When learning a foreign language, it’s generally a good idea to learn some proverbs, what we call “kotowaza” (諺) in Japanese. It’s not just because they are a fun way to learn new words in context, but also because proverbs can express meaningful ideas in a concise form that often reflects that country’s history and… Read More »
Some thoughts on the filthy real origin of the Japanese word 不気味 (bukimi).
This time I’d like to discuss the word おぼしき (oboshiki), which despite having a bit of a complicated origin has a relatively simple meaning and usage.
While I believe it’s a good idea to learn fundamentals of a language in a relatively formal setting like a classroom or at least using a textbook, often expressions that are considered slang will be omitted or deemphasized in those forums. That’s why I think it’s good to actively seek out slang expressions that you… Read More »
I’m a pretty serious sweet tooth, to the extent that some years ago I maintained a blog about reviewing sweet products. But recently I realized I was misunderstanding a Japanese word related to sweets so I thought I would post about my experience. The other day when I was speaking in Japanese, I used the… Read More »
When speaking with native speakers there is never a shortage of unfamiliar words that come up. The other day I heard the word 良かれ (yokare) in daily conversation, and while I was able to guess the basic gist of what it meant, I wanted to dedicate an article to this interesting word. First of all,… Read More »
The interaction between languages over time can be interesting to follow. Words get imported from one language into another, and meaning often changes, from subtle to drastic ways. New words can even be formed using a composite of words from two languages. For various historical reasons, in the last few decades the Japanese language has… Read More »
Most, if not all languages contain asymmetricities. I attribute this to the fact that grammar in languages is generally shaped over time by a series of small adjustments (which I think of as a type of evolution) as opposed to purposeful rules created by explicit decisions. But whatever the reason, to master a language we… Read More »
I give special value to vocabulary words or expressions that I have learned through interaction with native speakers. No matter how much you read or watch forms of Japanese media (books, manga, movies, etc.), it just seems there are some things you have to experience yourself by using Japanese in daily life. In this post,… Read More »
Anyone who studies Japanese for even a short time knows there is a huge number of loanwords, and there seems to be more being coined every day. While they come from a bunch of world languages, yappari many are from English. This is both a blessing and a curse. If the word sounds like its… Read More »