" and "yukashii" means "to want to go somewhere," so "okuyukashii" means "to want to go to/see/know deep inside something/someone" -- it expresses the feeling of fascination.

Then okuyukashii has come to have the above meanings, and now it usually means a modest/elegant attitude of a woman.

That is to say, attractive Japanese women for Japanese men are okuyukashii women.
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【No. 0886】Niyakeru

May 22, 2017 10:52
"Niyakeru (にやける)" is a Japanese verb that is commonly used.

However, according to a poll conducted several years ago, around 77% of Japanese use this verb in the wrong sense.

Niyakeru is a term for men, and it means to glam up sexily like women, or to be wishy-washy.

However, most Japanese seem to think that niyakeru means to smile thinly.

I think that the reason is because it's similar to an onomatopoeia "niyaniya," which represents the sound coming from a thin smile.

Since there are so many people who misunderstand the meaning, the meaning in dictionaries may change in the near future.
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【No. 0885】Itashi Kayushi (Mixed Blessing)

May 21, 2017 00:14
If you do what you want to do, some problems may happen.

In such a case, I think that it's difficult to decide whether or not you should do that.

We call this situation "itashi kayushi （痛し痒し）" in Japanese.

"Itashi" (痛し) means "painful," "kayushi" (痒し) means "itchy," and the idiom "itashi kayushi" implies a situation that it will be painful if you scratch at a spot (e.g., where is stung by an insect) of your body, and it will be itchy if you don't scratch there.

That is to say, this idiom means a situation where it's difficult to decide what you should do because both choices have good aspects and bad aspects.

I don't want to be in such a situation, itashi kayushi.
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【No. 0884】Jibara wo Kiru

May 20, 2017 08:29
Today I would like to talk about the Japanese idiom "jibara wo kiru (自腹を切る)."

"Ji (自)" means yourself, "bara (腹)" means abdomen, and "kiru (切る)" means to cut something.

Therefore the literal meaning is "to cut your own abdomen," corresponding to "seppuku/harakiri," but it actually refers to spend your own money on something that you don't necessarily need to pay.

Here, "jibara (your abdomen)" and "kiru (to cut)" are metaphors for "your own money" and "to use," respectively.

In the past, Japanese samurai committed seppuku (cut their own abdomens) with firm resolve to accept the blame.

It might need firm resolve to spend your extra money.
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【No. 0883】Chiguhagu

May 19, 2017 13:36
Today I'd like to talk about the Japanese term "chiguhagu."

"Chiguhagu" means that two or more things/people are incongruous, or there are no harmony among them.

Originally, "chigu" meant a hammer and "hagu" meant a nail puller.

("Gu" that is included in both chigu and hagu means "tool.")

A theory about its etymology says that "chiguhagu" comes from the fact that work don't proceed when you alternately use a hammer and a nail puller.

Also, another theory says that it was derived from the fact that a master carpenter and a carpenter worked while exchanging a hammer and a nail puller.