AnimalCultureEssayEtymologyIdiomSlangUncorrected Toru Jun 01, 2023Jan 02, 2024 Chinese, dog, English, Japanese, Korean, negative, single, slang, unattractive, worthless The Meaning of Dog: Part 2 The Meaning of Dog: Part 2 犬の意味 Part 2 In Part 1, I introduced several slang meanings of “dog” in Read More
CorrectedEssayIdiomJapanese traditionKanji Toru Mar 03, 2021Jun 01, 2021 0 Comments box, Chinese, food, Japanese, mixture, overlap, reading, store Jūbako Yomi (重箱読み – Mixed Reading of Chinese and Japanese) Jūbako Yomi 重箱読み In my post yesterday, I explained that it is not standard to read 代替 as daigae (だいがえ). Read More
EssayEtymologyUncorrected Toru May 13, 2019Jun 01, 2021 0 Comments adverb, children, Chinese, clothes, do, fold, imperative form, neatly, orderly, parents, well-organized Kichin-to (きちんと – Neatly) Kichin-to きちんと Japanese parents may say ‘kichin-to shinasai’ (きちんとしなさい) when scolding their children. だらしない子どもに対して、親は「きちんとしなさい」と言って叱ることがあります。 Kichin-to (きちんと) is an adverb that Read More
ChinaCultureDiaryUncorrected Toru Feb 04, 2019 0 Comments boiled pot sticker, China, Chinese, Chinese New Year, eve, full, holiday, Korea, lunar, Lunar New Year, Malaysia, party, Singapore, Taiwan, Vietnam Chinese New Year Chinese New Year 旧正月 Today is the eve of Chinese New Year. 今日は旧正月の大晦日です。 Chinese (Lunar) New Year is celebrated in Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyGamingJapanese traditionKanjiSlangUncorrected Toru Dec 11, 2017Jan 03, 2024 Buddhism, Chinese, himitsu, Japanese, Legend of Zelda, naisho, Rupees, Sanskrit, secret, translation Naisho (内緒 – Secret) Naisho 内緒 The English word “secret” is usually translated into Japanese as “himitsu” (秘密), but it’s can also translated as Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionUncorrected Toru May 16, 2017Jan 04, 2024 bones, chicken ribs, Chinese, horse, idiomatic expression, Japan, meaning, phrase, uma no hone, useless Uma no Hone (Person from Nowhere) Uma no Hone 馬の骨 Today I will talk about the term “uma no hone.” 今日は「馬の骨」という言葉を紹介します。 “Uma” means “horse,” “hone” means Read More
CultureEssayEtymologyIdiomJapanese traditionKanjiUncorrected Toru Mar 25, 2017Jan 06, 2024 autumn, Chinese, day, feeling, harvest season, ichijitsu senshu, idiom, Japanese, kanji, waiting Ichijitsu Senshu Today I will talk about the four-character idiom “一日千秋 (ichijitsu senshu).” 一日千秋 “Ichijitsu senshu” means that you can’t wait to Read More
CultureDiaryEtymologyFoodHistoryIdiomJapanese traditionProverbUncorrected Toru Dec 29, 2016Jan 03, 2024 Chinese, draw, e ni kaita mochi, etymology, mochi, mochitsuki, proverb, realize, Sangokushi, useless E ni Kaita Mochi (A Rice Cake Drawn in a Picture) E ni Kaita Mochi 絵に描いた餅 Yesterday I wrote about “mochitsuki” (rice cake pounding). 昨日は「餅つき」について書きました。 Today I will talk about the Read More
ChinaCultureEssayEtymologyHistoryIdiomProverbUncorrected Toru Oct 22, 2016Jan 06, 2024 benefits, Chinese, clam, conflict, fisherman, proverb, sengoku, snipe, story, strategy Gyofu no Ri (Fisherman’s Benefits) Today, I will talk about the proverb “gyofu no ri.” 漁夫の利 “Gyofu” means “fisherman”, “ri” means “benefits”, and “gyofu no Read More