Tag Archives: Japanese

Japanese Language: I love My Cat (Pronunciation)

Pronunciation Exercise This is a Japanese pronunciation exercise intended for beginners and early intermediates. A girl from Saudi Arabia asked me to create a short sentence that uses all Japanese vowel sounds. I think this works. The English “I love … Continue reading

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Pattern and パターン

Did You Know… The Japanese word “pataan” (katakana: パターン) is 100% based on the English word pattern? Not all Japanese people (日本人、nihonjin) know this. After all, they know the word as part of their language, a loan word, one of … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: A Monster Hunter’s Life, Pt. 1

Since I’m in-between projects, and I wanted an excuse to blog about this, I have started a new game of Monster Hunter 2 “Dos” . This game never reached American shores on the PS2, but portable (PSP) spin-offs have long … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: GothLoli (Gothic Lolita) Fashion

Not Quite Goth Or Lolita, Per Se This requires a little explanation. While the term “Lolita” must necessarily hail from the famous novel, the gist is reversed in this context. Rather than little girls dressing like adults, this far more … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: Geisha, A Term Of Art

芸者 (げいしゃ、geisha) Let’s start with a bang: Geisha is a gender-neutral term in the original Japanese. This word is actually quite simple, combining 芸 (“gei,” lit. performance) with 者 (“sha,” lit. “person who does ___”). Thus, the word itself suggests a … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: The Legacy of Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu, Adopted Guru of Japan One rather interesting footnote of Chinese history is that the land where Sun Tzu is said to have hailed, the state of Wu, was more or less the eastern tip of China, the closest … Continue reading

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Japanese Culture: Hontai (Main Force – Military Lingo)

A Simple Concept When Put Simply This is an idea used in military strategy, including any video game hailing from Asia. That this is technically Japanese is almost besides the point; the idea goes back to ancient China, to the … Continue reading

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Learning Through Lyrics: Part 10

Line Ten trust me おろしてみればいい そう                       君のために 僕がいるんだ Translation trust me /  just put it down and see                yes, I’m right here … Continue reading

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Learning Through Lyrics: Part 9

Line Nine trust me この想いほどけないから                my dear 抱えた荷物 Translation Trust me / these feelings will never come apart       my dear / that baggage you carried Vocabulary & Grammar Notes Kono … Continue reading

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Learning Through Lyrics: Part 8

Line Eight I’m here どこにいたって                     call me ひとつになれる Translation I’m here / no matter where you are          call me / we’ll become one Vocabulary & Grammar … Continue reading

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