CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Jul 15, 2023Jan 02, 2024 branding mark, erase, forehead, Japanese, lifetime, livestock, metaphor, osareru, rakuin, stigma Rakuin wo Osareru (烙印を押される – Being Branded) Rakuin wo Osareru 烙印を押される To be subjected to a stigma that is difficult to erase is described as rakuin wo Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionSlangUncorrected Toru Jul 14, 2023Jan 02, 2024 adjective, atmosphere, awkward, communication, feeling, Japanese, kimazui, literal meaning, resolve, uncomfortable Kimazui (気まずい – Uncomfortable/Awkward) Kimazui 気まずい I can easily create an kimazui (気まずい) atmosphere. 私は「気まずい」空気を作るのが得意です。 Kimazui is an adjective that describes a situation where Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionProverbUncorrected Toru Jul 13, 2023Jan 02, 2024 ana, come back, curse, death, futatsu, grave, hito, norowa, proverb, revenge Hito wo Norowa ba Ana Futatsu (人を呪わば穴二つ – Chickens Come Home to Roost) Hito wo Norowa ba Ana Futatsu 人を呪わば穴二つ Have you ever thought about cursing someone to death? 人を呪い殺そうと思ったことはありますか? In such a Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiProverbUncorrected Toru Jul 12, 2023Jan 02, 2024 blood, body, devotion, heart, life, mind, pour, shinketsu, shiryoku, sosogu Shinketsu wo Sosogu (心血を注ぐ – Devoting One’s Life) Shinketsu wo Sosogu 心血を注ぐ To devote one’s life to something is expressed as shinketsu wo sosogu (心血を注ぐ) in Japanese. 心身の全力を尽くして何かを行うことを、「心血を注ぐ」と言います。 Read More
CultureEssayGamingIdiomJapanese traditionProverbUncorrected Toru Jul 11, 2023Jan 02, 2024 autumn leaves, bamboo, deer, expressions, hanafuda, harmonious, Japanese card game, sparrow, swallow, willow Take ni Suzume/Yanagi ni Tsubame/Momiji ni Shika (竹に雀/柳に燕/紅葉に鹿 – Match Made in Heaven) Take ni Suzume/Yanagi ni Tsubame/Momiji ni Shika 竹に雀/柳に燕/紅葉に鹿 In my post yesterday, I introduced the phrase “Ume ni Uguisu,” which Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionProverbUncorrected Toru Jul 10, 2023Jan 02, 2024 combination, harmonious, Japanese bush warbler, Japanese plum, Japanese white-eye, mejiro, phrase, theory, uguisu, ume Ume ni Uguisu (梅に鶯 – Match Made in Heaven) Ume ni Uguisu 梅に鶯 The Japanese phrase, ume ni uguisu (梅に鶯), can describe something harmonious or well-combined, like a picturesque Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionOnomatopoeiaSlangUncorrected Toru Jul 09, 2023Jan 02, 2024 going with the flow, haphazard, iki atari battari, Japanese, literal meaning, onomatopoeia, suddenly stops, to bump, to go Iki Atari Battari (行き当たりばったり – Haphazard) Iki Atari Battari 行き当たりばったり I sometimes spend a day just going with the flow without any plan. 私はときどき、無計画でその場のなりゆきにまかせる、適当な一日を過ごします。 Such an Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiProverbSlangUncorrected Toru Jul 08, 2023Jan 02, 2024 audacious, emotions, etymology, expression, face, layers, phrase, shameless, skin, thousand Tsura no Kawa Sen-mai Bari (面の皮千枚張り – Very Shameless/Audacious) Tsura no Kawa Sen-mai Bari 面の皮千枚張り People who are VERY shameless and audacious can be described as tsura no kawa Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiProverbSlangUncorrected Toru Jul 06, 2023Jan 02, 2024 atsui, audacious, face, facial expressions, Japanese, kawa, shameless, skin, thick, tsura Tsura no Kawa ga Atsui (面の皮が厚い – Having a Thick Skin) Tsura no Kawa ga Atsui 面の皮が厚い People who have no shame and are audacious are sometimes described as tsura no Read More