CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected Toru Feb 03, 2018Jan 03, 2024 chaban, imitate, Japanese, monkey, performance, play, sarumane, sarushibai, show, trick Sarushibai (猿芝居 – Stupid Trick) Sarushibai 猿芝居 Formerly, I introduced you to the Japanese term 猿真似 (sarumane), which means to imitate acts of others without Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected Toru Feb 02, 2018Jan 03, 2024 confidence, diffident attitude, etymology, fear, heppiri, heppiri goshi, Japanese, koshi, meaning, posture Heppiri Goshi (へっぴり腰 – Full of Fear) Heppiri Goshi へっぴり腰 Have you ever seen a person who has a extremely diffident attitude or is full of fear? Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiProverbUncorrected Toru Feb 01, 2018Jan 03, 2024 breath, depress breathing, etymology, idiom, Japanese, keeping still, kill, life, quiet, soul Iki wo Korosu (息を殺す – Holding/Bating One’s Breath) Iki wo Korosu 息を殺す If you don’t want anyone to find you, you will keep your body still and depress Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected Toru Jan 30, 2018Jan 03, 2024 arikitari, commonplace, conjugation, existence, Japanese, language, meaning, ordinary, predictable, verb Arikitari (ありきたり – Predictable) Arikitari ありきたり If you are called ありきたり (arikitari), you will feel a little sad. 「ありきたり」と言われたら、少し悲しい気持ちになると思います。 “Arikitari” means that something or Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Jan 29, 2018Jan 03, 2024 eagerly, expression, idiom, Japanese, lengthen, literal meaning, neck, proverb, verb, waiting Kubi wo Nagaku-suru (首を長くする – Waiting Eagerly) Kubi wo Nagaku-suru 首を長くする There is a Japanese idiom: 首を長くする (kubi wo nagaku-suru). 日本語には「首を長くする」という慣用句があります。 首 (kubi) means “neck” and 長くする Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiOnomatopoeiaUncorrected Toru Jan 28, 2018Jan 03, 2024 dissatisfaction, doubt, expression, hineru, idiomatic, Japanese, kubi, neck, tilt, twist Kubi wo Hineru (首をひねる – Twisting One’s Neck) Kubi wo Hineru 首をひねる I 首をひねりました (kubi wo hineri mashita). 私は首をひねりました。 This Japanese expression, “kubi wo hineru” has two different Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Jan 25, 2018Jan 03, 2024 creation, etymology, first, foundation, grass, mow, person, pioneer, \創始者, 草分け Kusawake (草分け – Pioneer) Kusawake 草分け A person who did something for the first time is called 創始者 (soushisha). 何かを初めてする人のことを「創始者」と言います。 創 (sou) means “creation,” Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Jan 24, 2018Jan 03, 2024 hospital, muscle ache, nechigae, neck, pain, posture, sleep, symptom, unnatural, verb Nechigae (寝違え – Sprained Neck) Nechigae 寝違え Yesterday, maybe I got a bad symptom called 寝違え (nechigae). 私は昨日、寝違えたかもしれません。 “Nechigae” refers to a symptom accompanied with Read More
CultureEssayIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Jan 23, 2018Jan 03, 2024 accept, depend, expression, insist, Japanese, kind offer, literal meaning, offer, polite, prefix Okotoba ni Amaete (お言葉に甘えて – If You Insist) Today I’d like to talk about the convenient Japanese expression, お言葉に甘えて (okotoba ni amaete), which can be used in various Read More