抱負 (hō-fu) resolution

Some more new year's related vocabulary. New Year's resolutions are just as popular in Japan as they are in western countries. In Japanese "New Year's resolution" is 新年の抱負 (shin-nen-hō-fu). 新年 = New Year (see my previous post) 抱負 = resolution What's your new year's resolution?

新年 (shin-nen) New Year

The New Year's holiday is one of the most important times for Japanese people. It's a time to clean the house, make resolutions, forget the old year, and make a clean start. The kanji should be pretty easy for Japanese learners:新 = new (pronounced "a-ta-ra-shi-i" by itself, and "shin" when in conjunction with other kanji)年Continue reading "新年 (shin-nen) New Year"

あけおめ (a-ké-o-mé) “Happy New Year”

To wish someone "Happy New Year" in Japanese, say: あけましておめでとうございます！ (a-ké-ma-shi-té o-mé-dé-tō go-zai-masu) Or, more casually, take the first 2 syllables from each word and say: あけおめ！ (a-ké-o-mé)

影 (ka-ge) “shadow”

Japanese kanji characters are made up of smaller parts. The left hand side of a kanji is called then "hen". In the case of 影, the "hen" is 景, which means "scenery" and can be a complete kanji by itself. The right hand side of a kanji is called the "tsukuri". In this case theContinue reading "影 (ka-ge) “shadow”"

桜梅桃李 (ō-bai-tō-ri) “never compare yourself to others”

This yo-ji-juku-go (Japanese 4-character idiom) is comprised of 4 beloved Japanese trees. They are: 桜 = cherry (sakura) 梅 = apricot (ume) 桃 = peach (momo) 李 = plum (sumomo) 桜 (sakura) are of course the cherry blossom trees famous for blooming spectacularly and incredibly briefly once a year, usually in April. Sakura trees inContinue reading "桜梅桃李 (ō-bai-tō-ri) “never compare yourself to others”"

熊蟄穴 When bears begin to hibernate

In ancient times Japanese people divided the year into 72 "micro-seasons". These seasons were based on natural events such as the weather and appearance of various flora and fauna. Today marks the start of 熊蟄穴熊 = bear蟄 = hibernation. (It traditionally refers to the hibernation of insects; the more common word for animal hibernation isContinue reading "熊蟄穴 When bears begin to hibernate"

七転八起 “fall 7 times, get up 8 times” or “never give up!”

七 = seven 転 = fall down 八 = eight 起 = get up In other words, “fall down seven times, get up eight times”, or “even if you fail a lot, don’t give up!” 七転八起 is a special kind of Japaneses idiom known as a 四字熟語 (よじじゅくご、yo-ji-juku-go), or 4-character idiom. As the name suggests,Continue reading "七転八起 “fall 7 times, get up 8 times” or “never give up!”"

師走 (shiwasu) “December” (archaic)

Like many countries, Japan uses a 12-month calendar. The names are very simple. January is literally "Month one" 一月, February is "Month two" 二月, etc. However, before the Meiji Restoration (mid-1800s) it was common to use an older 12-month system. These months’ names referenced the weather and the seasons (similar to the French Revolutionary calendar).Continue reading "師走 (shiwasu) “December” (archaic)"

粋 (iki) “understated elegance”

"Iki" is a Japanese aesthetic ideal. It refers to subtle elegance and sophistication. One of the aspects of iki is caring about the sensibilities of others. What you wear should make others feel comfortable, and wearing stylish clothing is a way of respecting those around you. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wear what youContinue reading "粋 (iki) “understated elegance”"