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Science and Pseudoscience (transcript)

Luís César — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:35:00 GMT

[NB The following transcript of the talk contains additional passages that Lakatos subsequently included in the text version of his talk published in Philosophy in the Open and in The Methodology of Scientific Research Programmes: Philosophical Papers Volume 1. They are highlighted in italics within square brackets. Other passages he omitted from the published text are emboldened.] Man's respect for knowledge is one of his most peculiar characteristics. Knowledge in Latin is scientia, and science came to be the name of the most respectable kind of knowledge. But what distinguishes knowledge from superstition, ideology or pseudoscience? The Catholic Church excommunicated Copernicans, the Communist Party persecuted Mendelians on the ground that their doctrines were pseudoscientific. But then the problem of the demarcation between science and pseudoscience is not merely a problem of armchair philosophy: it is of vital social and political relevance. Many philosophers have tried to solve the problem of demarcation in the following terms: a statement constitutes knowledge if sufficiently many people believe it sufficiently strongly. But the history of thought shows us that many people were totally committed to absurd beliefs. If the strengths of beliefs were a hallmark of knowledge, we should have to rank some tales about demons, angels, devils, and of heaven and hell as knowledge. Scientists, on the other hand, are very sceptical even of their best theories. Newton's is the most powerful theory science has yet produced, but Newton himself never believed that bodies attract each other at a distance. So no degree of commitment to beliefs makes them knowledge. Indeed, the hallmark of scientific behaviour is a certain scepticism even towards one's most cherished theories. Blind commitment to a theory is not an intellectual virtue: it is an intellectual crime. Thus a statement may be pseudoscientific even if it is eminently 'plausible' and everybody believes in it, and it may be scientifically valuable even if it is unbelievable and nobody believes in it. A theory may even be of supreme scientific value even if no one understands it, let alone believes in it. The cognitive value of a theory has nothing to do with its psychological influence on people's minds. Belief, commitment, understanding are states of the human mind. But the objective, scientific value of a theory is independent of the human mind which creates it or understands it. Its scientific value depends only on what objective support these conjectures have in facts. As Hume said: If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity, or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames. For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. But what exactly is 'experimental' reasoning? [If we look at the vast seventeenth-century literature on witchcraft, it is full of reports of careful observations and sworn evidence - even of experiments. Glanvill, the house philosopher of the early Royal Society, regarded witchcraft as the paradigm of experimental reasoning. We have to define experimental reasoning before we start Humean book burning.] In scientific reasoning, theories are confronted with facts; and one of the central conditions of scientific reasoning is that theories must be supported by facts. Now how exactly can facts support theory? Several different answers have been proposed. Newton himself thought that he proved his laws from facts. [He was proud of not uttering mere hypotheses: he only published theories proven from facts. In particular,] He claimed that he deduced his laws from the 'phenomena' provided by Kepler. But his boast was nonsense, since according to Kepler, planets move in ellipses, but according to Newton's theory, planets would move in ellipses only if the planets did not disturb each other in their motion. But they do. This is why Newton had to devise a perturbation theory from which it follows that no planet moves in an ellipse. One can today easily demonstrate that there can be no valid derivation of a law of nature from any finite number of facts; but we still keep reading about scientific theories being proved from facts. Why this stubborn resistance to elementary logic? There is a very plausible explanation. Scientists want to make their theories respectable, deserving of the title 'science', that is, genuine knowledge. Now the most relevant knowledge in the seventeenth century, when science was born, concerned God, the Devil, Heaven and Hell. If one got one's conjectures about matters of divinity wrong, the consequence of one's mistake was no less than eternal damnation. Theological knowledge cannot be fallible: it must be beyond doubt. Now the Enlightenment thought that we were fallible and ignorant about matters theological. There is no scientific theology and, therefore, no theological knowledge. Knowledge can only be about Nature, but this new type of knowledge had to be judged by the standards they took over straight from theology: it had to be proven beyond doubt. Science had to achieve the very certainty which had escaped theology. A scientist, worthy of the name, was not allowed to guess: he had to prove each sentence he uttered from facts. This was the criterion of scientific honesty. Theories unproven from facts were regarded as sinful pseudoscience, heresy in the scientific community. It was only the downfall of Newtonian theory in this century which made scientists realize that their standards of honesty had been utopian. [Before Einstein most scientists thought that Newton had deciphered God's ultimate laws by proving them from the facts. Ampère, in the early nineteenth century, felt he had to call his book on his speculations concerning electromagnetism: Mathematical Theory of Electrodynamic Phenomena Unequivocally Deduced from Experiment. But at the end of the volume he casually confesses that some of the experiments were never performed and even that the necessary instruments had not been constructed! ] If all scientific theories are equally unprovable, what distinguishes scientific knowledge from ignorance, science from pseudoscience? One answer to this question was provided in the twentieth century by 'inductive logicians'. Inductive logic set out to define the probabilities of different theories according to the available total evidence. If the mathematical probability of a theory is high, it qualifies as scientific; if it is low or even zero, it is not scientific. Thus the hallmark of scientific honesty would be never to say anything that is not at least highly probable. [ Probabilism has an attractive feature: instead of simply providing a black-and-white distinction between science and pseudoscience, it provides a continuous scale from poor theories with low probability to good theories with high probability.] But, in 1934, Karl Popper, one of the most influential philosophers of our time, argued that the mathematical probability of all theories, scientific or pseudoscientific, given any amount of evidence is zero. If Popper is right, scientific theories are not only equally unprovable but also equally improbable. A new demarcation criterion was needed and Popper proposed a rather stunning one.[ A theory may be scientific even if there is not a shred of evidence in its favour, and it may be pseudoscientific even if all the available evidence is in its favour. That is, the scientific or non-scientific character of a theory can be determined independently of the facts.] A theory is 'scientific' if one is prepared to specify in advance a crucial experiment (or observation) which can falsify it, and it is pseudoscientific if one refuses to specify such a 'potential falsifier'. But if so, we do not demarcate scientific theories from pseudoscientific ones, but rather scientific methods from non-scientific method. [Marxism, for a Popperian, is scientific if the Marxists are prepared to specify facts which , if observed, make them give up Marxism. If they refuse to do so, Marxism becomes a pseudoscience. It is always interesting to ask a Marxist, what conceivable event would make him abandon his Marxism. If he is committed to Marxism, he is bound to find it immoral to specify a state of affairs which can falsify it.] Thus a proposition may petrify into pseudo-scientific dogma or become genuine knowledge, depending on whether we are prepared to state observable conditions which would refute it. Is, then, Popper's falsifiability criterion the solution to the problem of demarcating science from pseudoscience? No. For Popper's criterion ignores the remarkable tenacity of scientific theories. Scientists have thick skins. They do not abandon a theory [merely] because facts contradict it. They normally either invent some rescue hypothesis to explain what they then call a mere anomaly and if they cannot explain the anomaly, they ignore it, and direct their attention to other problems. Note that scientists talk about anomalies, [recalcitrant instances,] and not refutations. History of science, of course, is full of accounts of how crucial experiments allegedly killed theories. But all such accounts are fabricated long after the theory has been abandoned. [Had Popper ever asked a Newtonian scientist under what experimental conditions he would abandon Newtonian theory, some Newtonian scientists would have been exactly as nonplussed as are some Marxists.] What, then, is the hallmark of science? Do we have to capitulate and agree that a scientific revolution is just an irrational change in commitment, that it is a religious conversion? Tom Kuhn, a distinguished American philosopher of science, arrived at this conclusion after discovering the naivety of Popper's falsificationism. But if Kuhn is right, then there is no explicit demarcation between science and pseudoscience, no distinction between scientific progress and intellectual decay, there is no objective standard of honesty. But what criteria can he then offer to demarcate scientific progress from intellectual degeneration ? In the last few years I have been advocating a methodology of scientific research programmes, which solves some of the problems which both Popper and Kuhn failed to solve. First, I claim that the typical descriptive unit of great scientific achievements is not an isolated hypothesis but rather a research programme. [Science is not simply trial and error, a series of conjectures and refutations.] 'All swans are white' may be falsified by the discovery of one black swan. But such trivial trial and error does not rank as science. Newtonian science, for instance, is not simply a set of four conjectures - the three laws of mechanics and the law of gravitation. These four laws constitute only the 'hard core' of the Newtonian programme. But this hard core is tenaciously protected from refutation by a vast 'protective belt' of auxiliary hypotheses. And, even more importantly, the research programme also has a 'heuristic', that is, a powerful problem-solving machinery, which, with the help of sophisticated mathematical techniques, digests anomalies and even turns them into positive evidence. For instance, if a planet does not move exactly as it should, the Newtonian scientist checks his conjectures concerning atmospheric refraction, concerning propagation of light in magnetic storms, and hundreds of other conjectures which are all part of the programme. He may even invent a hitherto unknown planet and calculate its position, mass and velocity in order to explain the anomaly. Now, Newton's theory of gravitation, Einstein's relativity theory, quantum mechanics, Marxism, Freudism, are all research programmes, each with a characteristic hard core stubbornly defended, each with its more flexible protective belt and each with its elaborate problem-solving machinery. Each of them, at any stage of its development, has unsolved problems and undigested anomalies. All theories, in this sense, are born refuted and die refuted. But are they equally good? Until now I have been describing what research programmes are like. But how can one distinguish a scientific or progressive programme from a pseudoscientific or degenerating one? Contrary to Popper, the difference cannot be that some are still unrefuted, while others are already refuted. [When Newton published his Principia, it was common knowledge that it could not properly explain even the motion of the moon; in fact, lunar motion refuted Newton.] Kaufmann, a distinguished physicist, refuted Einstein's relativity theory in the very year it was published. But all the research programmes I admire have one characteristic in common. They all predict novel facts, facts which had been either undreamt of, or have indeed been contradicted by previous or rival programmes. In 1686, when Newton published his theory of gravitation, there were, for instance, two current theories concerning comets. The more popular one regarded comets as a signal from an angry God warning that He will strike and bring disaster. A little known theory of Kepler's held that comets were celestial bodies moving along straight lines. Now according to Newtonian theory, some of them moved in hyperbolas or parabolas never to return; others moved in ordinary ellipses. Halley, working in Newton's programme, calculated on the basis of observing a brief stretch of a comet's path that it would return in seventy-two year's time; he calculated to the minute when it would be seen again at a well-defined point of the sky. This was incredible. But seventy-two years later, [when both Newton and Halley were long dead,] Halley's comet returned exactly as Halley predicted. Similarly, Newtonian scientists predicted the existence and exact motion of small planets which had never been observed before. [Or let us take Einstein's programme. This programme made the stunning prediction that if one measures the distance between two stars in the night and if one measure the distance between them during the day (when they are visible during an eclipse of the sun), the two measurements will be different. Nobody had thought to make such an observation before Einstein's programme.] Thus, in a progressive research programme, theory leads to the discovery of hitherto unknown novel facts. In degenerating programmes, however, theories are fabricated only in order to accommodate known facts. Has, for instance, Marxism ever predicted a stunning novel fact successfully? Never! It has some famous unsuccessful predictions. It predicted the absolute impoverishment of the working class. It predicted that the first socialist revolution would take place in the industrially most developed society. It predicted that socialist societies would be free of revolutions. It predicted that there will be no conflict of interests between socialist countries. Thus the early predictions of Marxism were bold and stunning, but they failed. Marxism 'explained' all its failures. It 'explained' the rising living standards of the working class by devising a theory of imperialism; it 'explained' even why the first socialist revolution occurred in industrially backward Russia. It 'explained' Berlin 1953, Budapest 1956, Prague 1968. It 'explained' the Russian-Chinese conflict. But their auxiliary hypotheses were all cooked up after the event to protect Marxian theory from the facts. The Newtonian programme led to novel facts; the Marxian programme lagged behind the facts and has been running fast to catch up with them. To sum up: [The hallmark of empirical progress is not trivial verifications: Popper is right that there are millions of them. It is no success for Newtonian theory that stones, when dropped, fall towards the earth, no matter how often this is repeated. But, ] so-called 'refutations' are not the hallmark of empirical failure, as Popper has preached, since all programmes grow in a permanent ocean of anomalies. What really counts are dramatic, unexpected, stunning predictions: a few of them are enough to tilt the balance; where theory lags behind the facts, we are dealing with miserable degenerating research programmes. Now, how do scientific revolutions come about? If we have two rival research programmes, and one is progressing while the other is degenerating, scientists tend to join the progressive programme. This is the rationale of scientific revolutions. But while it is a matter of intellectual honesty to keep the record public, it is not dishonest to stick to a degenerating programme and try to turn it into a progressive one. As opposed to Popper the methodology of scientific research programmes does not offer instant rationality. One must treat budding programmes leniently: programmes may take decades before they get off the ground and become empirically progressive. Criticism is not a Popperian quick kill, by refutation. Important criticism is always constructive: there is no refutation without a better theory. Kuhn is wrong in thinking that scientific revolutions are sudden, irrational changes in vision. [The history of science refutes both Popper and Kuhn: ] On close inspection both Popperian crucial experiments and Kuhnian revolutions turn out to be myths: what normally happens is that progressive research programmes replace degenerating ones. The problem of demarcation between science and pseudoscience has grave implications also for the institutionalization of criticism. Copernicus's theory was banned by the Catholic Church in 1616 because it was said to be pseudoscientific. It was taken off the index in 1820 because by that time the Church deemed that facts had proved it and therefore it became scientific. The Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party in 1949 declared Mendelian genetics pseudoscientific and had its advocates, like Academician Vavilov, killed in concentration camps; after Vavilov's murder Mendelian genetics was rehabilitated; but the Party's right to decide what is science and publishable and what is pseudoscience and punishable was upheld. The new liberal Establishment of the West also exercises the right to deny freedom of speech to what it regards as pseudoscience, as we have seen in the case of the debate concerning race and intelligence. All these judgments were inevitably based on some sort of demarcation criterion. And this is why the problem of demarcation between science and pseudoscience is not a pseudo-problem of armchair philosophers: it has grave ethical and political implications. http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/lakatos/scienceAndPseudoscienceTranscript.htm

Arigatou. - Thank you. / Thanks.

Luís César — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:09:15 GMT

Recently I went on a business trip to Beijing (formerly known as Peking but still called Peking in Japanese because Cantonese refers to the city as Peking while Mandarin calls it Beijing - go figure) with a co-worker from Hong Kong. She is Hong Kong Chinese and speaks Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, English all fluently and now is studying Italian. She moves fluidly from one culture to the next, assimilating quite easily into the language and the lifestyle. I envy her. While I was in Beijing I had to use a lot of gestures out on the street. Asking for a receipt (particularly useful if you are a business executive on a tight budget and an even tighter salary) with a lot of jumping, pointing, making funny faces, etc. proved challenging. I got by and got what I wanted. We had to get around to various business engagements via cab and do you think I would have been able to do that without the native language? However, at that time I certainly felt it would be very nice to be able to communicate, even if only rudimentarily, to the locals, expressing my basic needs ("Toire wa doko desu ka?" - remember that?). Very nice indeed. Well, the business trip ended and as it was only a three day stint it wasn't too bad. I returned to the airport (old Beijing Airport - very old) and waited for the pre-boarding announcement. Across me was sitting one of the most beautiful young women I have ever seen in real life. She was intently working on something, writing in a notebook. I didn't want to seem like a total jerk so I tried not to stare too hard. Next to her sat a refined gentleman in his middle age with a very trim and proper looking beard and the stature of an aristocrat. We boarded the plane, all heading back to Osaka and Typhoon No. 18. Sitting next to me at the emergency exit were none other than Mr. Aristocrat and Ms. Beautiful. It turned out that the young woman was on her way back to Australia where she would meet up with her fiance. He had been transferred to Tokyo and she was excitedly working on trying to remember useful phrases for her arrival into Japan. As we talked I learned that she believed it was of great benefit for her to pick up useful words and phrases that would help her get through her daily life. Often, when we take classes we start from point A, move to B and then on to C, D, E. However in real life when we begin at A often we are tossed over to G or H without any knowledge of how we got there. If our studies are at level C and we need to know something pertaining to G, we are just plain out to ohiru gohan (lunch). My new-found friend was preparing for this leap by making a list of words and phrases that she felt she would need upon first contact. The grammar would come later. After all, who really needs to be able to say, "that red pen in the box over there is my red pen, not yours!"? All you need to do is grab the pen, thumb your nose at your antagonist and walk away with your head held high. Never underestimate the power of gestures. She had the right idea, was going about it exactly the right way, I believe. In this lesson, what I am NOT going to do is to bother you with grammar. You can get that from Lessons One to Five and also in future lessons. We are parting from the usual for a moment. In this lesson what I AM going to do is give you some get-down-get-dirty phrases and words that I feel might help you in the trenches. For, after all, if you make a trip to Japan that is where you are going to want to be, right? Who wants to come to an exciting new country and spend over half of the time sitting in a flourescent room studying from dry textbooks? (Well, I did, but that's beside the point - learn from the error of my ways, folks). If you would like to know some words or phrases that are not listed here, and I am sure there will be many as everyone's situation differs, please ask. Also, you could greatly help us all out by sending in all the phrases you think would help others, or have helped you in the past. Remember, this doesn't have to be directly related to Japan because when we visit any new country, we are bound to require the same knowledge base in order to communicate our most rudimentary concerns. The language changes but the concept stays the same. So send in your suggestions and I will continually update this page. No profanities please. Onegai shimasu. Just a quick note: I interchange between "ha" and "wa". Never really sure which one to use. Technically it should be "ha" because the character for this is "ha". But the sound is "wa". If you mistakenly write the character "wa" in this place, it will be incorrect in Japanese. But in English, some books go with the phonetic "wa" while other textbooks prefer the more correct "ha" (pronounced "wa"). Confusing? So is life. THE PHRASES (Use 'em or Lose 'em Pal) COMPLIMENTS (Remember this: Compliments will get you almost anywhere. Smiles will get you even further) Kyou ha kakkou ii ne. (You look great today.) kirei - pretty, hatto suru - striking, hansamu - handsome Responses: Maa, arigatou. - Oh, thank you. Arigatou. - Thank you. / Thanks. Anata mo. (Kimi mo) - So do you./ You do too. Sou itte kurete arigatou. - Thanks for saying so. Sono uagi ii ne. (I like your jacket.) heasutairu - haircut, shaapu pen - mechanical pencil, keshigomu - eraser kutsu - shoes, nekutai - tie, kaban - bag Responses: Arigatou. - Thank you. / Thanks. Kimi no mo ii yo. - I like yours, too. Hontou? - Really? Shinpin nan da. - It's brand new. Sugoku furui. - Its very old. Watashi no okiniiri na no. - It's one of my favorites. Sore ha subarashii! - That's wonderful! sugoi - fantastic, saikou ni yoi - excellent, suteki - neat, oishii - delicious Responses: Arigatou - Thank you. Sou itte kurete yasashii hito ne. - That's nice of you to say. Watashi mo suki nan desu yo. - I like it/them too. Hontou ni kirei da ne! - Isn't it beautiful? (Aren't they beautiful?) It was a present from my dead uncle. - Shinda ojisan kara morattan da. GREETINGS (ever try to ignore a greeting? It makes you feel like a real heel, right?) Choushi wa dou dai? (How's everything?) Maa maa desu. (Pretty good.) Genki desu ka? (How are you?) Genki yo. Arigatou. (Fine, thank you.) (niko) (smile) (niko) (smile) (this one is bound to get you the furthest) Arigatou. (Thank you.) Dou itashimashite. (You're welcome). Oyasumi nasai. (Good night.) Gussuri nete ne. (Sleep tight.) Moshi moshi? (Hello? - on the phone) A, konnichi wa. (Oh, hi.) Ii otenki desu ne? (It's a nice day, isn't it?) Hontou ni yoi otenki de. (Yes, it's lovely.) Boku wa Dracula desu. (My name's Dracula.) Hajime mashite, Dracula. (Nice to meet you, Dracula.) A! (Oops! - when you drop something, etc.) Dou shita no? (What's the matter? What's wrong?) Itte kimasu, (I'm leaving now.) Itte rasshai. (See you later.) Itai! (Ouch!) Daijoubu? (Are you all right?) Bai bai. (Bye.) Mata ne. (See you!) QUESTIONS (drive 'em nuts with the neverending string of questions, gang!) NANI (What) Anata no namae wa? (What's your name?) Boku no name wa GI Joe, desu. (My name is GI Joe). Kanojo no adana wa nan desu ka? (What's her nickname?) Himitsu desu. (It's a secret.) Shuumatsu ni nani wo shite imasu ka? (What do you do on the weekends?) Eiga wo mi ni ikimasu. (I go to watch the movies.) Amerika no biiru wa do omoimasu ka? (What do you think of American beer?) Koko de henji dekimasen. (I can't answer here.) DOCO (Where) Doco ni sunde iru no? (Where do you live?) Timbuktu desu. (I live in Timbuktu.) Doko de umareta no? (Where were you born?) Nihon umare desu. (I was born in Japan.) Taitei doko ni sukii wo shi ni ikimasu ka? (Where do you usually go skiing?) Hokkaido desu. (I go to Hokkaido.) Yuube doko he ikimasita ka? (Where did you go last night?) Nomisugita kara oboete imasen. Gomen nasai. (I drank too much so I don't remember. Sorry.) NAZE (Why) Naze Nihongo wo benkyo suru no desu ka? (Why are you studying Japanese?) Italia ryoko ni ikitai kara. (Because I want to take a trip to Italy.) Kyou wa, naze jikoku shita no? (Why were you late today?) Nesugoshimashita. (I overslept) Naze sonna ni tabete imasu ka? (Why are you eating so much?) Urusai! (Shut up!) ITSU (When) Anata no tanjoubi wa itsu desu ka? (When is your birthday?) Ku gatsu juuku nichi desu. (September nineteenth.) Tsugi no yasumi wa itsu toreru no? (When can you take a holiday?) Kondo no doyoubi to nichi youbi wa yasumi da yo! (Next Saturday and Sunday are holidays!) Itsu unten menkyo wo torimashita ka? (When did you get your driver's licence?) Ni nen mae desu (Two years ago.) / Nijuu ni sai no toki. (When I was 22.) DARE (Who) Anata ga suki na sakka/kashu/hanyu/joyu wa dare desu ka? (Who is your favorite writer/singer/actor/actress?) Berinda Rampuringu ga suki desu. (I like Belinda Rampling.) Anata no shinyuu wa dare desu ka? (Who is your best friend?) Anata desu. (You are.) Oyatsu wo motte koreru hito wa imasu ka? (Who can bring the snacks?) Hai. (I can.) DARE NO (Whose) Kore wa dare no hon/pen/hankachi/fukuro desu ka? (Whose book/pen/handkerchief/bag is this?) Watashi no desu. (It's mine.) DORE KURAI (How) Koko kara otaku made dore kurai desu ka? (How far is it from here to your house?) Koko kara daitai sanjuu kiro kurai da ne. (It's about 30km from here.) Anata wa nan nin shujin ga imasu ka?! (How many husbands do you have?! Tatta san nin desu! (I only have three!) Gakkou/kaisha ni ha dou yatte ikimasu ka? (How do you get to school/work?) Basu de ikimasu. (I go by bus.) Kono nori wa ikura desu ka? (How much is this glue?) Hyaku en desu. (It's 100 Yen.) DOCHIRA (Which) Nihon sha de ichi ban ii no ha dore desu ka? (Which is the best Japanese car?) Daihatsu desu. (Daihatsu is.) Dono deguchi kara dereba yoi desu ka? (Which exit should I take?) - remember this one - you will need it when travelling on the Tokyo train system. Minami guchi desu. (You should take the south exit.) Koucha to biiru to dotira ga suki desu ka? (Which do you prefer, tea or beer?) Biiru yori koucha ho hou ga suki desu. (I prefer tea to beer ) - the politically correct response. Doko no kuni ni ichiban ikitai desu ka? (Which country do you want to visit the most?) Tai ni itte mitai desu. (I want to visit Thailand the most.) Interjection: I just came back from my first trip to Italy (2000.05.18). It was fabulous! Italy is the only country that I have ever been to where I didn't want to come home. It is HIGHLY recommended. Well, it has been a long time since I have been to a country where I didn't understand a single word of what people were saying. That is right gang, I was in the exact same boat as you are now, should you come to Japan. Actually that's not quite true; if you have come this far you are way ahead of me in the language skills. So I experienced understanding nothing. Well, I bought a book called Teach Yourself Italian (you guessed right: it is the same series that I am using to base these Japanese lessons on!). On the airplane, and for a couple of days before my trip I tried as best as I could to get some vocabulary. You know what? It worked. It really helped because I learned how to say the following phrases, which really got me far. I will give you the English, and then the Japanese in this case. MORE PHRASES TO USE OR LOSE Sumimasen. (Excuse me.) Eigo wo hanasemasuka? (Can you speak English?) Gomen nasai. (I am sorry.) Sumimasen. (I am sorry.) Nihongo wa dekimasen. (I cannot speak Japanese.) - Literally: I cannot "do" Japanese. Wakarimasen. (I don't understand.) Shirimasen. (I don't know.) Sumimasen. Toire wa doko desu ka? (Excuse me. Where is the toilet?) Itadakemasu ka? (May I have it?) Arigatou gozaimasu. (Thank you.) Do itashi mashite. (You are welcome - for some reason, saying "you are welcome" implies to the Japanese that you are belittling their gratitude (strange). They usually tend to deny the thanks in order to make themselves not worthy of accepting it. Such as, "iie, iie" - no, no). Ohayo gozaimasu. (Good morning.) Konnichi wa. (Hello.) Konban wa. (Good evening.) Oyasumi nasai. (Good night.) Ogenki desu ka? (How are you?) Genki desu! (you know what this means already) Hai! (Yes.) Hai? (Yes?) Iie. (No.) Kore/Sore/Are wa nan desu ka? (What is this/it/that?) Reshiito wo kudasai. (The receipt, please. - This one is very important for you business people.) Ryoushuushou wo kudasai. (A receipt, please. - this is for an official receipt.) Oaisou wo kudasai. (The bill, please.) That should just about do it for the time being. If I made it any longer you might give up on studying all together. The Culture Pocket: Nihon no Otenki (Japanese Weather) The weather(otenki - "o" is honorific, the word is actually "tenki" - but we must respect the weather) is one of the most talked about topics in Japan. Everyone uses it to begin a conversation. In fact, in any culture you can use the weather to start up a conversation with an acquaintance or even a stranger. It is something that everyone has in common. If you are next to someone you know, it is virtually guaranteed that the rain that is soaking you to the bone is likely soaking her to the bone as well (except that she likely has an umbrella which you, in your macho attitude decided not to bring - smart choice.) So in fact, the weather is affecting you more than her. Well, you can talk about that too. Maybe even share the umbrella if you are lucky! Here in Japan, the weather is often even used as a greeting. In the spring and autumn the weather is nearly perfect. Warm (or cool), dry, clear days. Comfortable in the day, easy to sleep at night. The cherry blossoms are a great topic, as are the changing leaves in the autumn. Life is grand in these seasons. "Totemo ii o tenki, desu ne!" "So, desu ne." Then comes summer. Ugh! People, when they hear that it is 36C here say, "oh, it is hotter where I was in India..." Then they come. And nearly die. Remember the old addage? "It's not the heat, it's the humidity." This is so so so true here. The humidity goes up really high in June, the rainy season comes in July, the steamy 5-shower-days season arrives in August. Everyone talks about the weather. "Atsui, desu ne!" And, "So desu yo ne!!" You die in summer. And then you die again in winter when it rolls around. It is only about -5C at the coldest around here (-25C in Hokkaido - but dry!). The humidity here makes 0C so much colder than -20C, let me tell you. I visited Canada this past Christmas hoping to experience some real cold. But you know what? -30C just didn't feel cold! Everything is always cold here. Especially in the houses. Did you know that we have to sleep with hats on at night? It is true! Imagine the hair you have in the morning. Ugh! Then everyone greets you like this: "Samui desu ne." And you have to respond like this, "So desu ne. Totemo samui." If you tell them that you don't think it is that cold, or that it is colder where you come from, you just kill the mood. Go with the flow. Agree with them. Think of it as a greeting. Because you know what? It AIN'T colder back home! Sometimes, just for fun, when I am greeted with, "Atsui, desu ne?", or "Samui, desu ne." I respond in a really strange way: "Konnichi wa." After all. That is what they are REALLY saying. You just have to read between the lines. Well, it is time to start plagiarizing a different textbook for a while. I want to make the lessons a little shorter, and easier to put out there for you. If I don't do this, I need a good 6-hour block of time to make one lesson. Something I just don't have the time for these days. And as you are important to me, I really think it would be to our benefit if I changed the style a bit. Hope you don't mind. Self Introductions, or "jiko shokai" are something you get really good at when you come to live in Japan. It may be changing a bit now because we foreigners are infecting the country more and more these days. This means we are not so rare any more. But when I first came here, to the country ten years ago, I was a 6'5" 196cm behemoth that was stared at, pointed at, talked about, greeted with, "This is a pen. he he he he he.", and more things than you can imagine. My friend, an American fellow has more stories to tell: people try to run him off the road in their cars, they drive on the sidewalks to run him over, they pick fights with him when he is quietly eating his rice in a restaurant. And the stories go on. Maybe he is just a trouble magnet... But you get really good at introducing yourself, your family, your pet, what you eat, where you sleep, what color your pubic hair is (sorry! but it is true - Japanese people, kids and adults alike, really want to know if a blonde is also blonde "down there" - just tell 'em its green and they will stop asking pretty quick!). You also get good at learning things about yourself you hardly ever thought about before: like your blood type, what the lines in your hands mean, your zodiac sign, your birthstone, the color of your pubic hair, and so on. Let's memorize a few self introduction phrases. They might come in handy. If you are going on a trip to Japan, and want to know what some phrases mean, ask me. Some basic phrases, with a few common ways of saying more things. Just fill in the underlined part with the other words, and presto! you are introducing yourself. Download Qualcomm Pure Voice Here THE PHRASES Watashi wa Amerika-jin desu. (I am American.) Amerika-jin (American) Nijuu san sai (23 years old) Sensei (teacher) Seito (student) Shufu (housewife) Sarariman (businessman) Asagata ningen (a morning person) Otonashii (shy, quiet) Shako teki (outgoing) Majime (serious) Hito natsukoi (friendly) Namake mono (lazy) Wagamama (selfish) Undo ga suki/kira (athletic/not athletic) Respond with: So desu ka? (Oh are you?) Honto ni? (Really?) Watashi/Boku mo. (Me, too.) Uso! (Get outta here!) Watashi no namae wa Bugs Bunny desu. (My name is Bugs Bunny.) namae (name) tanjobi (birthday) ketsu eki gata (blood type) suki na tabemono (favorite food) suki na supootsu (favorite sport) suki na iro (favorite color) suki na bando (favorite band) shuumi (hobby) Bugs Bunny Ku Gatsu Juuku nich (September 19th) A, AB, B, O, Z (to stir things up) suteeki, katsudon (steak, katsudon) sukii, gorufu, kendo (skiing, golf, kendo) aka, shiro, kuro, chairo, kiiro (red, white, black, brown, yellow) Crash Test Dummies daibingu (scuba) Respond with: So desu ka? (Oh, is it?) Suteki! (Great!) Watashi no mo so./Boku no mo sou denai. (Mine is, too./ Mine isn't, either) Watashi wa unten menkyo wo motte imasu. (I have a driver's license.) Watashi wa unten menkyo wo motte imasen. (I don't have a driver's license.) unten menkyo (a driver's license) inu, neko, sakana, kame, wani (a dog, a cat, a fish, a turtle, a crocodile) gorira 3 tou (three gorillas) kou ketsu atsu (high blood pressure) zuttsu ( a headache) bentzu (a Mercedes) pasokon (a computer) Respond with: Sou desu ka? (Oh, you do?) Omoshiroi! (How interesting!) Watashi mo/boku mo. (Me, too.) Watashi no ......... mo ......... (So does my .........) Watashi wa tenisu wo shimasu. (I play tennis.) Watashi wa tenisu wo shimasen. (I don't play tennis.) tenisu wo shimasu (play tennis) gitaa wo shimasu (play the guitar) doramu wo enso shimasu (play the drums) Kamishii-mura ni sunde imasu (live in Kamishii mura) ginko ni tsutomete imasu (work in a bank) kaisha ni tsutomete imasu (work at a company - this is a very common reply when you ask someone what they do for a living - you aren't any more knowledgeable than before you asked) paato de hataraite imasu (work part-time) aikido wo naratte imasu (take aikido lessons) ohana wo naratte imasu (take ikebana lessons) kuma no atama wo atsumete imasu (collect bears heads) dizunii guzzu wo atsumete imasu (collect Disney goods - the girls are crazy about Disney here in Japan - don't know why. Hello Kitty, too.) Respond with: So desu ka? (Are you getting the picture by now? ) Sugoi! (That's great!) Watashi mo. (Me, too.) Suki na dobutsu wa .... (My favorite animal is....) Suki na tabemono wa..... (My favorite food is....) ..... ni sunde imasu. (I live in ....) ...... de hataraite imasu (I work at ........) ...... de benkyou shite imasu (I study at .........) Jibun no ....... wo ai shite imasu. (I love my ........) ...... suru no ga tokui desu. (I'm good at........) Tsuyoi kyouka wa....... (My strong subjects are.......) - recall this if you come to Japan. You WILL be asked - and also how fast you could run the 100m dash when you were in elementary school. ....... ni itta koto ga arimasu. (I have been to ........) ....... wo ryori shimasu. (I cook..........) Watashi no denwa bango wa........ (My phone number is.........) Boku no suki na shumi wa ........ (My favorite hobby is........) Tsuma - shujin/ani - otooto/ane - imooto/ wa........... (My wife-husband/elder brother - younger brother/elder sister - younger sister is........) Boku no ichi ban warui kuse wa....... (My worst habit is.........) Yatte iru spootsu wa....... (I play...........) Jibun senyou no .......... wo motte imasu. (I have my own.........) The Culture Pocket: Referring to Others Something that I still have trouble with in Japanese is the lack of use of pronouns. If your name is Curious George and I am talking to you, in English, I would call you, "you". For example, "Do you like Guns 'n Roses?" But in Japanese, we do not use names when referring to that person directly . So instead, I would have to say to YOU, "Jooji wa Ganzu ando Rozezu ga suki desu ka?" Now if our best friend was also called George, I think it could get a little confusing. Don't get me wrong; pronouns DO exist: Watashi/Boku/Ore/Jibun (I) Anata/Kimi (you) Kare/Kanojo (he/her) But apparently it is unusual to actually use them. So instead we use the names. And I find that hard to do. I first of all would like to thank Ms. Anne-May Meulmeester for sending me an email that got tagged by my server as spam and sat there for an entire 10 days before I randomly decided to check my spambox and get rid of all the rolex, viagra, free sony handicam, online cheap downloads, etc. blah blah blah spams that seem to be hitting everyone harder than the devastating South Asian tsunami on December 26th, 2004. The only difference is that the tsunami hit once; spam just keeps coming over and over and over again until the world's killer app known as E-mail is no longer a useful tool to use. Have you noticed that more and more websites say, "if you want to place an order, call or fax my number because I probably won't find your email order in all the spam I get!" Often now a days you won't even FIND a real email link on websites because the spammers are so good at culling them en-masse. Even the form page that people thought would solve that problem has been found to be exploitable by spammer cretins. Well, Anne-May sent me an email thanking me for my Japanese lessons. I really have wanted to continue them because I know how much you all have enjoyed learning "my way". It isn't standard, but then again, neither is real life, right? Thanks, Anne-May for kicking my butt and getting at least one more lesson out for all of my loyal followers in the world (before I die). (At this writing I note that I have had over 20,000 people hit this portion of my website! That is a LOT of students!!) - Cam -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the previous lesson (maybe you forgot if you did it 5 years ago when I made it), we learned all about Self Introductions, or "jiko shokai". I hope that in this time you have had an opportunity to practice and become a professional. If after five years you still can't introduce yourself, maybe you had better give up and become a hermit like me, talking to no one. Just kidding. So let's say that by now you can introduce yourself. Great! OK, so you have a friend, no; you have two friends. And now you want to introduce your friends to each other so that you can take a break and let them carry on some of the conversations instead of relying on your amazing Japanese language skills (they ARE amazing now, right?). After all, you can't live your entire life alone, talking to your pet or pets. Even if that is the case and you have more than one pet, eventually one is going to leave this world before you (under natural circumstances unless you have a very unique pet like my dog who is going to live for 75 years (not dog years, but years). Well, if you lose one, you will want to get another one, right? So you get another pet. What do you do? You have to introduce this new pet to your old pet so that they can become acquainted. Right? Right! Therefore, even if you never want to talk to another person again in your entire life, there IS REASON why you might want to be able to introduce others. After all, you care about your pets, right? As an aside, look up at the kanji at the top of this page. Does it look familiar? Flip back to Lesson 7 and compare. What do you see? Yes! The last two kanji of lesson 7 are the same as these kanji! Amazing coincidence? Maybe. (I trimmed it and put it here for a purpose). Those kanji say "shokai" or introduction. And they are what you are about to do now. Once again let's memorize a few phrases so that you will not be running off to the front without any ammunition in the chamber. They might come in handy. If you are going on a trip to Japan, and want to know what some phrases mean, ask me. Some basic phrases, with a few common ways of saying more things. Just fill in the underlined part with the other words, and presto! you are introducing yourself. Oh, by the way, put some humor into the introduction, will you? Although you may not hear much humor from Japanese people in their speeches and introductions, don't follow suit. After all, YOU want to be remembered, right? One more thing to note: introductions are usually polite so use the "desu / masu" forms of verbs. Take a look at the culture pocket below before you start ranting away with the phrases below. THE PHRASES Kono kata wa Keisuke Yagiwara desu. (This is Keisuke Yagiwara.) Kyoto ni sunde imasu. (He lives in Kyoto.) Suki na dobutsu wa ushi desu. (His favorite animals are cows.) Toyota de hataraite imasu. (He works at Toyota.) Keio Daigaku de benkyo shite imasu. (He studies at Keio University) Kare no petto wo ai shite imasu. (He loves his pet). Petto no namae wa Bobbu desu. (His pet's name is Bob.) Tenisu wo suru no wa tokui desu. (He is good at tennis.) Nankyoku e itta koto ga arimasu. (He's been to Antarctica.) Toosuto wo ryori shimasu. (He cooks toast.) Ano hito no namae wa Britney Spears desu. (Her name is Britney Spears.) Denwa bango wa ..... (Her phone number is....) Kusai ashi de yuumei desu. (She's famous for her smelly feet.) Suki na goraku wa geemu desu. (Her favorite pastime is playing computer games.) Ichiban warui kuse wa kutsu wo nugu koto desu. (Her worst habit is taking her shoes off.) Terebi no "American Aidoru" no bangumi wo mimasu. (She watches "American Idol".) Jibun no karada wo kojiri ni shite imasu. (She is proud of her own body.) Yatte iru spootsu wa kikku bokkushingu. (She plays kickboxing.) Jibun no senyo no doraiba wo motte imasu. (She has her own chauffeur.) Kanojo no imooto/otooto ga kawaii/hansamu. (Her younger sister/brother is cute/handsome.) Respond with: Watashi/boku mo onaji da? (Mine is too.) Honto. Watashi wa shinai. / Watashi mo suru. (You do? I don't/I do, too!) Onaji da ne. (We're the same.) Chigau ne. (We're different.) Sugoi ne! (Wow!) Shinjirarenai!! (I can't believe it!) The Culture Pocket: Different Strokes for Different Folks Introducing people in English and Japanese are actually very different. We often say "she" or "he" instead of using their names all the time (remember learning not to use the same noun over and over again? "Paul is happy. Paul went to the store today. Paul bought a bag of donuts. Paul greedily ate them all by himself. Now Paul is obese and Paul deserves it for not sharing." Sounds kind of "low level" don't you think? But in Japanese, we actually do that. It takes some getting used to it, and even after 15 years in Japan I still feel kind of uncomfortable referring to the person I am directly talking to by their name all the time. But here, it is OK. The pronouns "kanojo" (she) and "kare" (he) exist, but often if you use them, you may get a little giggle by the listener. Why is that? Well, because they more often than not are used to mean "girlfriend" and "boyfriend" rather than the simple straightforward meaning of she and he as we learn in traditional textbooks. Remember, textbook study and real life study are two completely different monsters. If you want to be polite, you can say "ano hito" (that person), or "kono kata" (this person - honorific). Or you can say the names, "Pooru-san wa ureshii desu. Pooru-san wa kyo, hitori de kaimono he itte kimashita. Pooru-san wa doonatsu no hitofukuro wo kaimashita. Pooru-san wa donyoku ni (greedily) subete wo tabete shimaimashita. Ima Pooru-san wa debu soshite dare ni mo wakenakatta node atari mae desu." One of the other things to note, as I mentioned earlier I think, is that you can skip the names, and pronouns all together in Japanese. It works. This does not sound so low level, actually.

The Day The Proverb The Pronunciation and Translation

Luís César — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:56:41 GMT

"Ichi nichi isshou" A smile a day. "Genki kubari, Egao kubari" Be generous with your energy. Be generous with your smiles. "Egao wa hamigaki no yo na mono mainichi mainichi migakanakya" A smile is like a toothbrush. You have to use it regularly to keep your teeth shiny clean. "Hito wa homerareru no ga daisuki dakara uun to homete" People love to be praised so do so with all your might. "Egao wa noryoku." A smiling radiates competence. "Anata ga suki, shigoto ga suki, egao ga dai suki." I like you, I like work, I love your smile. "Kotoba yonjyu pasento, hyojo jyugo pasento, omoi jyugo pasento, egao sanjyu pasento, gokei komyunikeshon hyaku pasento" 40% words, 15% facial expression, 15% memories, 30% smile, total =100% communication. "Egao wa ikiru enerugi." Your smile is your life force. "Suu iki yori mo haku iki nagaku, fuku shiki kokyu de, nagai iki nagai iki" It is better to exhale deeply than to inhale. Breathe deeply from the abdomen for a Long breath equals long life. "Ushiro sugata ga waratte iru." Your shadow is laughing. "Egao wa kokoro no akusesari Kyo wa dono egao" Your smile is your heart's accessory. What kind of smile will you wear today? "Egao ga areba jibun ga kaeru tanin ga kaeru unmei ga kaeru" If you smile youcan change yourself, others and your future. " Watashi wa shiawase" I am happy. "Dare ni mo machigai wa aru dakara empitsu ni mo keshigomu ga tsuite iru." Everyone makes mistakes.That's why there is an eraser on every pencil. "Fuku wa uchi" Bring good fortune into the home (this is a part of the phrase "Fuku wa uchi, Oni wa soto" which means "Bring good fortune into the home and send out bad luck" "Oni" means demon.) "Namida wa egao wo fukaku suru" Tears deepen a smile. "Ii koto ga attara, warau no de ha nakute, waratte iru kara ii koto ga aru" We do not smile because something good has happened; rather something good happens because we smile. "Hyaku go yori isshou" A smile is worth a thousand words. "Jishin ni michita hito no egao wa kagayaite iru" A person filled will confidence has a brilliant smile. "Arugamama no egao" A smile is a smile. "Kiki jozu wa hanashi jozu" He who listens well, speaks well. "Achi muite hoi" Look over there! (this is a portion of a Japanese game where you try to get the person to look in the same direction you point your finger while they try not to look in that direction). "Itsumo egao de itsumo sunao ni" Always smiling, always honest and gentle. "Hohoemi wa kokoro to karada no tokkoyaku" A smile is a special remedy for an injured mind and body. "Kyo to iu hi wo egao no kinen bi ni shiyo" Let's make today a stellar day. "Ureshi kara warau tanoshiii kara warau nakitai toki koso warau" You smile because you are happy You smile because it is fun When you want to cry you should smile. "Egao wa kokoro no hikari desu" A smile radiates from the heart. "Nani o mite nani o kangaeru ka de anata no egao ga kimaru" Your smile determines how you see and think about the world around you. "Egao no ichigo ichie" The smile that blesses in a word is a very precious thing. (this is almost impossible to translate and I am just guessing here) "Hasshou nanahai isshoukenmei" Eight wins(smiles), seven losses; do (smile) your best. (this is a play on kanji using "smile" in place of the real characters - sound is the same) "Egao wa chikyugo" Smiles are international Now that we have a little bit better idea of how to pronounce some Japanese, let's jump right in and start to learn some of the grammar so that we can start to say some simple, yet very important phrases. In the real world we are always asking questions and looking for information so it might be beneficial to learn how to make a question or two as well. And where would we end up if we always said "yes" to every proposition we were offered? Perhaps the vice president's chair but more likely we would end up either in jail, some deserted back lane or heaven forbid, a cemetery. So as Nancy Reagan once said it, "Just Say No." Was that Nancy? I'm sorry but I don't recall saying that ... As an aside, rather than have a long vocabulary list at the end of each lesson, I prefer to use the vocabulary that is in the examples. If I decide to make questions using unfamiliar words, I will put those in a table at the end. Otherwise, just consider the lesson as having the vocabulary directly in it. After all, who wants to memorize lists of words, anyway, right? Download Qualcomm Pure Voice Here The Basic Sentence Structure: A wa B desu. Japanese has a very straightforward sentence structure as you see above. We do not invert, rotate, or otherwise do funny things with it like we do in English (how many exceptions to the rules are there again?). The basic pattern is A wa B desu. This essentially means "A is B." The verb to be in this sentence is, as you might guess, desu. This is the polite form of the verb. There is also a "dictionary" or ordinary form as well and it is da. The wa in the sentence is a particle that marks the thing or person by means of B. It doesn't change; very simple. Very simple indeed. Let's look at a few examples. 1. Kore wa pen desu. (This is a pen.) 2. Watashi wa dokushin desu. (I am single.) 3. Kanojo wa Kanadajin desu. (She is Canadian.) 4. Kono pasokon wa baka desu. (This computer is stupid.) 5. Buutsu wa neko desu. (Boots is a cat.) As you can see, the pattern is exactly the same throughout all of the examples. The only thing that changes is the vocabulary. Once you have mastered several useful words in Japanese, you can say very rudimentary statements regarding the existence of things. Another very easy thing about Japanese is how you describe nationalities. In English we have so many different ways of doing it (American, Canadian, New Zealander, etc.) but in Japanese all you have to do is add jin to the end of a country and you have a native of that location. How To Make A Question: A wa B desu ka? This is even simpler than the first pattern and it is extremely easy and a great relief for learners of Japanese to know that once you know the basic sentence structure, all you have to do is put a ka? at the end of the sentence to make it a question. So to look at the same examples as above we see: 1. Kore wa pen desu ka? (Is this a pen?) 2. Anata wa dokushin desu ka? (Are you single?) 3. Kanojo wa Kanadajin desu ka? (Is she Canadian?) 4. Sono pasokon wa baka desu ka? (Is that computer stupid?) 5. Kurinton-san wa neko desu ka? (Is Mr. Clinton a cat?) Very, very simple, don't you think? How To Make A Negative Statement: A wa B de wa arimasen. Now that you know how to say A is B it would probably be helpful to know how to say that A is not B. Again, it is actually very simple. All you have to do is take the A wa B desu, and replace desu with de wa arimasen (or de wa nai in the more informal situations and ja arimasen or ja nai in a contracted format) to get the negative. How is that for straight forward? Couldn't be easier, now could it? Are you remembering all this? Good. I knew you could. Usually it is also good to know how to say Yes, and No. I am sure every single person on the face of this earth already knows, through TV and the movies that Hai means Yes. But did you know that Iie means No? I bet you didn't. Well now you do. If someone asks you a question, you can answer by putting Hai or Iie at the front of the sentence. So here are similar examples in the negative: 1. Kore wa juu de wa arimasen. (This is not a gun.) 2. Iie, watashi wa dokushin ja nai. (No, I'm not single.) 3. Kanojo wa Kanadajin ja arimasen. (She isn't Canadian.) 4. Boku wa baka ja nai yo. (I'm not an idiot!) 5. Iie, Kurinton-san wa neko de wa arimasen. Itachi desu. (No, Mr. Clinton is not a cat. He is a weasel.) How To Make An Imperative Statement: A wa B desu yo. Japanese does not use exclamation points, but there is a structure that shows stress and imperative in a sentence. Simply adding yo at the end of a statement makes it similar to an exclamatory sentence. The intonation is usually falling to emphasize the point being made. Look at number 4 in the examples above to see what I mean. Now on your own, take the above five sentences and practice saying them in the imperative. How To Make A Statement Softer or Agreeable: A wa B desu ne. In Japanese we try to be as unimposing as possible. It is important to try to agree with the speaker in order to maintain smooth relations and so as not to be offensive. To soften your speech so it doesn't seem quite so forceful, or to agree with what the speaker has said (not necessarily what they mean) just add ne to the end of the sentences. It is a little like adding, isn't it to the end of a sentence in English. Women use this quite frequently at the end of their sentences because it is demure, sweet, and non-imposing, therefore "feminine". The intonation is slightly rising. Look at the example below: 1. Goshujin wa dorobo de wa arimasen ne. (Your husband isn't a thief, is he.) 2. So desu ne. (Yes, that's true, isn't it.) How To Make Something Equal to Something Else: A mo B desu. If A is B and A is also C you use the word mo. This means too, or also. Look at the examples below: 1. Suzuki-san wa sensei desu. Watashi mo sensei desu. (Mrs. Suzuki is a teacher. I am a teacher, too.) 2. Kyo wa ame desu ne. Ashita mo so. (It is rainy today, isn't it? Tomorrow, too.) 3. Kore wa ame desu. Sore mo. (This is candy. That is too.) Look at how you might answer Yes to the following question: Suzuki-san mo sensei desu ka. (Is Mrs. Suzuki a teacher, too?) - Hai, (Suzuki-san mo) sensei desu. - Hai, (Suzuki-san mo) so desu. You can omit the subject and mo if you wish. But if you answer No to the same question you omit mo all together and replace it with wa. Suzuki-san mo sensei desu ka. (Is Mrs. Suzuki a teacher, too?) - Iie, Suzuki-san wa sensei de wa arimasen. - Iie, so de wa arimasen. How To Point Something (or Someone) Out: Kore wa pen desu. The words kore, sore, are are used to point out objects (sometimes people) in different locations in reference to the speakers. Kore is used for items closer to the speaker than the listener: this. Sore is used for items closer to the listener than the speaker: that. Are is used for items at a distance from both the speaker and the listener: that over there. If you want to talk about the walking stick in your hand you would say: Kore wa sutekki desu. (This is a walking stick.) And when you want to refer to the pistol that someone is holding to your face, you would say: Sore wa honto no juu desu ka? (Is that a real gun?) And when you want to inform your assailant that the policeman over there is pointing a shotgun at both of you, you would say: Are wa sandanjuu desu yo! (That is a shotgun!) How To Make Something Possessive: A wa B no C desu. By adding the word no between two words it becomes possessive, relational. In the sentence, Kore wa Kyan no tsukue desu. (This is Cam's desk.) you can see what has happened. No allows nouns (people) to act as a possessive adjective and is similar to the 's in English. If no is found after a noun that is a place, it denotes the place of origin of the second noun. Sore wa Furansu no Jamu desu. (That is French Jam) If the first noun is any other kind of noun, it will be used to describe the makeup of the second noun. Nihongo no sensei. (A Japanese teacher) Are wa Eigo no shimbun, ka na? (I wonder if that is an English newspaper?) Listen to the above examples here. If you add no after watashi, you get my. Anata + no will give you your while kare + no = his and kanojo + no = her. Watatashitachi no means our. 1. Kore wa watashi no pen desu. (This is my pen.) 2. Anata no okane desu ka? (Is this your money?) 3. Are wa kanojo no kodomo desu. (That is her child.) You can use no in conjunction with dare (who), doko (where) nan (what) to make dare no (whose), doko no (from where) ,and nan no (of what) to make even more complex sentences. 1. Kore wa dare no kuruma desu ka? (Whose car is this?) - Watashi no. (Mine). 2. Anata wa doko no hito desu ka? (Where are you from?) - Boku wa Doitsujin desu. (I am German.) 3. Yamada-san wa nan no sensei desu ka? (What kind of teacher is she?) - Rika no sensei desu. (She is a Social Studies teacher.) Here is a brief list of words that you can try putting together in various different combinations and come up with several different sentences. Feel free to use the vocabulary in the above examples as well: watashi /boku I anata/kimi you kare he kanojo she watashitachi we sensei teacher okusan wife shujin husband tomodachi friend oniisan elder brother oneesan elder sister otooto young brother imooto younger sister itoko cousin inu dog neko cat itachi weasel atsui hot samui cold ii good Kanadajin Canadian Igirisujin British mono thing pen pen enpitsu pencil kami paper okane money kasa umbrella shinbun newspaper jitensha bicycle okanemochi rich tabemono food nomimono drink biiru beer sake sake suteeki steak sushi sushi kyou today ashita tomorrow kino yesterday Now try to make the following sentences. Practice saying them so that you get a feel for how Japanese is supposed to sound off the tongue. If you are not sure how to pronounce the sounds, return to Lesson One for revision. When you are done you can listen to the examples by clicking on the icons. I recommend practicing before you listen otherwise it is kind of like looking at your neighbor's test paper for the answers: it doesn't get you anywhere. 1. This is a dog. 2. This is a cat steak. 3. Mrs. Clinton is not a weasel. 4. You are an idiot! 5. He is not a German teacher. 6. Is your cousin from Italy? (Is your sister Italian?) - No, she isn't. She's from Australia. 7. Whose sushi is this? - Not mine! 8. Are you single? -Yes, I am. 9. This is my beer. 10. It is hot today, isn't it? - Yes, it is. Tomorrow will be hot, too! 11. This sake is delicious. - Yes, and the steak is too, isn't it. If you have finished with these, why don't you try making a few sentences up on your own for practice? It can't hurt. This lesson is a little longer than I originally planned so in order to keep the load time down I will be skipping the culture section. You may notice that some of my accents are different from others in the same pattern. This is simply because my Japanese is a mix of Tokyo dialect and Fukui (country) dialect. Each area has different speech patterns, words, intonation. I am trying the best I can to make the intonation as standard as possible, but my wife says I sound nothing but country bumpkin!! My retort is, "When in Fukui ..." Have fun with this lesson. I look forward to hearing your comments. NOTE: A fellow long-term resident in Japan recently contacted me and told me that I should not use any reference to the word "anata" (you). It is not used in Japan like the English use of the word. Rather it is used by women to call their husbands or lovers, or used in a derogatory sense. In a way, this is true. People tend to use the names instead of the pronouns when talking to a person. However I do know some people that use it in regular ways, and there is no bad feeling meant at all. Also, I feel that even though it may not be a commonly-used word in the Japanese vocabulary, it is, nonetheless important to learn the basics. ANATA does exist. Some people DO use it. Some in good ways, some in not so good ways. The choice is entirely up to you, the student to decide how you wish to use the word. However, the person who contacted me did have a very valid, understandable and logical reason for his comment on this topic and I thank him for it. Where would we get in life without questions and answers? Ever since you were a little grasshopper you had an insatiable curiosity, yes? And as you got older your quest for knowledge grew and grew. No, you say? Well, then why are you here? If you have no desire to learn, you should be off drinking beer and belching while watching reruns of the latest Lakers game (no offense to you Lakers fans out there). Some of the questions in your life that you asked you probably wished you hadn't, and there are probably a whole lot more questions that you wish you had asked but never had the courage to do so. Fear not for your chance to renew your desire to quest for the unknown is closer than you think. Work with us through this lesson and you will be able to broaden your horizons beyond your wildest dreams. Who would have thought that you would be asking detailed questions in Japanese? Do you know what makes this lesson so great? Since you are conversing in a foreign tongue, the inibitions and barriers of culture and of your youth will be torn down and a clean road will be paved just for you. There is a saying in Japanese, Tabi no haji wa kaki sute which means, "The shame you create while away from the home is easily sloughed off and forgotten". Japanese people do this all the time and now you too, with your newfound love of Japanese, can do things the Japanese way! So in this lesson, let's start to ask slightly more detailed questions, ones that may have a little more relevance to your life (as opposed to, "Is this a pen?") Download Qualcomm Pure Voice Here The Question To review, the basic sentence structure in Japanese is, A wa B desu. This pattern is essential to remember as we progress through the various patterns. Just as in English when we first formally learn the verb, to be, we should keep in mind this pattern as well.We then learned how to form a simple question by adding ka to the end of the sentence to make it a question. A wa B desu ka. Gramatically speaking there is no question mark at the end of Japanese questions, but as everything in Japan that has taken on a western taste to it, many people add the question mark to the end. You wouldn't be penalized for it in a letter to a loved one, I don't think. If you would like some practice with this pattern, go back to Lesson 2 and do the problems once again. You are probably a pro by now with this simple question pattern so I don't really want to dwell on it. Enough said, let's move on. Making Your Speech more "Colorful": The Adjective Adjectives, like in English, can be placed usually before or after the noun they are modifying. Remember that if you add the ka to the end of the statements they become questions. Here are a few examples of how you would place the adjective before the noun: 1. Kore wa oishii chiizu desu. (This is delicious cheese.) 2. Sore wa hen na hito desu ka. (Is that a strange person?) 3. Ano akai kuruma wa watashi no desu. (That red car is mine.) 4. Chiisai hito wa kirai desu ka? (Do you dislike small people?) 5. Takai hoteru wa ii hoteru desu. (Expensive hotels are good hotels.) There are basically two kinds of adjectives, one that ends in -i when placed before nouns and another that ends in na before nouns. The na adjectives are usually words of chinese origin (just a tidbit of culture to store away in your ever-questing mind). Here is a list of adjectives that you can use to spice up your daily conversations. Remember, a pen is just a pen, but a red pen is so much more! Common -i Adjectives atsui hot samui cold atatakai warm tsumetai cool ookii * big chiisai * small chikai near tooi far wakai young (people etc.) atarashii new (things) furui old (things) hayai quick, early, fast osoi slow, late oishii tasty, delicious mazui awful, yucky Common na Adjectives benri na convenient, useful fuben na inconvenient shizuka na quiet, peaceful shinsetsu na kind yuumei na famous kirei na pretty, clean, neat taisetsu na important hontoo na true taihen na serious, awful hansamu na handsome ereganto na elegant shikku na chic rippa na splendid hen na strange shizuka na quiet, silent *The adjectives ookii and chiisai also have alternate na forms which are ooki na and chiisa na so you could say ookii hito or ooki na hito (big person). Now let's take a look at adjectives when they come after the noun they modify: We can use the same adjectives as noted above whether before or after the noun but there are a few subtle differences to remember. While the -i adjective stays the same, the na adjective drops the na altogether. Look at the example: 1. Watashi no kokoro wa wakai desu. (My mind is young.) 2. Watashi no shujin wa hansamu desu. (My husband is handsome.) The Negative Adjective It turns out that when you want to change your sentence from positive to negative, and the adjective is at the end, the form actually changes a little bit, but not that much that you can't remember. Japanese is not like English; the rules are rules and do not change. Remember it once and you will remember it forever. To make an -i adjective negative you replace the final -i with -ku and then add arimasen (polite) or nai desu (informal). To make a -na adjective negative you put the verb desu into the negative: de wa arimasen (polite) or ja arimasen (informal). Ja is a contraction of de wa just like isn't is a contraction of is not. When we speak quickly our words tend to slur and as humans are lazy animals, it is easier not to move the lips much if we don't need to (especially if you hail from the Great White North where the winters are too cold to move the lips anyway). To add to this, you can make your speech even a little less formal by using nai in place of arimasen. Here are a few examples: 1a. Nihon no biiru wa oishii desu. (Japanese beer is delicious.) 1b. Kanada no biiru wa oishiku arimasen. (Canadian beer is not delicious.) 2a. Aki no happa wa akai desu. (Autumn leaves are red.) 2b. Watashi no hada wa akaku nai desu. (My skin is not red.) 3a. Indo karee wa karai desu. (Indian curry is hot.) 3b. Nihon no karee wa karaku nai. (Japanese curry is not hot.) 4a. Brad Pitt wa hansamu desu. (Brad Pitt is handsome.) 4b. Mick Jagger wa hansamu de wa arimasen. (Mick Jagger in not handsome.) 5a. Boku no heya wa kirei desu. (My room is clean.) 5b. Otooto no heya wa kirei ja arimasen. (My brother's room is not clean.) 6a. Keitai denwa wa benri desu. (Cellular phones are handy.) 6b. Botton benjo wa benri ja nai. (Outhouses are not handy.) Stressing the Adjectives: Very and Not Very It is quite simple to add a little more stress to describing an adjective. All you have to do is add totemo or taihen before the adjective you wish to modify. 1. Kono hito wa totemo ookii desu. (This person is very big.) 2. Furansu no wain wa taihen oishii desu. (French wine is very delicious.) If you want to say it in the negative, just add amari before the adjective you wish to modify. 1. Jooji Baanzu wa amari wakaku arimasen. (George Burns is not very young.) 2. Kore wa amari benri ja nai. (This isn't very useful.) Words to Indicate People, Places, Things, Locations. Little by little we learn how to be more specific. Do you remember in way back in primary school when you forgot to bring your pen to class and you had to ask someone to lend you one? If they were having a bad day, the conversation might have gone something like this: You: Can I borrow a pen? Him: Which color? You: Um, blue I guess. Him: Sorry, I ain't got blue. You: Can I borrow a black one then? Him: Sure. You: .... Well can I have it? Him: Which one do you want? You: The black one. I just said so. Him: I have four black ones. You: I don't care. Gimme any one. Him: You choose. You: (suck in breath) OK. That one. Him: Which one? You: That one. Him: This one? (evil grin creeps on face) You: No! That one there! (muscles in face tense) Him: Oh, you mean this one? You: NO! I said that one right there! The one withh the green cap! Him: Ohhhh, you want this one right here, right? You: AAAARRRRGGGGHHH! (pencils and pens fly across the room, nose blood is spilled) Teacher: You two over there! Down to the Principals office, pronto! Well, if you get your indicators specific the first time, you could avoid this test of your patience. We talked in the last lesson about kore (this), sore (that), are (that over there) which relate to things. There are parallel words when you want to relate to places: koko - (here, this place) - is for places closer to the speaker than the listener soko - (there, that place) - indicates locations near the listener than the speaker. It also indicates a relational proximity to the listener, not always a physical proximity. asoko - (over there, that place over there) - is used for places that are at a distance from both the speaker and listener. doko - (where) - fits into this class as well and is used to ask questions. 1. Toire wa koko de wa arimasen. (The toilet is not here.) 2. Hachi wa soko desu yo! (The wasp is right there, by you!) 3. Keisatsu-kan wa asoko desu ka? (Is the police station over there? 4. Toire wa doko desu ka? (Where is the toilet?) You can make your Japanese a little more formal by replacing koko, soko, asoko and doko with kochira, sochira, achira and dochira. And you can make your Japanese even more informal by replacing koko, soko, asoko, doko with kocchi, socchi, acchi, docchi. If you were in the Honolulu Hilton, you might here: O-tearai wa kochira desu. (The restroom is this way.) But if you were in the Hanoi Hilton (if they spoke Japanese at all), it would probably be more like: Benjo wa kocchi. Omae no neru tokoro. (The pit is here; where you sleep.) When you pick up the phone, usually you would ask: Dochira sama desu ka? (Who is calling, please?) (we put -sama at the end of people's names to give them respect.) Kore, sore, are can stand alone as a pronoun but the words kono, sono, ano which have a similar meaning must be in front of the nouns they modify: 1. Kono jamu wa mazui desu. (This jam is terrible.) 2. Sono hyaku doru shihei wa boku no desu. (That hundred dollar bill by you is mine.) 3. Ano hito wa baka desu. (That person over there is stupid.) There are a few words which indicate position. These actually act as nouns and are used differently from English. In English we might say next to X, but in Japanese we would say X no tonari. Here is a list of a few other position words. chikaku nearby mae in front naka inside ushiro back, behind (people, buildings, etc. opposite of mae) ura reverse/other side, behind (rear side, buildings, etc. but not people) ue on top, above shita underneath Time for a few examples. I hope this lesson isn't putting you to sleep yet... 1. Toire wa asoko no ginko no chikaku desu. (The toilet is near that bank.) 2. Same wa saafaa no ushiro desu. (The shark is behind the surfer.) 3. Honya-san wa soko no kissaten no ura desu. (The bookstore is behind that coffee shop.) 4. Kaijuu wa ano beddo no shita desu. (The monster is under that bed.) Renshuu: Practice Makes Perfect Now it is time to put it all together and practice what you have learned. Put the following conversation into Japanese: 1. Where is the beauty salon (biyoushitsu)? 2. It's that way. 3. Is it far? 4. No, it's not very far. It's near the station (eki). 5. Is it a clean beauty salon? 6. Yes, it's very clean. You are in a foul mood. Complain about everything: (the "answers" are examples only. Your answers could vary) 1. the bus you are waiting for 2. the handsome Italian you had a date with 3. the public toilet that you had to use 4. the sound (oto) at the movie theater (eigakan) 5. the "new" computer (pasokon) that is full of used parts Unscramble the following words and make correct sentences: 1. kissaten, kono, de, wa, arimasen, amari, shizuka, wa 2. desu, wa, Tanaka-san, Nihonjin, hen na, 3. suupu (soup), wa, atatakai, kore, desu 4. ka, desu, dochira-sama 5. ooki na, kasa (umbrella), wa, sono, taihen, desu, kasa Whew, we're done. I hope you enjoyed this lesson. Tune in for Lesson Four: You Have a Lot of Cats, Don't You!when we talk about, among other things, posessing living and non-living things. The Culture Pocket: Daily Life We all know how important it is to have a daily schedule in order to feel as if we are in control of our life. This is even more true when one lives in a foreign country for the first time. And it is vital when transplanted to a culture that is so different from one's own. Japan, on the outside, looks a lot like the west. This is mainly because western goods and services abound. Everywhere you look you can see things from the US. To the "new" foreigner, at first it seems as if Japan is not so different. Everyone lives in a house, apartment, condo, drives a car, goes to work, owns a pet, eats food. It is easy to misinterpret the situation and try to live following the same cultural rules that are familiar back home. This, however will lead to several complications after a short while. As mentioned earlier, it looks similar on the outside, but looks can be deceiving. Deep down the roots are totally different, fundamentally different. Basic survival can be achieved by practically anyone on their own: after a few months foreigners will be able to move on their own, eat, shop, use the public transportation and other basic services. But some of the people will not have acquired the rules of the Japanese domain correctly. If, however, the foreigner is guided during the initial stages, adapting to the culture of Japan and the Japanese daily life routine may be near perfect. This will prevent foreigners from the: "why does everyone treat me like a foreigner?" syndrome. To do this it is important to watch the people around you, ask for correction, discuss behavior with Japanese friends and try to immerse yourself in the culture as much as you can. Many acquaintances of mine have lived here in Japan for two to three years in a totally "English environment". They go about their day in a North American way, listen to English music, rent English videos, eat at western restaurants, answer their phone in English, hang out with other native English speakers all the time. And they wonder why Japan always seems so strange and foreign to them. It is simply because they are refusing to try. Because daily life is more complicated here than many other places it is especially important to make the effort to adapt to the cultural aspects of life. Work hours are longer, there are less holidays, people travel longer distances to work, eat out more, spend more money (save less). I would like to make a few brief comments on various aspects of daily life in Japan, aspects which, if taken into account, should help the newcomer adapt more quickly to his or her new daily life. Bathing time is important to consider. Most households bathe at night, after the work day is completed. There are showers available in most places but these tend to be mainly for rinsing off before getting into the bath. In the summer months when the heat and humidity is high families tend to take showers but during the cold winter months the bath is important. People here believe that you will catch a cold if you have a shower and not a bath in the winter because you will not be able to heat your body entirely. Breakfast meals tend to be western-style these days but in some families you will still find the very filling Japanese-style breakfast of rice, miso soup, fish, natto, and a few vegetables. Breakfast is usually not a problem for the foreigner. If someone is leaving the house before you, walk them to the genkan (entrance) and see them off. As it is a time-honored custom here, to not do so will seem very strange and possibly the foreigner will be thought of as inconsiderate. When going to and from work or school, many people use public transportation because the roads are always congested (except in the middle of the night - a great time to travel) and parking is at a premium. Public transportation tends to be very crowded during rush hour so don't be surprised to find that there is almost no room to maneuver around. The public transport system here is extremely efficient and runs to most locations with little or no problem at all. Taxis are abundant if not expensive. Usually people who finish their daily work at a bar with coworkers will take a taxi home late at night when the trains are no longer running. Taxis are reliable and drivers taking roundabout routes to make extra money are extremely rare. The rear left door will open automatically for you while the driver sits in his seat and waits for you to enter. Drivers here tend to be quiet and not converse with passengers unless the passenger begins a conversation. There are three types of lunches in Japan: single dish, set meal, and elaborate course dinner (does not belong to the normal daily domain). Western food, Chinese and Japanese food tend to be the norm for lunch. Many people will have a bowl of noodles (Chinese ramen or Japanese udon/soba) for lunch or perhaps a bowl of rice with egg or pork on top. Set menus usually consist of a meat, vegetable, salad and a soup of some kind. It is not uncommon to see people dropping into the local McDonalds for a lunch or a quick coffee these days. In fact, young people tend to like the western food more than traditional fare. In restaurants there is a consumption tax (5% in 1998) but nobody tips; which makes for poor service at some places because the part time staff have no incentive to work hard at pleasing the customer. When asking for directions, choose who you ask with care. It is best to avoid large stores because people working there may not live in the area and only know their route to work. Also, people in the street may not know either as they may be travelers as well. It is best to ask for directions at police boxes (small one or two-man stations found on many corners around town) or gasoline stations. Automobile dealers seem to have a good grip on directions as well. Stay away from convenience stores; they are notorious for "trying to please" by giving directions, any directions to you. In the big cities, most people do their shopping on the way home from work. But as this may be late and the stores closed, Sundays tend to be very popular shopping times. All retail businesses are open on Sundays for the customers' convenience. Convenience stores (Circle K, Lawson, Family Mart, etc.) are open in the evening if you need to do some emergency staple shopping but the prices are a little higher than supermarkets and the selection is less. Except for electronic stores where you might be able to haggle a better deal, all prices are fixed. There is no bartering here like in many other Asian countries. You pay the price on the tag. People are very honest here and do not usually overcharge so you can be sure that you are not paying overinflated prices. Most shops will be similar in price, but it is always good to shop around. The main meal is dinner at home for families. They usually try to eat together as much as possible. This may even mean that dinner is not until 10pm because Dad gets home late every night. On average, though, dinner is later here than in North America because the work hours are longer. It is not unusual to begin eating at 9pm. Adults often drink beer or sake with the meal. I drink milk and get funny looks. All homes and apartments have a bath (unless you are living in a very old rural community, in a very old house in which case there will be a public bath nearby that the locals visit every evening). It is very important to observe bathing rituals so that others can enjoy the bath as well. The water in the bath is heated to a high temperature (often too hot for many foreigners) and is used for soaking and relaxing, not for bathing. Bathing occurs outside the bath and care must be taken not to get any soap into the water. The order is usually rinse, soak, wash and rinse, then get back in and soak again. In most homes the bathing order is hierarchical with the father having the first bath and the mother bathing last. Many young people sleep on beds these days but it is not uncommon to find futons still. Most older people prefer the futon on the tatami floor to a bed. The quilts that are used are fairly thick and heavy. Western-style sheets are not used so most people sleep with pajamas or a t-shirt on to avoid the draft that tends to seep in around the shoulders. Most pillows in homes (the exception is in hotels where they seem to have gone to the extreme and looked for the softest, most uncomfortable ones in existence) tend to be small and hard. This dates back to when people wore elaborately coiffured hairdos and didn't want to ruin it just by sleeping. Most bedrooms do not have light switches and the light are operated by pulling a cord that attaches to the light itself. These are just a few common things in daily life that may help the foreigner adjust a little more easily. I hope you found this helpful and enjoyable. I want. I need. You have. I don't have. I take. You don't have anymore? Tough. Gimme gimme never gets. Ain't you learned your manners yet? There are a lot of things in life that we have or need. For example, I have two mountain bikes; two beautiful mountain bikes that love to work their tires off for me on those steep steep climbs up and then spread their wings on the wicked descents back down to civilization. Maybe I don't need two bikes, but I have them. There is a computer that I have sitting in one of my rooms (if I didn't have a computer you wouldn't have this lesson in front of you right now). It used to be a luxury (want) but has since become a need. I have spam coming out of the wazoo every morning I get up and check my mail. I don't need that. I do need you folks to continue enjoying these lessons. So, for now, I have a following. Or I could say, there is a fairly large group of people who have accessed these lessons are are patiently (impatiently?) awaiting the next lesson which is far too far late in coming. It is always important to know what is yours and what isn't, if there is something there or if there isn't. If I said to you, "There is a murderer lurking in that alley." would you venture down it? What if I knew there was a murderer there but couldn't tell you so because I didn't know how? How would I explain to the police when they found your remains that I knew there was danger lurking in the darkness, but did not have the ability to tell the victim? Can you say, "good morning, fellow inmate"? Sure, I knew you could. So in this lesson we will learn how to say "I have" and "There is" because at times it can be important. From now on, new words will be color-coded, easy for you to distinguish in the sentences. (My apologies to color-blind people). And we have a special treat for you today. The voice you will be listening to is none other than my beautiful wife. I hope you enjoy her voice. Download Qualcomm Pure Voice Here The Lead-in The verb arimasu (aru) means there is and have when you are referring to objects. If you are talking about the possession of people (not politically correct these days), living things or the existence of living things, you would use the verb imasu (iru) to express your thoughts. In the last lesson we learned that desu means to be but with these two new verbs your conversation strategies expand exponentially. Arimasu and imasu are the "polite" forms of the verbs aru and iru respectively, which is not to say that aru or iru is "impolite". Rather, they tend to be used in more casual conversations with family and friends, or when writing books, papers, etc. (although you could use the more polite version when writing to friends, etc. if you so wish. Women tend to use the polite version more often than men do, but that is a cultural thing here in Japan. It seems to be acceptable if men act more impolite on a common basis (although this too is falling into disfavor with many women who find many young men unmannered these days - as an aside, foreign men are viewed by Japanese women to have much better manners than their Japanese counterpart - just for all you single guys out there). Here is an example of what it would look like in a simple sentence: 1. Anata no ie ni neko ga imasu. (There is a cat in your house.) 2. Watashi no poketto no naka ni sakana no niku ga aru. (I have some fish meat in my pocket.) 3. Boku no mawari ni neko ga sen-biki iru! Tasukete!! (There are 1000 cats around me! Help!!) The Form Arimasuand imasu can be used to indicate location as well if used in the following pattern: A wa B ni arimasu/imasu where A is the topic of discussion and B is the place. In this case you must use ni before arimasu/imasu in order to designate the location. 1. Neko wa soko ni imasu. (There is a cat there.) 2. Sakana no niku wa koko ni arimasu. (There is some fish meat here.) You could also use the previously-learned pattern of A wa B desu to designate a similar meaning: 1. Neko wa soko desu. (The cat is "that place.") 2. Sakana no niku wa koko desu. (The fish meat is "this place.") Either pattern is fine, but since today we are focusing on arimasuand imasu, let's stick with that pattern, shall we? If you have forgotten how to use desu, please refer back to Lesson Two or Lesson Three of the FREE! Japanese Lessons. Now you can switch around the location of the location in the sentence and put it in the beginning. If you wanted to do that, you would say, B ni A ga arimasu/imasu where B is still the location and A is the topic. If you notice, ga has replaced wa in this case. Why? Simply, because A wa tends to be stuck at the beginning of a sentence but A ga does not have this restriction. If you switch A and B around like this you are also changing the importance of A and B in relation to each other (the difference between the and a). You could also look at this as A wa is already understood or noticed while A ga is noticed for the first time. A wa can also be used when comparing two things, even if one of the two is not actually mentioned (or present) - see example 7. and 8. below. 1. Toire wa asoko ni arimasu. (The toilet is over there.) - does this ring a bell? 2. Asoko ni koban ga arimasu. (There is a police box over there.) 3. Shini-so! Tabako-ya wa soko ni aru no? (I'm dying! The smoke shop is over there?) 4. Shini-so! Soko ni Tabako-ya ga aru no? (I'm dying! There is a smoke shop over there?) 5. Inu wa niwa ni imasu. (The dog is in the garden) 6. Niwa ni inu ga imasu. (There is a dog in the garden.) 7. Sakana wa niwa no ike ni imasu. Neko wa ike no soba ni imasu. (The fish is in the pond in the garden. The cat is beside the pond.) 8. Sakana wa niwa no ike ni imasu. (The fish is in the pond (wherever the cat may be).) The Form, Part B Sentences can become pretty complicated at this stage. The nice thing about Japanese, though, is that you can often omit a lot of words that you would need to have in English. Whereas English cannot function without a subject (be it a noun or pronoun), the subject in Japanese can be omitted altogether if it is already known. Watch: 1a. Watashi (ni) wa neko ga yon-hiki imasu. (I have four cats - hiki is the counter for small animals) 1b. Ippai imasu, ne. (You certainly do have a lot!) - note, the "you" (anata) is missing in the Japanese. 2a. Imasu. ((I) have (some).) 2b. Takusan imasu. ((I) have a lot. 2c. Kyodai ga takusan imasu. (There are many brothers & sisters/ (I) have a lot of brothers & sisters.) 2d. Watashi (ni) wa kyodai ga takusan imasu. ((I) have many brothers & sisters.) In number 2. if all of the subjects are known, you can simply say, Imasu (2a) to say the same thing as you would say in (2d) and therefore save yourself a lot of time and breath (especially if you are in a really smoky place and the cigarette smoke is killing you). It makes the language really handy, don't you think? There is one other pattern that you should be aware of and that is ni wa will sometimes be used in place of wa. See the examples below: 1. Otooto ni wa tomodachi ga ippai imasu. (My brother has many friends.) 2. Kono heya ni wa shii-dii pureyaa ga arimasu ka? (Does this room have a CD player?) One Final Note (+/-): When you change from positive tense to negative tense, you usually switch the ga to wa. 1. Otooto ni wa tomodachi wa amari imasen. (My brother doesn't have many friends.) 2. Kono heya ni wa shii-dii pureyaa wa arimasen ka? (Doesn't this room have a CD player?) Plurals Unlike English where we put an s at the end of nouns to indicate more than one (in most cases), Japanese does not have singular and plural nouns (in most cases). This would mean that neko could mean cat or cats, depending on the situation. Usually it is understood in the context of the sentence. However, with pronouns such as I (watashi/boku), you (anata/kimi), he (kare), she (kanojo) we pluralize them by adding -tachi to the end of the noun. We becomes watashi-tachi, you becomes anata-tachi, they becomes kare-tachi or kanojo-tachi. With kare or kanojo, one could also use the form -ra instead of -tachi to signify the plural (this is more informal). Here are just a few examples for you to look at: 1. Watashi-tachi wa ginko ni ikitai. (We want to go to the bank.) 2. Kanojo-tachi wa Nihon ni imasu. (They are in Japan.) 3. Kare-ra ni wa rippa-na ie ga arimasu. (They have a splendid house.) But, but but but but but, if you attach the plural -tachi to people's names, it takes on a different meaning: 1. Yamamoto-san-tachi. (Mr./Mrs. Yamamoto and those around them. (often the family) 2. Keiko-chan-tachi. (Keiko and her buddies.) And if you grab that tachi with two hands and swing it around the room you can do some very serious damage because a tachi is the two-handed long sword of Japanese samurai days. Interesting, yes? Renshuu: Practice Makes Perfect 1. Practice changing the sentences around. If it says, "There is an A there", change it to "The A is there" and vice-versa. Then listen to the answer by clicking on the headphones. Also, try to write down the meaning of each of the sentences for practice. You should be able to put it together if you have come this far. If you are really stumped, send an e-mail to sensei by writing to info @ japanippon (dot) com for details. (be sure to quote exactly what you are looking for - he is not omniscient). (Note: If you jumped straight into this lesson without reading the introduction to the FREE! Japanese Lessons, go back now and read the Important Note for Power Students. Or you can get the program you need by following the link at the bottom of this or any other lesson. Otherwise you may not be able to hear these sound-tracks - this is the last time I will be making this disclaimer. From now on, you are on your own.) Rei: Asoko ni niwa ga arimasu. ¨ Niwa wa asoko ni arimasu. 1. Koko ni shii-dii ga arimasu. 2. Niwa no ike ni sakana ga imasu. 3. Keiko-san wa doko ni imasu ka? 4. Heya ni neko wa imasen. 5. Sono teeburu ni biiru ga takusan arimasu. 2. Produce the following sentences. Each one will get larger, but they are all complete sentences. Click on the headphones to hear the answers. Rei: Arimasu; takusan; okane (money); watashi wa. ¨ Arimasu; Takusan arimasu; Okane ga takusan arimasu; Watashi wa okane ga takusan arimasu. 1. Imasen; amari; tomodachi (friend); imooto (younger sister) 2. Arimasu; san-gai (third floor); pooru (pool); anata-tachi no 3. Arimasu; takusan; okane; kanojo 4. Imasu; oji-san (middle-aged man); futotta; tabako-ya ni wa 3. Say the following in Japanese. Be careful of the use of wa, ga, imasu, arimasu. Click on the headphones to hear the answers. 1. There are (some) cats here. 2. The tobacco shop is over there. 3. Over there is a fish. 4. Honda-san is over there. 5. There is a pen there. The Culture Pocket: Greetings at Home When family members come and go from their homes, they usually say set phrases, which do not really have a translation into English because we don't often say anything as we leave or come. There is no order of saying the phrases, so the person remaining in the household can say farewell before the person leaving leaves, or reverse. Number 3. is often said, even if nobody is within listening distance. You can listen to the sounds and then practice them yourself. 1. Person leaving home: Itte kimasu / Itte mairimasu (more polite) 2. Person remaining at home: Itte irasshai / Itte'rasshai 3. Person returning home: Tadaima. 4. Person at home: O-kaeri nasai. When visitors (o-kyaku-san) come and go, the phrases used are different (much more polite): Arrival: Host: Dozo, o-agari kudasai. Guest: O-jamashimasu. / Shitsurei shimasu Departure: Guest: O-jama shimashita. / Shitsurei shimashita. Host: Mata dozo. (Please come again) Guest: Arigato gozaimasu. (Thank you.) Guest: Ja, shitsurei shimasu. (Please excuse me; good bye) Host: Sayonara / Sayoonara (Good bye) Japan is still a fairly safe country (use your judgment, however and play it safe no matter where you go) so often the genkan or entrance is left unlocked when people are expected. Guests will usually open the door, announce themselves and step in without waiting for the host to invite them in. In this case the guests will say something like, gomen kudasai! The standard reply from way in the other end of the house is an exuberant hai! When one enters a building they will be about one step below the actual floor level. This area is considered to be outside for purposes of dirty shoes. If invited in, the guest will remove the shoes, put on a pair of slippers that are offered by the host (Japanese floors are uninsulated and cold air runs below them so take those tiny slippers or risk getting chilly feet - especially in winter: our house gets down to -4C (30F) in the winter and it is worse than living in a refrigerator!) and literally step up into the living area. This is why the host says "O-agari kudasai" (literally meaning Please step up).

Proverbs

Luís César — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 23:39:28 GMT

Japanese Proverbs Art is the illusion of spontaneity. Beginning is easy - Continuing is hard. Don't stay long when the husband is not at home. Fall down seven times, get up eight. Fall seven times, stand up eight. Gossip about a person and his shadow will appear. If you believe everything you read, better not read. In a quarrel, the higher voiced person will win. Never rely on the glory of the morning nor the smiles of your mother-in-law. One kind word can warm three winter months. The reverse side also has a reverse side. When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), Lincoln's Own Stories Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) Everyone has the obligation to ponder well his own specific traits of character. He must also regulate them adequately and not wonder whether someone else's traits might suit him better. The more definitely his own a man's character is, the better it fits him. Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC) Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established. Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC), The Confucian Analects Many a man's reputation would not know his character if they met on the street. Elbert Hubbard (1856 - 1915) People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962), My Day Forming characters! Whose? Our own or others? Both. And in that momentous fact lies the peril and responsibility of our existence. Elihu Burritt Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open. Elmer G. Letterman In attempts to improve your character, know what is in your power and what is beyond it. Francis Thompson (1859 - 1907) A person reveals his character by nothing so clearly as the joke he resents. Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799) Our character...is an omen of our destiny, and the more integrity we have and keep, the simpler and nobler that destiny is likely to be. George Santayana (1863 - 1952), "The German Mind: A Philosophical Diagnosis" Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. Helen Keller (1880 - 1968) A man's character is his fate. Heraclitus (540 BC - 480 BC), On the Universe People with courage and character always seem sinister to the rest. Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962) The farther behind I leave the past, the closer I am to forging my own character. Isabelle Eberhardt You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. James A. Froude (1818 - 1894) When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends. Japanese Proverb Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life - is the source from which self respect springs. Joan Didion (1934 - ), "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" Men show their characters in nothing more clearly than in what they think laughable. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832) I take it as a man's duty to restrain himself. Lois McMaster Bujold, Ethan of Athos, 1986 One can acquire everything in solitude - except character. Marie Henri Beyle (1783 - 1842) To succeed is nothing, it's an accident. but to feel no doubts about oneself is something very different: it is character. Marie Leneru, Oprah Magazine, May 2004 The character of a man is known from his conversations. Menander (342 BC - 292 BC) I could never think well of a man's intellectual or moral character, if he was habitually unfaithful to his appointments. Nathaniel Emmons The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. (1841 - 1935) Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character. Oscar Levant (1906 - 1972) Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character. Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882) I appreciate people who are civil, whether they mean it or not. I think: Be civil. Do not cherish your opinion over my feelings. There's a vanity to candor that isn't really worth it. Be kind. Richard Greenberg, NY Times Magazine, 03-26-2006 It is dangerous to be sincere unless you are also stupid. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), Man and Superman (1903) "Maxims for Revolutionists" The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made. Jean Giraudoux (1882 - 1944) Judge thyself with the judgment of sincerity, and thou will judge others with the judgment of charity. John Mitchell Mason I am not sincere, even when I say I am not. Jules Renard (1864 - 1910) Sincerity is the way of Heaven. Mencius (371 BC - 289 BC), Works A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Critic as Artist, part 2, 1891 Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not one bit simpler. Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), (attributed) Seek simplicity, and distrust it. Alfred North Whitehead (1861 - 1947) It is simplicity that makes the uneducated more effective than the educated when addressing popular audiences. Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC), Rhetoric Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Simplicity is the peak of civilization. Jessie Sampter Nothing is as simple as we hope it will be. Jim Horning Manifest plainness, Embrace simplicity, Reduce selfishness, Have few desires. Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC), The Way of Lao-tzu I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex. Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 Silence is a text easy to misread. A. A. Attanasio, 'The Eagle and the Sword' 'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), (attributed) Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) He who does not know how to be silent will not know how to speak. Ausonius The eternal silence of these infinite spaces fills me with dread. Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662) Oppression can only survive through silence. Carmen de Monteflores I think the first virtue is to restrain the tongue; he approaches nearest to gods who knows how to be silent, even though he is in the right. Cato the Elder (234 BC - 149 BC) Silence is more musical than any song. Christina Rossetti (1830 - 1894) A fair request should be followed by the deed in silence. Dante Alighieri (1265 - 1321), The Divine Comedy My personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence. Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964) Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross There is no need to go to India or anywhere else to find peace. You will find that deep place of silence right in your room, your garden or even your bathtub. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950), Back to Methuselah (1921) pt. 5 With silence favor me. (Favete Linguis) Horace (65 BC - 8 BC) A good word is an easy obligation; but not to speak ill, requires only our silence, which costs nothing. John Tillotson (1630 - 1694) Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute. Josh Billings (1818 - 1885) The most profound statements are often said in silence. Lynn Johnston (1947 - ), For Better or For Worse, 01-15-04 In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest after Truth. Mahatma Gandhi (1869 - 1948) Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech. Martin Fraquhar Tupper In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 - 1968) In silence man can most readily preserve his integrity. Meister Eckhart Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer. Muhammad Ali (1942 - ), "More Than a Hero" Not merely an absence of noise, Real Silence begins when a reasonable being withdraws from the noise in order to find peace and order in his inner sanctuary. Peter Minard I have often regretted my speech, never my silence. Publilius Syrus (~100 BC), Maxims It is better wither to be silent, or to say things of more value than silence. Sooner throw a pearl at hazard than an idle or useless word; and do not say a little in many words, but a great deal in a few. Pythagoras (582 BC - 507 BC) The cruelest lies are often told in silence. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) Nothing is so good for an ignorant man as silence; and if he was sensible of this he would not be ignorant. Saadi (1184 - 1291) Silence propagates itself, and the longer talk has been suspended, the more difficult it is to find anything to say. Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784) It is a great thing to know the season for speech and the season for silence. Seneca (5 BC - 65 AD) Never pretend to a love which you do not actually feel, for love is not ours to command. Alan Watts Such is the inconsistency of real love, that it is always awake to suspicion, however unreasonable; always requiring new assurances from the object of its interest. Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, 1764 To love deeply in one direction makes us more loving in all others. Anne-Sophie Swetchine Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be. Anton Chekhov (1860 - 1904) To fear love is to fear life, and those who fear life are already three parts dead. Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970), Marriage and Morals (1929) ch. 19 Love is not enough. It must be the foundation, the cornerstone - but not the complete structure. It is much too pliable, too yielding. Bette Davis (1908 - 1989) Clarity of mind means clarity of passion, too; this is why a great and clear mind loves ardently and sees distinctly what it loves. Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662) The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. Carl Jung (1875 - 1961) Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love. Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000), Charlie Brown in "Peanuts" There's an evolutionary imperative why we give a crap about our family and friends. And there's an evolutionary imperative why we don't give a crap about anybody else. If we loved all people indiscriminately, we couldn't function. David Foster, House M.D., TB or Not TB, 2005 To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. David Viscott, How to Live with Another Person, 1974 There's a lot to be said for self-delusionment when it comes to matters of the heart. Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, First Snow, 1993 Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song, A medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong; And I am Marie of Romania. Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967), Not So Deep as a Well (1937), "Comment" One's first love is always perfect until one meets one's second love. Elizabeth Aston, The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, 2005 All love that has not friendship for its base, is like a mansion built upon sand. Ella Wheeler Wilcox, O Magazine, February 2004 Love is everything it's cracked up to be…It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. Erica Jong, O Magazine, February 2004 When love is in excess it brings a man no honor nor worthiness. Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC), Medea, 431 B.C. There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), "On Reading and Writing" What else is love but understanding and rejoicing in the fact that another person lives, acts, and experiences otherwise than we do…? Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900) Love is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. H. L. Mencken (1880 - 1956) Sometimes when you look back on a situation, you realize it wasn't all you thought it was. A beautiful girl walked into your life. You fell in love. Or did you? Maybe it was only a childish infatuation, or maybe just a brief moment of vanity. Henry Bromel, Northern Exposure, The Big Kiss, 1991 There is no remedy for love but to love more. Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862), Journal, July 25, 1839 Just because you love someone doesn't mean you have to be involved with them. Love is not a bandage to cover wounds. Hugh Elliott, Standing Room Only weblog, February 16, 2004 Passion makes the world go round. Love just makes it a safer place. Ice T, The Ice Opinion Love is the difficult realization that something other than oneself is real. Iris Murdoch (1919 - 1999) We can only learn to love by loving. Iris Murdoch (1919 - 1999), O Magazine, February 2004 When you have seen as much of life as I have, you will not underestimate the power of obsessive love. J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, 2005 But when a young lady is to be a heroine, the perverseness of forty surrounding families cannot prevent her. Something must and will happen to throw a hero in her way. Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Northanger Abbey Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love. Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Northanger Abbey I cannot think well of a man who sports with any woman's feelings; and there may often be a great deal more suffered than a stander-by can judge of. Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), Mansfield Park

Qual o papel do Geógrafo no mundo de hoje?

Luís César — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:46:52 GMT

Por que a Geografia é uma ciência sujeita a uma nítida pulverização? Uma das questões que mais preocuparam os Geógrafos no decorrer dos séculos era a integração e a diferenciação das áreas. Isso sempre exigiu da Geografia um esforço analítico e sintético que hoje parece ter sido trivializado pela opção de um somatório de técnicas em permanente mutação. Entretanto, a aprendizagem conceitual do mundo em que vivemos perde em profundidade no que ganha em extensividade. Possuímos uma visão mais dilacerada do mundo e isso impede a participação do geógrafo nos eventos nos quais sua presença se faz mais importante. Isso contribui para o isolamento e por fim para o desaparecimento da ciência enquanto tal, pois a apropriação de partes da geografia por outros empreendedores, faz com que o espírito holístico e global dessa ciência também desapareçam. A amplitude dos estudos geográficos deveria ter uma valorização concomitante num mundo de intensa complexidade. Porém, o que assistimos é uma rápida trivialização dos tópicos de extensa elaboração pelos Geógrafos.

The Berlin Wall

Luís César — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:23:54 GMT

Berlin is a city of monuments and memorials, commemorating the good with the bad, acknowledging the past without dwelling in it. Berlin is a city constantly changing, a living monument itself, and a testament to the reunified Republic. Geography plays an important role in the placement of key monuments in Berlin, the Berlin Wall, the Berliner Philharmonie, and the Daniel Libeskind Judisches Museum. The importance of geography in the placement of key Berlin monuments and museums elevates Berlin from Stadt des Denkmals, or City of Memorials to Denkmal Stadt, the Memorial city, creating a memorial from the streets, and houses, and museums. The Berliner Philharmonie by Hans Sharoun was originally intended as the cultural center of a resurrected Berlin following World War II. In 1956, the Society of the Friends of the Berlin Philharmonie invited twelve architects to submit designs for the new home of the Philharmoniker; ten replied. In 1957, Hans Sharoun was commissioned to build the new Philharmonie. Kemperplatz was decided on as the location of the new Philharmonie. Located at the geographical center of Berlin, the new Philharmonie was to act as the cultural as well as geographical center of Berlin. In 1961, the ribbon cutting ceremony of Sharoun’s Philharmonie was to be overshadowed by the opening of a much more recognizable Berlin structure, the Berlin Wall. Daniel Libeskind’s Jewish Museum in Berlin, titled Between the Lines is, in the author's own words, "a museum which explicitly thematises and integrates, for the first time in post-war Germany, the history of the Jews in Germany and the repercussions of the Holocaust.” Liebeskind’s architecture, particularly on the ground floor, gives visitors a sense of great disorientation. The Garden of Exile, a series of 49 columns, plunges visitors deeper into a sense of wandering and homelessness. Designed as a museum for the preservation of German Jewish history, the Jewish Museum Berlin focuses on the entirety of Jewish History from the middle ages to the present. Another monument in which geographical location is key to the symbolism of Libeskind’s design, the Jewish Museum Berlin is located on Lindenstrasse next to the Kollegienhaus, a former Prussian courthouse which represents Berlin in a time before the Third Reich and would eventually be incorporated into the final design as the main entryway and reception. Libeskind plotted an invisible matrix of the homes of prominent Germans and Jews, poets, musicians, composers, artists and writers, crossing the physical boundary created by the Berlin Wall. The path of the museum was inspired by Walter Benjamin’s One Way Street. In the text of One Way Street Benjamin refers to the ‘Stations of the Star,’ each of the sequence of 60 sections along the zigzag of the building represents one of the ‘Stations of the Star.’ The Berlin Wall, the symbol of the divided Germany stood as a concrete barrier dividing East from West from 1961 to 1989. Today, the streets bear a visible reminder of the Wall’s former path. Like many of the monuments and memorials in Berlin, the railroad irons and cobblestones that run the former course of the wall serve as a painful reminder of the past, and a symbol of the future, a fading scar on the face of Berlin itself. The Wall was intended to stop the rapid exit of East German citizens. Even following the construction of the Wall, people with apartments in the East with windows facing the West would make death-defying attempts to escape, such as jumping out of second or third story windows, or in the case of the residents of No. 7 Bernauer Strasse, the fifth floor. Berlin’s Haus am Checkpoint Charlie is a museum designed specifically to document its history and tyranny. The Wall itself became a monument, visited by millions to view the protest art that became the Wall’s signature. Mauerkunst, as it became known, “was a unique collective artwork, which changed daily and often overnight – paint actions disappeared the next day by somebodies [sic] new work of art or was modified in new surprising ways.” Following the official destruction of the Wall, beginning June 13, 1990 and completed November 30, 1990, the concrete of the wall was crushed and used to make roads in the former German Democratic Republic, using the symbolic and physical division of Berlin and the two Germanys to aid in the reconstruction of the unified German Republic. Further aiding in the reconstruction of Germany, 250 sections were auctioned off for sums ranging from DM 10,000 to DM 150,000, adding to the monies allocated by the Bundestag for the rebuilding of the East German infrastructure. German writer Peter Schneider admitted," demolishing the Wall in the head will take longer than it will take for a demolition firm to do the same job ". Berlin’s tumultuous past has created a city very aware of its blood stained past. From unified capital to the world’s divided city to the capital of the Reunified German Republic, Berlin has enjoyed a rich past of accomplishments, a dark past in which the streets of Berlin ran red with blood. Today, Berlin is a world capital with a strong democratic government open to public scrutiny, proving that the resolve of the German people to rectify their past atrocities is stronger than the influence of their forefathers. Berlin, the Denkmal Stadt, incorporates reminders of its past to create a new, glorious future of diversity and acceptance.

Lennon's Assassination

Luís César — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:22:53 GMT

Following the death of John Lennon in 1980, the media coverage of the event took on an expected somber tone. Lennon was eulogized as a martyr; his murder dubbed an assassination and his legacy, the peace of the whole world. This image of savior and fallen hero lies in stark contrast to the description of The Beatles in a 1964 article appearing in The New Republic. In “The Feeling of Youth”, The Beatles were compared to the Nairobi Trio, a group of gorillas who appeared on television playing one song over and over again. In a 1963 article titled "Beatlemania", Newsweek, talks about The Beatles as a phenomenon to be reckoned with, causing large crowds, thousands upon thousands, to gather for the show at the London Palladium. This early coverage of The Beatles mentions Lennon as the leader of the group; however, the language used to describe the music of Lennon and McCartney is far from the florid, gracious tone that will characterize retrospectives and eulogies in the 1980s. In 1980, a Newsweek article titled “Death of a Beatle” the descriptions of memorials are more suited to royalty or statesmen than that of a popular musician. The article describes vigils held in San Francisco, Boston, New York and London, For example, the draping of the front of the Tate Museum in London, an honor usually reserved for artists whose work is of great significance, was granted Lennon, statements are also included from then president-elect Ronald Reagan, President Carter and the Lord-mayor of Liverpool. In the January 22, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone, an issue dedicated to John Lennon, Scott Spencer speaks of the ability of Lennon to “capture the imagination of millions … He teaches us faith in oneself, and confidence in and affection for the human community.” It is with great irony that the early coverage of The Beatles uses war metaphors and similes, i.e., “The British Invasion”, since Lennon will be eulogized mostly as a bearer of peace. An article in Life in 1964 describes the popularity of The Beatles much like the newspapers of the 1940s described European battle campaigns of World War II. “First England fell … Then, last week, Paris surrendered. Now the U.S. must brace itself.” Even The Beatles’ famous haircuts were something to be feared; another article in Life claims that this ridiculous style brings out the worst in boys. At least two articles published in the wake of Lennon’s assassination use Lennon’s death to further a political agenda, perhaps one Lennon may have approved of. In “Life and Life Only” in the January 22, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone, Greil Marcus, blames the changing political climate of the United States either directly or indirectly for the circumstances leading to Lennon’s death. He describes the “secret message” of the 1980 election as one of exclusion and fundamental right and fundamental wrong: “with the blessing of God, God’s messengers will separate the one from the other.” In “Ghoulish Beatlemania,” Dave Marsh uses Lennon’s death to advocate for gun control proclaiming that we don’t know if gun control would have saved Lennon’s life but now we’ll never know. The articles of the early 1960s, those that dealt with the “British Invasion,” depict a society afraid of change being attacked by an outside force against which it must fight with all its strength and might. The articles of the popular media in the 1960s depicted The Beatles as a sinister force, bent on wreaking havoc in the United States. The expected familiarity with the members of The Beatles that the articles from the 1980s assume is lacking, the reporters refer to them only as “One Beatle”, or “Beatle John”. The articles following Lennon's assassination depict The Beatles and Lennon himself in a much more favorable light. Lennon is even depicted by some as a saint. Readers in December of 1980 and the months that followed would have thought a world leader or a figure of great social import had died. Readers in the 1960s might have been under the impression that their way of life was at stake, that these boys from England would cause rioting in the streets leading to a complete breakdown in social order. However, teenagers might have viewed the same observations from a very different point of view, one of anticipation and excitement. John Lennon was indeed a great leader, a pioneer in music and he greatly influenced the world in the seventeen years from the onslaught of “British Invasion” to the night he was slain outside of the Dakota in New York.

その財布は黒いです。

Luís César — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 22:51:48 GMT

その財布は黒いです。それは白くはありません。その家は茶色です。それは赤くはありません。その木は緑です。オレンジではありません。そのトラックは黄色です。それは赤くはありません。その建物は青いです。それは紫ではありません。そのドアは茶色いです。それは緑ではありません。そのさいふはくろいです。それはしろくはありません。そのいえはちゃいろです。それはあかくはありません。そのきはみどりです。おれんじではありません。そのとらっくはきいろです。それはあかくはありません。そのたてものはあおいです。それはむらさきではありません。そのどあはちゃいろいです。それはみどりではありません。 sono saifu ha kuroi desu. sore ha shiroku ha ari mase n. sono ie ha chairo desu. sore ha akaku ha ari mase n. sono ki ha midori desu. orenji de ha ari mase n. sono torakku ha kiiro desu. sore ha akaku ha ari mase n. sono tatemono ha aoi desu. sore ha murasaki de ha ari mase n. sono doa ha chairoi desu. sore ha midori de ha ari mase n. A bolsa é preta. Não é branco. A casa é marrom. Não é vermelho. A árvore é verde. É laranja. O caminhão é amarelo. Não é vermelho. O prédio é azul. É roxo. A porta é marrom. Não é verde.

Japanese basics

Luís César — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:18:52 GMT

あなたは痩せています。あなたは太っていません。彼は女性ではありません。彼は男性です。彼女は貧乏ではありません。彼女は金持ちです。その少女は年をとっていません。彼女は若いです。その男性は金持ちではありません。彼は貧乏です。あなたは背が低くありません。あなたは背が高いです。あなたはやせています。あなたはふとっていません。かれはじょせいではありません。かれはだんせいです。かのじょはびんぼうではありません。かのじょはかねもちです。そのしょうじょはとしをとっていません。かのじょはわかいです。そのだんせいはかねもちではありません。かれはびんぼうです。あなたはせがひくくありません。あなたはせがたかいです。 anata ha yase te i masu. anata ha futotte i mase n. kare ha josei de ha ari mase n. kare ha dansei desu. kanojo ha binbou de ha ari mase n. kanojo ha kanemochi desu. sono shoujo ha toshi o totte i mase n. kanojo ha wakai desu. sono dansei ha kanemochi de ha ari mase n. kare ha binbou desu. anata ha se ga hikuku ari mase n. anata ha se ga takai desu.

Japanese basics

Luís César — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:56:47 GMT

彼女は痩せています。彼は太っています。彼は背が高いです。彼女は背が低いです。私は年をとっています。彼は若いです。その少年は若いです。その男性は年をとっています。その女性は年をとっています。その少女は若いです。その女性は背が高いです。その少女は背が低いです。あなたは金持ちです。私は貧乏です。かのじょはやせています。かれはふとっています。かれはせがたかいです。かのじょはせがひくいです。わたしはとしをとっています。かれはわかいです。そのしょうねんはわかいです。そのだんせいはとしをとっています。そのじょせいはとしをとっています。そのしょうじょはわかいです。そのじょせいはせがたかいです。そのしょうじょはせがひくいです。あなたはかねもちです。わたしはびんぼうです。 kanojo ha yase te i masu. kare ha futotte i masu. kare ha se ga takai desu. kanojo ha se ga hikui desu. watashi ha toshi o totte i masu. kare ha wakai desu. sono shounen ha wakai desu. sono dansei ha toshi o totte i masu. sono josei ha toshi o totte i masu. sono shoujo ha wakai desu. sono josei ha se ga takai desu. sono shoujo ha se ga hikui desu. anata ha kanemochi desu. watashi ha binbou desu.

boushou

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:55:28 GMT

Word Reading English Base Hiragana POS (Japanese) 一イチ (num) one (com); 一いち名詞ノノノの記号乙オツ (adj-na,n) strange; quaint; stylish; chic; spicy; queer; witty; tasty; romantic (com); 乙おつ名詞二ニ (num) two (com); 二に名詞人ヒト (n) man; person; people (com); 人ひと名詞入ニュウ go in; 入にゅう接頭詞八ハチ (num) eight (com); 八はち名詞刀カタナ (n) sword; blade (com); 刀かたな名詞力チカラ (n) force; strength; energy; might; power; agency; authority; influence; vigor; stress; emphasis; exertions; endeavors; efficacy; help; support; good offices; ability; faculty; capability; attainment; means; resources (com); 力ちから名詞十ジュウ (num) 10; ten (com); 十じゅう名詞卜ボク (n) divination; 卜ぼく名詞又マタ (adv,conj,n) again; and (com); 又また接続詞口クチ (n) mouth; orifice; opening (com); 口くち名詞土ド (n) earth; soil (com); 土ど名詞士シ士し名詞夕ユウ (n-adv,n-suf,n-t) evening (com); 夕ゆう名詞大ダイ大だい接頭詞女オンナ (n) woman (com); 女おんな名詞子コ (n,n-suf) child (com); 子こ名詞寸スン (n) sun (approx. 3.03 cm); 寸すん名詞小ショウ小しょう接頭詞尸シカバネ (n) corpse; 尸しかばね名詞山ヤマ (n) (1) mountain; (2) pile; heap; (3) climax; critical point (com); 山やま名詞川カワ (n) river (com); 川かわ名詞工コウ工こう名詞己オノレ (int,n) oneself; (insulting) you (com); 己おのれ名詞巾ハバ (n) napkin; cloth; 巾はば名詞干ヒ (v1) to dry (com); 干るひ動詞弓ユミ (n) bow (and arrow) (com); 弓ゆみ名詞心ココロ (n) mind; heart; spirit (com); 心こころ名詞戈ホコ (n) ancient Chinese weapon; 戈ほこ名詞戸ト (n) counter for houses; 戸と名詞手テ (n) hand (com); 手て名詞文ブン (n) letter; writings (com); 文ぶん名詞斗ト (n) (a measure of volume) 18 litres (com); 斗と名詞斤キン (n) unit of weight ~600g (com); 斤きん名詞方カタ (n) person (com); 方かた名詞日ニチ (n-adv,n-t) sun; sunshine; day (com); 日にち名詞月ツキ (n-t) moon; month (com); 月つき名詞木キ (n) tree; wood; timber (com); 木き名詞欠ケツ (n) lack; deficiency; vacancy; 欠けつ名詞止トメ止とめ名詞比ヒ (n,n-suf) ratio; proportion; 比ひ名詞毛モウ (n) hair; fur (com); 毛もう名詞氏シ (n) family name; lineage; birth (com); 氏し名詞水ミズ (n) water (com); 水みず名詞火ヒ (n,n-suf) fire; flame; blaze (com); 火ひ名詞爪ツメ (n) fingernail or toenail; claw; talon; hoof (com); 爪つめ名詞父チチ (n) (hum) father (com); 父ちち名詞片カタ片かた接頭詞牙キバ (n) tusk; fang; 牙きば名詞牛ウシ (n) cattle; cow (com); 牛うし名詞犬イヌ (n) dog (com); 犬いぬ名詞王オウ (n,n-suf) (1) king; ruler; sovereign; monarch; (2) king (for senior player) (shogi); 王おう名詞玄ゲン玄げん名詞玉タマ (n) (abbr) king (shogi); 玉たま名詞瓦カワラ (n) roof tile (com); 瓦かわら名詞甘アマ (adj,exp) (uk) generous; indulgent; easy-going; sweet; fond of; soft on; overly optimistic; naive (com); 甘いあま形容詞生ナマ (n,pref) pure; undiluted; raw; crude (com); 生なま接頭詞用ヨウ (n,n-suf) task; business; use (com); 用よう名詞田タ (n) rice field (com); 田た名詞白シロ (n) white (com); 白しろ名詞皮カワ (n) skin; hide; leather; fur; pelt; bark; shell (com); 皮かわ名詞皿サラ (n) plate; dish (com);

boushou

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 23:50:52 GMT

1 一｜丶ノ乙亅 2 二亠人儿入八冂冖冫几凵刀力勹匕匚十卜卩厂厶又 3 口囗土士夂夕大女子宀寸小尢尸屮山川巛工己巾干幺广廴廾弋弓彑彡彳 4 心戈戸手支攴攵文斗斤方日月木欠止歹殳毋比毛氏气水火爪父爻片牙牛犬王 5 玄玉瓦甘生用田疋癶白皮皿目矛矢石示禾穴立旡 6 瓜竹米糸缶羊羽老而耒耳聿肉自至臼舌舟艮色虍虫血行衣西 7 臣見角言谷豆豕豸貝赤走足身車辛辰邑酉釆里麦舛 8 金長門阜隶隹雨青靑非斉 9 食面革韋韭音頁風飛首香 10 馬骨高髟鬲鬼竜 11 魚鳥鹵鹿麻黄黒斎亀 12 黍黑歯 13 鼎鼓鼠 14 鼻齊 16 龍

kanji 6

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:05:52 GMT

3 昭 9 にちひらび日 shine clear ショウ昭和（しょうわ） / the Shouwa era(1926-1989) 3 消 10 さんずい put out extinguish switch off turn off disappear delete erase relieve eliminate stop absorb muffle go out fade out vanish extinguish obliterate kill ショウ　　き・える　　　　け・す消去する（しょうきょする） / eliminate, erase, obliterate ☆＝抹消する（まっしょうする）消火器（しょうかき） / a fire extinguisher 闇に消える（やみにきえる） / vanish into the night (dark) 消え失せろ！（きえうせろ） / Get lost!, Fuck off! ☆＝失せろ！（うせろ），うぜぇんだよ！ (slang) (These are harsh words, so use carefully.) Get out!, Go away! ☆＝出て行け！（でていけ）明かりを消す（あかりをけす） / switch off the light (lamp) ☆＝消灯する（しょうとうする） 3 商 11 くち口 trade business commerce sell deal in a merchant a dealer the quotient ショウ　　あきな・うあきな・い商店街（しょうてんがい） / a shopping street 商人（しょうにん） / a merchant, a trader, a dealer ☆＝販売業者（はんばいぎょうしゃ）陶器を商う（とうきをあきなう） / deal in ceramics 商いが上手い（あきないがうまい） / have a good head for business (trade) ☆商い＝商売（しょうばい） 3 章 11 たつたつへん立 a chapter a badge an emblem ショウ文章（ぶんしょう） / a sentence, a composition 3 勝 12 ちから力 win win a victory conquer defeat beat excel surpass prevail outdo surmount overcome ショウ　か・つまさ・る勝負する（しょうぶする） / duel, have a game, try one's luck 賭けに勝つ（かけにかつ） / win a bet 聞きしに勝る～（ききしにまさる） / exceed my expectations 3 乗 9 のノ get on mount take ride board go aboard take part participate in ジョウの・る　の・せる乗車賃（じょうしゃちん） / a fare, a rail fare, a carfare 自動車に乗る（じどうしゃにのる） / drive a car, ride in an automobile (auto) 口車に乗せる（くちぐるまにのせる） / delude by slick talk 3 植 12 ききへん木 plant ショクう・える植物（しょくぶつ） / a plant, vegetation チューリップを植える（ちゅーりっぷをうえる） / plant tulips 3 申 5 たたへん田 say talk about tell state remark report シンもう・す申請（しんせい） / application, request, petition 申し込む（もうしこむ） / make an application 申し訳ありません（もうしわけありません） / I am sincerely sorry., Please forgive me. ～申し上げます（もうしあげます） / say, tell, mention (申す is modest language of "say, tell".) もしもし，スミスと申します（もしもし，すみすともうします） / Hello, This is Smith speaking. (polite language on the telephone) 3 身 7 みみへん身 the body the person self flesh シンみ身長（しんちょう） / height, stature ☆＝背丈（せたけ）身の代金（みのしろきん） / a ransom 3 神 9 しめすへん God the Divinity the Lord a goddess a deity シン　　　ジンかみ　 *かん *こう神秘的（しんぴてき） / mysterious, mystic, enigmatic, occult ギリシャ神話（ぎりしゃしんわ） / the Greek myths, Greece mythology 神社（じんじゃ） / a Shinto shrine 神隠し（かみかくし） / mysterious disappearance 神風（かみかぜ） / Kamikaze, a divine wind 神主（かんぬし） / a Shinto priest 神々しい（こうごうしい） / awe-inspiring, divine, holy, heavenly 3 真 10 めめへん目 truth reality just right exactly pure true genuine veritable real シンま　 *まこと真空パック（しんくうぱっく） / vacuum packing 真上（まうえ） / just above, right overhead ☆⇔真下（ました） / right under, just below, underneath 真しやか（まことしやか） / plausible, specious ☆＝もっともらしい 3 深 11 さんずい deep thick dense profound close intimate depth シンふか・いふか・まる　ふか・める深刻な問題（しんこくなもんだい） / a serious problem 深い穴（ふかいあな） / a deep hole 愛情が深まる（あいじょうがふかまる） / one's affection for ~ became deeper 理解を深める（りかいをふかめる） / deepen one's understanding of, promote a better understanding 3 進 11 しんにゅうしんにょう go forward advance improve progress gain シンすす・む　　すす・める進歩（しんぽ） / progress, advance, improvement 決勝に進む（けっしょうにすすむ） / go to the finals 大学院に進む（だいがくいんにすすむ） / go to graduate school (postgraduate course) 交渉を進める（こうしょうをすすめる） / go on with the negotiations, proceed with the bargaining 3 世 5 いち一 the world the public the times the age the reign セイ　セ　　　　よ２１世紀（にじゅういっせいき） / the twenty-oneth century 世話をする（せわをする） / take care of, help お世話になりました（おせわになりました） / Many thanks for your kindness. 大きなお世話だ（おおきなおせわだ） / This is none of your business. 世迷い言（よまいごと） / nonsense, rubbish, silly talk, piffle ☆＝戯言（たわごと，ざれごと） 3 整 16 のぶん攵 arrange put in order trim regulate adjust prepare セイととの・える　　ととの・う整理する（せいりする） / arrange, pigeonhole, liquidate 部屋を整える（へやをととのえる） / tidy up one's room, put the room in order ☆整える＝整頓する（せいとんする），片付ける（かたづける）用意が整う（よういがととのう） / be ready, be prepared ☆＝準備OK（じゅんびおーけー） 3 昔 8 にちひらび日 old days old times ancient times antiquity the past セキ *シャクむかし昔日（せきじつ） / old times, former days 今昔（こんじゃく） / now and old times 昔話（むかしばなし） / an old tale, a legend 昔の話（むかしのはなし） / a past talk 昔から～（むかしから） / from long ago, from old times, since a long time ago 3 全 6 やね all whole everything every entire full complete overall total ゼン　　まった・く　すべ・て全部（ぜんぶ） / all, whole, entire, total, complete, every, everything 全然（ぜんぜん） / utterly, entirely, quite, at all 全くもう！（まったくもう） / Geez!, For God's sake!, What the heck! 全ての国民（すべてのこくみん） / all the nation, all the citizen 3 相 9 めめへん目 an aspect a phase a physiognomy a countenance a look mutual reciprocal ソウショウあい相談（そうだん） / consultation, a talk 首相（しゅしょう） / the Prime Minister 相性がいい（あいしょうがいい） / be congenial, have an affinity for each other, be compatible 相撲（すもう） / Sumo (Japanese wrestling) 3 送 9 しんにゅうしんにょう send dispatch ship forward see off remit pass spend ソウおく・る　　おく・り送金（そうきん） / remittance メールを送る（めーるをおくる） / send (transmit) an e-mail ☆＝メールを送信する（めーるをそうしんする） ☆送信⇔受信（じゅしん） / receipt of a message 見送り（みおくり） / to pigeonhole (shelve) the idea, plan, bill, etc. ☆＝棚上げ（たなあげ） a send-off, seeing ~ off 3 想 13 こころ心 think feel consider suppose guess imagine regard expect intend want wish remember recollect thought mind heart feelings a desire hope an experience ソウ *ソ *おも・う *おも・い回想（かいそう） / recollection, reminiscence 愛想笑い（あいそわらい） / an ingratiating smile →思う →思い息 10 こころ心 a breath breathing ソク　いき休息（きゅうそく） / rest, repose, relaxation ☆＝休憩（きゅうけい）息苦しい（いきぐるしい） / be stuffy, be stifling, have difficulty in breathing 息子（むすこ） / a son 息吹（いぶき） / a touch, an expression 3 速 10 しんにゅうしんにょう quick fast speedy rapid swift brisk prompt speed velocity ソクはや・い　はや・めるすみ・やか高速道路（こうそくどうろ） / an expressway, a turnpike のみこみが速い（のみこみがはやい） / be quick to grasp (understand), be quick-witted 足を速める（あしをはやめる） / quicken one's pace 速やかに～（すみやかに） / speedily, immediately 3 族 11 ほうほうへん方 a race a tribe a clan ゾク暴走族（ぼうそうぞく） / a motorcycle gang, hot-rodders 3 他 5 にんべん other another else タ　ほか他人（たにん） / an unrelated person, a stranger, an outsider 他の人（ほかのひと） / another person, others, someone else 他人事（ひとごと） / other people's affairs 3 打 5 てへん hit beat strike knock touch impress move ダ　う・つ　う・ち打撃（だげき） / a blow, a shock, damage, a buffet, batting 麺を打つ（めんをうつ） / make noodles 釘を打つ（くぎをうつ） / drive a nail 打ち合わせ（うちあわせ） / a previous arrangement 3 対 7 すん寸 even equal versus (vs) oppose against face a pair a couple a set タイ　　　　　　　　　　ツイ絶対（ぜったい） / absolutely, by all means, without fail, unconditionally, absolute 絶対～ない（ぜったいない） / by no means, on no account ☆＝決して～ない（けっしてない） never again, no more ☆＝二度と～ない（にどとない） ☆＝金輪際～ない（こんりんざいない）アルゼンチン対ノルウェーの試合（あるぜんちんたいのるうぇーのしあい） / the game of Argentina vs Norway 対象（たいしょう） / a subject, a target, an object 対称（たいしょう） / symmetry 対照（たいしょう） / contrast, comparison, collation 一対（いっつい） / a pair, a couple, a brace ☆＝ペア，カップル 3 待 9 ぎょうにんべん彳 wait タイま・つ待機する（たいきする） / stand by, stand ready 機会を待つ（きかいをまつ） / wait for an opportunity 少々お待ちください（しょうしょうおまちください） / Wait a minute, please., Just a moment, please. (polite language) ずっと待っていました（ずっとまっていました） / I've been waiting all this while. 3 代 5 にんべん replace relieve substitute change a time an age a generation a price a charge a fee ダイタイか・わるか・えるよしろ宿泊代（しゅくはくだい） / lodging charges 交代する（こうたいする） / replace, take ~ place 代わり番こ（かわりばんこ） / alternately, by turns 打者を代える（だしゃをかえる） / replace a batter with ~ 幾代（いくよ） / many age 厄介な代物（やっかいなしろもの） / a nuisance, a tough proposition 3 第 11 たけたけかんむり竹 order of things ダイ第一に（だいいちに） / firstly, to begin with, first of all ☆＝まず，まずは第六感（だいろっかん） / a sixth sense, intuition ☆＝直感（ちょっかん），勘（かん） 3 題 18 おおがい頁 a subject a theme a title ダイ物語の題名（ものがたりのだいめい） / the title of a story, the name of a tale 3 炭 9 ひひへん火 charcoal タンすみ二酸化炭素（にさんかたんそ） / carbon dioxide 炭を焼く（すみをやく） / make charcoal 3 短 12 ややへん矢 short brief タンみじか・い短所（たんしょ） / a fault, a defect, a weak point 短くする（みじかくする） / shorten, cut short, curtail 気が短い（きがみじかい） / impatience, be impatient, short-tempered ☆＝短気（たんき） 3 談 15 ことばごんべん言 conversation talk ダン余談（よだん） / a digression, an aside 雑談（ざつだん） / a chat, small talk, a gossip ☆＝世間話（せけんばなし），四方山話（よもやまばなし） 3 着 12 ひつじ羊 reach arrive put on wear dress touch a quantifier チャク　き・る　き・せるつ・く　つ・ける到着（とうちゃく） / arrival スーツ４着（すーつよんちゃく） / four suits 恩に着る（おんにきる） / feel grateful to 着物（きもの） / Kimono ☆＝和服（わふく）服を着せる（ふくをきせる） / dress, clothe 空港に着く（くうこうにつく） / arrive at the airport, reach the airport 面を着ける（めんをつける） / put a mask on ☆＝仮面をかぶる（かめんをかぶる） 3 注 8 さんずい notes attention pour sprinkle fill チュウ　そそ・ぐ *つ・ぐ注意（ちゅうい） / attention, caution, precaution 注文する（ちゅうもんする） / order, place an order 熱湯を注ぐ（ねっとうをそそぐ） / pour the boiling water ウィスキーを注ぐ（うぃすきーをつぐ） / pour out whiskey 3 柱 9 ききへん木 a pillar a column a pole a prop チュウはしら電柱（でんちゅう） / a telegraph pole 大黒柱（だいこくばしら） / a breadwinner 3 丁 2 いち一 just an even number a quantifier チョウ　テイ豆腐一丁（とうふいっちょう） / a cake of tofu 丁度（ちょうど） / just, exactly, precisely, as if 丁寧に（ていねいに） / politely, courteously, civilly, respectfully 3 帳 11 はばはばへん巾 a notebook a book hangings チョウ電話帳（でんわちょう） / a telephone book メモ帳（めもちょう） / a memo pad 蚊帳（かや） / a mosquito net 3 調 15 ことばごんべん言 a pitch a tone a tempo a meter examine investigate inquire check search adjust question prepare チョウ　しら・べるしら・べ　ととの・う　ととの・える調子はどう？（ちょうしはどう） / How are you?, How are you doing?, How's everything?, What's up? 単語を調べる（たんごをしらべる） / look up a word 妙なる調べ（たえなるしらべ） / beautiful music, a sweet tune, an enchanting melody 縁談が調う（えんだんがととのう） / agree an offer of marriage 道具を調える（どうぐをととのえる） / prepare tools ☆調える＝用意する（よういする） 3 追 9 しんにゅうしんにょう go after chase pursue follow trail track drive ツイ　　　　　お・う追加（ついか） / addition, a supplement, an addendum 追求する（ついきゅうする） / pursue (profit, happiness, etc.) 追及する（ついきゅうする） / pursue (responsibility, a criminal, etc.), cross-examine 追究する（ついきゅうする） / research thoroughly, probes (truth, essence, etc.) 流行を追う（りゅうこうをおう） / follow the fashion (vogue) ☆流行＝はやり追いかける（おいかける） / chase, pursue, run after ☆＝追跡する（ついせきする） 3 定 8 うかんむり宀 decide determine appoint fix provide lay down determine destiny fate doom a law a regulation a rule a decision テイ　　ジョウ　さだ・める　さだ・め　さだ・まる　　さだ・か決定的（けっていてき） / definitive, final, decisive, crucial 安定した～（あんていした） / stable, secure ☆⇔不安定な（ふあんていな） / unstable, insecure, shaky 定規（じょうぎ） / a ruler, a rule, a square ☆＝物差し（ものさし）基準を定める（きじゅんをさだめる） / define a criterion 定められた～（さだめられた） / destined, fated 定め（さだめ） / destiny, fate, doom ☆＝運命（うんめい） a law, a regulation, a rule ☆＝規則（きそく），ルール需要によって定まる（じゅようによってさだまる） / be determined according to demand, be decided on demand ☆定まる＝決まる（きまる）定かでない（さだかでない） / be unclear, be unknown, be uncertain 3 庭 10 まだれ广 a garden a yard テイにわ日本庭園（にほんていえん） / a Japanese garden 裏庭（うらにわ） / a back garden, a backyard 3 笛 11 たけたけかんむり竹 a whistle a flute a fife a pipe an oboe テキふえ警笛（けいてき） / an alarm whistle, a warning horn 口笛を吹く（くちぶえをふく） / whistle, give a whistle 3 鉄 13 かねかねへん金 iron テツ *くろがね鉄則（てっそく） / an invariable principle, an iron law 鉄（くろがね） / iron 3 転 11 くるまくるまへん車 roll trundle fall down tumble lie down turn shift alter テンころ・がるころ・げるころ・がすころ・ぶ転落（てんらく） / a fall, the fall, a downfall 寝転がる（ねころがる） / lie down 転げ回る（ころげまわる） / roll about, thrash about ボールを転がす（ぼーるをころがす） / roll the ball 滑って転ぶ（すべってころぶ） / slip and fall 3 都 11 おおざと land with the Imperial Palace a capital a metropolis Tokyo a city a town トツ　みやこ都心（としん） / the heart of Tokyo, the downtown area 都合のいい時に（つごうのいいときに） / at one's convenience 住めば都（すめばみやこ） / Anywhere is home once you get used to it., Home is where you make it. 3 度 9 まだれ广 a degree a time an extent a limit moderation whenever ド　　　 *ト *タクたび一度（いちど） / once, one time ☆＝一回（いっかい）もう一度やってみたらどう？（もういちどやってみたらどう） / Why not try again?, Why don't you try again? 度胸（どきょう） / courage, guts 御法度（ごはっと） / taboo 支度（したく） / equipment, preparations 度重なる（たびかさなる） / repeated 3 投 7 てへん throw hurl pitch cast fling toss give up abandon トウな・げる投手（とうしゅ） / a pitcher 石を投げる（いしをなげる） / throw a stone, chuck a stone 勝負を投げる（しょうぶをなげる） / give up the game 投網（とあみ） / a casting net 3 豆 7 まめまめへん豆 a bean a pea a soybean トウ *ズまめ納豆（なっとう） / Natto, fermented soybeans 大豆（だいず） / a soybean 豆電球（まめでんきゅう） / a miniature bulb 小豆（あずき） / an azuki bean 3 島 10 やまやまへん山 an island an isle an islet トウしま無人島（むじんとう） / an uninhabited island 離れ島（はなれじま） / a solitary island 3 湯 12 さんずい hot water a bath a hot spring トウゆ湯治場（とうじば） / a spa, a hot-spring resort 湯気（ゆげ） / steam, vapor 3 登 12 はつがしら癶 climb ascend mount トウトのぼ・る登校拒否（とうこうきょひ） / refusal to go to school 登山（とざん） / mountain climbing 屋根に登る（やねにのぼる） / get on the roof, ascend to the roof 3 等 12 たけたけかんむり竹 equal equivalent the grade etc トウ　ひと・しいら *など二等辺三角形（にとうへんさんかくけい） / an isosceles triangle 重さが等しい（おもさがひとしい） / be the same weight 彼等（かれら） / they ～等（など） / and so forth, and the like, etc 3 動 11 ちから力 move stir shift work go run waver vacillate be touched be influenced transfer ドウ　　　　うご・く　　うご・かすうご・き運動（うんどう） / exercise, a movement 動作（どうさ） / action, movements, motions, demeanor ☆＝動き（うごき）夜行性の動物（やこうせいのどうぶつ） / a nocturnal animal そこを動くな！（そこをうごくな） / Hold it there!, Freeze! 動かぬ証拠（うごかぬしょうこ） / hard evidence, incontestable proof 机を動かす（つくえをうごかす） / move a desk 世論の動き（せろんのうごき） / the trend of public opinion 3 童 12 たつたつへん立 a child a kid an infant a baby ドウ　わらべ童話（どうわ） / a fairy tale, a children's story ☆＝おとぎ話（おとぎばなし）童歌（わらべうた） / a children's song, a nursery song ☆＝童謡（どうよう）河童（かっぱ） / Kappa, a water imp 3 農 13 しんのたつ辰 agriculture farming ノウ有機農業（ゆうきのうぎょう） / organic agriculture 3 波 8 さんずい a wave a billow surf a ripple ハなみ電波（でんぱ） / a radio wave 荒波（あらなみ） / raging waves, a rough sea 3 配 10 さけのとりひよみのとり酉 distribute deal serve deliver arrange ハイ　　くば・る配達する（はいたつする） / make a delivery, deliver 心配しないで（しんぱいしないで） / Don't worry. 手配（てはい） / arrangements, preparations 毛布を配る（もうふをくばる） / distribute blankets 3 倍 10 にんべん double twice twofold バイ倍率（ばいりつ） / magnification, competition 3 箱 15 たけたけかんむり竹 a box a case a chest はこオレンジ１箱（おれんじひとはこ） / a box of orange 3 畑 9 たたへん田 a field a farm a plantation one's specialty はたけ　はたトウモロコシ畑（とうもろこしばたけ） / a cornfield, a field of maize 畑作（はたさく） / farming 3 発 9 はつがしら癶 start leave emit radiate give out issue give arise a quantifier ハツ　　　　　ホツ一発の銃声（いっぱつのじゅうせい） / a gunshot, the sound of a gun 発音（はつおん） / pronunciation 発明（はつめい） / invention ５時発の急行列車（ごじはつのきゅうこうれっしゃ） / the express train leaving at five o'clock 発作的に（ほっさてきに） / in a fit, on a sudden impulse, spasmodically 3 反 4 また又 anti- against opposed contrary violate infringe bend curve warp ハン *ホン　 *タンそ・る　そ・らす反対（はんたい） / opposition, objection, the reverse 謀反（むほん） / rebellion, a revolt ☆＝謀叛（むほん），反乱（はんらん）反物（たんもの） / cloth, drapery 反りが合わない（そりがあわない） / can not hit it off, do not fit well, be incompatible 体を反らす（からだをそらす） / bend backward 3 坂 7 つちつちへん土 a slope an incline a hill ハン　さか急坂（きゅうはん） / a steep slope ☆＝急斜面（きゅうしゃめん）下り坂（くだりざか） / a downhill slope 3 板 8 ききへん木 a board a plank a plate a sheet a slab a panel ハンバンいた鉄板（てっぱん） / an iron plate, a hot plate 掲示板（けいじばん） / a bulletin board 板につく（いたにつく） / get used to, fit nicely 3 皮 5 ひのかわ皮 skin a hide fur pelt peel rind film ヒ　　かわ皮肉（ひにく） / sarcasm, satire, irony, cynicism, sarcastic, ironical, cynical 皮膚（ひふ） / the skin 毛皮のコート（けがわのこーと） / a fur overcoat 3 悲 12 こころ心 sad unhappy sorrowful mournful lament sorrow sadness unhappiness distress grief mourning lamentation ヒかな・しい　かな・しむ　かなし・み悲劇（ひげき） / tragedy ☆⇔喜劇（きげき） / comedy 悲しい顔付き（かなしいかおつき） / a sad look, a sorrowful countenance 非運を悲しむ（ひうんをかなしむ） / lament one's misfortune ☆非運＝不運（ふうん）悲しみに沈む（かなしみにしずむ） / be heartbroken, sink in sorrow (heartbreak) ☆＝悲嘆に暮れる（ひたんにくれる） 3 美 9 ひつじ羊 beauty beautiful lovely fine noble ビ　うつく・しい絶世の美女（ぜっせいのびじょ） / a peerless beauty, a unequaled beautiful woman ☆美女＝美人（びじん）何て美しいのでしょう！（なんてうつくしいのでしょう） / How beautiful! 3 鼻 14 はな鼻 a nose a muzzle a snout ビはな鼻炎（びえん） / nasal catarrh, nasal inflammation 鼻が利く（はながきく） / have a sharp nose 3 筆 12 たけたけかんむり竹 a brush handwriting ヒツふで筆跡鑑定（ひっせきかんてい） / handwriting analysis 筆箱（ふでばこ） / a pencil box (case) 3 氷 5 みず水 ice ヒョウこおり *ひ氷河（ひょうが） / a glacier かき氷（かきごおり） / shaved ice with syrup 氷雨（ひさめ） / a freezing rain 氷柱（つらら） / an icicle 3 表 8 ころも衣 a table a list a chart a diagram a surface a face the obverse the outside the street express represent show oneself ヒョウおもてあらわ・す　あらわ・れる統計表（とうけいひょう） / a statistical table 表向きは（おもてむきは） / ostensibly, officially 言い表す（いいあらわす） / express, represent ☆＝表現する（ひょうげんする）顔に表れる（かおにあらわれる） / come over one's face 3 秒 9 のぎへん禾 a second ビョウ秒読みする（びょうよみする） / count down 3 病 10 やまいだれ illness a disease fall ill get sick ビョウ *ヘイや・むやまい病気（びょうき） / illness, sickness, a disease 疾病保険（しっぺいほけん） / sickness insurance 気を病む（きをやむ） / be anxious, be solicitous 病は気から（やまいはきから） / Fancy may kill or cure. 3 品 9 くち口 an article goods an item a thing wares grace refinement dignity quality ヒン　しな上品（じょうひん） / refined, elegant, decorous, polished, polite, graceful, chic, ladylike 手品（てじな） / magic, a conjuring trick ☆＝奇術（きじゅつ），マジック 3 負 9 かいかいへん貝 lose be beaten be defeated give in be overcome bear shoulder assume get receive sustain get a rash discount negative minus フま・ける　　ま・かす　　ま・け　お・う負担（ふたん） / a burden, responsibility, a load 誘惑に負ける（ゆうわくにまける） / succumb to temptation 値段を負ける（ねだんをまける） / reduce the price, discount ☆＝値引きする（ねびきする），勉強する（べんきょうする）こてんこてんに負かす（こてんこてんにまかす） / defeat ~ completely, beat ~ hollow, make mincemeat of ☆＝こてんぱんにやっつける負け惜しみを言う（まけおしみをいう） / say sour grapes, give in with a bad grace, be a bad loser 負い目を感じる（おいめをかんじる） / feel beholden, feel that ~ have a debt to pay 3 部 11 おおざと a division a section a department a class a category a part a quantifier ブ部分的に（ぶぶんてきに） / partially, partly 部屋（へや） / a room 3 服 8 つきつきへんにくづき月 clothes a garment obey フクセクシーな服（せくしーなふく） / a sexy dress 一服する（いっぷくする） / have a smoke, have a rest, take a breather 3 福 13 しめすへん good luck good fortune blessing happiness フク至福（しふく） / bliss, felicity, supreme happiness ご冥福をお祈りいたします（ごめいふくをおいのりいたします） / May one's soul rest in peace., I pray for the bliss of the dead. 3 物 8 うしうしへん牛 a thing an object matter substance an article goods commodities resources material stuff quality a talk ブツ　モツもの高級物件（こうきゅうぶっけん） / high-grade housing, an exclusive property 禁物（きんもつ） / taboo, a prohibited thing 良質な品物（りょうしつなしなもの） / goods of high quality 3 平 5 ほす干 a plain a flat even level smooth horizontal common ordinary ヘイ　　ビョウたい・ら　ひら平日（へいじつ） / a weekday 平気で嘘をつく（へいきでうそをつく） / tell a lie coolly, tell a lie without a hesitation 平等に分ける（びょうどうにわける） / divide equally 平らな土地（たいらなとち） / flat land, smooth real estate 平手で打つ（ひらてでうつ） / slap 3 返 7 しんにゅうしんにょう return give back repay refund replace put back send back ヘン　かえ・すかえ・る返事（へんじ） / an answer, a reply 返答する（へんとうする） / respond 借金を返す（しゃっきんをかえす） / repay one's debts 寝返る（ねがえる） / betray, turn traitor to, double-cross ☆＝裏切る（うらぎる） roll over in bed, toss oneself about in bed ☆＝寝返りを打つ（ねがえりをうつ） 3 勉 10 ちから力 make efforts strive exert oneself endeavor ベン　 *つと・める地質学の勉強（ちしつがくのべんきょう） / study of Geology ☆勉強＝学習（がくしゅう） →努める 3 放 8 のぶん攵 let go release loose shoot fire send out emit ホウ　はな・すはな・つ追放する（ついほうする） / banish, expel, deport, ostracize, exile 手を放す（てをはなす） / let go one's hold さよならホームランを放つ（さよならほーむらんをはなつ） / hit a game-winning homer 3 味 8 くち口 taste flavor a savor ミ　あじあじ・わう味覚（みかく） / the taste 調味料（ちょうみりょう） / a seasoning, a condiment 味見（あじみ） / tasting, sampling 日本料理を味わう（にほんりょうりをあじわう） / enjoy a Japanese-style dish (food) ☆日本料理＝和食（わしょく）美味しい（おいしい） / nice, tasty, delicious, yummy ☆⇔まずい / nasty, unsavory, unpalatable good, attractive, advantageous, beneficial 3 命 8 くち口 life an order a command an instruction one's most precious thing メイミョウいのち生命力（せいめいりょく） / life force, vitality 寿命（じゅみょう） / the span of life 命知らず（いのちしらず） / daredevil, kamikaze, a desperado 3 面 9 めん面 a mask a face a face guard a page a surface a side an aspect a quantifier メンおも　　おもてつら面会（めんかい） / an interview, a meeting 面白い（おもしろい） / interesting, fun, amusing, delightful, pleasant, funny ☆⇔面白くない，つまらない / joyless, uninteresting 細面（ほそおもて） / a narrow face 面汚し（つらよごし） / a disgrace, a dishonor, a shame 真面目（まじめ） / gravity, serious, earnest, honest ☆⇔不真面目（ふまじめ） / frivolous, irresponsible 3 問 11 くち口 a question an inquiry a problem ask question inquire care charge accuse モン　と・うと・い　 *とん問答無用（もんどうむよう） / dialogue is uselessness, argument is useless, Don't waste your breath. 罪に問われる（つみにとわれる） / be accused 問い詰める（といつめる） / question closely, press for an answer 問屋（とんや） / a wholesaler, a wholesale store 3 役 7 ぎょうにんべん彳 a post office a role a part service duty ヤク　 *エキ役に立つ（やくにたつ） / helpful, useful, be helpful, be useful 兵役（へいえき） / military service 3 薬 16 くさかんむり medicine a drug a pill an ointment a decoction benefit ヤク　くすり薬局（やっきょく） / a drugstore ☆＝ドラッグストア a pharmacy, an apothecary ☆＝薬屋（くすりや）薬を飲む（くすりをのむ） / take medicine 3 由 5 たたへん田 reason cause significance the effect a means a way ユウユ *ユイよし理由（りゆう） / reason, cause, grounds ～経由で（けいゆで） / through, via 由緒ある町（ゆいしょあるまち） / a town with a history 知る由もない（しるよしもない） / have no way of finding 3 油 8 さんずい oil ユ　　あぶら灯油（とうゆ） / kerosene, paraffin 石油ストーブ（せきゆすとーぶ） / an oil heater, an oil stove 油絵（あぶらえ） / an oil painting 3 有 6 つきつきへんにくづき月 being there is have own possess happen occur ユウ　　　ウあ・る有名（ゆうめい） / famous, celebrated, noted, renowned ☆⇔無名（むめい） / nameless, unknown 所有者（しょゆうしゃ） / an owner, a proprietor ☆＝オーナー有無を言わせず（うむをいわせず） / forcibly, arbitrarily 有る（ある） / there is, have, possess, happen, occur (It's generally written only in Kana.) 有り難う，どういたしまして（ありがとう，どういたしまして） / Thank you. - You are welcome. (My pleasure., Not at all.) (It's generally written only in Kana.) 3 遊 12 しんにゅうしんにょう play enjoy oneself amuse oneself divert oneself make a pleasure make merry be idle do nothing playing a game a pastime recreation ユウ *ユあそ・ぶ　あそ・び遊園地（ゆうえんち） / an amusement park, a fun fair 物見遊山（ものみゆさん） / a jaunt, a pleasure trip 遊んではいられない（あそんではいられない） / I can't afford to be idle. 遊び歩く（あそびあるく） / gad about, gallivant about, spend one's time in pleasure 3 予 4 はねぼう亅 beforehand in advance previously I (old expression) ヨ　 *あらかじ・め予定（よてい） / a schedule, a program ☆＝スケジュール予めご了承ください（あらかじめごりょうしょうください） / Please understand ~ beforehand. (polite language) ☆予め＝事前に（じぜんに），前もって（まえもって） 3 羊 6 ひつじ羊 a sheep a ram a ewe a lamb ヨウひつじ羊毛（ようもう） / wool 羊の肉（ひつじのにく） / mutton ☆＝マトン 3 洋 9 さんずい ocean the Occident ヨウ太平洋（たいへいよう） / the Pacific Ocean 大西洋（たいせいよう） / the Atlantic Ocean 西洋料理（せいようりょうり） / Western cooking, European cuisine ☆＝洋食（ようしょく） 3 葉 12 くさかんむり a leaf a needle a frond a blade foliage ヨウは葉緑素（ようりょくそ） / chlorophyll 落ち葉（おちば） / fallen leaves 紅葉（もみじ） / a Japanese maple, red leaves 3 陽 12 こざとへん sunlight the positive yang ヨウ　 *ひ陽気（ようき） / sanguine, cheerful, playful, sunshine ☆⇔陰気（いんき） / gloomy, dismal, melancholy →日 3 様 14 ききへん木 Mister Mistress Miss Messrs situation condition looks a kind a sort such like one's way ヨウ　　さま模様（もよう） / a pattern, a design, a look, conditions どの様な（どのような） / what, what kind of ☆＝どんなあの様な（あのような） / like that ～様（さま） / Mr. ~, Mrs. ~, Miss. ~ どちら様ですか？（どちらさまですか） / Who's calling, please?, May I have your name, please?, Who is it? ☆＝どなたですか？ (polite language) ☆＝あんた誰？（あんただれ） / Who are you? (rough language) 様になっている（さまになっている） / be in good shape, be well-shaped 3 落 12 くさかんむり fall drop come (go) down give way sink set wash off fail decline deteriorate be inferior backslide regress ラク　　　　　お・ちるお・とすお・ち落胆する（らくたんする） / be discouraged, be dejected, be disheartened, be downhearted, lose courage, ☆＝落ち込む（おちこむ），しょげる，へこむ (slang) be disappointed ☆＝失望する（しつぼうする），がっかりする落書き（らくがき） / graffiti, scribbles, doodles テストに落ちた（てすとにおちた） / failed in one's test 財布を落とした（さいふをおとした） / lost my wallet 話の落ち（はなしのおち） / the punch line of a talk 3 流 10 さんずい stream flow run float drift be called off drain shed flush scrub spread broadcast a style a mode a way a class a school リュウ *ルなが・れるなが・れ　なが・す逆流する（ぎゃくりゅうする） / flow backward 流転（るてん） / to change constantly, vicissitudes 流れ着く（ながれつく） / drift to, be washed ashore 流れに逆らう（ながれにさからう） / swim against the stream (current) 涙を流す（なみだをながす） / shed tears, cry 流石（さすが） / be great as expected 3 旅 10 ほうほうへん方 travels a journey a tour a trip リョたび旅行（りょこう） / travels, a journey, a trip 旅人（たびびと） / a traveler, a wayfarer ☆＝旅行者（りょこうしゃ） 3 両 6 いち一 both two a quantifier リョウ両方（りょうほう） / both of, both sides, neither of ８両編成の夜行（はちりょうへんせいのやこう） / a night train of eight-cars 3 緑 14 いといとへん糸 green verdure リョク *ロクみどり緑地帯（りょくちたい） / a green belt, a tree lawn 緑青（ろくしょう） / verdigris 緑の黒髪（みどりのくろかみ） / glossy black hair 3 礼 5 しめすへん a bow courtesy etiquette thanks gratitude a reward a fee レイ　　　　　　 *ライ礼儀正しい（れいぎただしい） / courteous, polite, well-mannered, decent お礼をする（おれいをする） / give a reward 礼をする（れいをする） / bow, make an obeisance 失礼な（しつれいな） / rude, impolite, disrespectful, How rude you are. ☆＝失敬な（しっけいな），無礼な（ぶれいな）礼賛する（らいさんする） / praise, eulogize, adore 3 列 6 りっとう a line a row a rank a file a column a procession a queue レツ列挙（れっきょ） / enumeration ☆＝羅列（られつ） 3 練 14 いといとへん糸 train knead elaborate temper polish レン　ね・る練習（れんしゅう） / practice, training, exercise ☆＝稽古（けいこ），訓練（くんれん），トレーニング作戦を練る（さくせんをねる） / elaborate a strategy, elaborate a plan of operations 小麦粉を練る（こむぎこをねる） / knead flour 手練れ（てだれ） / an expert, a skilled hand 3 路 13 あしあしへん足 a way a road a street a path a lane a pass an alley ロじ *みち路肩（ろかた） / the edge of a road 家路を急ぐ（いえじをいそぐ） / hurry home →道 3 和 8 くち口 peace harmony peaceful harmonious mild calm gentle quiet friendly warm soften the sum Japanese(-style) ワ *オやわ・らぐ　やわ・らげるなご・む　なご・やか *あ・える調和（ちょうわ） / harmony 和尚（おしょう） / a Buddhist priest 不安が和らぐ（ふあんがやわらぐ） / one's anxiety is allayed 声を和らげる（こえをやわらげる） / soften one's voice 心が和む曲（こころがなごむきょく） / a music which gives me peace of mind 和やかな家庭（なごやかなかてい） / a peaceful family 和え物（あえもの） / salad-like dishes (seafood, vegetables, etc.) dressed with sauce (miso or vinegar) 日和（ひより） / weather 愛 13 こころ心 love affection dear beloved アイ　　 *め・でる　 *いと・しい *まなあなたを愛してる（あなたをあいしてる） / I love you. 真実の愛（しんじつのあい） / true love 愛を込めて（あいをこめて） / with love 花を愛でる（はなをめでる） / love flowers and enjoy them, appreciate the beauty of the flowers 愛しい～（いとしい） / one's dear ~, one's beloved ~ 愛娘（まなむすめ） / one's beloved daughter 可愛い（かわいい） / cute, sweet, lovely, lovable, charming, pretty, kawaii 4 案 10 ききへん木 an idea a proposal a plan a scheme a draft devise think アン案内係（あんないがかり） / a guide, an usher ☆＝ガイド a clerk at the information desk 案の定（あんのじょう） / as expected, as I thought ☆＝やはり，やっぱり，予想通り（よそうどおり）案山子（かかし） / a scarecrow 4 以 5 ひと人 from (starting point) with by through イ　　　　 *もっ・て以上（いじょう） / more than, over, That's all. ☆⇔以下（いか） / below, less, follow 以後（いご） / after this, from now on, in future, hereafter, afterward ☆＝以降（いこう），今後（こんご）それ以来～（それいらい） / since then, ever since 以ての外（もってのほか） / unpardonable, outrageous, out of the question ☆＝問題外（もんだいがい） 4 衣 6 ころも衣 clothes a robe a gown a batter coating a bread-crumb coating イ　ころも実用的な衣類（じつようてきないるい） / utility clothes, practical garments 衣替え（ころもがえ） / a seasonal change of clothing 4 位 7 にんべん grade rank a position a numerical position イ　くらい順位（じゅんい） / ranking, order 単位（たんい） / a unit, a denomination, a credit 位が上がる（くらいがあがる） / rise in rank ☆位＝階級（かいきゅう），等級（とうきゅう）三位一体（さんみいったい） / the Trinity 4 囲 7 くにがまえ囗 enclose surround encircle besiege keep an enclosure a paling a fence イかこ・む　かこ・う　かこ・い範囲（はんい） / an extent, a range, a sphere 正解を丸で囲む（せいかいをまるでかこむ） / circle the right answer 鉄条網で囲う（てつじょうもうでかこう） / surround ~ with barbed-wire entanglements 囲いをする（かこいをする） / enclose, fence round 4 胃 9 つきつきへんにくづき月 the stomach イ胃が痛い（いがいたい） / have a stomachache, have a pain in one's stomach 4 印 6 ふしづくり卩 a seal a stamp a mark a sign a symbol an abbr of India イン　しるし印鑑（いんかん） / one's seal ☆＝判子（はんこ）印象的（いんしょうてき） / impressive, striking 目印（めじるし） / a mark, a sign, a landmark 4 英 8 くさかんむり excel an abbr of UK エイ伝説的な英雄（でんせつてきなえいゆう） / a legendary hero 英国（えいこく） / England, Great Britain, the United Kingdom ☆＝イギリス 4 栄 9 ききへん木 prosper flourish thrive be prosperous エイさか・えるは・え　　 *は・える栄転（えいてん） / transference on promotion 街が栄える（まちがさかえる） / the town prospers 栄えある勝利（はえあるしょうり） / a glorious victory 見栄えがする（みばえがする） / look nice, look attractive, look impressive →映える 4 塩 13 つちつちへん土 salt エンしお塩素（えんそ） / chlorine 塩水（しおみず） / salt water 塩っぱい（しょっぱい） / too salty 4 億 15 にんべん a hundred million オク億万長者（おくまんちょうじゃ） / a billionaire 4 加 5 ちから力 add include join give inflict annex append an abbr of Canada カくわ・える　くわ・わる加熱（かねつ） / heating にんにくを加える（にんにくをくわえる） / add garlic 危害を加える（きがいをくわえる） / inflict an injury グループに加わる（ぐるーぷにくわわる） / join the group 4 果 8 ききへん木 fruit a result a consequence an effect carry out finish accomplish achieve attain do execute discharge perform be finished end die the end the extremity the limit カ　は・たす　は・てる　は・て最終結果（さいしゅうけっか） / the end result, the final consequence, the eventual outcome 役割を果たす（やくわりをはたす） / play the role, fulfill one's part ☆果たす＝遂行する（すいこうする）変わり果てる（かわりはてる） / be completely changed (to wrong condition) 果てしない～（はてしない） / neverending, endless, everlasting, eternal, unending, illimitable 果物（くだもの） / fruit ☆＝フルーツ 4 貨 11 かいかいへん貝 goods freight money カ貨物船の船長（かもつせんのせんちょう） / the captain of a cargo ship (freighter) 4 課 15 ことばごんべん言 a lesson a section a division impose levy カ課題（かだい） / a task, an assignment, a theme 総務課の課長（そうむかのかちょう） / a section Chief of General Affairs Division ノルマを課する（のるまをかする） / impose quota (task) on 4 芽 8 くさかんむり a bud a sprout a germ seedling burgeon ガめ発芽（はつが） / germination, sprouting, budding 愛が芽生えた（あいがめばえた） / love began to grow 4 改 7 のぶん攵 change alter renew innovate correct reform revise improve become formal カイ　あらた・めるあらた・まる改良する（かいりょうする） / improve, make better ☆＝改善する（かいぜんする）規則を改める（きそくをあらためる） / revise the rules 改まる（あらたまる） / be renewed, be changed, be altered, be revised, be improved, become formal 4 械 11 ききへん木 a device an implement a mechanism カイ機械の部品（きかいのぶひん） / parts of a machine, mechanical parts ☆部品＝パーツ 4 害 10 うかんむり宀 harm injury damage evil effects hurt injure damage ガイ災害（さいがい） / a disaster, a calamity 害虫駆除（がいちゅうくじょ） / destruction of pests, extermination of noxious insects 4 街 12 ぎょうがまえゆきがまえ行 a town a city downtown a street a district an area a quarter ガイ　 *カイまち繁華街（はんかがい） / a downtown, a bustling street 暗黒街（あんこくがい） / the underworld, gangland 街道（かいどう） / a highway, a main road 街角（まちかど） / a street corner 4 各 6 くち口 each every カク　おのおの各駅停車（かくえきていしゃ） / stop at every station, a local train ☆＝鈍行（どんこう）各，各々（おのおの） / everyone, each, respectively, individually ☆＝各自（かくじ），それぞれ，めいめい 4 覚 12 みる見 remember memorize learn acquire master feel wake up awake disillusion disabuse undeceive カク　おぼ・える　おぼ・え　さ・ます　さ・める不覚（ふかく） / lack of care, a blunder, negligence 自覚（じかく） / self-knowledge, awareness 私を覚えてますか？（わたしをおぼえてますか） / Do you remember me? 身に覚えがない（みにおぼえがない） / There is no memory in myself., I have nothing to do with. デジタルの目覚まし時計（でじたるのめざましどけい） / a digital alarm clock 目覚める（めざめる） / awake, wake ☆＝起きる（おきる） come to one's senses, be awakened ☆＝自覚する（じかくする） 4 完 7 うかんむり宀 The End conclusion finish perfect complete カン完成（かんせい） / completion, accomplishment ☆⇔未完成（みかんせい） / unfinished, incomplete, imperfect 4 官 8 うかんむり宀 a bureaucrat Government senses カン官能的（かんのうてき） / sensual, luscious 4 管 14 たけたけかんむり竹 a tube a pipe a duct govern administer カン　　　　くだアパートの管理人（あぱーとのかんりにん） / a caretaker (janitor, custodian) of the cheap apartment (flat) ウェブサイトの管理者（うぇぶさいとのかんりしゃ） / an administrator of the website (web site) ☆ウェブサイト＝ホームページ管を巻く（くだをまく） / talk nonsense drunkenly 4 関 14 もんもんがまえ門 be related be concerned a checkpoint カン　　せき～に関して（にかんして） / about ~, regarding ~, as to ~ ☆＝～について無関心（むかんしん） / apathy, indifference, unconcern 関の山（せきのやま） / the utmost one can do 4 観 18 みる見 an appearance a look a spectacle a sight a view an outlook watch see look カン　　　　　　 *み・る先入観（せんにゅうかん） / a preoccupation, a bias 悲観的（ひかんてき） / pessimistic ☆⇔楽観的（らっかんてき） / optimistic アメリカンフットボールを観戦する（あめりかんふっとぼーるをかんせんする） / watch the American football game ☆アメリカンフットボール＝アメフト観賞する（かんしょうする） / admire, enjoy →見る 4 願 19 おおがい頁 wish hope desire request ask implore entreat pray ガン　ねが・う　ねが・い入学願書（にゅうがくがんしょ） / an application for admission to a school 願ってもないチャンス（ねがってもないちゃんす） / a chance in a million, a longed-for chance 願い事をする（ねがいごとをする） / make a wish お願いします（おねがいします） / please, I wish you to do., I need your help. 4 希 7 はばはばへん巾 rare uncommon unusual scarce few hope wish キ　 *まれ希望（きぼう） / hope, desire, expectation, request ☆＝望み（のぞみ）～のような冒険家は希である（のようなぼうけんかはまれである） / Adventurers such as ~ are rare.

kanji 5

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:39:42 GMT

3 悪 11 こころ心 evil wickedness vice badness a wicked person bad wrong wicked coarse inferior poor harmful injurious ill sick unwell unlucky ominous malignant sorry アクオわる・い　　　　わる　あ・しい悪意（あくい） / malice, ill will, malevolence 悪寒がする（おかんがする） / fell a chill 覚えが悪い（おぼえがわるい） / have a bad memory 何が悪い？（なにがわるい） / What's wrong? ☆＝何がいけない？悪いけど～（わるいけど） / I'm sorry but ~ ☆＝すまないけど～，申し訳ないけど～（もうしわけないけど）意地悪（いじわる） / unkind, spiteful, mean, malicious, malevolent 悪しからず（あしからず） / I hope you will not take it amiss. 悪戯（いたずら） / mischief, a prank, a trick, shenanigans 3 安 6 うかんむり宀 cheap inexpensive low reasonable moderate peaceful アンやす・い　 *やす・らか安心（あんしん） / peace of mind, relief 安い物（やすいもの） / an inexpensive article 安物（やすもの） / a cheap and nasty article 安らかな寝顔（やすらかなねがお） / one's peaceful sleeping face 3 暗 13 にちひらび日 dark gloomy dim low dismal sad shady shadowy be unfamiliar with implicitly tacitly indirectly darkness アンくら・い暗記（あんき） / memorization, learning by heart 暗い顔（くらいかお） / the glum face 暗闇（くらやみ） / darkness, the dark, the gloom 3 医 7 はこがまえかくしがまえ匚 medicine a doctor イ医学研究所（いがくけんきゅうじょ） / a medical research institute (laboratory) 3 委 8 おんなおんなへん女 entrust charge leave devote oneself イ *ゆだ・ねる委任（いにん） / trust, commission, commitment 全権を委ねる（ぜんけんをゆだねる） / entrust full powers to 3 意 13 こころ心 intention will a mind a sense meaning イ意味（いみ） / meaning, significance, a sense, the purport 同意（どうい） / agreement ☆＝同感（どうかん） consent, assent 意地を張る（いじをはる） / be stubborn, insist, persist 意固地（いこじ） / obstinate, perverse, cross-gained 3 育 8 つきつきへんにくづき月 grow bring up breed raise rear cultivate educate train foster develop イクそだ・つ　そだ・てる *はぐく・む教育者（きょういくしゃ） / an educator, an educationist 東京で育った（とうきょうでそだった） / grew up in Tokyo, I was bred in Tokyo. トマトを育てる（とまとをそだてる） / cultivate tomatoes 希望を育む（きぼうをはぐくむ） / nurse a hope 3 員 10 くち口 a member the prescribed number イン満員（まんいん） / full of people, crowded, loaded 3 院 10 こざとへん a public building a great mansion an Imperial palace an honorific title of royalty イン病院（びょういん） / a hospital, a clinic 入院する（にゅういんする） / enter the hospital, be hospitalized 退院する（たいいんする） / leave the hospital 3 飲 12 しょくへん drink take have swallow gulp guzzle swill quaff イン　の・む飲料水（いんりょうすい） / drinking water, mineral water ☆＝ミネラルウォータークリームソーダを飲む（くりーむそーだをのむ） / have an ice-cream soda 3 運 12 しんにゅうしんにょう luck fortune chance destiny fate lot carry convey transport go well ウン　はこ・ぶ運が良い（うんがいい） / be lucky, be fortunate, be in luck ☆⇔運が悪い（うんがわるい） / be unlucky, be unfortunate 自転車で運ぶ（じてんしゃではこぶ） / carry ~ on the bicycle ☆自転車＝ちゃり(slang)，ちゃりんこ (slang) 3 泳 8 さんずい swim エイおよ・ぐ　およ・ぎ水泳（すいえい） / swimming 室内プールで泳ぐ（しつないぷーるでおよぐ） / swim in an indoor swimming pool 泳ぎに行く（およぎにいく） / go swimming 3 駅 14 うまうまへん馬 a station a railroad station a railway station a depot エキ駅弁（えきべん） / a box lunch sold at a railroad station 3 央 5 だい大 middle center オウ中央（ちゅうおう） / the center, the middle ☆＝真ん中（まんなか） 3 横 15 ききへん木 the side the flank the width オウよこ横断歩道（おうだんほどう） / a pedestrian crossing 横切る（よこぎる） / cross, go across, traverse, intersect 3 屋 9 しかばね尸 a house a building a roof オクや屋上（おくじょう） / the housetop, the roof 屋根裏（やねうら） / an attic, a loft 鍛冶屋（かじや） / a blacksmith, a smith, a blacksmith's shop パン屋さん（ぱんやさん） / a baker, a bakery 3 温 12 さんずい temperature warm kindly mild warmth tepid lukewarm オンあたた・かあたた・かいあたた・まる　あたた・めるぬる・い　 *ぬく・い温度（おんど） / temperature 温かみがある（あたたかみがある） / be warmhearted 温かいスープ（あたたかいすーぷ） / warm soup 心温まる話（こころあたたまるはなし） / a heart-warming talk 温めなおす（あたためなおす） / rewarm, warm up 生温い（なまぬるい） / lukewarm, tepid, too mild, too lenient 温もり（ぬくもり） / warmth 3 化 4 さじのひ匕 chemistry change turn into transform bewitch enchant disguise カケ　ば・ける　　ば・かす変化（へんか） / change, variation, variety 化身（けしん） / the incarnation, the embodiment, an avatar 芸者に化ける（げいしゃにばける） / disguise oneself as a Geisha, masquerade as a Geisha ☆化ける＝変装する（へんそうする）～に化かされる（にばかされる） / be bewitched by ~ 3 荷 10 くさかんむり a load cargo freight goods a burden カ　に入荷（にゅうか） / arrival of goods ☆⇔出荷（しゅっか） / shipment, shipping 手荷物（てにもつ） / baggage, luggage 重荷（おもに） / deadweight, a heavy burden 3 界 9 たたへん田 a world circles a sphere a realm border カイ結界（けっかい） / Kekkai, the invisible barrier by magical powers for obstructing invasion of evil 3 開 12 もんもんがまえ門 open start uncover unfold unroll unpack unseal bloom give hold develop pioneer カイ　ひら・くひら・けるあ・くあ・ける開始する（かいしする） / begin, start, open, launch ☆＝始める（はじめる）パーティーを開く（ぱーてぃーをひらく） / give a party 開けた国（ひらけたくに） / a civilized country 午前９時に開く（ごぜんくじにあく） / open at 9 a.m 鍵を開ける（かぎをあける） / unlock, open a lock ドアを開ける（どあをあける） / open the door 3 階 12 こざとへん a floor a story カイ階段（かいだん） / stairs, stairway, steps 3 寒 12 うかんむり宀 cold chilly bleak midwinter the cold season カン　さむ・い寒波（かんぱ） / a cold wave ☆⇔熱波（ねっぱ） / a heat wave 寒い朝（さむいあさ） / a cold morning 3 感 13 こころ心 feeling sensation emotion admiration an impression feel be aware カン感心する（かんしんする） / admire, feel admiration ☆＝感嘆する（かんたんする）感動する（かんどうする） / be moved, be touched, be impressed 感じる（かんじる） / feel, be aware 3 漢 13 さんずい a man Han カン暴漢に襲われる（ぼうかんにおそわれる） / be assaulted by a thug 3 館 16 しょくへん a mansion a palace a castle カン　　　やかた図書館（としょかん） / a library 水族館（すいぞくかん） / an aquarium スウェーデン大使館（すうぇーでんたいしかん） / Embassy of Sweden あの館の住人（あのやかたのじゅうにん） / dwellers of that mansion, inhabitants of that palace 3 岸 8 やまやまへん山 the shore the bank the coast the border ガンきし岸壁（がんぺき） / a quay, a wharf 向こう岸（むこうぎし） / opposite bank 3 起 10 はしるそうにょう走 get up wake up awake rise arouse raise happen occur break out arise originate キ　お・きる　お・こる　　お・こす起源（きげん） / the origin, the beginning ☆＝始まり（はじまり）どうしたの？何が起きたの？（どうしたの，なにがおきたの） / What's up? What happened? とんでもない事が起こった（とんでもないことがおこった） / The unbelievable thing happened., The surprising affair arose. ５時に起こして（ごじにおこして） / Wake me up at five. 3 期 12 つきつきへんにくづき月 a period an age a date a time a term a session a stage expect decide キ　 *ゴ期せずして（きせずして） / unexpectedly, accidentally ☆＝不意に（ふいに）最期（さいご） / one's last moment, one's death, one's deathbed 3 客 9 うかんむり宀 a visitor a caller a guest a customer a client a passenger キャクカク乗客（じょうきゃく） / a passenger 刺客（しかく） / an assassin, a killer, a slayer, a hit man, a stabber ☆＝殺し屋（ころしや） 3 究 7 あなあなかんむり穴 study thoroughly investigate thoroughly master キュウきわ・める研究（けんきゅう） / research, study, inquiry 料理を究める（りょうりをきわめる） / master cooking 3 急 9 こころ心 emergency urgency urgent hurry hasten pressing sudden abrupt steep sharp swift rapid キュウ　いそ・ぐ緊急事態（きんきゅうじたい） / a state of emergency, an emergency situation ☆＝非常事態（ひじょうじたい）急いで！（いそいで） / Hurry up!, Be quick! ☆＝急げ（いそげ），早く（はやく），ぐずぐずするな 3 級 9 いといとへん糸 a grade a class a form キュウ特権階級（とっけんかいきゅう） / the privileged classes 一級建築士（いっきゅうけんちくし） / a first-grade registered architect 3 宮 10 うかんむり宀 a shrine an Imperial palace an honorific title of royalty キュウグウ *クみや宮廷（きゅうてい） / the Court 宮司（ぐうじ） / the chief priest of a Shinto shrine 宮内庁（くないちょう） / the Imperial Household Agency 宮参り（みやまいり） / visit a shrine 3 球 11 おうおうへんたまへん王 a sphere a globe a ball an orb キュウたま地球（ちきゅう） / the earth 球拾い（たまひろい） / to pick up balls for the other players, to act as ball boy 3 去 5 む厶 leave go away quit キョコさ・る去年（きょねん） / last year ☆＝昨年（さくねん）過去（かこ） / the past, bygone days 京都を去る（きょうとをさる） / leave Kyoto 3 橋 16 ききへん木 a bridge キョウはし歩道橋（ほどうきょう） / pedestrian bridge 橋渡し（はしわたし） / mediation, good offices ☆＝仲介（ちゅうかい） 3 業 13 ききへん木 a deed work an act karma ギョウ　　ゴウ　わざ職業（しょくぎょう） / a job, an occupation 残業（ざんぎょう） / overtime work ☆＝時間外労働（じかんがいろうどう）自業自得（じごうじとく） / the result of its own deed 業が深い（ごうがふかい） / be sinful 誰の仕業だ？（だれのしわざだ） / Who the devil did it?, Whose deed did it? 3 曲 6 にちひらび日 music a tune a melody curve bend crook turn round awry lean a quantifier キョクま・がるま・げる作曲（さっきょく） / musical composition 右に曲がる（みぎにまがる） / turn to the right 意志を曲げる（いしをまげる） / act against one's will 3 局 7 しかばね尸 a department a bureau a situation a game キョク結局（けっきょく） / after all ☆＝やはり，やっぱり ultimately, in the end ☆＝最終的に（さいしゅうてきに） 3 銀 14 かねかねへん金 silver ギン銀行（ぎんこう） / a bank 3 区 4 はこがまえかくしがまえ匚 a ward a township a section a district ク区別（くべつ） / distinction, discrimination 3 苦 8 くさかんむり pain suffering an affliction anxiety worries cares hardship trouble privation painful hard difficult tough bitter poor needy strained ク　くる・しい　くる・しむ　くる・しめる　くる・しみ　　にが・いにが・る苦労する（くろうする） / have a hard time ☆＝苦心する（くしんする）苦しい言い訳（くるしいいいわけ） / a poor excuse, a lame plea ☆言い訳＝弁解（べんかい）理解に苦しむ（りかいにくるしむ） / be hard to understand, be beyond my comprehension 痛みに苦しめられる（いたみにくるしめられる） / be tortured by pain 苦しみ（くるしみ） / pain, a pang ☆＝苦痛（くつう） distress, affliction, anguish, angst ☆＝苦悩（くのう） sufferings, trouble, hardship ☆＝苦難（くなん）苦い経験（にがいけいけん） / a bitter experience 苦笑い（にがわらい） / a strained smile, a wry smile 3 具 8 はちはちがしら八 a tool ingredients グ道具（どうぐ） / a tool, an instrument, an implement 具合（ぐあい） / a condition, a state 3 君 7 くち口 you an honorific title クン　　　　　きみ諸君（しょくん） / you, My friends, Ladies and Gentlemen (Do not use 諸君 to your senior.) ～君（くん） / ~ kun (An honorific which attaches after a name (mainly to male and your junior). There is no apt English word.) ☆＝～さん (It's able to use irrespective of age or sex.) ☆＝～ちゃん (Use to children or on friendly terms.) 君も知ってるだろ？，さあ…（きみもしってるだろ，さあ） / Do you know it, too? - I'm not sure. (It's better not to say 君 to your senior.) ☆君＝おまえ，あんた (It's used on friendly terms.) ☆君＝きさま，てめえ，おのれ (These are defiant words.) 3 係 9 にんべん charge duty business concern affect relation connection ケイかかりかか・わる　かか・わり関係（かんけい） / relation, relationship 受付係（うけつけがかり） / a reception clerk, a receptionist 係わり合いたくない（かかわりあいたくない） / do not want to get involved 係わりがない（かかわりがない） / have nothing to do with 3 軽 12 くるまくるまへん車 light trifling slight insignificant easy flippant frivolous ケイ　かる・い　　　かろ・やか軽率（けいそつ） / thoughtless, imprudent, indiscreet, hasty ☆＝軽はずみ（かるはずみ），浅はか（あさはか）羽毛のように軽い（うもうのようにかるい） / be light as a feather 口が軽い（くちがかるい） / be a blabbermouth ☆⇔口が堅い（くちがかたい） / can keep a secret 軽やかにジョギングする（かろやかにじょぎんぐする） / jog airily 3 血 6 ち血 blood lineage ケツ　ち出血（しゅっけつ） / bleeding, hemorrhage 血行（けっこう） / the circulation of the blood 鼻血（はなぢ） / a nosebleed 3 決 7 さんずい decide resolve determine fix settle set choose a vote ケツ　　き・めるき・まる解決（かいけつ） / solution, settlement 決行（けっこう） / carrying out, execution, fulfillment (to do with resolutions in spite of difficulties) 日時を決める（にちじをきめる） / set the date and time 決まって～する（きまってする） / make it a rule to ~ 3 研 9 いしいしへん石 research study whet grind sharpen strop wash ケン　と・ぐ研修生（けんしゅうせい） / a trainee ☆＝実習生（じっしゅうせい）包丁を研ぐ（ほうちょうをとぐ） / whet a kitchen knife 3 県 9 めめへん目 a prefecture ケン［あがた］県警（けんけい） / prefectural police - 3 庫 10 まだれ广 a warehouse a storehouse コ *ク金庫（きんこ） / a safe, a strongbox, a vault, coffers 庫裏（くり） / a chief priest's home 3 湖 12 さんずい a lake コみずうみ湖面（こめん） / the surface of a lake フィンランドは森と湖の国（ふぃんらんどはもりとみずうみのくに） / Finland is a country of forest and lakes. 3 向 6 くち口 turn one's head look turn face be opposite go toward oppose confront be fit suit a direction a quarter コウむ・くむ・ける　む・かうむ・こうむ・き傾向（けいこう） / a trend, an inclination 振り向く（ふりむく） / turn face, look back 顔向けできない（かおむけできない） / lose face, be unable to show my face 向かい合う（むかいあう） / face each other 向こう側（むこうがわ） / the other side 向きになる（むきになる） / become serious 風向き（かざむき） / the direction of the wind, the situation, one's humor, one's mood 日向（ひなた） / the sunshine, a sunny place 3 幸 8 ほす干 happiness good fortune good luck happy lucky fortunate natural products コウ　　さいわ・い　　さちしあわ・せ不幸（ふこう） / unhappiness, misfortune, miserable, unhappy, unfortunate, bereavement, fatality ☆⇔幸福（こうふく），幸せ（しあわせ） / happiness 幸いにも（さいわいにも） / mercifully, fortunately ☆＝幸運にも（こううんにも），お陰様で（おかげさまで） ☆⇔不運にも（ふうんにも） / unfortunately 海の幸（うみのさち） / seafood 幸せ者（しあわせもの） / a lucky (blessed) person ☆＝果報者（かほうもの） 3 港 12 さんずい a harbor a port コウみなと成田空港（なりたくうこう） / Narita Airport 港町（みなとまち） / a port town, a seaport 3 号 5 くち口 a number an issue a title ゴウ電話番号（でんわばんごう） / a telephone number, a phone number 郵便番号（ゆうびんばんごう） / a zip code, a postcode 3 根 10 ききへん木 a root the origin the cause nature a radical コン　　ね根気（こんき） / perseverance, patience, persistence ☆＝忍耐力（にんたいりょく），粘り強さ（ねばりづよさ）球根（きゅうこん） / a bulb (plant) 根っから～（ねっから） / by nature, naturally, inborn ☆＝生まれつき（うまれつき） 3 祭 11 しめす示 a festival a celebration a fete deify enshrine worship サイまつ・る　まつ・り祭壇（さいだん） / an altar 先祖を祭る（せんぞをまつる） / enshrine one's ancestors ☆先祖＝祖先（そせん）後の祭り（あとのまつり） / to be too late, to have nothing that can be done ☆＝手遅れ（ておくれ） (Do not use 後の祭り under the serious state.) 3 皿 5 さら皿 a plate a dish さら灰皿（はいざら） / an ashtray 3 仕 5 にんべん serve work under attend on シ　 *ジつか・える仕事（しごと） / a job, business, labor, work, a task, employment, an occupation 給仕する（きゅうじする） / serve 神に仕える（かみにつかえる） / serve God 3 死 6 いちたがつへん歹 death decease demise die perish dead シ　　　　し・ぬ死角（しかく） / a dead angle, a blind spot 死亡者（しぼうしゃ） / the dead, the deceased, deaths ☆＝死者（ししゃ） ☆⇔生存者（せいぞんしゃ） / a survivor 不死鳥（ふしちょう） / a phoenix 暑くて死にそう（あつくてしにそう） / The heat is killing me. 死に神，死神（しにがみ） / the god of death, Death, the Grim Reaper 3 使 8 にんべん use employ handle operate manage spend consume an errand a messenger シ　　　　つか・う使命（しめい） / a mission, an appointed task ☆＝任務（にんむ）天使（てんし） / an angel, a cherub, a celestial カナダ大使（かなだたいし） / a Canada's ambassador, a Canadian ambassador 新兵器を使う（しんへいきをつかう） / use a new weapon ☆使う＝使用する（しようする）使い方（つかいかた） / how to use 3 始 8 おんなおんなへん女 begin start open commence date originate arise シはじ・める　　はじ・まるはじ・め後始末（あとしまつ） / disposal after the job, clean-up 雪が降り始めた（ゆきがふりはじめた） / It began to snow. いつ始めようか？いつでもいいよ（いつはじめようか，いつでもいいよ） / When shall we start? - Any time will do. もうすぐ始まる（もうすぐはじまる） / It will start soon. 始めから終わりまで（はじめからおわりまで） / from start to finish, from beginning to end, from first to last 3 指 9 てへん a finger a toe point to indicate シゆびさ・す指名する（しめいする） / nominate, designate, name トパーズの指輪（とぱーずのゆびわ） / a topaz ring パイロットを目指す（ぱいろっとをめざす） / aim at a pilot 3 歯 12 は歯 a tooth a cog シは歯石（しせき） / tartar, dental calculus 歯医者（はいしゃ） / a dentist, a dental clinic 歯ブラシ（はぶらし） / a toothbrush 歯磨き粉（はみがきこ） / toothpaste, dental cream 3 詩 13 ことばごんべん言 a poem poetry verse シ詩人（しじん） / a poet, a poetess 3 次 6 かけるあくび欠 next the following ジシ　つ・ぐつぎ次回（じかい） / next time 手当たり次第（てあたりしだい） / at random, haphazardly 取り次ぐ（とりつぐ） / answer the door, transmit 次々と（つぎつぎと） / one after another, successively 3 事 8 はねぼう亅 a thing a matter an affair an incident an event circumstances a fact a case an accident trouble a cause a reason ジ　　　　　　　　　　　 *ズ　こと事実（じじつ） / fact, a reality, the case, the truth 事実上（じじつじょう） / practically, virtually ☆＝実質的に（じっしつてきに）事情（じじょう） / the situation, circumstances, conditions, reasons 大事（だいじ） / precious, dear, valuable, important ☆＝大切（たいせつ） a great matter, a serious matter どうぞお大事に（どうぞおだいじに） / Take care of yourself., I hope you get better soon. 一大事（いちだいじ） / a serious matter, a serious affair ☆＝大事（おおごと）好事家（こうずか） / a curious person ☆＝物好きな人（ものずきなひと）事を荒立てる（ことをあらだてる） / make matters worse まずい事になる（まずいことになる） / get into trouble, get into an awkward position, get the unfavorable matter 3 持 9 てへん have hold take carry own possess keep bear pay ジも・つ　　　　も・ち持病（じびょう） / a chronic disease, an old complaint 別宅を持つ（べったくをもつ） / have an another house 持て成す（もてなす） / entertain, be hospitable to 持って来る（もってくる） / bring ~ (things) with ~ 持って行く（もっていく） / take ~ (things) with ~, bring ~ (things) with ~ 持ちつ持たれつ（もちつもたれつ） / give-and-take, helping each other 3 式 6 しきがまえ弋 a ceremony rituals rites a function a method a system a style a type a fashion an expression a formula シキ成人式（せいじんしき） / a coming-of-age ceremony 新式（しんしき） / a new style, a new method ☆⇔旧式（きゅうしき） / an old type, old-fashioned 化学式（かがくしき） / the chemical formula 3 実 8 うかんむり宀 fruit a nut a berry ingredients substance true real actual ジツ　　　　　みみの・る実力（じつりょく） / real ability, capability 現実的（げんじつてき） / realistic, down-to-earth, practical ☆⇔非現実的（ひげんじつてき） / unrealistic, unreal 実は～（じつは） / Really ~, Actually ~, in point of fact, as a matter of fact 実話（じつわ） / a true story, a real-life story 実入りがいい（みいりがいい） / be profitable バナナが実った（ばなながみのった） / bananas have fruited 3 写 5 わかんむり冖 copy transcribe reproduce trace photograph シャうつ・すうつ・るうつ・し写真（しゃしん） / a photograph, a photo, a pic 書き写す（かきうつす） / transcribe 写りがいい（うつりがいい） / be photogenic 議事録の写し（ぎじろくのうつし） / a copy of the minutes, a duplicate of the Proceedings 3 者 8 おいがしらおいかんむり a person one a being some シャ　　もの第三者（だいさんしゃ） / a third party, an outsider ☆＝部外者（ぶがいしゃ）科学者（かがくしゃ） / a scientist 若者（わかもの） / the young, young folks, a lad 浮気者（うわきもの） / a flirt, a philanderer 3 主 5 てん丶 the master the head the owner the proprietor the guardian spirit an old-timer an old-stager the Lord one's husband main principal シュ　 *スぬしおも *あるじ主人（しゅじん） / my husband, the master, the host, the landlord 坊主（ぼうず） / a shaved head, a bonze, Boy! 地主（じぬし） / a landlord, a landowner 主に（おもに） / mainly, principally, mostly, generally 主（あるじ） / the head of the family 3 守 6 うかんむり宀 protect defend guard obey keep follow observe promise シュ　 *スまも・る　まも・りもり守備（しゅび） / defense, fielding ☆＝ディフェンス a defender, a fielder ☆＝ディフェンダー留守（るす） / being away, absence 約束を守る（やくそくをまもる） / keep one's promise, fulfill my engagement (appointment) お守り（おまもり） / an amulet, a talisman 子守（こもり） / a nurse, a nursemaid, a baby-sitter 3 取 8 また又 take pick up hold seize get hand pass gain obtain secure have deprive reserve order choose remove construe シュと・る取材（しゅざい） / collection of data, coverage ソースを取ってください（そーすをとってください） / Please pass me the worcestershire sauce. 仮眠を取る（かみんをとる） / take a nap (doze) 宿を取る（やどをとる） / reserve accommodations 3 酒 10 さけのとりひよみのとり酉 Sake liquor alcohol drink booze シュさけ　 *さか飲酒運転（いんしゅうんてん） / drunken driving 酒癖が悪い（さけぐせがわるい） / turn nasty when drunk 酒屋（さかや） / a sake shop, a liquor store 居酒屋（いざかや） / Izakaya, a Japanese-style tavern (saloon, pub) 3 受 8 また又 get receive take have obtain catch suffer incur sustain accept ジュう・けるう・け　う・かる受験する（じゅけんする） / take an examination 被害を受ける（ひがいをうける） / suffer damages 受けが良い（うけがいい） / go down well, be in favor, be in good repute 追試に受かる（ついしにうかる） / pass the retake ☆受かる＝合格する（ごうかくする） 3 州 6 さんぼんがわ川 a province a state a shire a sandbank a shoal a sandbar シュウす本州（ほんしゅう） / the main island of Japan 三角州（さんかくす） / a delta 3 拾 9 てへん pick up gather have シュウひろ・う拾得物（しゅうとくぶつ） / a found article 落とし物を拾う（おとしものをひろう） / pick up a lost article 3 終 11 いといとへん糸 end finish close stop be over last terminate complete expire シュウ　お・わる　お・えるお・わり終点（しゅうてん） / the terminus, the last stop, a terminal station ☆＝終着駅（しゅうちゃくえき）失敗に終わる（しっぱいにおわる） / end up in failure (failing) 仕事を終える（しごとをおえる） / finish one's work もう終わりだ（もうおわりだ） / It is all up with ~., close soon, finish soon ☆＝もうおしまいだ 3 習 11 はね羽 learn be taught take lessons study practice the custom tradition a habit シュウ　　なら・うなら・いなら・わし自動車教習所（じどうしゃきょうしゅうじょ） / a driving school 習性（しゅうせい） / a habit, one's way, behavior スキーを習う（すきーをならう） / take lessons in ski 習い事（ならいごと） / lessons by a master 先祖伝来の習わし（せんぞでんらいのならわし） / an ancestral custom ☆習わし＝風習（ふうしゅう），しきたり集 12 ふるとり隹 collect gather make a collection of meet assemble crowd swarm concentrate converge シュウあつ・まる　あつ・まり　あつ・めるつど・う　つど・い集合時間（しゅうごうじかん） / the appointed time 皆集まった？（みんなあつまった） / Is everybody here? ☆皆＝全員（ぜんいん）隣人の集まり（りんじんのあつまり） / a gathering of neighbors (neighborhood) 切手を集める（きってをあつめる） / collect stamps 一堂に集う（いちどうにつどう） / gather in a hall, meet together in a room 食後の集い（しょくごのつどい） / an after-dinner get-together 3 住 7 にんべん live inhabit dwell ジュウす・む　す・まい住所（じゅうしょ） / one's address フランスに住んでいます（ふらんすにすんでいます） / I live in France. お住まいはどちらですか？（おすまいはどちらですか） / Where do you live?, What is your address, please? 3 重 9 さと里 heavy important weighty serious grave severe weight pile up repeat overlap ジュウ　　チョウ　えおも・いかさ・ねるかさ・なる重要（じゅうよう） / important, crucial, vital, essential significant ☆＝重大（じゅうだい）無重力（むじゅうりょく） / weightlessness, zero gravity 重宝な辞書（ちょうほうなじしょ） / an useful dictionary ☆辞書＝辞典（じてん）二重瞼（ふたえまぶた） / eyelids with a fold 気が重い（きがおもい） / feel heavy 荷物を重ねる（にもつをかさねる） / pile up baggage 用が重なる（ようがかさなる） / business is overlapped 3 宿 11 うかんむり宀 accommodations a lodging a hotel an inn lodge stay シュクやどやど・るやど・す宿題（しゅくだい） / homework, an assignment 宿屋（やどや） / sleeping facilities 雨宿り（あまやどり） / sheltering from the rain 子を宿す（こをやどす） / conceive a child 3 所 8 とだれ戸 a place a spot a scene a seat an address a locality a district an area a point a part space ショ　ところ所得（しょとく） / income, earnings, profits ☆＝収入（しゅうにゅう），稼ぎ（かせぎ）台所（だいどころ） / a kitchen ☆＝キッチン，お勝手（おかって）所以（ゆえん） / a reason, grounds 此所，此処（ここ） / here 其所，其処（そこ） / there 3 暑 12 にちひらび日 hot warm sultry ショあつ・いあつ・さ避暑地（ひしょち） / a summer resort 今日は暑い（きょうはあつい） / It is hot today. 暑さ凌ぎに～（あつさしのぎに） / so as to forget the heat 3 助 7 ちから力 help assist aid support save rescue relieve ジョ　たす・ける　　たす・かる　　　たす・けすけ救助（きゅうじょ） / rescue, relief, salvation, deliverance ☆＝救出（きゅうしゅつ）助けて！（たすけて） / Help me! 消火を助ける（しょうかをたすける） / assist fire fighting 消化を助ける（しょうかをたすける） / aid the digestion 助かるよ，どうもありがとう（たすかるよ，どうもありがとう） / Thank you very much for your help. ☆＝助かります，どうもありがとうございます (polite language) 助けを呼ぶ（たすけをよぶ） / cry for help, call for rescue 助太刀（すけだち） / assistance ☆＝手助け（てだすけ）

kanji 4

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:29:22 GMT

2 朝 12 つきつきへんにくづき月 morning チョウあさ朝食（ちょうしょく） / breakfast ☆＝朝ご飯（あさごはん）朝寝坊（あさねぼう） / late riser 今朝（けさ） / this morning 2 直 8 めめへん目 immediately at once instantly straightaway nearly soon just right easily directly mend repair fix reform restore correct revise amend improve remedy change alter チョク　ジキ　　　ただ・ちに　なお・すなお・る　す・ぐ *じか直接（ちょくせつ） / directly, at first hand ☆＝直に（じかに）正直（しょうじき） / honesty, veracity, uprightness, sincerity, rectitude, truthfulness, honest, upright, truthful 正直言うと（しょうじきいうと） / to tell the truth, speaking truthfully ☆＝ぶっちゃけ (slang)，正直（しょうじき）直ちに（ただちに） / immediately, at once, urgently ☆＝すぐに，至急（しきゅう）機嫌を直す（きげんをなおす） / restore a bad mood 居直る（いなおる） / resign oneself and become strong, turn aggressive 直ぐ怒る（すぐおこる） / be easily offended 直談判（じかだんぱん） / direct negotiations 2 通 10 しんにゅうしんにょう pass through admit be known be granted frequent attend communicate be familiar with an expert a connoisseur a quantifier ツウ　 *ツとお・る　とお・すとお・り　とお・し　かよ・うかよ・い一通の手紙（いっつうのてがみ） / a letter, a note 通行止め（つうこうどめ） / closed to traffic 通夜（つや） / a wake, a deathwatch 名の通った作家（なのとおったさっか） / a well-known writer, a famous novelist, a renowned author 目を通す（めをとおす） / look through いつも通り（いつもどおり） / as usual ☆＝通常通り（つうじょうどおり）通し番号（とおしばんごう） / serial numbers, consecutive numbers 電車で通う（でんしゃでかよう） / commute by train 通い詰める（かよいつめる） / frequent, pay frequent visits 2 弟 7 ゆみゆみへん弓 my younger brother a little brother テイ *ダイ *デおとうと門弟（もんてい） / a pupil, a disciple ☆＝弟子（でし）兄弟分（きょうだいぶん） / a sworn brother, brotherhood 弟子入りする（でしいりする） / be apprenticed to 末の弟（すえのおとうと） / a youngest brother 2 店 8 まだれ广 a store a shop a stall a booth a kiosk テンみせ店員（てんいん） / a salesclerk, a shop assistant 店を開ける（みせをあける） / open the store ☆＝開店する（かいてんする） 2 点 9 れんがれっか a point a dot a spot a speck a speckle a mark a grade a score a run a respect a location a standpoint light up kindle switch on burn テン　 *つ・ける点滅する（てんめつする） / flash (turn) on and off, blink 火を点ける（ひをつける） / light up, kindle, ignite ☆＝点火する（てんかする） 2 電 13 あめあめかんむり雨 electricity an abbr of electric train an abbr of telegram デン電気をつける（でんきをつける） / switch the electric light on ☆＝明かりをつける（あかりをつける）電子レンジ（でんしれんじ） / a microwave oven 2 刀 2 かたな刀 Katana a sword the blade トウかたな名刀（めいとう） / a celebrated Katana 刀は武士の魂です（かたなはぶしのたましいです） / The katana is the soul of a samurai. ☆刀＝日本刀（にほんとう）太刀（たち） / a sword, Katana 竹刀（しない） / a bamboo sword 2 冬 5 にすい冫 winter トウふゆ冬至（とうじ） / the winter solstice 冬休み（ふゆやすみ） / the winter holidays (vacation) 2 当 6 ちいさいなおがしら小 hit strike bump win touch incur expose apply hold allot assign guess undertake treat harshly correspond be poisoned reliance an aim this in question the said トウ　　あ・たる　　　あ・たりあ・てるあ・てえー本当ですか？（えーほんとうですか） / Oh! Really?, Indeed? ☆＝マジかよ？ (マジ is a contracted form of 真面目. So マジ has a meaning of "serious", too., slang) 的に当たる（まとにあたる） / hit the target ☆＝命中する（めいちゅうする）生水に当たる（なまみずにあたる） / be poisoned by unboiled water 当たり散らす（あたりちらす） / snap at everybody 日に当てる（ひにあてる） / expose to the sun 当てにする（あてにする） / depend on, expect, put reliance on 2 東 8 ききへん木 east トウ　　ひがし東洋（とうよう） / the Orient, Oriental, Eastern 南東（なんとう） / southeast, SE ☆＝東南（とうなん）北東（ほくとう） / northeast, NE ☆＝東北（とうほく）東側（ひがしがわ） / the east (eastern) side 2 答 12 たけたけかんむり竹 an answer a reply a response a rejoinder a solution answer solve reply respond トウ　　　　　こた・えるこた・え自問自答（じもんじとう） / self-questioning and answering oneself 解答する（かいとうする） / solve (a problem), answer (a question) 回答する（かいとうする） / reply to an inquiry ☆＝質問に返事をする（しつもんにへんじをする）問いに答える（といにこたえる） / answer a question 答えを出す（こたえをだす） / get an answer, work out a solution 2 頭 16 おおがい頁 the head brains the hair a leader a chief a boss the beginning a quantifier トウズ *トあたま　かしらキリン７頭（きりんななとう） / seven giraffes 頭痛（ずつう） / a headache 音頭をとる（おんどをとる） / take the lead 頭でっかち（あたまでっかち） / big-headed, top-heavy with ideas or information 頭文字（かしらもじ） / the first letter of a word 2 同 6 くち口 the same identical equivalent similar like common ドウ　　　おな・じ同情（どうじょう） / sympathy, compassion 同士（どうし） / a fellow, a mate 同志（どうし） / a comrade, a kindred spirit (people with the same principle, opinion and aim) 同じ（おなじ） / equivalence, equivalent ☆＝同等（どうとう） the same, identical ☆＝同一（どういつ） similar, like ☆＝同様（どうよう），同類（どうるい） common ☆＝共通（きょうつう） 2 道 12 しんにゅうしんにょう a way a road a street a path a lane a pass an alley a route a course ドウ *トウみち道路工事（どうろこうじ） / road repairing 神道（しんとう） / Shintoism 道草を食う（みちくさをくう） / loiter on the way ジグザグの道（じぐざぐのみち） / a zigzag road 2 読 14 ことばごんべん言 read peruse recite chant guess conjecture decipher foresight ドク *トウよ・む　　　よ・み読書（どくしょ） / reading 句読点（くとうてん） / punctuation marks 読む（よむ） / read ☆＝読書する（どくしょする） guess, conjecture ☆＝察する（さっする） recite, chant, read ☆＝唱える（となえる）空気を読む（くうきをよむ） / feel atmosphere 読み方（よみかた） / a way of reading, reading 音読み（おんよみ） / On'yomi, the Chinese reading of the Kanji 訓読み（くんよみ） / Kun'yomi, the Japanese reading of the Kanji 2 内 4 けいがまえ冂 the inside the interior inner internal indoors within while during in between among amid I my family ナイ　 *ダイうち内容（ないよう） / contents, substance, the purport 内面の美しさ（ないめんのうつくしさ） / inner beauty 内裏様（だいりさま） / Emperor 内気（うちき） / shy, bashful, retiring, introvert ☆⇔外向的（がいこうてき） / extrovert, outgoing 2 南 9 じゅう十 south ナンみなみ南極（なんきょく） / the Antarctic, the South Pole 南十字星（みなみじゅうじせい） / the Southern Cross 2 肉 6 にく肉 meat flesh ニク肉屋（にくや） / a butcher, a meat shop, a meat store 2 馬 10 うまうまへん馬 a horse a pony バ　　　　　　　うま　　 *ま乗馬（じょうば） / horse riding 馬鹿（ばか） / foolish, silly, stupid, a fool, an idiot, a blockhead, a stupid, an ass, a jerk, a moron ☆＝阿呆（あほう），まぬけ，とんま，ボケ excessively, overly 馬鹿馬鹿しい（ばかばかしい） / silly, stupid, absurd, crap, ridiculous, nonsensical ☆＝阿呆らしい（あほうらしい）馬が合う（うまがあう） / get along well, hit it off together, be kindred spirits ☆＝気が合う（きがあう）絵馬（えま） / Ema, a votive tablet 2 売 7 さむらい士 sell deal in vend betray バイう・る　　　　う・れる発売中（はつばいちゅう） / be on sale 売る（うる） / sell, deal in, vend ☆＝販売する（はんばいする） betray ☆＝裏切る（うらぎる）喧嘩を売る（けんかをうる） / pick a quarrel 売り切れ（うりきれ） / Sold out. 名が売れる（ながうれる） / be well-known, be famous 2 買 12 かいかいへん貝 buy purchase get take incur provoke appreciate バイか・う買収（ばいしゅう） / buying over, corruption パソコンを買う（ぱそこんをかう） / buy a personal computer ひんしゅくを買う（ひんしゅくをかう） / be frowned on by, incur ~ displeasure, scandalize, disgust 2 麦 7 むぎばくにょう麦 barley wheat バクむぎ麦芽（ばくが） / malt 小麦粉（こむぎこ） / flour 2 半 5 じゅう十 half semi- the middle an odd number ハン　なか・ば半分（はんぶん） / half, a half 九時半（くじはん） / half past nine ６０代半ばに（ろくじゅうだいなかばに） / in one's middle sixties 2 番 12 たたへん田 a number order one's turn watch guard lookout vigil a keeper バン交番（こうばん） / a police box ３番目（さんばんめ） / the third 2 父 4 ちち父 my father a father フ　ちち父母（ふぼ） / my father and mother, parents ☆＝両親（りょうしん）父の日（ちちのひ） / Father's Day お父さん（おとうさん） / Dad, Daddy, papa ☆＝おやじ，パパ，父さん（とうさん） one's father 叔父さん・伯父さん（おじさん） / an uncle 2 風 9 かぜ風 a wind a breeze a draft a current of air a style a type a look appearance a way a manner フウ　 *フかぜ *かざ風車（ふうしゃ） / a windmill こんな風に～（こんなふうに） / like this, in this way お風呂に入る（おふろにはいる） / take a bath そよ風（そよかぜ） / a breeze, a soft wind 風上（かざかみ） / the windward ☆⇔風下（かざしも） / the leeward, the lee 風邪（かぜ） / a cold 2 分 4 かたな刀 a minute part divide split separate distribute share classify assort sort out social position a rate understand see grasp know realize find フンブン　　　　ブわ・けるわ・かれる　　わ・かる　　　わ・かつ十分，１０分（じゅっぷん） / ten minutes 十分に（じゅうぶんに） / fully, thoroughly, sufficiently, well, enough, amply, plentifully, satisfactorily ☆＝充分に（じゅうぶんに）分解する（ぶんかいする） / decompose, resolve, break up, dismantle, disassemble, analyze ３６度５分（さんじゅうろくどごぶ） / 36.5 degrees おやつを分ける（おやつをわける） / share snacks 二手に分かれる（ふたてにわかれる） / separate (disperse) into two parties, divide (split) into two sections 時がたてば分かる（ときがたてばわかる） / Time will show. 分かりました（わかりました） / I see., I understand. 分かりません（わかりません） / I don't know., I can't understand., I'm not sure., No idea. 分かち合う（わかちあう） / share with 2 聞 14 みみみみへん耳 hear listen ask inquire take grant comply with ブン　モンき・く　　　き・こえる　　き・こえ新聞記者（しんぶんきしゃ） / a journalist, a pressman, a newspaper reporter 前代未聞（ぜんだいみもん） / unprecedented 聞く（きく） / ask, inquire ☆＝尋ねる（たずねる） hear, listen, follow, grant, comply with 聞いて！（きいて） / Listen!, Ask ~. ラジオを聞く（らじおをきく） / listen to the radio 皮肉に聞こえる（ひにくにきこえる） / sound ironical 声が聞こえない（こえがきこえない） / cannot hear you, cannot be heard, be inaudible 聞こえがいい（きこえがいい） / sound nice (respectable) 2 米 6 こめこめへん米 rice an abbr of America ベイマイこめ南米（なんべい） / South America 白米（はくまい） / polished rice 米を研ぐ（こめをとぐ） / wash rice 2 歩 8 とめる止 walk a step a pace ホブ *フある・く　あゆ・むあゆ・み散歩（さんぽ） / a walk, a stroll, a promenade, a ramble 歩合（ぶあい） / a percentage 歩（ふ） / a pawn, piece of shogi (Japanese chess) ゆっくり歩く（ゆっくりあるく） / walk slowly, walk leisurely 歩み寄る（あゆみよる） / walk up, compromise 歴史の歩み（れきしのあゆみ） / the course of history 2 母 5 なかれ毋 my mother a mother ボはは母校（ぼこう） / one's alma mater 母の日（ははのひ） / Mother's Day お母さん（おかあさん） / Mom, Mum, Mummy, mama, ma ☆＝おふくろ，おかん，ママ，母さん one's mother 叔母さん・伯母さん（おばさん） / an aunt 母屋（おもや） / the main building 2 方 4 ほうほうへん方 a side a way a direction a person one how to ~ a way of ~ ホウ　　　　　かた方法（ほうほう） / a method, a way ☆＝やり方（やりかた） a plan, a system ☆＝方式（ほうしき），方策（ほうさく） a means, a step ☆＝手段（しゅだん） a process ☆＝工程（こうてい）先方（せんぽう） / the other party, he, she, they 小さい方（ちいさいほう） / a smaller one 話し方（はなしかた） / a way of speaking こちらの方（こちらのかた） / this, this gentleman, this lady 行方（ゆくえ） / one's whereabouts ☆＝所在（しょざい）彼方（かなた） / far, beyond 2 北 5 さじのひ匕 north ホクきた北極（ほっきょく） / the Arctic, the North Pole 北風（きたかぜ） / a chilly north wind in winter 2 毎 6 なかれ毋 every each マイ毎朝（まいあさ） / every morning 毎日（まいにち） / every day, each day, everyday, daily 毎週（まいしゅう） / every week, each week, weekly 毎月（まいつき） / every month 毎年（まいとし） / every year, annually 毎度（まいど） / every time, each time ☆＝毎回（まいかい） always, constantly ☆＝いつも often, frequently ☆＝度々（たびたび），しばしば 2 妹 8 おんなおんなへん女 my younger sister a little sister マイいもうと姉妹校（しまいこう） / a sister school 末の妹（すえのいもうと） / one's youngest sister 2 万 3 いち一 ten thousand a myriad everything マン　バン　よろず万一（まんいち） / by any chance, by some rare accident, an emergency 万全を期す（ばんぜんをきす） / make thoroughgoing preparations to ensure, take all possible measures 万屋（よろずや） / a general store, Jacks-of-all-trades 2 明 8 にちひらび日 light bright cheerful clear distinct plain evident obvious be familiar with be an expert begin be over discernment insight メイ　　ミョウあ・かりあか・るい　あか・らむあき・らか　あ・けるあ・くあ・くるあ・かす明暗を分ける（めいあんをわける） / decide one's fate, decide the outcome (happy or unhappy) 先見の明（せんけんのめい） / farseeing discernment 光明（こうみょう） / bright light, a ray of hope 蝋燭の明かり（ろうそくのあかり） / candlelight 明るいうちに（あかるいうちに） / while it is light, before dark 空が明らむ（そらがあからむ） / The sky is lightening. 明らかな（あきらかな） / obvious, evident, apparent, distinct, clear 夜明け（よあけ） / daybreak, dawn, daylight 明け渡す（あけわたす） / vacate, surrender 明くる日（あくるひ） / the next day ☆＝翌日（よくじつ）種を明かす（たねをあかす） / reveal the trick 2 鳴 14 とりとりへん鳥 sound ring resound echo rumble chirp bark whine yelp mew meow moo neigh bray bleat grunt squeal squeak gibber bell crow cackle peep chirp coo hoot quack croak メイな・く　な・るな・らす悲鳴（ひめい） / a scream, a shriek, crying コオロギの鳴き声（こおろぎのなきごえ） / a chirp of a cricket 腕が鳴る（うでがなる） / I'm burning to try my hand at it. ベルを鳴らす（べるをならす） / ring the bell 2 毛 4 け毛 hair down fur wool pile cornsilk モウ　け不毛の議論（ふもうのぎろん） / a barren discussion, a sterile debate まつ毛（まつげ） / eyelashes, lashes 2 門 8 もんもんがまえ門 the gate the door モンかど門限（もんげん） / curfew, closing time, lockup 門出（かどで） / departure, setting off 2 夜 8 ゆうべ夕 night evening ヤ　　よ　よる徹夜（てつや） / vigil, sit up all night 十五夜（じゅうごや） / a night with a full moon, the fifteenth night of a lunar month 夜中（よなか） / midnight, the middle of the night ☆＝真夜中（まよなか），深夜（しんや）夜遅くまで（よるおそくまで） / till late at night, far into the night 十六夜（いざよい） / the sixteenth night of a lunar month 2 野 11 さと里 a field a plain ヤ　　の野生動物（やせいどうぶつ） / animals in the wild 野性的な男（やせいてきなおとこ） / a man with an air of wild nature (roughness) 野放し（のばなし） / pasturing, no interference 2 友 4 また又 a friend a mate a companion a pal ユウ　とも友好条約（ゆうこうじょうやく） / a treaty of friendship (amity) 生涯の友（しょうがいのとも） / a lifelong friend, a soulmate 2 用 5 もちいる用 business use service employ take adopt apply for ヨウ　　　もち・いる用事がある（ようじがある） / have something to do, have business, be busy 紳士用（しんしよう） / for gentlemen, men's ☆＝男物（おとこもの）～を用いて（をもちいて） / with ~, by ~, using ~, by use of ~, by means of ~ 2 曜 18 にちひらび日 a day of the week ヨウ曜日（ようび） / a day of the week 2 来 7 ききへん木 come reach arrive visit call be delivered become get next since derive ライく・る　　　きた・るきた・す来年（らいねん） / next year 友達が来る（ともだちがくる） / my friend comes over 取って来る（とってくる） / go and get, fetch バスが来た（ばすがきた） / the bus is coming まだ来ない（まだこない） / has not come yet 来る２０日に（きたるはつかに） / on the 20th 支障を来す（ししょうをきたす） / hinder, obstruct 2 里 7 さと里 a village the country one's parents' home リ　　さと郷里（きょうり） / one's hometown, one's birthplace ☆＝故郷（こきょう，ふるさと），古里（ふるさと） ☆＝出身地（しゅっしんち）里心がつく（さとごころがつく） / get homesick 2 理 11 おうおうへんたまへん王 reason a principle justice right truth リ　　 *ことわり理解する（りかいする） / understand, comprehend, grasp, apprehend 合理的（ごうりてき） / rational, reasonable, legitimate 理（ことわり） / reason, justice, right, truth ☆＝道理（どうり） 2 話 13 ことばごんべん言 talk speak tell mention narrate conversation a chat a topic a speech a lecture a story a tale consultation negotiation ワ　はな・す　　はなし話題（わだい） / a topic, the talk ☆＝話の種（はなしのたね） center of attention 話し合う（はなしあう） / discuss, talk with, consult 英語を話せますか？（えいごをはなせますか） / Do you speak English? 話がうますぎる（はなしがうますぎる） / That (story) sounds too good to be true.

kanji 3

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:24:16 GMT

画 8 たたへん田 a picture a drawing a painting a sketch a stroke カク　　ガ計画（けいかく） / a project ☆＝企画（きかく） a plan ☆＝プラン，案（あん），策（さく） a scheme ☆＝企み（たくらみ）画面（がめん） / the picture, the screen 画家（がか） / a painter, an artist 2 回 6 くにがまえ囗 a time a round an inning go around revolve rotate turn spin roll pass send カイ *エまわ・る　まわ・す回数券（かいすうけん） / a sheet of tickets 回向（えこう） / memorial service 気が回る（きがまわる） / be quick-witted, be tactful, be smart, be attentive ☆＝気が利く（きがきく）ハンドルを回す（はんどるをまわす） / turn the steering 2 会 6 やね meet see a meeting a gathering a party a society a club an association カイ　エあ・う国会（こっかい） / a national assembly, the Diet, Congress, Parliament 会釈（えしゃく） / smile for a greeting 今夜会いたい（こんやあいたい） / I want to see ~ tonight. 2 海 9 さんずい the sea an ocean カイうみ海岸（かいがん） / the seaside, the seashore, the coast 海鳴り（うみなり） / the roaring of the sea 海原（うなばら） / vast sea 海女（あま） / a woman diver for abalones 海老（えび） / a lobster, a shrimp 海苔（のり） / laver 2 絵 12 いといとへん糸 a picture a drawing a painting a sketch カイエ絵画（かいが） / a picture, a painting 絵空事（えそらごと） / a fiction, imaginary 2 外 5 ゆうべ夕 the outside the exterior the outdoors the open another other take off remove unfasten undo miss leave omit drop erase be off ガイ　　　ゲ　そとほか　はず・すはず・れる外国（がいこく） / a foreign country, foreign, overseas ☆＝海外（かいがい）外国人，外人（がいこくじん，がいじん） / a foreigner, a nonnative 外科（げか） / the surgical department (hospital), surgery 外で遊ぶ（そとであそぶ） / play outside (outdoors) その外（そのほか） / the others, the rest ☆＝その他（そのた）席を外す（せきをはずす） / leave one's seat 当てが外れる（あてがはずれる） / be disappointed in one's hopes 2 角 7 つのつのへん角 an angle a square a corner an edge a jag a turning a horn an antler カク　　　かど　つの角度（かくど） / an angle an angle, a viewpoint ☆＝観点（かんてん）氷山の一角（ひょうざんのいっかく） / the tip of an iceberg 角のクリーニング屋（かどのくりーにんぐや） / the dry-cleaners (laundry) at the corner トナカイの角（となかいのつの） / an antler of a reindeer 2 楽 13 ききへん木 ease comfort relief pleasure joy enjoyment delight fun pleasant happy enjoyable delightful merry joyful joyous a musical art ガクラク　たの・しい　たの・しむ　たの・しみ打楽器（だがっき） / a percussion instrument 楽勝（らくしょう） / an easy victory, a walkover, a romp, easy work 楽しい？はい，もちろん（たのしい，はいもちろん） / Are you pleasant? - Yes. Of course. ☆はい＝ええ，うん楽しんでる？いいえ…（たのしんでる，いいえ） / Are you having fun? - No. ☆いいえ＝いや，ううんテレビゲームの楽しみ（てれびげーむのたのしみ） / the pleasure of a video game 神楽（かぐら） / sacred music and dance 2 活 9 さんずい alive vigor energy vitality カツ　　　い・けるクラブ活動（くらぶかつどう） / club activities, extracurricular activities ☆＝部活（ぶかつ）活発（かっぱつ） / high-spirited, spry, cheerful, lively, brisk, sprightly, zippy, active, vivacious 花を活ける（はなをいける） / arrange flowers 2 間 12 もんもんがまえ門 distance an interval a period interim during between among space room a rest a pause time leisure timing カンケンあいだま間隔（かんかく） / a space, an interval 世間（せけん） / the world, the public 長い間（ながいあいだ） / for a long time 合間に～（あいまに） / in the intervals, at one's leisure 2 丸 3 てん丶 a circle round spherical full whole ガンまるまる・いまる・める弾丸（だんがん） / a bullet 丸二日（まるふつか） / fully two days 丸い顔（まるいかお） / a round face 頭を丸める（あたまをまるめる） / be tonsured 2 岩 8 やまやまへん山 rock a crag ガンいわ岩壁（がんぺき） / a rock cliff, a rock wall 岩肌（いわはだ） / the rock surface 2 顔 18 おおがい頁 a face looks countenance influence ガンかお童顔（どうがん） / a baby face 顔見知り（かおみしり） / an acquaintance ☆＝知り合い（しりあい），知人（ちじん） 2 汽 7 さんずい steam キ汽船（きせん） / a steamship, a steamer, a steamboat 2 記 10 ことばごんべん言 write down note down put down record inscribe describe an account a description a record キ　　　　　　　しる・す記念（きねん） / commemoration, commemorative, memorial 記念日（きねんび） / a memorial day, an anniversary 下記の（かきの） / the following, the undermentioned, mentioned below ☆⇔上記の（じょうきの） / the above, the above-mentioned, the aforesaid 下記の通り（かきのとおり） / as follows ☆＝以下の通り（いかのとおり）日記に書き記す（にっきにかきしるす） / write down in one's diary 2 帰 10 りっとう return go back come back go home come home キ　かえ・る　　　かえ・す復帰（ふっき） / a return, a comeback 帰国する（きこくする） / return to one's country 早く帰って来てね（はやくかえってきてね） / Come back early (quickly)., Don't be long. ただいま，お帰りなさい（ただいま，おかえりなさい） / I'm back (home). - Welcome back (home). 妻を実家に帰す（つまをじっかにかえす） / send my wife to her parental home 2 弓 3 ゆみゆみへん弓 a bow キュウゆみ弓道（きゅうどう） / archery ☆＝アーチェリー弓矢（ゆみや） / a bow and arrow 2 牛 4 うしうしへん牛 cattle a cow beef ギュウ　うし牛肉（ぎゅうにく） / beef 水牛（すいぎゅう） / a buffalo 牛飼い（うしかい） / a cowboy ☆＝カウボーイ 2 魚 11 うおうおへんさかなさかなへん魚 a fish ギョ　うおさかな鮮魚（せんぎょ） / a fresh fish ☆＝新鮮な魚（しんせんなさかな）魚座（うおざ） / the Fishes, Pisces 魚屋（さかなや） / a fish store, a fish shop 魚のヒレ（さかなのひれ） / a fin of a fish 雑魚（ざこ） / trifling, trivial, small fish 2 京 8 なべぶた亠 land in which Emperor lives an abbr of Kyoto キョウ　ケイ上京（じょうきょう） / to come (go) up to Tokyo from the provinces 京阪神（けいはんしん） / Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area 2 強 11 ゆみゆみへん弓 strong powerful mighty stout robust proof resistant tolerant impervious durable competent knowledgeable skilled intense hard tough force press compel coerce キョウ　ゴウつよ・い　　　　つよ・まるつよ・めるし・いる強敵（きょうてき） / a powerful rival, a formidable enemy ☆＝手強い敵（てごわいてき）強奪（ごうだつ） / plunder, robbery, hijack, dispossession 強い（つよい） / strong, powerful, mighty ☆＝強力な（きょうりょくな） strong, stout, robust ☆＝強健な（きょうけんな） resistant, tolerant ☆＝耐性がある（たいせいがある） competent, knowledgeable ☆＝知識がある（ちしきがある）怒りが強まる（いかりがつよまる） / anger grow on me 語気を強めて～（ごきをつよめて） / emphatically 強いられて～（しいられて） / under pressure, under compulsion 強面（こわもて） / a frightening look, taking a tough stance 2 教 11 のぶん攵 teach give lessons instruct educate coach guide tell inform show preach a lesson teachings a precept a doctrine キョウおし・える　　　おし・えおそ・わる教会（きょうかい） / a church, a kirk ポルトガル語を教える（ぽるとがるごをおしえる） / give lessons in Portuguese, teach Portuguese 教えてください（おしえてください） / Please tell me ~, Please teach me ~, Please show me ~ 教え子（おしえご） / one's former pupil (student) ピアノを教わる（ぴあのをおそわる） / take lessons in piano 2 近 7 しんにゅうしんにょう near close immediate キン　ちか・い　 *ちか近視（きんし） / shortsightedness, nearsightedness, myopia ☆＝近眼（きんがん）近いうちに（ちかいうちに） / in the near future, before long ☆＝近々（きんきん，ちかぢか）近道（ちかみち） / a shorter way, a shortcut 2 兄 5 ひとあしにんにょう儿 my elder brother a big brother キョウ *ケイあににい・さん兄弟（きょうだい） / brothers, siblings 義兄（ぎけい） / a brother-in-law 兄貴（あにき） / one's elder brother, Mister, Boss お兄さん（おにいさん） / one's elder brother, young man ☆＝お兄ちゃん（おにいちゃん） 2 形 7 さんづくり彡 a shape form a figure appearance ケイギョウかた　かたち図形（ずけい） / a figure 人形（にんぎょう） / a doll 形見（かたみ） / a keepsake, a memento, an article left by the deceased ☆＝遺品（いひん）形作る（かたちづくる） / form, shape 形振り（なりふり） / garments and behavior 2 計 9 ことばごんべん言 the total a plan a scheme a gauge time calculate manage arrange ケイはか・る　はか・らう体温計（たいおんけい） / a clinical thermometer マラソンのタイムを計る（まらそんのたいむをはかる） / time a Marathon いいように計らいなさい（いいようにはからいなさい） / Arrange (Manage) it as you think best. 2 元 4 ひとあしにんにょう儿 the beginning the origin the source the rise the root the cause originally material capital the cost ゲン　　　　　ガン　もとお元気ですか？（おげんきですか） / How are you? ☆＝ご機嫌いかがですか？（ごきげんいかがですか）元気出しなよ（げんきだしなよ） / Keep your chin up!, Cheer up!, Be of good cheer! 元素（げんそ） / an element, elemental 次元（じげん） / a dimension, a level 元来（がんらい） / originally, primarily, essentially from the first ☆＝もともと元の木阿弥（もとのもくあみ） / to lose all that one has gained, to go back to one's start ☆＝元も子もない（もともこもない） 2 言 7 ことばごんべん言 say talk about tell state remark a word a remark a statement ゲンゴン　い・う　こと宣言（せんげん） / a declaration, a proclamation 伝言（でんごん） / a message ☆＝メッセージ，言伝て（ことづて），言付け（ことづけ）祝辞を言う（しゅくじをいう） / say congratulations, compliment 独り言（ひとりごと） / soliloquy, monologue 2 原 10 がんだれ厂 a field a plain ゲンはら原因（げんいん） / a cause, the origin, the source 野原（のはら） / a field, a plain 川原，河原（かわら） / a dry riverbed 2 戸 4 とだれ戸 a door a shutter a quantifier コ　と５０戸の村（ごじゅっこのむら） / a village of fifty houses 戸棚（とだな） / a cupboard 2 古 5 くち口 old aged ancient time-honored long-standing stale hackneyed outdated outmoded old-fashioned コ　ふる・い　　　ふる・す *いにしえ古代（こだい） / ancient times ☆＝太古（たいこ） ☆⇔現代（げんだい），近代（きんだい） / modern times 考え方が古い（かんがえかたがふるい） / one's view is old-fashioned 古本屋（ふるほんや） / a secondhand bookstore ☆本屋（ほんや）＝書店（しょてん）使い古す（つかいふるす） / use until it gets old 古からの伝統文化（いにしえからのでんとうぶんか） / the long-standing (time-honored) traditional culture 2 午 4 じゅう十 southern direction ゴ午前（ごぜん） / forenoon, a.m., am 正午（しょうご） / noon, midday 午後（ごご） / afternoon, p.m., pm 2 後 9 ぎょうにんべん彳 after afterward later future rear back behind posterior ゴ　コウ　のちうし・ろあとおく・れる前後（ぜんご） / before and behind, before and after, about, around, or so 後期（こうき） / the latter term, the second semester ☆⇔前期（ぜんき） / the first term (half year, semester) 後の世（のちのよ） / coming ages ☆＝後世（こうせい）後ろの席（うしろのせき） / a back seat, a rear seat 後回し（あとまわし） / waiting, postponement 後れを取る（おくれをとる） / be outstripped, be outdistanced 2 語 14 ことばごんべん言 a word a term language talk tell chat relate narrate ゴかた・るかた・らう　かた・り日本語（にほんご） / Japanese language 過去を語る（かこをかたる） / talk about the old days 水入らずで語らう（みずいらずでかたらう） / talk with no outsiders 語り手（かたりて） / a narrator, a reciter ☆＝ナレーター 2 工 3 たくみ工 make produce work コウク商工業（しょうこうぎょう） / commerce and industry 工夫（くふう） / a device, a contrivance 2 公 4 はちはちがしら八 public official コウ　　　おおやけ公害（こうがい） / pollution, public nuisance 公約（こうやく） / a public commitment 公開する（こうかいする） / open to the public, unveil, release, exhibit 公にする（おおやけにする） / publish, announce ☆＝公表する（こうひょうする），発表する（はっぴょうする） 2 広 5 まだれ广 wide broad large extensive spacious vast roomy generous spread extend expand enlarge widen broaden unfold open unroll コウひろ・いひろ・まるひろ・めるひろ・がるひろ・げる広大（こうだい） / vast, extensive, immense, grand 広い部屋（ひろいへや） / a large room 噂が広まる（うわさがひろまる） / a rumor gets about 知識を広める（ちしきをひろめる） / extend knowledge 火事が広がる（かじがひろがる） / the fire spread 翼を広げる（つばさをひろげる） / spread wings 2 交 6 なべぶた亠 exchange cross intersect join mix mingle associate コウ　まじ・わる　まじ・えるま・じるま・ざるま・ぜるか・うか・わす交換（こうかん） / exchange, interchange, a swap, replacement 道が交わる（みちがまじわる） / the roads cross each other 言葉を交える（ことばをまじえる） / talk with 白髪交じり（しらがまじり） / grizzled 仲間に交ざる（なかまにまざる） / join in the group 仲間に交ぜる（なかまにまぜる） / take into the party 飛び交う（とびかう） / fly about, flit 意見を交わす（いけんをかわす） / exchange opinions 2 光 6 ひとあしにんにょう儿 light a ray a beam a flash a gleam a twinkle shine gloss brilliance luster be bright be luminous be brilliant glitter glisten sparkle glimmer gleam flash eyesight optical コウひか・る　ひかり光線（こうせん） / a ray, a beam 稲妻が光った（いなづまがひかった） / Lightning flashed., There was a flash of lightning. 光ファイバー（ひかりふぁいばー） / optical fiber 2 考 6 おいがしらおいかんむり think consider thinking a thought ideas an opinion a view a notion an intention imagination コウ　　かんが・える　　かんが・え参考資料（さんこうしりょう） / reference data, reference materials 思考力（しこうりょく） / thinking power, thinking faculty 考える（かんがえる） / think ☆＝思案する（しあんする） consider ☆＝考慮する（こうりょする） think over, ponder, deliberate ☆＝熟慮する（じゅくりょする）いい考え（いいかんがえ） / a good idea ☆＝いい案（いいあん） 2 行 6 ぎょうがまえゆきがまえ行 go come visit attend leave for lead to do carry out practice perform an act an action a deed behavior conduct a line religious austerities コウ　ギョウ *アンい・く　　　　　　　　　　ゆ・くおこな・う　　おこな・い行動（こうどう） / behavior, action, an act, conduct, movements 行列（ぎょうれつ） / a procession, queue 行脚（あんぎゃ） / pilgrimage, traveling on foot 学校に行く（がっこうにいく） / go to school ☆＝通学する（つうがくする）行って来ます（いってきます） / I'm going., Good-bye ☆＝行って参ります（いってまいります） (say this greeting word when going out) 行ってらっしゃい（いってらっしゃい） / Have a nice day., Take care. (say this greeting word when seeing off) どこに行くの？（どこにいくの） / Where are you (we) going? どこに行きたい？（どこにいきたい） / Where do you want to go? 行く末（ゆくすえ） / the future 行う（おこなう） / do ☆＝する practice, execute, perform ☆＝実行する（じっこうする） give, hold ☆＝挙行する（きょこうする）行いを改める（おこないをあらためる） / reform oneself, mend one's ways, amend one's conduct ☆＝改心する（かいしんする） 2 高 10 たかい高 high tall exalted lofty elevated noble expensive loud height altitude loudness pitch コウ　　たかたか・い　たか・まる　たか・める高校（こうこう） / a senior high school ☆＝高等学校（こうとうがっこう）高校生（こうこうせい） / a high-school student 収穫高（しゅうかくだか） / the yield 値段が高い（ねだんがたかい） / expensive, valuable ☆値段＝価格（かかく），金額（きんがく）士気が高まる（しきがたかまる） / morale (fighting spirit) rises high 教養を高める（きょうようをたかめる） / enrich one's education, enhance one's culture 2 黄 11 きいろ黄 yellow オウコウき *こ黄土色（おうどいろ） / ocher 黄砂（こうさ） / yellow sands 黄ばむ（きばむ） / grow yellowish 黄金色（こがねいろ） / gold color, golden ☆＝金色（きんいろ，こんじき）黄昏（たそがれ） / twilight, dusk 2 合 6 くち口 match fit suit join combine unite coincide agree ゴウ　ガッ *カッあ・うあ・わす　あ・わせる結合する（けつごうする） / combine, join, link together, unite, bond 合宿（がっしゅく） / training camp 合戦（かっせん） / a battle 似合う（にあう） / suit, be suited, match, becoming 周波数を合わす（しゅうはすうをあわす） / tune in the frequency to ~ 問い合わせる（といあわせる） / inquire 合気道（あいきどう） / Aikido, an art of self-defense derived from Judo 2 谷 7 たにたにへん谷 a valley a ravine a gorge a dale コクたに渓谷（けいこく） / a valley, a ravine, a gorge, a canyon 谷底（たにぞこ） / the bottom of a ravine 2 国 8 くにがまえ囗 a country a nation a state a land one's home コク　くに国際化（こくさいか） / internationalization 愛国心（あいこくしん） / patriotism, patriotic spirit 島国（しまぐに） / country which is encircled with seas 2 黒 11 くろ黒 black guilty コクくろ　　くろ・い黒板（こくばん） / a blackboard, a chalkboard 黒子（くろこ） / a stagehand dressed in black who assists the actors 黒幕（くろまく） / a wirepuller, a mastermind 黒い幕（くろいまく） / a black curtain 黒子（ほくろ） / a mole 2 今 4 やね the present this time now コン　　　　　　いま今日は（こんにちは） / Good afternoon, Hello, Hi (It's generally written only in Kana.) 今日（こんにち） / these days, nowadays, now, at present, today ☆＝この頃（このごろ）今度（こんど） / next time, another time ☆＝この次（このつぎ），そのうち this time, now ☆＝今回（こんかい），この度（このたび）今頃（いまごろ） / about this time, by now 今年（ことし） / this year ☆＝本年（ほんねん） 2 才 3 てへん abilities a gift talent aptitude a genius サイ天才（てんさい） / a genius 2 細 11 いといとへん糸 thin narrow fine slim slender small detailed minute stingy careful trifling サイほそ・いほそ・るこま・かい細分化（さいぶんか） / subdivision 細いウェスト（ほそいうぇすと） / the slender waist 食が細る（しょくがほそる） / lose one's appetite 細かい字（こまかいじ） / small characters 2 作 7 にんべん make manufacture produce draw up make out compose cook raise cultivate grow form a work サク　サつく・るつく・り豊作（ほうさく） / a good (bountiful) harvest 作成する（さくせいする） / make, draw up, prepare 礼儀作法（れいぎさほう） / etiquette ☆＝エチケットお弁当を作る（おべんとうをつくる） / make a box lunch 作り話（つくりばなし） / a story, a fiction 2 算 14 たけたけかんむり竹 number calculate compute サン計算（けいさん） / calculation, computation, numeration 足し算（たしざん） / addition ☆＝加法（かほう）引き算（ひきざん） / subtraction ☆＝減法（げんぽう）掛け算（かけざん） / multiplication ☆＝乗法（じょうほう）割り算（わりざん） / division ☆＝除法（じょほう）算盤（そろばん） / a Japanese abacus 2 止 4 とめる止 stop halt heave to run down interrupt suspend perch cease leave off discontinue give up end quit abandon シ　と・まると・めるや・めるや・む *とど・まる　 *とど・める　 *とど・め中止（ちゅうし） / discontinuance, cessation, a stop, suspension 行き止まり（いきどまり） / the dead end, blind alley 車を止める（くるまをとめる） / stop the car 話を止める（はなしをやめる） / stop talking 雨が止んだ（あめがやんだ） / It has stopped raining. 止まるところを知らない（とどまるところをしらない） / there is no end to ~, know no bounds 最小限に止める（さいしょうげんにとどめる） / keep ~ at a minimum 止めを刺す（とどめをさす） / put an end to, finish ~ off, give the coup de grace 2 市 5 はばはばへん巾 a market a city シ　いち市役所（しやくしょ） / a city office, a municipal office 市場価格（しじょうかかく） / a market price (rate) 市場（いちば） / a shopping center, a market 2 矢 5 ややへん矢 an arrow シ　や一矢を報いる（いっしをむくいる） / counterattack, get a blow in 矢印（やじるし） / an arrow, a signpost 2 姉 8 おんなおんなへん女 my elder sister a big sister シあねねえ・さん姉妹（しまい） / sisters 姉貴（あねき） / one's elder sister お姉さん（おねえさん） / one's elder sister, young woman ☆＝お姉ちゃん（おねえちゃん） 2 思 9 こころ心 think feel consider suppose guess imagine regard expect intend want wish remember recollect thought mind heart feelings a desire hope an experience シ　　おも・う　　　おも・い思想（しそう） / ideas, thought, an ideology 意思表示をする（いしひょうじをする） / indicate one's intention, express one's will 私もそう思う（わたしもそうおもう） / I also think so., I think so, too. ああ，思い出した！（ああ，おもいだした） / Oh, yes, I remember it now. 思い過ごし（おもいすごし） / a unfounded suspicion 思いやりのある（おもいやりのある） / thoughtful, sympathetic, considerate 2 紙 10 いといとへん糸 paper シ　　かみ答案用紙（とうあんようし） / a blank answer paper ☆＝解答用紙（かいとうようし）半紙（はんし） / Hanshi, Japanese paper for calligraphy 紙一重（かみひとえ） / slight difference 2 寺 6 すん寸 a Buddhist temple ジてら寺院（じいん） / a Buddhist temple 尼寺（あまでら） / a convent, a nunnery 2 自 6 みずから自 oneself own naturally ジシみずか・ら自由の精神（じゆうのせいしん） / free spirit 自然現象（しぜんげんしょう） / a natural phenomenon 自ら進んで（みずからすすんで） / of one's own accord, voluntarily, on one's own initiative, spontaneously ☆＝自発的に（じはつてきに）自惚れ（うぬぼれ） / conceit, vanity, big-headed, ego 自棄（やけ） / desperation, despair, self-abandonment, desperate ☆＝自暴自棄（じぼうじき） 2 時 10 にちひらび日 time an hour a moment a case an occasion when ジ　　とき出発時間（しゅっぱつじかん） / the departure time, the starting time, the outgoing time 何時ですか？（なんじですか） / What time is it? 時々（ときどき） / sometimes, occasionally, once in a while ☆＝たまに，時折（ときおり）あの時（あのとき） / then, at that time 時計（とけい） / a timepiece, a clock, a watch 時化（しけ） / a storm, rough seas, a poor catch, business depression 2 室 9 うかんむり宀 a room a greenhouse a hothouse シツむろ個室（こしつ） / a single room, a private room 室咲きの花（むろざきのはな） / hothouse flowers 2 社 7 しめすへん a company a firm a corporation a shrine シャ　やしろ会社員（かいしゃいん） / an office worker, a company employee 社（やしろ） / a shrine 2 弱 10 ゆみゆみへん弓 weak feeble frail faint light weakly infirm delicate poor weaken abate weakness ジャクよわ・い　　　　よわ・る　　よわ・まるよわ・める弱点（じゃくてん） / a weak point, a weakness 弱い（よわい） / weakly, infirm, delicate ☆＝虚弱（きょじゃく），病弱（びょうじゃく） poor, weak ☆＝苦手（にがて） have a weakness ☆＝目がない（めがない） sensitive, easily get ~ (lacking of resistivity) 弱る（よわる） / get weak, be enfeebled, be enervated ☆＝衰弱する（すいじゃくする） be perplexed, be embarrassed ☆＝困る（こまる）風が弱まる（かぜがよわまる） / the wind abate 音量を弱める（おんりょうをよわめる） / turn down the volume 2 首 9 くび首 the neck the head fire シュ　くび首席で卒業する（しゅせきでそつぎょうする） / graduate from ~ at the top of the list 首輪（くびわ） / a collar 首になる（くびになる） / be fired, get the sack (colloq) ☆＝解雇される（かいこされる） 2 秋 9 のぎへん禾 autumn fall シュウあき秋分の日（しゅうぶんのひ） / Autumnal Equinox Day 秋風（あきかぜ） / an autumn breeze 2 週 11 しんにゅうしんにょう a week シュウ今週（こんしゅう） / this week 来週（らいしゅう） / next week 先週（せんしゅう） / last week 2 春 9 にちひらび日 spring springtime puberty シュンはる春分の日（しゅんぶんのひ） / Vernal Equinox Day 春一番（はるいちばん） / the first storm in spring 2 書 10 にちひらび日 write pen compose a book penmanship calligraphy ショ　か・く教科書（きょうかしょ） / a textbook, a schoolbook 書道（しょどう） / Shodo, calligraphy 手紙を書く（てがみをかく） / write a letter 2 少 4 ちいさいなおがしら小 a little a bit an ounce a few some a shade a trifle slightly somewhat a moment a minute a while a little way small scarce scanty ショウ　すく・ない　　　　すこ・し少年（しょうねん） / a boy ☆＝男の子（おとこのこ）少女（しょうじょ） / a little girl ☆＝女の子（おんなのこ）少ない（すくない） / be rare, be not frequent ☆＝まれ be scarce, be scanty ☆＝乏しい（とぼしい） there is not enough ☆＝足りない（たりない） do not have many (much), very few, have little 少なくとも（すくなくとも） / at least, to say the least 少しずつ（すこしずつ） / little by little, piecemeal ☆＝ちょっとずつもう少し（もうすこし） / a little more, some more, a little longer 2 場 12 つちつちへん土 a place a spot a field space room ジョウ　ば会場（かいじょう） / the venue, the place 道場（どうじょう） / Dojo, an exercise (training) hall 場所（ばしょ） / a place, a spot, a position, a location, a seat, a space 作業場（さぎょうば） / a workshop, a workroom, a studio, an atelier 広場（ひろば） / an open space, a square, a plaza 2 色 6 いろ色 color a tint a tinge a hue a shade a complexion a look a sign a love affair ショク　シキいろ特色（とくしょく） / a distinctive feature, a peculiarity, a distinguishing characteristic 色彩（しきさい） / coloring, a tinge 色鉛筆（いろえんぴつ） / a colored pencil 色気（いろけ） / sex appeal, glamour, sexiness, interest in the opposite sex 2 食 9 しょく食 eat have take food foodstuffs a meal appetite live subsist ショク *ジキく・う　く・らうた・べる食事（しょくじ） / a meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner 断食（だんじき） / a fast, abstaining from food 食いしん坊（くいしんぼう） / a glutton, a greedy eater, a gourmand 食らいつく（くらいつく） / bite, cling to, jump 玄米を食べる（げんまいをたべる） / eat unpolished (brown) rice 焼き鳥を食べたい（やきとりをたべたい） / want to eat Yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) 食べ放題（たべほうだい） / eating as much as you like 2 心 4 こころ心 mind spirit a heart a soul a thought will a mood a feeling sincerity シン　　　こころ中心（ちゅうしん） / the center, the middle, the core, central 心中（しんちゅう） / one's mind, one's heart 心中（しんじゅう） / a double suicide, a joint suicide 心強い（こころづよい） / feel reassured 心地（ここち） / a feeling, a mood 2 新 13 きんおのづくり斤 new fresh novel recent latest modern シンあたら・しい　あら・たにい新学期（しんがっき） / a new school term 新しいハードディスク（あたらしいはーどでぃすく） / a new harddisk (hard disk) 新たな決意（あらたなけつい） / a new decision 新妻（にいづま） / a newly-married woman 2 親 16 みる見 parents a father a mother the dealer close familiar friendly intimate シンおやした・しい　した・しむ親密（しんみつ） / intimacy, intimate, friendly, buddy-buddy 親心（おやごころ） / parental affections 親しい友人（したしいゆうじん） / a bosom pal, a best friend, a confidant ☆＝親友（しんゆう）親しみやすい（したしみやすい） / approachable, amiable 2 図 7 くにがまえ囗 a figure a drawing a picture a plan a diagram a chart a graph a sight plan attempt ズト　　はか・る地図（ちず） / a map ☆＝マップ意図的に（いとてきに） / on purpose, purposely, deliberately, consciously, intentionally ☆＝わざと，故意に（こいに），意識的に（いしきてきに）図らずも（はからずも） / unexpectedly, by chance ☆＝思いがけなく（おもいがけなく） 2 数 13 のぶん攵 a number a numeral a figure count reckon calculate number several スウ　かずかぞ・える数字（すうじ） / a numeral 数学（すうがく） / mathematics, math 数知れず（かずしれず） / countless, numberless 数を数える（かずをかぞえる） / count the number 数珠（じゅず） / a Buddhist rosary 2 西 6 にし西 west セイ　　サイにし西暦（せいれき） / Anno Domini, A.D. 南西（なんせい） / southwest, SW ☆＝西南（せいなん）北西（ほくせい） / northwest, NW ☆＝西北（せいほく）東西（とうざい） / east and west 西日（にしび） / the afternoon sun 2 声 7 さむらい士 a voice an opinion a sign セイ　　　 *ショウこえ *こわ名声（めいせい） / fame, reputation, celebrity, renown 声優（せいゆう） / a voice actor (actress) 声明（せいめい） / a statement, a declaration, an announcement, a proclamation 声明（しょうみょう） / the chanting of Buddhist hymns 声をかける（こえをかける） / call out, hail 声色（こわいろ） / a voice quality 2 星 9 にちひらび日 a star one's star a culprit セイ　　　　　　 *ショウほし星座（せいざ） / a constellation 水星（すいせい） / Mercury 金星（きんせい） / Venus 火星（かせい） / Mars 木星（もくせい） / Jupiter 天王星（てんのうせい） / Uranus 海王星（かいおうせい） / Neptune 明星（みょうじょう） / Venus, a star 流れ星（ながれぼし） / a shooting (falling) star, a meteor ☆＝流星（りゅうせい） 2 晴 12 にちひらび日 clear weather fair fine clear off refresh dispel セイは・れるは・らす　は・れ晴天（せいてん） / fine weather, a clear sky 晴れやかな顔（はれやかなかお） / a radiant face 気晴らし（きばらし） / diversion, pastime, relaxation ☆＝気分転換（きぶんてんかん）晴れ着（はれぎ） / one's best clothes, a gala dress 2 切 4 かたな刀 cut clip carve slice hash disconnect turn off hang up shuffle break be sharp be worn out run out expire limits bounds an end セツ　　　　 *サイ　き・る　　　き・れる親切（しんせつ） / kindness, goodwill, kind, obliging, friendly, gracious 切ない（せつない） / to feel a constriction in the heart due to 恋 or 哀愁 and be painful (sweet-bitter feeling) (There is no apt English word.) 一切（いっさい） / all, the whole, everything ☆＝全て（すべて），全部（ぜんぶ），何もかも（なにもかも）はさみで切る（はさみできる） / cut with scissors 切りがない（きりがない） / be endless, be boundless, be limitless, will never be satisfied 切りのいい所（きりのいいところ） / a good place to leave off 頭が切れる（あたまがきれる） / be clever, be shrewd, be bright, be sharp, be wise ☆＝頭がいい，利口（りこう）すぐに切れる（すぐにきれる） / fly into a fury easily, flip out easily ☆＝すぐに逆上する（すぐにぎゃくじょうする） ☆＝すぐにカッとなる burn out in no time, be disconnected in no time 千切れる（ちぎれる） / be torn off, come off ☆＝もげる 2 雪 11 あめあめかんむり雨 snow a snowfall セツゆき雪原（せつげん） / a snowfield, a frozen waste 雪合戦（ゆきがっせん） / a snowball fight 雪だるま（ゆきだるま） / a snowman 雪崩（なだれ） / a snowslide, an avalanche 吹雪（ふぶき） / a snowstorm, a blizzard 2 船 11 ふねふねへん舟 a ship a vessel a boat a steamer センふね　ふな乗船（じょうせん） / embarkation, boarding 船の乗組員（ふねののりくみいん） / the crew of a ship ☆＝船員（せんいん） ☆乗組員＝乗務員（じょうむいん）船旅（ふなたび） / a sea trip, a voyage 2 線 15 いといとへん糸 a line wire a lane a figure a level セン線路（せんろ） / a railroad track 地平線（ちへいせん） / the horizon, a skyline インターネットの回線（いんたーねっとのかいせん） / Internet line 2 前 9 りっとう the front the fore forward ahead before ago prior previous former ex- last ゼン　　　　まえ以前（いぜん） / ago, before, once, formerly, previously ☆＝かつて前回（ぜんかい） / the last time (occasion, session) 前方に（ぜんぽうに） / in front, ahead, forward ☆⇔後方に（こうほうに） / backward, at the back, behind 手前（てまえ） / this side, toward you, in front of, I 2 組 11 いといとへん糸 a class a company a party a team a crew a brigade a set a pair assemble unite team up ソ　く・む　くみ組織化する（そしきかする） / organize, structure, systematize 時間割を組む（じかんわりをくむ） / make out a class schedule (timetable) 四代目組長（よんだいめくみちょう） / the fourth Yakuza boss テレビ番組（てれびばんぐみ） / a TV program 2 走 7 はしるそうにょう走 run rush dash race ソウはし・る競走（きょうそう） / a race ☆＝レース時速６０キロで走る（じそくろくじゅっきろではしる） / run (drive) at sixty kilometers per hour 師走（しわす） / December 2 多 6 ゆうべ夕 many much lots of numerous frequent タ　　おお・い多少（たしょう） / a little, somewhat, slightly, some, a few ☆＝少し（すこし），若干（じゃっかん），ちょっと雑多（ざった） / unorganized, miscellaneous 人口が多い（じんこうがおおい） / have a large population 2 太 4 だい大 big thick deep grow fat grow stout gain weight fatten grow rich shameless タタイふと・いふと・る丸太（まるた） / a log 太鼓（たいこ） / Taiko, a drum ☆＝ドラム太い線（ふといせん） / a thick line ☆＝太線（ふとせん）ぶくぶく太る（ぶくぶくふとる） / become obese, grow fat and get flabby ☆太る＝肥える（こえる） 2 体 7 にんべん the body physique build health constitution appearances a quantifier タイ　　テイからだ一体の彫像（いったいのちょうぞう） / a statue 体育（たいいく） / physical education (training), PE 体育館（たいいくかん） / a gymnasium, a gym 体裁（ていさい） / appearances, form 体を壊す（からだをこわす） / lose health, ruin one's health 2 台 5 くち口 a stand a rack a holder a support a stage a pedestal a level a quantifier ダイタイ８台の車（はちだいのくるま） / eight cars 台風（たいふう） / a typhoon 台詞（せりふ） / speech, words 2 地 6 つちつちへん土 the ground land earth soil a place texture weave stuff real character the skin チジ地下鉄（ちかてつ） / an underground, a subway, metro 地面（じめん） / ground, land, earth 地理（ちり） / geography, topography, geographical features 2 池 6 さんずい a pond a pool チ　いけ電池（でんち） / a battery ☆＝バッテリー a dry cell ☆＝乾電池（かんでんち）古池（ふるいけ） / an old pond 2 知 8 ややへん矢 intelligence intellect know become aware understand see find notice be conscious realize learn experience tell inform チ　　　し・る　　し・らせ　し・らせる知的な人（ちてきなひと） / an intellectual person, an intellect ☆知的＝知性的（ちせいてき）知能（ちのう） / intelligence, intellect, intellectual faculties 思い知る（おもいしる） / realize, learn one's lesson 知っています（しっています） / I know. 何も知りません（なにもしりません） / I know nothing. 知らせ（しらせ） / news, a notice, a report, information ☆＝連絡（れんらく），通知（つうち）合否を知らせる（ごうひをしらせる） / let ~ know whether ~ has passed the exam ☆知らせる＝告げる（つげる）知らせてください（しらせてください） / Tell me, please. Please let me know ~ ☆＝お知らせください（おしらせください） 2 茶 9 くさかんむり tea a tea plant brown チャサ茶色（ちゃいろ） / brown 茶道（さどう） / Sado, the tea ceremony 2 昼 9 にちひらび日 the daytime daylight midday noon lunch チュウ　ひる昼食（ちゅうしょく） / lunch ☆＝お昼（おひる），昼ご飯（ひるごはん）昼間（ひるま） / the daytime 昼寝（ひるね） / afternoon nap 2 長 8 ながい長 long lengthy length the head the chief the leader a merit チョウ　　　なが・いた・ける　 *おさ長所（ちょうしょ） / a good point, a merit, an advantage 機長（きちょう） / the captain (of an airplane) ☆＝キャプテン社長（しゃちょう） / the president of a company, CEO 長い目でみる（ながいめでみる） / take the long view 長けている（たけている） / excel, be versed, be proficient 盗賊の長（とうぞくのおさ） / a robber's (burglar's, thief's) leader ☆長＝頭（かしら），リーダー 2 鳥 11 とりとりへん鳥 a bird chicken fowl チョウとり白鳥（はくちょう） / a swan 鳥肌がたつ（とりはだがたつ） / get gooseflesh

kanji

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:11:37 GMT

1 人 2 ひと人 people humans mankind a person one character personality nature a quantifier ジン　ニン　　ひと人造人間（じんぞうにんげん） / an android, a cyborg ☆＝アンドロイド，サイボーグ人間（にんげん） / a human, a human being 一人前（いちにんまえ） / a portion for one person, full-fledged 人で無し（ひとでなし） / a brute, a monster, a cruel fellow 大人（おとな） / an adult, a grown-up 一人，１人（ひとり） / one person ☆＝一名，１名（いちめい） 1 水 4 みず水 water cold water Wednesday スイ　みず水曜日（すいようび） / Wednesday 水道水（すいどうすい） / tap water, city water 水臭い（みずくさい） / not frank, reserved, distant, standoffish 1 正 5 とめる止 right correct exact accurate true truthful proper righteous just legal lawful legitimate rectify reform amend positive (number) original regular セイ　ショウただ・しいただ・すまさまさ・に正常（せいじょう） / normality, normal ☆⇔異常（いじょう） / unusual, abnormal, uncommon 正気（しょうき） / sane, sober, serious 正しい解釈（ただしいかいしゃく） / the right interpretation 誤りを正す（あやまりをただす） / correct errors 正夢（まさゆめ） / a prophetic dream 正にその通りです（まさにそのとおりです） / That is quite right., Exactly., Precisely. 1 生 5 いきる生 life living existence live exist raw pure undiluted unmixed genuine generate produce yield cause happen arise accrue grow bear セイ　　　ショウ　　い・きる　い・かす　い・けるう・まれる　う・む　は・えるは・やすな・るき　なま　　お生活費（せいかつひ） / living expenses 生物（せいぶつ） / a living thing, a life form, an organism ☆＝生き物（いきもの） biology 往生際が悪い（おうじょうぎわがわるい） / accept defeat with a bad grace, make useless efforts, struggle in the inevitable plight 生きるか死ぬかの瀬戸際（いきるかしぬかのせとぎわ） / a life-or-death brink, a life-or-death crucial moment 体験を生かす（たいけんをいかす） / make the most of one's experience 生ける屍（いけるしかばね） / a living corpse 生まれて初めて～（うまれてはじめて） / for the first time in my life ５パーセントの利子を生む（ごぱーせんとのりしをうむ） / yield interest at 5 percent 羽が生える（はねがはえる） / grow wings 髭を生やす（ひげをはやす） / grow a beard 実が生る（みがなる） / bear fruit 生粋のポーランド人です（きっすいのぽーらんどじんです） / be a pure Polish, was born and bred in Poland 生意気（なまいき） / impertinence, impertinent, conceited, forward, saucy, insolent, cocky, brash, cheeky, sassy 生物（なまもの） / uncooked (raw) food, perishables 生い立ち（おいたち） / one's childhood, personal history 生憎（あいにく） / unfortunately, unluckily, ☆＝残念ながら（ざんねんながら）芝生（しばふ） / a lawn, a grass plot 1 青 8 あお青 blue azure pale pallid green セイ *ショウあお　　　あお・い青春（せいしゅん） / youth, the springtime of life 群青色（ぐんじょういろ） / ultramarine 青筋をたてて怒る（あおすじをたてておこる） / go purple with rage, fly into a rage, be furious, be enraged ☆＝激怒する（げきどする） ☆＝烈火の如く怒る（れっかのごとくおこる）顔が青い（かおがあおい） / look pale 真っ青（まっさお） / deep blue, deadly pale 1 夕 3 ゆうべ夕 evening *セキ　ゆう夕照（せきしょう） / the evening glow, sunset ☆＝夕焼け（ゆうやけ）夕方（ゆうがた） / evening 夕食（ゆうしょく） / dinner, an evening meal, supper ☆＝晩ご飯（ばんごはん），夕飯（ゆうはん） 1 石 5 いしいしへん石 stone a pebble a rock a jewel セキ *シャクいし石油（せきゆ） / petroleum 磁石（じしゃく） / a magnet, a compass 石にかじりついても～（いしにかじりついても） / at any risk, by any means, come what may, whatever happens ☆＝何としても（なんとしても）石鹸（せっけん） / a soap 1 赤 7 あか赤 red crimson scarlet a Red セキ *シャクあか　　あか・いあか・らめる赤道（せきどう） / the equator 赤銅色（しゃくどういろ） / bronze 赤ちゃん（あかちゃん） / a baby 赤字（あかじ） / a deficit, a loss ☆⇔黒字（くろじ） / profit, gain 赤い字（あかいじ） / red characters 顔を赤らめる（かおをあからめる） / blush 真っ赤（まっか） / bright red, crimson 1 千 3 じゅう十 a thousand センち千里眼（せんりがん） / clairvoyance 千鳥足（ちどりあし） / a stagger 1 川 3 さんぼんがわ川 a river a stream a brook a rivulet センかわ河川（かせん） / rivers 川岸（かわぎし） / the riverside 1 先 6 ひとあしにんにょう儿 the point the tip the end the front the head the lead ahead future prior previous last former ex- one-time セン　さき先生（せんせい） / a teacher ☆＝教師（きょうし） an instructor, a professor, a doctor, Mr. ~, Ms. ~ 先走る（さきばしる） / jump the gun, be too far ahead 1 早 6 にちひらび日 early soon ソウサッはや・い　はや・まるはや・める早朝（そうちょう） / early morning 早速（さっそく） / promptly, at once, immediately まだ早い（まだはやい） / It is still early. できるだけ早く（できるだけはやく） / as soon as possible 早まるな！（はやまるな） / Don't act rashly! 時期を早める（じきをはやめる） / advance the date お早う（おはよう） / Good morning. (It's generally written only in Kana.) 1 草 9 くさかんむり grass a herb a weed ソウくさ薬草（やくそう） / a medicinal herb 草取り（くさとり） / weeding 1 足 7 あしあしへん足 a foot a leg a paw step pace add a means of traffic enough suffice a quantifier ソク　あした・りるた・るた・す一足のスニーカー（いっそくのすにーかー） / a pair of sneakers 足音（あしおと） / footsteps 千円足りない（せんえんたりない） / be 1,000 yen short 舌足らず（したたらず） / lisping ２０足す９（にじゅうたすきゅう） / twenty plus nine 足袋（たび） / Tabi, socks for kimono 1 村 7 ききへん木 a village a hamlet ソンむら村長（そんちょう） / a village headman 村八分（むらはちぶ） / exclusion from the group ☆＝仲間はずれ（なかまはずれ） 1 大 3 だい大 big large huge great heavy monstrous loud ダイ　　タイ　おお　おお・きい　おお・いに大学（だいがく） / a university, a college 大学生（だいがくせい） / an undergraduate, a college student 全国大会（ぜんこくたいかい） / a national athletic meeting, a nationwide competition, a national tournament 大雨（おおあめ） / heavy rain ☆⇔小雨（こさめ） / light rain, a drizzle 大きな虎（おおきなとら） / a big tiger ☆大きい＝デカい（でかい）(colloq) 大いに喜ぶ（おおいによろこぶ） / be very delighted ☆＝歓喜する（かんきする），狂喜する（きょうきする） 1 男 7 たたへん田 a man a male a fellow one's lover ダン　ナンおとこ男性（だんせい） / the male sex, a man ☆＝男子（だんし）男女平等（だんじょびょうどう） / equality of the sexes 長男（ちょうなん） / one's eldest (oldest) son 男前（おとこまえ） / handsome, a man's looks ☆＝ハンサム，イケメン (slang)，二枚目（にまいめ）色男（いろおとこ） / a lady-killer, a beau ☆＝二枚目 a lecherous man 1 竹 6 たけたけかんむり竹 bamboo チクたけ竹林（ちくりん） / a bamboo grove 竹馬（たけうま） / stilts 1 中 4 ぼうたてぼう｜ the inside the interior the middle the center while during in through an abbr of China チュウ　　なか中学校（ちゅうがっこう） / a junior high school 中学生（ちゅうがくせい） / a junior high school student 故障中（こしょうちゅう） / Out of order., be in breakdown 中身（なかみ） / contents ☆＝内容（ないよう） substance ☆＝実質（じっしつ） the interior ☆＝内部（ないぶ） 1 虫 6 むしむしへん虫 an insect a bug a worm vermin チュウ　むし昆虫図鑑（こんちゅうずかん） / an illustrated book of insects, a pictorial book of bugs 虫歯（むしば） / a decayed tooth 虫がいい（むしがいい） / be self-seeking, consider one's own convenience ☆＝身勝手（みがって）町 7 たたへん田 a town a city チョウまち町長（ちょうちょう） / a mayor (of a town) エキゾティックな町並み（えきぞてぃっくなまちなみ） / an exotic street 1 天 4 だい大 the sky the heaven the firmament Heaven Paradise Providence the divine will God テン　　 *あま天国（てんごく） / Heaven, the Celestial City, Elysium ☆＝極楽浄土（ごくらくじょうど） Paradise ☆＝楽園（らくえん）天の川（あまのがわ） / the Milky Way 天晴れ（あっぱれ） / Well done!, splendid, admirable 1 田 5 たたへん田 a rice field a paddy field デンた水田（すいでん） / a paddy field 田植え（たうえ） / rice-planting 田舎（いなか） / a rural district, countryside, one's hometown 1 土 3 つちつちへん土 soil earth clay the ground mud Saturday ドト　つち土曜日（どようび） / Saturday 土地（とち） / lands, ground, soil ☆＝大地（だいち） a plot of land, real estate ☆＝地所（じしょ）土踏まず（つちふまず） / the arch of the foot 土産（みやげ） / a souvenir 1 二 2 に二 two ニふたふた・つ二月，２月（にがつ） / February ☆＝如月（きさらぎ）二人，２人（ふたり） / two people, a couple 二つ，２つ（ふたつ） / two ☆＝二個（にこ）二日，２日（ふつか） / two days, the second day 二十歳，２０歳（はたち） / twenty year-old 1 日 4 にちひらび日 day a day the sun sunlight sunshine Sunday an abbr of Japan ニチ　ジツ　ひか日曜日（にちようび） / Sunday 日没（にちぼつ） / sunset, sundown 祭日（さいじつ） / national holiday ☆＝祝日（しゅくじつ），旗日（はたび）日の出（ひので） / sunrise 三日，３日（みっか） / three days, the third day 今日（きょう） / today ☆＝本日（ほんじつ）明日（あす，あした） / tomorrow 明後日（あさって，みょうごにち） / day after tomorrow 日本（にほん，にっぽん） / Japan 1 入 2 いるいりがしら入 come in come into go in go into get in get into step in enter join contain get receive take in admit add insert ニュウ　　　い・る　い・れるはい・る入学（にゅうがく） / entrance (into a school) ☆⇔卒業（そつぎょう） / graduation, outgrow パスワードを入力する（ぱすわーどをにゅうりょくする） / input a password ☆入力⇔出力（しゅつりょく） / output 入り口，入口（いりぐち） / an entrance, a doorway, the gateway, portals スイッチを入れる（すいっちをいれる） / switch on ３点入る（さんてんはいる） / score three runs 1 年 6 ほす干 a year age a grade ネン　とし一年生（いちねんせい） / a first-year student, a freshman 年の功（としのこう） / the wisdom of age 1 白 5 しろ白 white innocence not guilty ハクビャクしろしろ・い *しら　　 *しら・ける *しら・む白紙（はくし） / a blank sheet of paper 白夜（びゃくや） / nights with a midnight sun 白兎（しろうさぎ） / white rabbit 白い紙（しろいかみ） / white paper 白髪（しらが） / white hair 白を切る（しらをきる） / pretend to know nothing, feign ignorance, play innocent, brazen it out 白ける（しらける） / be spoiled, have a chill cast over it 空が白む（そらがしらむ） / dawn, The sky turns gray. 白金（はっきん） / platinum ☆＝プラチナ白粉（おしろい） / face powder 白湯（さゆ） / plain hot water 1 八 2 はちはちがしら八 eight ハチハッ　やや・つやっ・つ *よう八月，８月（はちがつ） / August ☆＝葉月（はづき）八方美人（はっぽうびじん） / a person who is affable to everybody 八重歯（やえば） / a double tooth 八つ当たり（やつあたり） / anger with no reason 八つ，８つ（やっつ） / eight ☆＝八個（はっこ）八日，８日（ようか） / eight days, the eighth day 1 百 6 しろ白 a hundred ヒャク百人力（ひゃくにんりき） / tremendous strength 八百長（やおちょう） / a put-up job, a fixed game, a prearranged game 八百屋（やおや） / a vegetable store, a greengrocer 百合（ゆり） / a lily 1 文 4 ぶん文 a sentence a composition a letter an essay writings style a figure a design ブンモン　ふみ作文（さくぶん） / composition, writing 文句（もんく） / words, a phrase ☆＝語句（ごく） a complaint, grumbling ☆＝不平（ふへい）文机（ふみづくえ） / a desk which puts books 1 木 4 ききへん木 a tree a shrub wood lumber timber Thursday モクボクき　 *こ木曜日（もくようび） / Thursday 木刀（ぼくとう） / a wooden sword 木彫りの穴熊（きぼりのあなぐま） / a wood carving badger, a wooden badger 木陰（こかげ） / the shade of a tree 木綿（もめん） / cotton 木偶の坊（でくのぼう） / a good-for-nothing, a blockhead 1 本 5 ききへん木 a book a volume a work reading a script real this main regular present a quantifier ホン　　　　　　　もと本棚（ほんだな） / a bookshelf, a bookcase 本物のダイヤモンド（ほんもののだいやもんど） / a real diamond, a genuine diamond ボールペン１本（ぼーるぺんいっぽん） / a ballpoint 一本勝負（いっぽんしょうぶ） / an one-game match, a match in which the first to score is the winner 本分（ほんぶん） / one's duty, one's part 本文（ほんぶん） / the text, the body, this sentence 旗本（はたもと） / direct retainer of the shogun 1 名 6 くち口 a name a first name a title fame renown noted great celebrated excellent a quantifier メイ　ミョウな名誉（めいよ） / glory, honor, credit, distinction ☆⇔不名誉（ふめいよ） / disgrace, dishonor, discredit 名字（みょうじ） / a surname, a family name, last name 名付ける（なづける） / naming, christen 失礼ですがお名前は？，マリアです（しつれいですがおなまえは，まりあです） / Excuse me, but what is your name, please? - My name is Maria. 1 目 5 めめへん目 an eye eyesight eyes a look an experience a point of view a viewpoint an item a division a mesh a stone モク *ボク　め　　 *ま目撃者（もくげきしゃ） / an eyewitness, a witness 面目を失う（めんぼくをうしなう） / lose face ☆⇔面子を保つ（めんつをたもつ） / save face 目立つ（めだつ） / be conspicuous, attract attention 目茶苦茶（めちゃくちゃ） / incoherent, confused, unreasonable, disorderly, chaotic, terribly, really 目の当たりにする（まのあたりにする） / witness ☆＝目撃する（もくげきする） 1 立 5 たつたつへん立 stand stand up rise erect draw up form make set up put up get respect リツ　た・つ　た・てる起立！（きりつ） / Stand up! ☆＝立て！（たて），立ちなさい（たちなさい）立入禁止（たちいりきんし） / Keep Out, No Admittance, No Trespassing 立て続けに～（たてつづけに） / in succession, on end, on the trot ☆＝連続して（れんぞくして） 1 力 2 ちから力 strength might power force authority influence agency assistance support effort exertion energy vigor ability capacity resources リョク　　　リキちから腕力（わんりょく） / physical strength, muscular power, force 精神力（せいしんりょく） / spiritual strength, inner strength 力作（りきさく） / a laborious work 力強い味方（ちからづよいみかた） / a reassuring friend, a mighty ally 1 林 8 ききへん木 a small wood a grove リンはやし林業（りんぎょう） / forestry 松林（まつばやし） / a pine wood 1 六 4 はちはちがしら八 six ロク *リクむむ・つむっ *むい六月，６月（ろくがつ） / June ☆＝水無月（みなづき）六書（りくしょ） / a book of kanji usage 六十路（むそじ） / sixty years of age 六つ切り（むつぎり） / cuts to six 六つ，６つ（むっつ） / six ☆＝六個（ろっこ）六日，６日（むいか） / six days, the sixth day 引 4 ゆみゆみへん弓 pull draw haul tug drag attract cite quote subtract reduce cut down discount deduct withdraw retreat fall back retire go down subside イン　　　　ひ・く　ひ・ける引退表明（いんたいひょうめい） / declaration of retirement, manifestation of retirement ☆＝引退宣言（いんたいせんげん）引力（いんりょく） / gravitation, gravity, attraction, attractive force 引っ繰り返す（ひっくりかえす） / upset, overturn, reverse １０引く２（じゅうひくに） / ten minus two 気が引ける（きがひける） / be daunted, be diffident ☆＝気後れする（きおくれする） 2 羽 6 はね羽 plumage a feather a plume a wing down a quantifier ウははね *ぱ *わ羽化（うか） / emergence 羽音（はおと） / flapping of wings 羽布団（はねぶとん） / a feather quilt, a duvet 切羽詰まる（せっぱつまる） / be in a fix, be at bay 一羽の七面鳥（いちわのしちめんちょう） / a turkey 2 雲 12 あめあめかんむり雨 a cloud the clouds ウン　くもアンドロメダ星雲（あんどろめだせいうん） / an Andromeda galaxy, a nebula in Andromeda 雲行きが怪しい（くもゆきがあやしい） / The clouds threaten rain., The situation is getting serious. 2 園 13 くにがまえ囗 a garden エンその果樹園（かじゅえん） / an orchard, a fruit farm エデンの園（えでんのその） / the Garden of Eden 2 遠 13 しんにゅうしんにょう far afar distant faraway far-off remote エン　　 *オンとお・い　 *とお・のく遠慮（えんりょ） / reserve, diffidence, restraint 遠足（えんそく） / an excursion, a school trip, a hike, an outing, a picnic ☆＝ピクニック，ハイキング遠国（おんごく） / a faraway country, a distant province 遠い昔（とおいむかし） / the old far-off days, the remote past 音が遠退く（おとがとおのく） / fade away 2 何 7 にんべん what some something any anything カなに　　なん　　　　　　　 *いず・れ幾何学模様（きかがくもよう） / a geometric pattern これは何？（これはなに） / What is this? 何が欲しいの？（なにがほしいの） / What do you want? 何がしたいの？（なにがしたいの） / What do you want to do? 何でも良い（なんでもいい） / Anything will do., Whatever. 何でもない（なんでもない） / Nothing., Nothing serious., easy 何とかして（なんとかして） / somehow, anyhow 何だこれは?!（なんだこれは） / What the hell is this?, WHAT THE?! ☆＝なんじゃこりゃ?! (most casual expression) 何てこった！（なんてこった） / What the heck!, Jesus Christ!, Oh my God! (Casual expression, Use it on friendly terms.) ☆＝何てことだ！（なんてことだ）何れまた（いずれまた） / some other time (day), sometime, someday ☆＝またいつか，そのうち何時（いつ） / when 何故（なぜ） / why ☆＝何で（なんで），どうして何処（どこ） / where ☆＝いずこ如何（いかが） / how ☆＝どう 2 科 9 のぎへん禾 a department a course a family impose inflict カ必修科目（ひっしゅうかもく） / a compulsory subject, a required subject 実刑を科する（じっけいをかする） / inflict imprisonment without a stay of execution 2 夏 10 ふゆがしらすいにょう夂 summer カ *ゲなつ冷夏（れいか） / a cool summer 夏至（げし） / the summer solstice 夏休み（なつやすみ） / the summer holidays (vacation) 2 家 10 うかんむり宀 a house home a family a household a professional a person カ　　　　　ケいえや *うち家族（かぞく） / a family 家事（かじ） / housework (house work), housekeeping, household chores 実業家（じつぎょうか） / a businessman, an industrialist (In Japan, ビジネスマン (businessman) means mainly an office worker and a sales staff.) 家来（けらい） / a retainer, a vassal 家柄（いえがら） / standing of a family 借家（しゃくや） / a rented house 家に帰る（うちにかえる） / go home, come home 2 歌 14 かけるあくび欠 a song sing a poem poetry Tanka カうたうた・う歌手（かしゅ） / a singer 歌声（うたごえ） / a singing voice 子守歌を歌う（こもりうたをうたう） / sing a lullaby, sing a cradle song

kanji

Luís César — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:03:17 GMT

1 一 1 いち一 one unity イチイツ　ひと　ひと・つ一月，１月（いちがつ） / January ☆＝睦月（むつき）一気に（いっきに） / at a breath, at a stretch, at a stroke, at a dash, nonstop 一言も言わずに（ひとこともいわずに） / without a word, in silence ☆＝無言で（むごんで）一つ，１つ（ひとつ） / one, a piece ☆＝一個（いっこ）風邪一つひかない（かぜひとつひかない） / don't even catch a cold ☆一つ＝さえ，すら一つやってみよう（ひとつやってみよう） / I will just give it a try., I will have a go at it. ☆一つ＝ちょっと一日，１日（ついたち） / the first day (of a month) 1 右 5 くち口 right ウ　　ユウ　　みぎ右折車線（うせつしゃせん） / the lane for turning to the right ☆右折⇔左折（させつ） / turning to the left 左右（さゆう） / right and left 左右される（さゆうされる） / be swayed, be controlled, be affected, be influenced 右手（みぎて） / the right hand, the right-hand side 1 雨 8 あめあめかんむり雨 rain rainfall ウ　あめ　 *あま雨季（うき） / the rainy season ☆⇔乾季（かんき） / the dry season 雨が降りそう（あめがふりそう） / It looks like rain., It seems likely to rain. 雨雲（あまぐも） / a rain cloud 春雨（はるさめ） / spring drizzle 梅雨（つゆ） / Japanese rainy season 五月雨（さみだれ） / early summer rain 時雨（しぐれ） / shower in the last of autumn 1 円 4 けいがまえ冂 a circle yen エン　 *つぶ・ら *まる・い円満（えんまん） / peaceful, harmonious ☆⇔不和（ふわ） / discord, trouble 円らな瞳（つぶらなひとみ） / beady eyes →丸い 1 王 4 おうおうへんたまへん王 a king a sovereign a monarch a ruler a magnate a champion オウ国王（こくおう） / King, a monarch, a sovereign 女王（じょおう） / Queen 王子（おうじ） / a Royal prince 王女（おうじょ） / a Royal princess 王族（おうぞく） / a royal family, royalty 1 音 9 おと音 a sound music a noise オン　 *インおとね音楽（おんがく） / music 音楽家（おんがくか） / a musician ☆＝ミュージシャン福音（ふくいん） / the Gospel, good news, a boon 音沙汰がない（おとさたがない） / have heard no news 音色（ねいろ） / timbre, a tone color 1 下 3 いち一 the bottom under underneath low go down fall drop カ　ゲ　　した　しも　もとさ・がるさ・げる　　くだ・るくだ・す　くだ・さる　　お・ろすお・りる下降する（かこうする） / fall, go down, drop, descend ☆⇔上昇する（じょうしょうする） / go up, rise, ascend 下品な会話（げひんなかいわ） / vulgar conversation, a coarse talk ☆下品＝下劣（げれつ），低俗（ていぞく）下心（したごころ） / a secret intention, an ulterior motive 下座（しもざ） / the seat furthest from the seat of honor ☆⇔上座（かみざ） / the seat of honor, the top seat 太陽の下で（たいようのもとで） / under the sun 一歩下がる（いっぽさがる） / take a step backward 頭を下げる（あたまをさげる） / apologize ☆＝謝る（あやまる） bow ☆＝お辞儀をする（おじぎをする）川を下る（かわをくだる） / go down a river 命令を下す（めいれいをくだす） / issue orders, give the command 窓を開けて下さる？（まどをあけてくださる） / Could you open the window, please? (an honorific and feminine expression) 預金を下ろす（よきんをおろす） / withdraw one's savings 山を下りる（やまをおりる） / descend the mountain, go down the mountain ☆＝下山する（げざんする）下手（へた） / clumsy, poor, unskillful, awkward 1 火 4 ひひへん火 fire flames a light Tuesday カ　 *コひ　 *ほ火曜日（かようび） / Tuesday 火事（かじ） / a fire ☆＝火災（かさい）火たつ（こたつ） / a Japanese foot warmer 花火（はなび） / fireworks 火花（ひばな） / a spark 火照る（ほてる） / feel hot, flush, be all aglow 火傷（やけど） / a burn, a scald 1 花 7 くさかんむり a flower a bloom a blossom カ　　はな花瓶（かびん） / a vase 落花生（らっかせい） / a peanut, a groundnut ☆＝ピーナッツ花嫁（はなよめ） / a bride 1 貝 7 かいかいへん貝 a shellfish かい貝殻（かいがら） / a seashell, a sea shell 1 学 8 ここへん子 learn study scholarship erudition knowledge ガク　　　　　　まな・ぶ学園祭（がくえんさい） / a campus festival, a school festival 一学期（いちがっき） / the first term, the first semester (session) 心理学（しんりがく） / psychology 経済学（けいざいがく） / economics 言語学（げんごがく） / linguistics 代数学を学ぶ（だいすうがくをまなぶ） / learn Algebra 1 気 6 きがまえ气 air atmosphere spirit mind heart will intention feelings a mood nature a disposition attention care a sign an indication キ　　　　　　　　ケ気持ち（きもち） / feeling, a sensation, an intention 気にしないで（きにしないで） / Never mind., Don't worry about it., Forget it., It's nothing. 本気にする（ほんきにする） / take seriously, believe ☆＝真に受ける（まにうける）お気に入りのブラとパンツ（おきにいりのぶらとぱんつ） / my favorite bra (brassiere) and panties (shorts, pants) やる気がない（やるきがない） / be spiritless, lack the motivation (incentive) 気配（けはい） / an indication, a sign 意気地無し（いくじなし） / a coward, a milksop, a sissy, a chicken, a wimp ☆＝臆病者（おくびょうもの） 1 九 2 おつにょう nine クキュウここのここの・つ九月，９月（くがつ） / September ☆＝長月（ながつき）九官鳥（きゅうかんちょう） / a hill myna 九日，９日（ここのか） / nine days, the ninth day 九つ，９つ（ここのつ） / nine ☆＝九個（きゅうこ） 1 休 6 にんべん rest repose be absent sleep a break a recess a pause a holiday a day off absence キュウ　やす・む　やす・みやす・まる　やす・める休暇（きゅうか） / a holiday, a day off, a vacation ☆＝休日（きゅうじつ）仕事を休む（しごとをやすむ） / be absent from work ☆＝欠勤する（けっきんする）お休みなさい（おやすみなさい） / Good night. 気の休まる時がない（きのやすまるときがない） / have no peace of mind, have no time to feel at ease 頭を休める（あたまをやすめる） / rest one's brain 1 玉 5 たま玉 a ball a coin a jewel a gem ギョクたま玉座（ぎょくざ） / the throne 玉突き事故（たまつきじこ） / a pileup, a chain-reaction accident お年玉（おとしだま） / money given as a gift at the New Year, a New Year's present 1 金 8 かねかねへん金 money metal gold Friday キンコン *ゴン　かね　かな金曜日（きんようび） / Friday 金剛力（こんごうりき） / Herculean strength 黄金時代（おうごんじだい） / the golden age, one's palmy days ☆＝全盛期（ぜんせいき）金持ち（かねもち） / a rich man, a person of wealth ☆＝富豪（ふごう）金槌（かなづち） / a hammer ☆＝ハンマー a poor swimmer 1 空 8 あなあなかんむり穴 a sky the sky the air empty vacancy vanity space the void クウそらから　　あ・くあ・ける *す・く空気（くうき） / air, an atmosphere 空耳（そらみみ） / mishearing 空手（からて） / Karate 空オケ（からおけ） / Karaoke (It means an orchestral music without a song. It's generally written only in kana.) 手が空く（てがあく） / be free 席を空ける（せきをあける） / make room おなかが空いた（おなかがすいた） / I am (feel) hungry. ☆＝おなかぺこぺこ，おなかがへった 1 月 4 つきつきへんにくづき月 the moon a month Monday ゲツ　　　　ガツつき月曜日（げつようび） / Monday 一か月，１か月（いっかげつ） / one month 今月（こんげつ） / this month 来月（らいげつ） / next month 先月（せんげつ） / last month 生年月日（せいねんがっぴ） / the date of birth 月明かり（つきあかり） / moonlight, moon light ☆＝月光（げっこう） 1 犬 4 いぬ犬 a dog a spy ケンいぬ盲導犬（もうどうけん） / a seeing-eye dog, a guide dog 子犬（こいぬ） / a puppy, a pup, a whelp 犬小屋（いぬごや） / a doghouse, a kennel 1 見 7 みる見 watch see look behold stare witness view show regard read look over look after attend ケンみ・る　み・えるみ・せる見学する（けんがくする） / visit, look on, observe アニメ映画を見る（あにめえいがをみる） / watch an animated film (an animation movie, an anime cinema) 目に見えない（めにみえない） / invisible, unseen 見せてください（みせてください） / Show me, please. ☆＝拝見させてください（はいけんさせてください）拝見 is modest language of 見る.) 1 五 4 に二 five ゴいついつ・つ五月，５月（ごがつ） / May 五日，５日（いつか） / five days, the fifth day 五つ，５つ（いつつ） / five ☆＝五個（ごこ）五月晴れ（さつきばれ） / clear day in May 1 口 3 くち口 the mouth words speech tongue an opening a door a share コウク　くち口実（こうじつ） / a pretext, a pretense, an excuse 口説く（くどく） / court, woo ☆＝言い寄る（いいよる） badger, pester, importune, solicit ☆＝せがむ口答え（くちごたえ） / back talk, a retort 1 校 10 ききへん木 a school コウ転校する（てんこうする） / change one's school, transfer to another school 校歌（こうか） / a school song 1 左 5 たくみ工 left サ　ひだり右往左往する（うおうさおうする） / move around this way and that (in confusion) 左足（ひだりあし） / a left leg 1 三 3 いち一 three サンみ　み・つみっ・つ三月，３月（さんがつ） / March ☆＝弥生（やよい）三日月（みかづき） / a new moon, a crescent moon ☆＝新月（しんげつ）三つ子（みつご） / triplets 三つ，３つ（みっつ） / three ☆＝三個（さんこ）三味線（しゃみせん） / stringed instrument of Japan 1 山 3 やまやまへん山 a mountain Mt. Mount a peak a heap a pile the climax the acme the crisis speculation サン　やま火山（かざん） / a volcano 山菜（さんさい） / edible wild plants 山場（やまば） / the climax, the peak, the crisis 山羊（やぎ） / a goat ☆山羊座（やぎざ） / the Goat, Capricorn 1 子 3 ここへん子 a child an offspring a kid a baby an infant シス　こ子午線（しごせん） / the meridian 様子（ようす） / appearances, a look, the situation, the state of things, circumstances 子分（こぶん） / a follower, a henchman, a following ☆⇔親分（おやぶん） / a boss, a chief, a leader 1 四 5 くにがまえ囗 four シよ・つ　よっ・つよん四月，４月（しがつ） / April ☆＝卯月（うづき）四つ角（よつかど） / a crossroads ☆＝十字路（じゅうじろ）四つ，４つ（よっつ） / four ☆＝四個（よんこ）四輪駆動（よんりんくどう） / 4WD, four-wheel-drive 1 糸 6 いといとへん糸 thread yarn a string a line シ　いと一糸乱れず（いっしみだれず） / in precise order, in perfect coordination 絹糸（きぬいと） / silk thread 1 字 6 うかんむり宀 a character a letter writing script a township ジ　 *あざ文字（もじ） / a character, a letter 字幕（じまく） / subtitles 字（あざ） / a section, a township 1 耳 6 みみみみへん耳 an ear an edge a selvage ジみみ耳鼻科（じびか） / an ear, nose and throat hospital 耳が早い（みみがはやい） / have keen ears 1 七 2 いち一 seven シチなななな・つなの七月，７月（しちがつ） / July ☆＝文月（ふみづき）親の七光（おやのななひかり） / the influence of parents 七つ，７つ（ななつ） / seven ☆＝七個（ななこ）七日，７日（なのか） / seven days, the seventh day 七夕（たなばた） / Star Festival 1 車 7 くるまくるまへん車 a car a motorcar an automobile an auto a vehicle a wheel シャ　　　　くるまぴかぴかの新車（ぴかぴかのしんしゃ） / a shiny new car おんぼろの中古車（おんぼろのちゅうこしゃ） / a worn-out used car, a rickety secondhand car ☆おんぼろの＝ぽんこつの，がたのきた車庫（しゃこ） / a garage 車椅子（くるまいす） / a wheelchair 1 手 4 て手 a hand an arm a worker a way a means a device a trick an idea a kind trouble labor care the side skill ability シュ　て　　　　　　　　　 *た握手（あくしゅ） / shaking hands, a handshake 運転手（うんてんしゅ） / a driver ☆＝ドライバー手作りのアップルパイ（てづくりのあっぷるぱい） / a homemade (handmade) apple pie もっといい手がある（もっといいてがある） / I have a better idea., There is a better way. 上手（うわて） / better hand, superior, surpass, overhand 上手（かみて） / the upper part, the upper course (of a river), the left stage (the right stage seen from the audience) ☆⇔下手（しもて） / the lower part (course), the right stage 下手に出る（したてにでる） / assume a humble attitude toward ~ 手綱（たづな） / reins 上手（じょうず） / good, skillful, clever ☆＝上手い（うまい） 1 十 2 じゅう十 ten ジュウ　ジッとお *と十月，１０月（じゅうがつ） / October ☆＝神無月（かんなづき）十戒（じっかい） / the ten commandments 十日，１０日（とおか） / ten days, the tenth day 十人十色（じゅうにんといろ） / So many men, so many minds. 三十路（みそじ） / thirty years of age 二十日，２０日（はつか） / twenty days, the twentieth day 十八番（おはこ） / one's hobbyhorse 1 出 5 かんにょう凵 go out attend enter participate come out appear rise start leave take out get out put out hold out show produce serve pay let out an appearance one's origin シュツ *スイでで・る　だ・す出資（しゅっし） / investment 出納係（すいとうがかり） / a cashier, a teller 出口（でぐち） / an exit, a way out 買い物に出かける（かいものにでかける） / go out for shopping お茶を出す（おちゃをだす） / serve green tea 1 女 3 おんなおんなへん女 a woman a female a lady one's mistress one's woman ジョ　　ニョ *ニョウおんな　め女性（じょせい） / the female sex, a woman ☆＝女子（じょし）長女（ちょうじょ） / one's eldest (oldest) daughter 女官（にょかん） / a court lady 女房（にょうぼう） / one's wife 女物（おんなもの） / for ladies, ladies' ☆＝婦人用（ふじんよう）女神（めがみ） / a goddess 女々しい（めめしい） / effeminate, unmanly, sissy 女形（おやま） / feminine role 1 小 3 ちいさいなおがしら小 small little tiny unimportant trivial trifling petty ショウ　　ちい・さい　こお *さ小学校（しょうがっこう） / a primary (elementary) school 小学生（しょうがくせい） / a schoolboy, a schoolgirl, schoolchildren 小さなコアラ（ちいさなこあら） / a small koala ☆小さい＝ちっちゃい (colloq)，ちっこい (colloq) 小石（こいし） / a pebble, a small stone, gravel 小川（おがわ） / a stream, a creek, a brook, a rivulet 小夜曲（さよきょく） / a serenade 1 上 3 いち一 the upper part a higher place the top go up rise lift up go in get out finish over ジョウ　うえうわ　　かみ　あ・げるあ・がるあ・がりのぼ・る上達する（じょうたつする） / become skillful, get better, make progress, improve, advance 机の上に～（つくえのうえに） / on the desk 上着（うわぎ） / outerwear, a coat, a jacket 上向きになる（うわむきになる） / turn upward, show an upward tendency 川上（かわかみ） / the upper part of a river, upstream ☆⇔川下（かわしも） / the lower part of a river 棚に上げる（たなにあげる） / put ~ on the shelf 階段を上がる（かいだんをあがる） / go up the stairs 病み上がり（やみあがり） / convalescence 噂に上る（うわさにのぼる） / be talked about 1 森 12 ききへん木 woods forest a grove シンもり森林（しんりん） / woods, a forest 鎮守の森（ちんじゅのもり） / the grove of the village shrine 1 耳 6 みみみみへん耳 an ear an edge a selvage ジみみ耳鼻科（じびか） / an ear, nose and throat hospital 耳が早い（みみがはやい） / have keen ears 1 七 2 いち一 seven シチなななな・つなの七月，７月（しちがつ） / July ☆＝文月（ふみづき）親の七光（おやのななひかり） / the influence of parents 七つ，７つ（ななつ） / seven ☆＝七個（ななこ）七日，７日（なのか） / seven days, the seventh day 七夕（たなばた） / Star Festival 1 車 7 くるまくるまへん車 a car a motorcar an automobile an auto a vehicle a wheel シャ　　　　くるまぴかぴかの新車（ぴかぴかのしんしゃ） / a shiny new car おんぼろの中古車（おんぼろのちゅうこしゃ） / a worn-out used car, a rickety secondhand car ☆おんぼろの＝ぽんこつの，がたのきた車庫（しゃこ） / a garage 車椅子（くるまいす） / a wheelchair 1 手 4 て手 a hand an arm a worker a way a means a device a trick an idea a kind trouble labor care the side skill ability シュ　て　　　　　　　　　 *た握手（あくしゅ） / shaking hands, a handshake 運転手（うんてんしゅ） / a driver ☆＝ドライバー手作りのアップルパイ（てづくりのあっぷるぱい） / a homemade (handmade) apple pie もっといい手がある（もっといいてがある） / I have a better idea., There is a better way. 上手（うわて） / better hand, superior, surpass, overhand 上手（かみて） / the upper part, the upper course (of a river), the left stage (the right stage seen from the audience) ☆⇔下手（しもて） / the lower part (course), the right stage 下手に出る（したてにでる） / assume a humble attitude toward ~ 手綱（たづな） / reins 上手（じょうず） / good, skillful, clever ☆＝上手い（うまい） 1 十 2 じゅう十 ten ジュウ　ジッとお *と十月，１０月（じゅうがつ） / October ☆＝神無月（かんなづき）十戒（じっかい） / the ten commandments 十日，１０日（とおか） / ten days, the tenth day 十人十色（じゅうにんといろ） / So many men, so many minds. 三十路（みそじ） / thirty years of age 二十日，２０日（はつか） / twenty days, the twentieth day 十八番（おはこ） / one's hobbyhorse 1 出 5 かんにょう凵 go out attend enter participate come out appear rise start leave take out get out put out hold out show produce serve pay let out an appearance one's origin シュツ *スイでで・る　だ・す出資（しゅっし） / investment 出納係（すいとうがかり） / a cashier, a teller 出口（でぐち） / an exit, a way out 買い物に出かける（かいものにでかける） / go out for shopping お茶を出す（おちゃをだす） / serve green tea 1 女 3 おんなおんなへん女 a woman a female a lady one's mistress one's woman ジョ　　ニョ *ニョウおんな　め女性（じょせい） / the female sex, a woman ☆＝女子（じょし）長女（ちょうじょ） / one's eldest (oldest) daughter 女官（にょかん） / a court lady 女房（にょうぼう） / one's wife 女物（おんなもの） / for ladies, ladies' ☆＝婦人用（ふじんよう）女神（めがみ） / a goddess 女々しい（めめしい） / effeminate, unmanly, sissy 女形（おやま） / feminine role 1 小 3 ちいさいなおがしら小 small little tiny unimportant trivial trifling petty ショウ　　ちい・さい　こお *さ小学校（しょうがっこう） / a primary (elementary) school 小学生（しょうがくせい） / a schoolboy, a schoolgirl, schoolchildren 小さなコアラ（ちいさなこあら） / a small koala ☆小さい＝ちっちゃい (colloq)，ちっこい (colloq) 小石（こいし） / a pebble, a small stone, gravel 小川（おがわ） / a stream, a creek, a brook, a rivulet 小夜曲（さよきょく） / a serenade 1 上 3 いち一 the upper part a higher place the top go up rise lift up go in get out finish over ジョウ　うえうわ　　かみ　あ・げるあ・がるあ・がりのぼ・る上達する（じょうたつする） / become skillful, get better, make progress, improve, advance 机の上に～（つくえのうえに） / on the desk 上着（うわぎ） / outerwear, a coat, a jacket 上向きになる（うわむきになる） / turn upward, show an upward tendency 川上（かわかみ） / the upper part of a river, upstream ☆⇔川下（かわしも） / the lower part of a river 棚に上げる（たなにあげる） / put ~ on the shelf 階段を上がる（かいだんをあがる） / go up the stairs 病み上がり（やみあがり） / convalescence 噂に上る（うわさにのぼる） / be talked about 1 森 12 ききへん木 woods forest a grove シンもり森林（しんりん） / woods, a forest 鎮守の森（ちんじゅのもり） / the grove of the village shrine

radicals

Luís César — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:09:18 GMT

jin nin hito ji shi tsugi tsugu shi su ko tou katana ryoku riki chikara mata juu ji tou to jou shou ue kami uwa ageru agaru noboru nobuseru nobosu hachi yatsu yatsu ya- you sui mizu do to tsuchi shu te ta kou ku kuchi Jo nyo nyu onna me Ken inu kyuu yumi shou chiisai ko- o san yama shi boku moku ki ko getsu tsuki gatsu nichi jitsu hi –ka ka hi ho ji shi shimosu ou gyuu ushi hou kata tou fuyu ketsu kaku kakeru shin kokoro ko to seki shaku ishi koku ritsu ryuu tatsu tateru moku boku me ma I koromo den ta sara shi itu bei mai kome shuu funa chuu mushi ji mimi chiku take gen gon koto iu kai sha kuruma soku ashi taru tariru kin kon Kane Kanã shokujiki taberu kuu kirau seki mon kado BA umama gyo sakara uo chou tori

radicals japanese

Luís César — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:26:20 GMT

Word Reading English Base Hiragana POS (Japanese) 男オトコ (n) man (com); 男おとこ名詞はハはは助詞人間ニンゲン (n) human being; man; person (com); 人間にんげん名詞氷コオリ (n) ice; shaved ice (com); 氷こおり名詞子供コドモ (n) child; children (com); 子供こども名詞はハはは助詞息子ムスコ (n) (hum) son (com); 息子むすこ名詞スタンプスタンプ (n) stamp (com); スタンプすたんぷ名詞スタンプスタンプ (n) stamp (com); スタンプすたんぷ名詞ナイフナイフ (n) knife (com); ナイフないふ名詞ナイフナイフ (n) knife (com); ナイフないふ名詞刀ガタナ (n) sword; blade (com); 刀がたな名詞権力ケンリョク (n) (political) power; authority; influence (com); 権力けんりょく名詞またマタまたまた接続詞手シュ (n) hand (com); 手しゅ名詞ふたフタふたふた接頭詞フタフタフタふた名詞トップトップ (n) top (com); トップとっぷ名詞トップトップ (n) top (com); トップとっぷ名詞カバーカバー (n) cover (ex. book) (com); カバーかばー名詞カバーカバー (n) cover (ex. book) (com); カバーかばー名詞崖ガケ (n) cliff (com); 崖がけ名詞動くウゴク (v5k,vi) to move; to stir; to shift; to shake; to swing; to operate; to run; to go; to work; to be touched; to be influenced; to waver; to fluctuate; to vary; to change; to be transferred (com); 動くうごく動詞同封ドウフウ (n,vs) enclosure (e.g. in a letter) (com); 同封どうふう名詞ボックスボックス (n) box (com); ボックスぼっくす名詞ボックスボックス (n) box (com); ボックスぼっくす名詞でデでで助詞デデデで助詞隠すカクス (v5s,vt) to hide; to conceal (com); 隠すかくす動詞水ミズ (n) water (com); 水みず名詞地球チキュウ (adj-no,n) the earth (com); 地球ちきゅう名詞髪カミ (n) hair (com); 髪かみ名詞をヲをを助詞ヲヲヲを助詞手シュ (n) hand (com); 手しゅ名詞口クチ (n) mouth; orifice; opening (com); 口くち名詞女ジョ (n) woman (com); 女じょ接頭詞犬イヌ (n) dog (com); 犬いぬ名詞イヌイヌイヌいぬ名詞弓ユミ (n) bow (and arrow) (com); 弓ゆみ名詞ユミユミユミゆみ名詞草クサ (n) grass (com); 草くさ名詞パンツパンツ (n) underpants (com); パンツぱんつ名詞パンツパンツ (n) underpants (com); パンツぱんつ名詞ステップステップ (n) step; dance step; steppe (com); ステップすてっぷ名詞ステップステップ (n) step; dance step; steppe (com); ステップすてっぷ名詞はハはは助詞大股オオマタ (n) long (great, swinging) stride; straddle; long (big) steps; 大股おおまた名詞屋根ヤネ (n) roof (com); 屋根やね名詞小さなチイサナ小さなちいさな連体詞斜めナナメ (adj-na,n) obliqueness (com); 斜めななめ名詞屋根ヤネ (n) roof (com); 屋根やね名詞死体シタイ (n) corpse (com); 死体したい名詞シシシし名詞タイタイ (n) tie (com); タイたい名詞国境コッキョウ (n) national or state border; 国境こっきょう名詞木キ (n) tree; wood; timber (com); 木き名詞木キ (n) tree; wood; timber (com); 木き名詞月ツキ (n-t) moon; month (com); 月つき名詞ツキツキツキつき名詞月ツキ (n-t) moon; month (com); 月つき名詞ツキツキツキつき名詞

japanese radicals

Luís César — Mon, 11 May 2009 18:56:51 GMT

男は、人間氷子供は、息子スタンプナイフ、刀権力また、手ふた、トップ、カバー 10 オラクル崖動く同封ボックスで、隠す水地球髪を、手口女犬弓草、パンツステップは、大股屋根小さな斜め、屋根死体国境木、木月、月太陽、日心臓詳細は、 anounce 宝石牛方向ヒット、ストライキは、次不足心臓武器、ドア、槍ジャベリン石立ち上がる眼穀物衣料品田んぼ純椀、皿病気糸コメ船、ボートワームは、昆虫耳竹話す、言う香り、イガイ、お金自動車、金小さな鳥雨ゲート、ドア頭、ページ馬魚鳥

Maria Stuart - Friedrich Schiller

Luís César — Mon, 04 May 2009 22:49:29 GMT

By Jane Dunn, Author Elizabeth & Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens (Harper Perennial) The relationship between Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots is one of the great relationships of history. It was the cause of much interest and gossip while they lived and has stirred the imaginations of every generation in the four centuries since their deaths. At the heart of the fascination is the fact that they were rare creatures - regnant queens who had inherited their thrones in their own right and not just by marrying kings. They ruled neighbouring countries in a period of great political, spiritual and cultural change and appeared to embody opposing qualities of character and will. Tragically, they were not to live as sister queens for two great blunders set their lives on course to a fatal duel, in which if one queen was to live the other had to die. This struggle is the focus of Schiller’s play Mary Stuart, but their relationship was not always like this. Elizabeth and Mary had a basic solidarity as kinswomen, queens in an overwhelmingly masculine world. They were cousins, Elizabeth, born in 1533, the elder by nine years. Her birth was accompanied by scandal and revolution, for her father, Henry VIII, believing she would be a son and heir, had severed England’s ties with the Pope and the Catholic Church in order to divorce his first wife and marry Anne Boleyn and legitimize their unborn child. The fact that Elizabeth was a girl and not the longed-for prince was received with deep parental dismay. The disappointment of her sex eventually cost her mother her life and set her father on his bloody quest for a male heir. Elizabeth was to be haunted always by insecurity, not least because in the eyes of Catholic Europe she was considered illegitimate and a usurper of the English throne. Mary never suffered any such doubt. Within days of her birth in 1542, she was proclaimed Queen of Scotland. Her lineage was impeccable and she was viscerally certain of her right to be queen. Before she was sixteen, she was not only Queen of Scots but, in a direct challenge to Elizabeth by her father-in-law Henri II, was declared the legitimate Queen of England and Ireland too. This was the first blunder for it struck a deep blow at Elizabeth’s own insecurities and fears. It also hurt her Tudor pride. She had endured a lonely and dangerous apprenticeship, never certain of the crown, and yet in 1558 on her ascendancy at last to her father’s precious throne, her younger cousin claimed it as morally hers. On King Henri’s death the following year, Mary ascended the greatest throne of all as Queen of France, the most powerful nation in Europe. The second great blunder of their relationship was Mary’s alone. On her headlong escape from Scotland in 1568, she chose to come to England rather than return to France, the home of her happy childhood and youth. This was to put Elizabeth in an impossible position. She could not forcibly reinstate her on the Scottish throne, nor could she send Mary on her way to France, England’s historic enemy, as long as she insisted on her rights to Elizabeth’s throne. Yet Mary was not Elizabeth’s subject and to hold her against her will ran counter to every sense of justice. Reluctant hospitality quickly became house arrest and then, in times of danger, a closer imprisonment. Inevitably she became the focus for Catholic militancy against Elizabeth. With this recklessness of choice and lack of political foresight, Mary began the long road to her death, but there were moments when it wasn’t clear whether she or Elizabeth was most at risk, whether it was she or Elizabeth who had become the captive queen. It is little wonder that filmmakers, playwrights, and even romantic opera composers have embraced the natural drama of this relationship. Schiller, fine poet and playwright as he was, understood many of the psychological stresses on these two queens. As an artist he has to manipulate the story for his own ends. Mortimer is a fabricated character and Leicester he made more lethally duplicitous than even the Earl’s high ambition demanded. More tellingly, Schiller has Mary accept her complicity in her husband Darnley’s murder. There is no proof that she was knowingly involved although there is little doubt that she wished to be rid of him and said so much to her lords. On the other hand Schiller suggests she was innocent of any of the numerous plots to release her from imprisonment and replace Elizabeth with Mary as England’s rightful heir. It is more than likely that Mary encouraged and was even an eager participant in at least the Babington Plot, the last plot of her life. Schiller is very close to the truth when he shows how the dynamic interaction between them shifted as each queen took the initiative by turns, one never entirely dominant, each highly aware of the other. The balance of power was never clear cut: Elizabeth appeared to hold all the best cards, but Mary played those she had to disconcerting effect. Remarkably, they never met. For greater dramatic intensity on stage, Schiller chose to bring them face to face. But the fact they never met is the vacuum at the centre of their relationship that adds terrific psychological force to their story. In the absence of reality a rival grows in stature in the imagination, becoming something superhuman, but also less than human and therefore easier to kill. Their failure to meet also became an expression of frustrated desire and control. Mary never gave up pleading for personal contact, certain that her charm would alter her case with her cousin. Initially willing, Elizabeth then grew increasingly distant and aloof, fearful of what she believed was Mary's almost magical power to enchant, already exaggerated in her imagination and fuelled with the stories of others. Elizabeth was perplexed: 'There is something sublime in the words and bearing of the Queen of Scots that constrains even her enemies to speak well of her'. All her life, Elizabeth had steeled herself to prove to the world she had the heart and mind of a man, so aware was she of the accepted inferiority of being merely female. She often boasted that in this masculinity her strength resided, yet she had all the passions of a woman, and expressed these most notably in her love for her favourites and her tenderness for her people. Mary was seen as recklessly emotional and liable to nervous collapse, and yet she was courageous and intelligent - and able to show a more ruthless resolve to see her sister queen murdered than Elizabeth could summon up for the judicial execution of Mary herself. Even in death Mary sought to wrong-foot Elizabeth. Found guilty of incitement to kill her cousin, she went to her execution nobly insisting she was sacrificed for her faith alone. By dying heroically as a Catholic martyr, she rescued her reputation from the wreckage of her life. Elizabeth, finally as an old queen dying after more than four decades of transforming rule, was aware instead of the galloping hooves of the messenger’s horse riding north. The next incumbent of her jealously guarded throne would be Mary's son, James, King of Scotland and now King of England too. This would mark Mary's final triumph, the succession of the Tudors by the Stuarts. But there was triumph for Elizabeth too, for Mary's son ruled their newly-united kingdoms as a Protestant state. http://www.marystuartonbroadway.com/play/

Marshall McLuhan & Roland Barthes: On the Interplay Between Media, Myth, & Technology

Luís César — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:44:05 GMT

by Laureano Ralón There are many similarities between the ideas of French social theorist Roland Barthes (see Mythologies (1972)), and the "probes" of Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan (see Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964)). While these two authors lived in different countries and claimed to never have systematically read each other¹s works, the connections between their works is an important, yet understudied, area of technology and culture studies. One parallel between McLuhan's Mechanical Bride (1951), and Barthes' Mythologies has been identified for some time now. In his review of The Mechanical Bride for www.mediatic.net, Geert Lovink includes a quotation from The Sunday Times comparing the authors: Few people know that Marshall McLuhan's first book, published in 1951, is completely devoted to the phenomenon of advertising. Although popular in the 1960s, The Mechanical Bride is difficult to obtain nowadays, in contrast to the Mythologies Roland Barthes wrote five years later. On the back cover of the 1973 Granada edition of Mythologies a blurb actually cites Barthes as the McLuhan of signs... and like McLuhan's most engaging book, The Mechanical Bride, Barthes' Mythologies has its penetrating gusto (McLuhan, 1964, p. 55). But despite this realization, an in-depth comparative study that illustrates the accord between the authors' works remains nonexistent to this day. This abscence is partly due to the fact that, traditionally, the "French connection" to McLuhan has been drawn to French scholar Jean Baudrillard - a pairing that may have somewhat overshadowed a less obvious but equally plausible connection to Barthes. Furthermore, as the quotation above clearly exemplifies, McLuhan has been paired with Barthes using The Mechanical Bride as the only point of comparison. Nevertheless, an interesting and rich connection can be established to Understanding Media, which, along with The Gutenberg Galaxy, sums up McLuhan's thought in the 1960s. Breaking away from the conventional paradigms, this essay will draw a connection between Mythologies and Understanding Media. A good way to begin this study is by establishing a link between Barthes and the concepts of time and space-bias developed by Canadian political economist Harold Adams Innis, one of McLuhan's main sources of inspiration along with James Joyce, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Frech Symbolist poets. The long concluding chapter of Mythologies, entitled "Myth Today," is of special relevance here. "Myth Today" provides a theoretical framework to help rationalize and clarify the significance of the numerous case studies provided in the first part of the book. For the purpose of our comparison, Barthes could not have chosen a better title to begin with. For "Myth Today" suggests, as Innis pointed out in reference to some types of media almost sixty years ago, that myth is the "speech" of history: One can conceive of very ancient myths, but there are no eternal ones; for it is human history which converts reality into speech, and it alone rules the life and the death of mythical language. Ancient or not, mythology can only have an historical foundation, for myth is a type of speech chosen by history: it cannot possibly evolve from the nature of things (Barthes, p. 110). From this premise, it follows that being "time-biased" is not synonymous with being "eternal," a conclusion that is not at all contrary to Innis' theory, for the same thing happens continually to media. Throughout history, it has happened over and over again that a medium undergoes functional displacement: it is sometimes rendered obsolete by another medium and, to survive, must go through a complete transformation: When the movie scenario or picture story was applied to the idea article, the magazine world had discovered a hybrid that ended the supremacy of the short story. When wheels were put in tandem form, the wheel principle combined with the lineal typographic principle to create aerodynamic balance. The wheel crossed with industrial, lineal form released the new form of the airplane...The hybrid or the meeting of two media is a moment of truth and revelation from which new form is born (McLuhan, 1964, p. 55). These statements provide a first indication that myth could possibly be regarded as a media. But what exactly is a myth, and what exactly are media? What is the difference between these two concepts? McLuhan claims that, "Every human artifact can be seen as a medium of communication whose message can be said to be the totality of satisfactions and dissatisfactions they engender (1989)" Barthes, on the other hand, claims that just about everything can be myth: Everything, then, can be a myth? Yes, I believe this, for the universe is infinitely fertile in suggestions. Every object in the world can pass from a closed, silent existence to an oral state open to appropriation by society, for there is no law, whether natural or not, which forbids talking about things (Barthes, p. 109). Both authors believe that the formal characteristics (shape and function) of the structures they propose are their distinguishing and essential features. Barthes maintains that "myth is not defined by the object of its message, but by the way in which it utters this message: there are formal limits to myth, there are no substantial ones (p. 109)." Barthes adds that "myth can be defined neither by its object nor by its material, for any material can arbitrarily be endowed with meaning (p. 110)." Meanwhile, in reflecting upon the electric light (the only medium without a message), McLuhan concludes that it is the medium itself - not the content - which shapes the scale, pace and pattern of human affairs: Let us return to the electric light. Whether the light is being used for brain surgery or night baseball is a matter of indifference. It could be argued that these activities are in some way the content of the electric light, since they could not exist without the electric light. This fact merely underlines the point that "the medium is the message" because it is the medium that shapes and controls the scale and form of human association (1964, pp. 8-9). In emphasizing the formal characteristics of myth, Barthes is suggesting the same idea, that the medium is the message: A tree is a tree. Yes, of course. But a tree, as expressed by Minou Drouet, is no longer quite a tree, it is a tree which is decorated, adapted to a certain type of consumption laden with literary self-indulgence, revolt, images, in short with a type of social usage which is added to pure matter (p. 109). In this quotation, Barthes suggests that the content or message of a medium is always another medium, reflecting another of McLuhan's famous ideas. Barthes goes on to argue that "a photograph will be a kind of speech for us in the same way as a newspaper article; even objects will become speech, if they mean something (p. 110)." In reference to what McLuhan sees as the subsidiary character of content, Barthes also states that, When he reflects on a metalanguage, the semiologist no longer needs to ask himself questions about the composition of the language-object, he no longer has to take into account the details of the linguistic schema; he will only need to know its total term, or global sign... (p. 115). So what, exactly, is the relationship between media and myth if, according to the authors, everything and anything can be either one? To answer this question we first need to define what myth, media and technology are. For the first two terms (myth and media), we can say that they are "social constructs - softer than the later term (technology). Though McLuhan makes no distinction between technology and media, there is in fact a subtantial one in how we socially (not individually) use technology. Technology is the actual human artifact (hardware), while media are the social, intellectual, and cultural consequences of this technology (software). So, for example, the tubes (technology) give way to TV (media) because that is the use which is "socially accepted" for that technology. We could use a TV as a lamp if a lightbulb burnt out by using the light emanating from the tubes, or we could use it as a chair, but none of these are socially accepted uses. Thus, the TV medium is a socially constructed concept and a social convention, which is determined by a social type of usage. Given this differentiation, one plausible hypothesis about the interplay between myth, technology and media is that "cool media" attract myth. McLuhan defined "cool media" as stimulating all of the senses simultaneously but in low intensity, and "hot media" as being information-rich and thus extending or stimulating one sense in high intensity. Interestingly enough, Barthes himself seems to confirm that it is the fill-in-the-blanks characteristic of cool media that attracts myth: True, as far as perception is concerned, writing and pictures, for instance, do not call upon the same type of consciousness; and even with pictures, one can use many kinds of reading: a diagram lends itself to signification more than a drawing, a copy more than an original, and a caricature more than a portrait (p.110). McLuhan argued, "any medium has the power of imposing its own assumption on the unwary" (p. 15). Barthes went further: he believed in myth-controlled technology since "myth sees in them only the same raw material; their unity is that they all come down to the status of a mere language... a sum of signs, a global sign, the final term of a first semiological chain" (p. 114). These assertions suggest that both myth and media can be embodied in any technology. It also means that media are qualitatively richer than technology and quantitatively poorer, a relationship which also takes place between the signifier and the signified of myth, as Barthes observes: A signified can have several signifiers: this is indeed the case in linguistics and psycho-analysis. It is also the case in the mythical concept: it has at its disposal an unlimited mass of signifiers... This means that quantitatively, the concept is much poorer than the signifier, it often does nothing but re-present itself (p. 120). When Barthes states, first, that myth is a sign which belongs to and emerges from a secondary semiological chain, and second that the sign (signifier + signified) in the first semiological chain becomes the signifier of myth in the second, whose signified stands alone, independently, he is basically saying that the content or message of a medium is always another medium. The content of a sign is another sign, for myth is after all a sign that appropriates another sign: "we can say that the fundamental character of the mythical concept is to be appropriated" (Barthes, p. 119). This phenomenon also happens between media through hybridization or compounding because, as McLuhan argues, "[media] do interact and spawn new progeny has been a source of wonder over the ages" (p. 49). Furthermore, while the second semiological system or "metalanguage" (what Barthes calls "myth" or "signification") corrupts the first semiological system or "langue-object," something similar happens between media: "Except for light, all other media come in pairs, with one acting as the content of the other, obscuring the operation of both" (McLuhan, 1964, p. 52). It is a dual, ambiguous effect, however, for it also happens that "the effect of the medium is made strong and intense just because it is given another medium as 'content'" (McLuhan, 1964, p. 18). Suming up, I offer three conclusions: 1) that the signifier chez Barthes equals the technology chez McLuhan, since "the signifier is empty, the sign is full, it is a meaning" (Barthes, p. 113); 2) that a medium is a technology defined by its use, much like myth is defined by its intention; and 3) that the signified equals the social usage which defines a given medium. In graphical terms: This essay intended to prove that a connection between the works and thoughts of Marshall McLuhan and Roland Barthes not only exists, but has remained unexamined to this date. It is hoped that this comparison should strengthen the understanding of their theoretical perspectives and inspire future research. It is also hoped that from this innovative fusion, an invigorated way of seeing and thinking about the interplay between technology, media, and myth will eventually emerge. Bibliography Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies. London: J. Cape. McLuhan, M. (1951). The mechanical bride : folklore of industrial man. New York: Vanguard Press. McLuhan, M. (1964). Understanding media: the extensions of man (2d ed.). New York: New American Library. McLuhan, M. (1989). Playboy interview. Canadian Journal of Communication, 134-137.

Clues to post-modernism

Luís César — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:43:12 GMT

Program One: Contact Enlightenment The Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason, was the dominant intellectual movement of the 18th century. Enlightenment thinkers shared the faith in the supremacy of human reason, believing that people, through the use of their reason, could find answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. Insisting that human institutions should conform to logic and reason, they challenged traditional royal and Church authority and called for the end of the Old Regime. Leading Enlightentmnent thinkers include, Montesquieu, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot. Modernity Modernity is the idea that the present is discontinuous with the past, that through a process of social and cultural change (either through progress or through decline) life in the present is fundamentally different from life in the past. Modernity contrasts on the one hand with the concept of tradition, which is simply the sense that the present repeats the forms, behavior, and events of the past. On the other it now contrasts with post-modernity, but that's another story. Polyphonic Polyphony is the writing of music in many parts or in more than one part. It literally means "music of many voices" in opposition to music consisting of one voice alone (monophony) or of one voice with accompaniment (homophony). In polyphony the voices may be as few as two or as many as several dozen, but each must have a certain individuality and independence of its own. As appropriated by the humanities and social sciences it reflects a concern with understanding the complexity of social practices - a complexity often masked by big institutions, processes and theories used to explain them. It is often to used to emancipate marginal or forgotten voices. Program Two: Hi-Tech Norbert Wiener (1894-1964) Mathematical logician, the founder of cybernetics, born in Columbia, MD. A child prodigy, he entered university at 11, studied at Harvard, Cornell, Cambridge, and Gvttingen universities, and became professor of mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1932-1960). During World War II he worked on guided missiles. Wiener's study of the handling of information by electronic devices, guided by the feedback principle, encouraged comparison between these and human mental processes in his book Cybernetics (1948) and other works. CYBERNETICS (according to Wiener) Norbert Wiener described cybernetics as the study of the interaction between man, machine and animals. The world is said to be a big enclosed system. This means that at some time any given action is going to cycle back around to the beginning. Cybernetics is closely related to the ideas of 'feedback' and'self-regulation' Cybernetic systems tell themselves how to react to changes in environmental and internal stimuli. Feedback is an important part of cybernetics. Output is not only effected by the current input but also the previous inputs and outputs. The basic principles of cybernetics can be applied to different systems - electronic, computing or even biological. CYBORG Cyborgs are cybernetic organisms The term cyborg itself was coined in the 1960s by space scientist Manfred Clynes. Cyborgs are an amalgam of flesh and hardware. Although the cyborg might be considered a conceptual being, a figment of science fiction, the ability of humans to modify their bodies and minds has made the cyborg an everyday reality. During the Age of Industrialisation (19th century), machines, tools, and devices of all sorts were developed as extensions and prosthesis of the human body. This not only to fulfil certain functions but also to replace parts of the imperfect human body. The cyborg of the late twentieth century is moving towards prosthetic union with information technology. BIOLOGISM The tendency to use biological concepts, metaphors, and explanations in the analysis of social situations. In communications research for instance the concept of the body - from cellular activity to neuro-systems - has been used extensively to explain processes which might be more properly understood in ways other than the scientific. Program Three: Emergence The Frankfurt School The Frankfurt School has its genesis in the early part of this century. Comprising a loose group of intellectuals the "school" produced a significant body of philosophical work which concerned itself with the relation between theory and practice. Wealthy part-time scholar Felix Weil founded the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt in 1924. Its mission was to further the scientific study of Marxism. Weil saw the establishment of the Institute as a compromise between his class position and his leftist sympathies. The Institute-loosely associated with the University of Frankfurt at its inception-became a sort of mecca for German leftists, for whom the study of Marxist political economy and the history of the labor movement could be undertaken at the university level for the first time. Yet it did not begin to assume its mature approach until the appointment, in 1930, of Max Horkheimer as director. To just such an end, he gathered around him a diverse group of scholars to formulate this interdisciplinary approach: Erich Fromm, a Freudian analyst with strong leftist leanings; Friedrich Pollock, a rather orthodox Marxist economist; Theodore Adorno, whose doctorate was in philosophy but who at the time was employed as a music critic; Herbert Marcuse, a philosopher and former student of Martin Heidegger. Walter Benjamin, who was never a permanent member of the Institute, was perhaps the hardest to classify, for his work encompassed nearly all the humanistic disciplines and many of the social sciences. Core members of the School were forced into exile by the ascendancy of the Nazi Party to power in 1933. The Frankfurt School was doubly damned, being not only "left-wing radicals" but Jewish to boot. Initially scattered throughout Europe in exile, their next permanent base would be Columbia University in New York, with which they formed an association which would last from July 1934 until early 1943. Positivism Logical positivism - also known as scientific EMPIRICISM - is a modern school of philosophy which in the 1920s attempted to introduce the methodology and precision of mathematics to the study of philosophy. Led by the Vienna Circle, a group including the philosophers Rudolf CARNAP and Moritz Schlick, the logical positivists held that metaphysical speculation is nonsensical; that logical and mathematical propositions are tautological; and that moral and value statements are merely emotive. The function of philosophy, they maintained, is to clarify concepts in both everyday and scientific language. The Vienna Circle disintegrated in the late 1930s after the Nazis took Austria, but its influence spread throughout Europe and America, and its concept, particularly its emphasis on the analysis of language as the function of philosophy, has been carried on throughout the West. Back to Transcript Jane Addams and Hull House Jane Addams was in Cedarville, Illinois on September 6, 1860 and graduated from Rockford College in 1882, Jane Addams founded the world famous social settlement Hull-House on Chicago's Near West Side in 1889. From Hull House, where she lived and worked until her death in 1935, Jane Addams built her reputation as the country's most prominent woman through her writing, her settlement work, and her international efforts for world peace. Around Hull-House, immigrants to Chicago crowded into a residential and industrial neighborhood. Italians, Russian and Polish Jews, Irish, Germans, Greeks and Bohemians predominated. Jane Addams and the other residents of the settlement provided services for the neighborhood, such as kindergarten and daycare facilities for children of working mothers, an employment bureau, an art gallery, libraries, and music and art classes. By 1900 Hull House activities had broadened to include the Jane Club (a cooperative residence for working women), the first Little Theater in America, a Labor Museum and a meeting place for trade union groups. Program Five: Signs Structuralism Structuralism is a method of analysis practiced in 20th-century social sciences and humanities. It analyses large-scale systems by examining the relations and functions of the smallest constituent elements of such systems, which range from human languages and cultural practices to folk tales and literary texts. In the field of linguistics the structuralist work of Ferdinand de SAUSSURE, undertaken just prior to World War I, long served as model and inspiration. In the domain of anthropology and myth studies, the work done in the immediate post-World War II period by Claude LEVI-STRAUSS introduced structuralist principles to a wide audience. In humanistic and literary studies, structuralism is applied most effectively in the field of "narratology." This nascent discipline studies all narratives, whether or not they use language; myths and legends, novels and news accounts, histories, relief sculptures and stained-glass windows, pantomimes and psychological case studies. Using structuralist methods and principles, narratologists analyse the systematic features and functions of narratives, attempting to isolate a finite set of rules to account for the infinite set of real and possible narratives. Starting in the 1960s, the French critic Roland Barthes and several other French narratologists popularised the field, which has since become an important method of analysis in the United States as well. Ferdinand de Saussure Ferdinand de Saussure was born in 1857 and died in 1913. He is known as the founder of structuralism. de Saussure was professor at Geneva (1901-13) where he developed an innovative course, overturning the orthodox views of German philology and laid the basis for a new approach not just to linguistics, but to anthropology and sociology as well. He wrote Mémoire sur le système primitif des voyelles dans les langues indo-européennes (1879) but his Cours de linguistique générale (1916), posthumously edited from his students' lecture notes, is one of the foremost works giving stimulus and direction to modern linguistics. de Saussure rejects the positivist conception of language as one of simple correspondence to the physical world. Words, he says exist primarily in relation to one another, before they exist in relation to an object. It is the relation of sign to the code of signification that accords it meaning, rather than a simple correspondence with an external object. de Saussure took language out of the realm of logic, to look at language and its grammar as an object of study in its own right. Charles Sanders Peirce Peirce was born in 1839 and died in 1914. He is regarded, with de Saussure as the founder of modern semiotics. A natural scientist by training and the son of the eminent mathematician Benjamin Peirce, he developed the philosophical basis of semiotics in a series of articles in the late 1860s - Questions Concerning Certain Capacities Claimed for Man and Some Consequences of Four Incapacities. There Peirce levelled a devastating critique of Cartesian philosophy arguing the nature of a sign is fallible, and thoroughly immersed in a continuing process of interpretation. He considered his semiotics as a general theory of logic. Interesting Link for Peirce - www.peirce.org Roland Barthes - Mythologies Roland Barthes, was born in 1915. He attended the University of Paris and taught at French Universities in Romania and Egypt. His book Mythologies is a collection of short essays which analyse the meaning of everything around him. Even in the most simple things Barthes found a deeper and hidden significance. The mythology essays were composed at a rate of one each month, for two years, beginning in 1954. When beginning to write, Barthes strived to focus on the myths of everyday French life. There is no real connection between the essays from month to month. Rather, they are more or less connected by Barthes' use of similar ideas. Barthes, like de Saussure was interested in alternatives to traditional liberal concepts of the subject. This led Barthes to use semiotics to 'overthrow the intentional fallacy of authorship'. Barthes reversed the commonsense view that authors wrote texts to argue - cryptically - that texts 'wrote' authors. What he meant was that specific genres of literature pre-existed the authors that contributed to them, so, for example, the detective story comes before Hammett. Fulfilling the code of the genre, the author is an effect of the discourse, not its originator. The slogan of semiotics became 'The death of the author'. Program Six: Power DISCOURSE Taken from "A Dictionary of Communication and Media Studies 4th edition by James Watson and Anne Hill Arnold. London, 1997. "A form, mode or genre of language-use. Each person has in his/her repertoire a whole range of possible discourses - the language of love, of authority, of sport, of the domestic scene. In a media sense, an example of a discourse would be the news, reflecting in its choice of language and style of presentation the social, economic, political and cultural context from which the discourse eminates." Gunter Kress (in Linguistic Processes in Sociocultural Practice (Australia. Deakin University Press, 1985.), provides the following useful explanantion of discourse: "Institutions and social groupings have specific meanings and values which are articulated in language in sytematic ways. Following the work particularly of Michel Foucault, I efer to these systematically-organised modes of talking as discourse.' Program Seven: Organisations ORGANISATIONAL ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDIES Institutional ethnography grew out of cultural anthropology, but it is applied to organisations rather than peoples or nations. Originally, it concentrated on "total institutions", like asylums, prisons, and boarding schools, because these institutions attempted to replace the society outside. It has grown into a field which also works with "corporate cultures", and which examines how low-level assumptions about how the world works affect organisations and the people who interact with them. Most institutional ethnography continues to concentrate on interactions within institutions. It is common for everyday work sites to become the object of ethnographic studies - from office blocks to scientific laboratories. The challenge for ethnographers is to define and 'control' their presence on site as a mediating factor in the results produced. What role might they play in influencing on site behaviour? The subjective nature of institutional ethnographic studies is the subject of intense debate. Program Nine: News Narrative Theory Narrative theory is linked to anthropology, economics, linguistics and psychoanalysis. The theory holds that certain patterns are expressed in a given culture's narrative structures. As a way of making sense of the world, the theory tries to uncover these underlying patterns and what this might ultimately say about us. Rather than explaining or interpreting stories or their authors, narrative theory asks how the stories we tell, or exchange, produce us. The theory encompasses narratives broadly allowing engagement with everyday forms such as television news programs. Program Eleven: Alternatives POLITICAL ECONOMY A branch of the social sciences that looks at the relationship between political and economic institutions and processes. Specifically the focus of study is the way in which governments allocate scarce resources in society through their laws and policies. In turn political economy traces how allocation affects the behaviour of people acting on their economic interests, an how this in turn affects the form of government and the kinds of laws and policies that get made. The term appears to have originated around the turn of the 17th century, at a time of economic and societal change. Adam Smith is considered to be the first to present a unified study of political economy linking it to his treatises on the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Other works of the period include David Ricardo's Principles of Political Economy and Taxation (1817) and John Stuart Mill's Principles of Political Economy (1848). Program Twelve: Experts Jurgen Habermas Jurgen Habermas, born in Germany in 1929, is considered as a second-generation member of the Frankfurt School of critical theory. Habermas took up a chair in philosophy and sociology at the University of Frankfurt in 1964 where he was assistant to Theodor Adorno. In 1971 he moved to the Max Planck Institute where he worked with Claus Offe, Niklas Luhmann and Klaus Eder, influencing a generation of German social scientists. He is considered a leading thinker on the topic of the social construction of reality, and is the originator of the Theory of Communication Ethics. His work stresses the humanist side of Marx's work as a critic, and has written on the Hegelian tensions between theory and practice in philosophy. He has been described as a standard bearer of the enlightenment, understanding postmodernity to be as an antithetical proposal to modernity. As such Habermas interprets the postmodern movement as an expression of a new social conservatism. Habermas LINK:www.helsinki.fi/~amkauppi/hablinks.html Some books by Jurgen Habermas Knowledge and Human Interests, 1971 Toward a Rational Society, 1971 Communication and the Evolution of Society, 1979 On the Logic of the Social Sciences, 1988 The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere, 1989 Between Facts and Norms, 1997

New Historicist and Cultural Criticism Concepts and Terms

Luís César — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:37:49 GMT

Like most of the other Post-Structuralist critical methods, New Historicism and Cultural Criticism are very loosely defined by and for their practitioners by a generalized set of assumptions and some typical methods. They tend to share with Feminism and late Marxism a tendency to see their work as politically important, a challenge to the dominant "normative" ideologies governing interpretations guided by left-over New Critical and Structuralist methods, which still turn up in published work. Rather than seeking to rebuild a new "norm" or interpretive center, the NH and CC critics tend to move unpredictably about the literary (and cultural!) landscape, seeking opportunities to topple "insufficiently theorized" interpretive communities. "Overdetermination" has become a key term of art used by a wide variety of Post-Structuralist critics, and its significance for critical method leads to the popularity of Geertz's "thick description" as a kind of universal extension of New Critical "close reading," Structuralist discovery of synchronically operating "deep structure action and status rules," Reader-Response discovery of diachronically operating "reader rules," and Marxist and Psychoanalytic and Feminist discovery of false consciousness operations. Tyson on New Historicism-- How New Historicism characterizes the faulty doctrines of "Old Historicism" events can reveal a zeitgeist or "spirit of the age" (282) history is characterized by linear chains of causal relationships (282) historiography must be based on "objective" analysis (282-3) history is "progressive" with respect to human happiness, freedom, knowledge, etc. (279) history is best understood via the lives and thoughts of the "great men" who control governments and other social institutions New Historicist assumptions cultures develop many myths about themselves, but no one mythos explains them people are continuously "shaping and shaped by" events (284) the "impossibility of objective analysis" requires study of the historiography as a narrative (283-4) history is "goal-less" but historiographers attribute goals to it as part of their cultural agenda we have an obligation to record and can learn far more from the lives of common people in the masses Michel Foucault, a key theorist of the Post-Structuralist movement (284-8)-- power "circulates" rather than descending vertically down a hierarchical system (281) circulation of power occurs by means of exchange exchange of material goods by legal and illegal means exchange of people by cultural institutions exchange of ideas by discourses discourses are social languages which create and are created by ideologies discourses allow negotiation of the exchanges of power by establishing categories of regulated behavior and norms for that behavior discourses are in a state of constant dynamic play with each other no monolithic "spirit" controls the discourses of any historical era, though designating a given period an "era" can make it seem as if one did so no totalizing historical explanation can capture all of the dynamic exchange of power because historiography operates within and is a product of the system it tries to describe Clifford Geertz, an anthropological theorist, on "thick description" (288-90)-- cultural product social convention cultural code interpretive convention interpreter's self-positioning Cultural Criticism, general theoretical principles-- all cultural productions do cultural work "high" and "low" culture are politically determined norms cultural production of "high culture" is privileged by social and interpretive conventions "low" culture is equally or more valuable as an object of study our subjective values must be acknowledged in the course of the analysis "thick description" of the cultural production will reveal its conventions and codes