50+ Introductory Phrases in Japanese
In this post I give over 50 introductory phrases, with translations. that can be used as starting blocks to build Japanese sentences.
A surprising meaning of the Japanese word その(“sono”).
You probably know that the Japanese word “sono” means “that”, but in this article I will talk about an alternate way it can be used.
Japanese expression highlight: 「もっと早く知りたかった」 (“motto hayaku shiritakatta”)
In many ways Japanese grammar is simpler than English grammar, especially in terms of fewer tenses to deal with and the omission of unnecessary words. However, sometimes thinking in terms of English can make it difficult to understand seemingly simple Japanese sentences. In this post I’d like to talk about the expression 「もっと早く知りたかった」 (“motto hayaku… Read More »
The Translation Project of a Lifetime
For the most part, my translation career so far has been about translating Japanese fiction in written form to English (the exception being a few months of freelance translation at Gengo). But the other day I accepted a job that was in a very different form, providing new challenges that stretched my boundaries as a… Read More »
“Urusai” doesn’t always mean “Shut up!” –– Literal vs. interpretive meanings in Japanese
In this post I talk about literal vs. interpretative meanings in Japanese, and talk about how to properly interpret the word “urusai”. I also go over two examples using the phrase “~koto nai”.
Japanese classic SF stories published in Portuguese (Juza Unno)
I’m really happy to announce that several of my translations of Juza Unno’s stories (classic Japanese SF) have been translated into Portuguese, now available in both paper and E-book format.
Japanese phrase: 〜ことから (~koto kara)
In this post I go over the Japanese phrase “〜ことから” (~koto kara) and give a few examples of its usage.
An eclectic interview with Edward Lipsett of Kurodahan Press, publisher of Japanese literature
I posed a series of questions to Edward Lipsett, one of the founders of Kurodahan Press, a publisher that focuses on new translations of Japanese literature as well as reprints of classic texts. We touched on a variety of topics, including learning Japanese, Japan’s culture, translation checking, and the daily activities of a publisher, so I think there’s a little something for everyone.
Japanese Literature Release: “The Masquerade Ball” by Edogawa Rampo (Bilingual Edition)
I’ve released an ebook of “The Masquerade Ball” in bilingual Japanese/English format. It’s written by Edogawa Rampo, master of classic Japanese mystery.
Japanese vocabulary: the *real* origin of the word: 不気味 (bukimi) [updated]
Some thoughts on the filthy real origin of the Japanese word 不気味 (bukimi).