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Category Archives: Japanese
Fan Service: What It Means, And Why
Defining A Phrase Most people with even a small amount of knowledge of anime or manga are familiar with the term “fan service,” and usually with what it means. However, there is an interesting little story to tell about the … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics: Part 5
Line Five 小さな不安さえ 僕が摘み取ってあげる Translation If you feel a little unease I’ll snatch it away Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Chiisa na “Chiisa” is the root of this irregular adjective. Usually, we read this as “chiisai” for small. However, it is … Continue reading
A Concise History of the Samurai
This is from a class I once taught on an education site. I provide it for free. It is, as the topic implies, a concise history that takes the big picture view that puts all the little details in context. … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics, Part 4
Line 4 ちゃんと聞こえている 君の心の聲 Translation I’m hearing loud and clear the voice of your heart Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Chanto “Chanto” is a word that means “properly, perfectly, exactly.” It is, thus, equivalent to the English idiom, “loud and clear.” … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics, Part 3
Third Line Trust me 繋がっているから ただ感じていて このぬくもり Translation Trust me/ for we are connected just go on, feel this warmth Vocabulary/ Grammar Notes Tsunagatteiru The original uses a non-standard kanji variation that I have not used … Continue reading
About Tofugu’s “Chilled Underwear” Post…
Some of you might have noticed this post over at Tofugu. I want to reassure the public about something. See, I went to the original link and looked over the blog post there (reading the Japanese, as I am a … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Japanese, Weird Stuff
Tagged culture, Japanese, Koichi, Tofugu, weird stuff
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Overdoing It: Yari Sugi
やり過ぎ In Japanese, “yaru” (やる) is a catch-all verb for doing. It is inherently plain and informal. It is used in expressions like the Japanese equivalent of, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” “Sugiru” (すぎる、過ぎる) is the verb … Continue reading
Learning Through Lyrics, Part 2
So, let’s move on to part 2. Second Line Trust me もう何もおそれないで my dear 見えない糸で Translation Trust me / don’t be afraid of anything anymore my dear / for with an invisible thread Vocabulary/ Grammar Notes Mou In this case, … Continue reading
Posted in Grammar, Japanese, Lyrics, Music
Tagged Grammar, Japanese, Lyrics, music, vocabulary
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Learning Through Lyrics, Part 1
A Japanese learner asked me to translate the lyrics of a particular song, “Trust me” by Yuya Matsushita, and to explain the vocabulary within. In the interests of education, I intend to do this in manageable steps. I am not … Continue reading
The Allure of Japanese Swords: Preview
Open publication – Free publishing – More wakizashi