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[tokidokitokyo]

JLPT N2 文法・もの

In this post let's look at various N2 grammar points involving もの.

★ものなら★

if I/we could; if A is possible, then B; if one can do something, then ～

This grammar structure implies that the task is either impossible or very unlikely.

Verb (れる form) + ものなら Verb (れる form) + もんなら (spoken)

例文

帰れるものなら、今すぐ、国へ帰りたい。 If I could, I'd like to go back to my country right now.

やれるもんなら、やってみろ。 If you can do it, then let's see you try.

★ものだから★

so; therefore; the reason for something

This is often used when telling an excuse or declining an invitation.

Verb (casual) + ものだから・ものですから・もんだから (spoken) Noun + な + ものだから・ものですから・もんだから (spoken) な-Adjective + な + ものだから・ものですから・もんだから (spoken) い-Adjective + ものだから・ものですから・もんだから (spoken)

例文

すみません、風邪を引いてしまったものですから、今日は欠席です。 I'm sorry, I caught a cold and so I will be absent today.

私の変わりにこれをしていただけませんか。私は大変に忙しいものですから。 Could you please do this on my behalf? Because I am too busy to do it myself.

★もの★

because; indicates reason/excuse/dissatisfaction

This is used to express a reason to justify something.

例文

私何も話すことなんかありませんよ。だって何も知らないんですもの。 I have nothing to say. I mean, I don't even know anything.

謝ることはないよ。君が悪いわけじゃないんだもの。 There's no need to apologize. You didn't even do anything wrong.

★ものの★

but; although; even though ～

Verb (casual) + ものの Noun + である + ものの い-adjective + ものの な-adjective + な + ものの

例文

私のアパートは駅からはちょっと遠いものの、静かできれいな住宅街にある。 My apartment may be far from the station, but it is in a very quiet and beautiful neighborhood.

秋であるものの、まだ暑い。 Although it's fall, it is still hot.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #文法 #japanese grammar #jlpt n2 #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy #ものなら #ものだから #もの #ものの

[tokidokitokyo]

慣用句

かんようく

idiom; set phrase; idiomatic phrase

小学生（高学年）が知っておきたい、良く使う重要な慣用句とその意味を、あいうえお順にならべ一覧表プリントを作りました。

しょうがくせい（こうがくねん）が しって おきたい、よく つかう じゅうよう な かんようく と その いみ を、あいうえお じゅん に ならべ いちらんひょう プリント を つくりました。

We have created a printed list of frequently used and important idioms and their meanings that elementary school students (upper grades) should know, arranged in alphabetical order.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

The あいうえお Game

Hello! I wanted to share with you a game that I made up that I like to use to practice Japanese vocabulary in my spare time (i.e. when I'm bored and don't have access to a phone). This game works well when you don't have time to do formal studying but want to challenge yourself for a short time anyways.

How to Play?

The general idea of the game is to come up with a word for each syllable of the Japanese alphabet/syllabary (あいうえお, etc.).

Step 1: Pick a Theme

You can pick any theme that you'd like, but I find that broader themes are easier to come up with words for than more specific themes.

Some of my favorite themes include:

Animals

Food

First Names

Last Names

Sports

You could also do verbs, adjectives, nouns, etc. Or, you can play anything goes!

Step 2: Think of as Many Words as Possible

Now, you just go through the syllabary in given (alphabetical?) order in your head and come up with a word that matches your theme starting with each syllable. Examples below!

Animals: あ=ありくい、い=イルカ、う=うさぎ、など

Food: あ=あんぱん、い=いも、う=うどん、など

First Names: あ=あいり、い=いえやす、う=うさこ、など

Last Names: あ=ありま、い=いとう、う=うえだ、など

Sports: あ=アイスホッケー、い=イースポーツ、う=ウィルチェアーラグビー、など

*など=etc.

Step 3: If You Get Stuck, Skip It!

If you get stuck on a syllable and can't think of anything, skip it! You can either come back to it look up a word later, or you can just forgive yourself for not having a vocabulary word to insert there. When I get stuck I usually skip it and try to keep my momentum going. The nice part about this game is that there is no score and no one is judging you!

And that's it! That's how to play the あいうえお game. I enjoy it because it's simple and it's portable and it's a great way to practice vocabulary. 皆さん楽しんでね！

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #japanese language learning game #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

夏の音・The Sound of Summer

じりじり　scorchingly (of the sun)

きんきん　ice-cold

チリンチリン　the sound of a windchime (風鈴)

ゴロゴロ　rumbling (of thunder)

ごろごろ　idly, lazily, slothfully

ポツリポツリ　in drops (e.g. of rain)

のたりのたり　slowly (of undulating waves), gently (swelling, rolling, etc.)

ザーザー　waves lapping on the shore

ミーンミーン　call of the cicada

スイスイ　swiftly, glidingly (e.g. fish in a stream)

かなかな　call of the cicada at dusk

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #オノマトペ #japanese vocabulary #onomatopoeia #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy #夏の音

[tokidokitokyo]

レタスクラブ

I wanted to recommend レタスクラブ to advanced Japanese learners.

レタスクラブ (Lettuce Club) is a site that has both レシピ and 読み物 that someone introduced me to recently. I came for the 読み物, but the レシピ looks good too.

I have been reading through some of the comics under the 読み物 section 趣味, which has a variety of artists and themes to choose from. This is definitely a site for advanced readers, but if you'd like to try to navigate around the site you can practice reading.

Start Here for Comics, then try:

趣味

くらし

育児・子育て

Happy reading!

#レタスクラブ #reading japanese through manga #comics #reading japanese for advanced learners #reading in japanese #読書 #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

JLPT Grammar みたいだ・らしい・っぽい

What is the difference in usage among みたいだ、らしい、and っぽい? These grammar points can be difficult to differentiate, so I have gathered some notes and examples here. These grammar points are JLPT N4 or N3 grammar points.

★みたいだ★

Used for first-hand information or information you are observing for yourself.

Often used for something that has characteristics of something else (metaphorical similarities).

Most common in spoken language.

ここの砂は星みたいな形をしている。 ここ の すな は ほし みたいな かたち を して いる。 The grains of sand here are in the shape of a star.

このアパートは誰も住んでいないみたいだ。 この アパート は だれ も すんで いない みたい だ。 It looks like no one lives in this apartment building.

明日は雨みたいね。 あした は あめ みたい ね。 It looks like rain tomorrow.

リンさんみたいに日本語がうまくなりたい。 I want to be able to speak Japanese as well as Lin.

★らしい★　

Used for things you infer, or information you have from another source.

Often used to something that has especially strong characteristics of its group (stereotypical similarities).

Most common in spoken language.

今日は春らしい暖かい日でした。 きょう は はる らしい あたたかい ひ でした。 Today was a warm spring-like day. *Note: It is spring, and this is a stereotypically spring day.

私は女性らしい洋服はあまり着ない。 わたし は じょせい らしい ようふく は あまり きない。 I don't often wear feminine type clothes.

寝すぎるのは体に悪いらしいです。 ねすぎる の は からだ に わるい らしい です。 Sleeping too much is apparently bad for your body. *Note: Second-hand source of information.

今日は君らしくないな。 きょう は きみ らしくない な。 You don't seem like yourself today.

★っぽい★　

Can be used to say what something is like.

Can be used to say that something appears to be the opposite of what you would expect.

Can be used to describe something that someone is likely to do or often does.

Note:

When following a noun or い-adjective, the meaning is similar to -ish, -like, -ly. The number of adjectives that can be used with this grammar are limited. Usually negative when used after a noun or adjective, but not always.

When following a verb, the meaning is easy to do, often do. This grammar cannot be used with all verbs.

あの小学生は大人っぽい。 あの しょうがくせい は おとなっぽい。 That elementary school student acts like an adult.

油っぽい食事は好きじゃない。 あぶらっぽい しょくじ は すき じゃ ない。 I don't like oily foods.

飽きっぽいから何事も成功しないのだ。 あきっぽい から なにごと も せいこう しない の だ。 You don't succeed in anything because you are quick to lose interest.

年を取ると、忘れっぽくなる。 とし を とる と、わすれっぽく なる。 As one gets older, one tends to become more forgetful.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #文法 #japanese grammar #jlpt n3 #jlpt n4 #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

JLPT Grammar げ・がち・っぽい・気味

What is the difference in usage among げ、がち、っぽい、and 気味? These grammar points can be difficult to differentiate, so I have gathered some notes and examples here. These grammar points are JLPT N3/N2 grammar points.

★～げ★

This is used it to describe something or someone (not yourself) who looks~ / seems~ / appears to~.

It is similar to そうに・そうな (sou ni / sou na), but げ (ge) is much more restricted with what words it can be paired with.

It is usually used to describe things like one’s emotions or state of being, whereas そう (sou) can be used with more general things like weather, etc.

Although this grammar is mostly used with adjectives, it can also be used with some verbs and nouns.

何か、言いたげだね。 They look like they want to say something.

ずいぶん、自信ありげだね。 You seem very confident.

そりゃあちょっとあやしげに見えますからね、そう思いませんか？ Well, that looks a little suspicious, don't you think?

同級生にテストの結果を聞くと、嬉しげな顔で100点だったと答えてくれた。 When I asked my classmate how they did on the test, they answered with a happy face that they got a perfect score.

★～がち★

This is usually used for something negative.

ありがち = tend to have

になりがち = tend to become ~

遅れがち = tend to be late

留守がち = tend to be absent

彼は、学校をサボりがちです。 He is always skipping school.

ずっと曇りがちの天気が続いている。 The constant cloudy weather keeps continuing.

一人暮らしなので、コンビニ弁当ばかり食べがちだ。 I live alone, so I tend to only eat convenience store meals.

私は空腹の時は機嫌が悪くなりがちだ。 When I am hungry I easily get into a bad mood.

★～っぽい★

① When following a noun or い-adjective, this means -ish, -like, -ly. Note: The number of adjectives that can be used with this are limited.

子供っぽい = childish, childlike

男っぽい = manly, like a man

女っぽい = womanly, like a woman

油っぽい = oily, lots of oil

② When following a verb, this means easy to do, or often do~. Note: This cannot be used with all verbs.

忘れっぽい = easy to forget, often forget

怒りっぽい = easy to anger, often angry

このコート、デザインはいいけれど、生地が安っぽいね。 This coat has a nice design, but the material looks cheap.

油っぽい食事は好きじゃない。 I don't like oily foods.

年を取ると、忘れっぽくなる。 As you get older, you become more forgetful.

君は飽きっぽいから何事も成功しないのだ。 You do not succeed in anything because you are quick to lose interest.

★～気味 (ぎみ)★

This is used to express that something looks or seems to be a certain way.

疲れ気味 【つかれぎみ】= looks / seems tired.

太り気味 【ふとりぎみ】 = looks / seems large

遅れ気味 【おくれぎみ】= tends to be late

寝不足気味 【ねぶそくぎみ】= looks / seems to be sleep deprived

残業続きで疲れ気味だ。 I've been feeling rather tired because of continuous overtime work.

新入社員は緊張気味の顔をしていた。 The new employee looked nervous.

彼は人の名前を忘れ気味である。 He tends to forget people's names.

彼女は遠慮気味にそう言った。 She said that hesitantly.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #文法 #japanese grammar #jlpt n2 #jlpt n3 #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

How to Improve Your Handwriting in Japanese

Learning to write in Japanese, teaching others to learn to write in Japanese, and watching Japanese people write in Japanese has taught me that it’s hard to write in Japanese. Remembering how to write the kanji in the first place is hard (especially with the ease of writing in Japanese on the computer or phone), remembering the stroke order and then figuring out how to fit the character into the space that you have - these are all difficult. And then on top of that, you don’t want these beautiful characters to look like you were bouncing up and down on a dirt road while you wrote them.

Handwriting in any language varies by person. There are people whose handwriting is sloppy in Japanese, just as in any other language. My handwriting in English isn’t perfect either, but I want my kanji to look less like shaky squiggles and more like, well, a native Japanese speaker’s characters. So I decided to break down how I go about improving my Japanese handwriting.

Practice

When you learn to write in English, you practice your letters over and over again. When you first learn kana and then kanji, it is also a good idea to write them over and over again. This helps many people to remember the characters (stroke order, spatial placement of each part of the character), and by writing the characters over and over again you will be able to write more quickly. You also won’t have to look up simple characters over and over again when you want to write a composition or a letter.

When I first started writing compositions by hand in kanji I remember looking up a character in the dictionary to check stroke order or to check how the kanji was written more often than not. This is a difficult way to write anything and takes a lot of time. Practice will help you to remember the characters and not have to stop to check your dictionary as often.

A high school friend told me that her mother would sit her down at the table every night and force her to work on her penmanship until it was what her mother deemed suitable. When we wrote our AP English essays in class, her penmanship was impeccable, although it took her much longer to write the essays than most of the other students. The result of what she considered torturous practice was amazing handwriting that made me jealous. If I had spent every night laboriously perfecting my penmanship I might also have attained that kind of handwriting - but I did not.

This is an extreme example, and I’m not saying you have to have perfect handwriting, but if improving your handwriting is something you would like to accomplish, taking the time to practice will certainly help your penmanship.

Books

There are Japanese books dedicated to this, because beautiful handwriting is desirable in all languages, but they are written in Japanese and I personally didn’t want to buy a book for this purpose.

Websites

Websites are a bit more difficult to come by because most people want to make some money off telling you their penmanship secrets. However, there are a few websites with some examples of good penmanship.

Links

Here are some online links for handwriting practice:

Chibi Musu Drill is where I look for kana practice for my toddler. They have a variety of drill print-outs that you can use to practice writing the characters correctly. This is especially helpful if you are self-studying as it helps with the shape of characters and the stroke order, and how the stroke should be finished (i.e. abrupt stop or drag and fade out to a tail). There are also tests you can print out for kanji. The site is all in Japanese.

Hiragana | Katakana | Kanji 

Seiho’s YouTube Calligraphy School - VIDEO - Only in Japanese but the videos are easy to follow since she uses a red pen to highlight where to pay attention. This is more in-depth but has helpful hints on improving your kanji balance, but you can search 字がきれいに書く方法 to get more results.

Yumefude Penji on Instagram has videos showing how to write kanji properly.

How I Practice Handwriting in Japanese

For Kana

To practice handwriting kana, I find an example of good penmanship from a website. It’s best if the example is larger, or if I can blow it up. Then I print it out with darkened font. Drill print-outs also work well as they have characters for you to trace, then space for you to practice on your own.

I put a sheet of clean paper on top of the print-out and make sure I can read the characters through the clean paper. You can also get tracing paper. Then, I trace the characters multiple times. I try to feel the flow of the character as I trace it and to note if the stroke ends abruptly (とめ), has a kink in it (はね), or if it fades out to a tail (はらい).

Lastly, I practice on my own. I use the feel of the character I traced and try to replicate it. I compare my own work to the original sample, and try to determine how to get the characters to look closer to the original sample. My character might be too skinny, too round, or have a stroke out of place. I usually only do one character at a time until I am satisfied, and then move on to the next.

For Kanji

When practicing kanji, first, I use blank paper, download genkouyoushi (Japanese composition paper), or a notebook with wider line spacing for writing practice than I would for simply writing down vocabulary or notes. You can also buy special kanji practice notebooks. I do this so that I have the space to cleanly write out kanji with more strokes, rather than having to bunch together the strokes so that I can hardly read it. This way, I can practice the strokes with more room and pay attention to how the kanji fits together.

Then, I write the character several times. I try to get a muscle memory going for the character, remembering the individual parts, the radicals, the stroke order and what the kanji means. This helps me to remember the kanji, and then to understand how the individual parts fit together.

I am careful to not copy the typewritten Japanese characters, for these are often different than the handwritten characters. Using a kanji textbook or a website where they teach handwritten kanji is the best way to learn to handwrite kanji. Some dictionary apps also show stroke order and will show the handwritten version so you can see the difference.

9 Tips for Better Handwriting

Source

1. Hold your pen properly / ぺんを正しく持つ

2. Sit with proper posture / 正しい姿勢で座る

3. Create a calm setting where you can concentrate / 落ち着いて集中できる空間を作る

4. Write using the correct stroke order / 正しい書き順で書く

     a. From the top to the bottom / 上から下へ

     b. From the left to the right / 左から右へ

5. Take care with the Stop - Wing - Sweeping Stroke / とめ・はね・はらいを丁寧に

Showing stop - wing - sweeping stroke in kanji

6. Modulate the size of the character and write slowly and carefully / 大きさにメリハリをつけながら、ゆっくり書く

7. Make sure the characters rise to the right / 右上がりになるようにする

8. Make sure the spacing between lines is equal / 線と線の間隔が等しくなるようにする

9. Write with the intention of being read by others / 人に読まれるつもりで書く

My handwriting in Japanese is far from perfect, but when I have a chance I like to hand write characters to get a better feel for them and for their meanings. I hope this guide helps you to improve your penmanship!

#writing in japanese #japanese handwriting #improve your handwriting in japanese #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #字をきれいに書く方法 #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

そつなく

without (making) any mistakes; flawlessly; accurately

あの人はそつなく仕事をこなせる人で頼りになる。 あの ひと は そつなく しごと を こなせる ひと で たより に なる。 That person is someone who can do the job smoothly and who is reliable.

そつなくこなす　to do it smoothly

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

ことわざ 17/?

ことわざ are Japanese proverbs, and I have listed some basic proverbs, their equivalents in English, and a rough translation of the meanings of the Japanese phrase.

There is a test for ことわざ called the ことわざ能力検定 (ことわざのうりょくけんてい) and these are some of the phrases that appear in level 9 or 9級 (10 being the lowest level). For the time being, try one or two of these out the next time you speak with a native Japanese speaker!

ことわざ (こと検9級): 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 More ことわざ (こと検10級): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

眉を顰める

まゆをひそめる

to furrow your brow

furrow your brow

緑の黒髪

みどりのくろかみ

lustrous black hair

black hair with a greenish sheen

身に染みる

みにしみる

to be deeply moved; to have wind/cold pierce the body

a feeling that permeates the body

身につまされる

みにつまされる

to be touched by another's plight

feel a pinch of guilt on your body

身の毛がよだつ

みのけがよだつ

hair-raising; spine-tingling

have your body's hair stand up in fear or from cold

耳が痛い

みみがいたい

hitting close to home

accurate criticism that is painful to the ear

耳が早い

みみがはやい

in the know

ears are quick to receive new information

耳に入れる

みみにいれる

to inform

put into someone's ear

耳に胼胝ができる

みみにたこができる

to hear ad nauseum

told something so much it creates calluses in your ears

耳に付く

みみにつく

irritating or annoying (sound)

a sound that sticks in the ear

耳寄りな話

みみよりなはなし

a topic of interest

talk that makes ears approach

耳を疑う

みみをうたがう

to doubt your own ears

doubt your ears

耳を貸す

みみをかす

to lend an ear

lend an ear

耳を傾ける

みみをかたむける

to listen closely

tilt your ear over to listen

耳を澄ます

みみをすます

to focus your attention (and listen)

clear out your ears

耳を揃える

みみをそろえる

to get the money together (to pay a debt)

arrange the ears (edges) of your coins

身を入れる

みをいれる

to give it your all

put in your whole body

身を切られる思い

みをきられるおもい

heartrending

a thought that cuts your body

身を削る

みをけずる

to work yourself sick

whittle away your body with work

身を粉にする

みをこにする

to work hard without complaint

work your body into powder

身を立てる

みをたてる

to make something of yourself; to make it on your own

raise up your body

胸が痛む

むねがいたむ

to feel great sympathy

chest in pain

胸が一杯になる

むねがいっぱいになる

to be overcome with emotion

chest like a cupful of joy or sadness

胸が躍る

むねがおどる

excited; psyched up

chest dancing with joy or in anticipation

胸が騒ぐ

むねがさわぐ

to feel uneasy

chest disturbing you with feeling something bad is going to happen

胸がすく

むねがすく

to be relaxed, worry-free

chest clear of worry

胸が詰まる

むねがつまる

to feel uneasy

chest stuffed with sadness or worry

胸に刻む

むねにきざむ

to take something to heart

engrave on your chest

胸を痛める

むねをいためる

to cause someone emotional distress

cause pain in another's chest

胸を打つ

むねをうつ

to touch someone's heart

strike someone's chest

胸を借りる

むねをかりる

to train with a superior

in sumo, to borrow someone's chest is to have the honor of training with them

胸を撫で下ろす

むねをなでおろす

to let out a sigh of relief

rub down your chest and let go of worries

胸を膨らませる

むねをふくらませる

to be wide-eyed and full of hope

inflate your chest with hope or joy

目から鱗が落ちる

めからうろこがおちる

to have the scales fall from your eyes

to have the scales fall from your eyes

目から鼻へ抜ける

めからはなへぬける

sharp as a tack

from a story where a craftsman enters the eye of a Buddha statue to affix the eye from inside. since he’s trapped he has the brilliant idea to escape through the nose of the statue.

目から火が出る

めからひがでる

to see stars

sparks coming out of your eyes

目が利く

めがきく

to be discerning

effective eyes

目が肥える

めがこえる

to be discerning

eyes grown fat with experience and knowledge

目頭が熱くなる

めがしらがあつくなる

to tear up with emotion

eyes and head warm with emotion

目が高い

めがたかい

to be highly discerning

so learned, it's as if your eyes are surveying from high above

目が無い

めがない

① to have no eye for something; ② to lose objectivity

① have no eye for something; ② no eye for, or blind to, reality

目が回る

めがまわる

to be extremely busy

so busy your eyes are spinning

目くじらを立てる

めくじらをたてる

to needlessly nitpick

raise up the speck in the corner of someone's eye for all to see

目糞鼻糞を笑う

めくそはなくそをわらう

the pot calling the kettle black

eye crud laughing at snot

目と鼻の先

めとはなのさき

extremely close together

as close as the space before your eye and nose

目に余る

めにあまる

to be unforgivable, unable to be overlooked

too much for your eyes to handle

目に物見せる

めにものみせる

to teach someone a lesson; to show someone what's what

show something before someone's eyes

目の色を変える

めのいろをかえる

to put on your game face

change the color of your eyes to indicate seriousness or anger

目の上の瘤

めのうえのこぶ

a thorn in your side; a pain in the butt

a person whose existence is like a lump above your eye

目の黒いうち

めのくろいうち

while you still live; while you still draw breath

while your eyes are still black (grey/white pupils indicate death)

目の毒

めのどく

something you really don't need to see right now

poison for the eyes because it will trigger craving/desire or cause discomfort

目も当てられない

めもあてられない

a sight that is too much to bear

so horrible, eyes can't hold witness to it

目もくれない

めもくれない

to completely ignore

not give an eye (attention) to something

目を疑う

めをうたがう

to not be able to believe your own eyes

doubt your eyes

目を奪われる

めをうばわれる

to be captivated

have your sight stolen and held captive by something

目を覆う

めをおおう

to cover your eyes

cover your eyes in fear

目を掛ける

めをかける

to show favoritism

place eyes upon, watch over someone

目を配る

めをくばる

to keep an eye on

distribute your gaze around the area

目を皿のようにする

めをさらのようにする

to widen one’s eyes in shock

make your eyes like plates

目を白黒させる

めをしろくろさせる

to be shocked and flustered

eyes darting so fast they look white and black

目を付ける

めをつける

to fix your gaze upon something

attach your eyes

目を盗む

めをぬすむ

to do something in secret

steal someone's eyes, act outside their vision

目を光らせる

めをひからせる

to keep careful watch

shine your gaze upon someone/something

目を引く

めをひく

to draw attention; to create a distraction

pull someone's gaze

目を細める

めをほそめる

to smile warmly

smile so that your eyes narrow

目を丸くする

めをまるくする

to open your eyes wide in shock

make your eyes round

目を見張る

めをみはる

to be impressed or moved emotionally

eyes open wide in pleasant surprise

目を剥く

めをむく

to have eyes wide in shock or anger

eyes peeled wide open

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #ことわざ #japanese proverbs #こと検9級 #ま #ま～も #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

ことわざ 16/?

ことわざ are Japanese proverbs, and I have listed some basic proverbs, their equivalents in English, and a rough translation of the meanings of the Japanese phrase.

There is a test for ことわざ called the ことわざ能力検定 (ことわざのうりょくけんてい) and these are the phrases that appear in level 9 or 9級 (10 being the lowest level). For the time being, try one or two of these out the next time you speak with a native Japanese speaker!

ことわざ (こと検9級): 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 More ことわざ (こと検10級): 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

歯が浮く

はがうく

cringe-inducing

causing an uncomfortable feeling akin to a loose tooth

歯が立たない

はがたたない

to stand no chance against (opponent/challenge)

teeth cannot stand against the hardness

鼻息が荒い

はないきがあらい

expressing passion and excitement

breathing heavily through the nose

鼻が利く

はながきく

to have a knack for finding money-making opportunities

nose is effective in sniffing out money-making opportunities

鼻が高い

はながたかい

to be filled with pride

hold your nose high

鼻であしらう

はなであしらう

to treat someone with contempt

signal contempt using your nose

鼻で笑う

はなでわらう

to scoff

laugh through your nose

鼻に掛ける

はなにかける

to brag, boast or show off

hang prominently on your nose

鼻に付く

はなにつく

to become tiresome

tiresome behavior that becomes like a bad stench that sticks in your nose

鼻持ちならない

はなもちならない

to become unbearable

bad attitude/behavior likened to a stench so bad you can't stand it even when holding your nose

鼻を明かす

はなをあかす

to outwit, get the jump on, catch off guard

reveal your nose and surprise your opponent

鼻を折る

はなをおる

to take someone down a peg

break someone's nose

鼻を突く

はなをつく

putrid, rank, foul

a smell that stabs the nose

鼻を鳴らす

はなをならす

to whine in an attempt to get your way

to sound your nose

歯に衣着せぬ

はにきぬきせぬ

blunt, straightforward, without 'sugar-coating' it

without applying coating to your teeth

歯の抜けたよう

はのぬけたよう

appearing empty or deserted

like a mouth with its teeth removed

歯の根が合わない

はのねがあわない

teeth chattering from cold/fear

unable to align the base of your teeth

腹が黒い

はらがくろい

deceptive, conniving, black-hearted (also, 腹黒い)

black stomach (disposition)

腹が据わる

はらがすわる

to feel confident

have your stomach (courage) steadied

腹が立つ

はらがたつ

to get angry

have your stomach (disposition) get riled up

腹が減っては戦はできぬ

はらがへってはいくさはできぬ

you can't work on an empty stomach

you can't do battle when hungry

腹に据え兼ねる

はらにすえかねる

to have all you can stand; to be fed up

unable to settle your stomach (disposition)

腹の皮が捩れる

はらのかわがよじれる

side-splitting

makes you laugh so hard the skin of your stomach twists

腹の虫が治まらない

はらのむしがおさまらない

to have all you can stand; to be fed up

unable to settle your stomach worm (from ancient belief that Three Demonic Worms live in the head, chest and stomach and monitor the host's behavior)

腸が煮え繰り返る

はらわたがにえくりかえる

to have your blood boil

have your organs boiling repeatedly

腹を探る

はらをさぐる

to try and infer what someone is thinking/feeling

search someone's stomach (disposition)

腹を割る

はらをわる

to open up (and converse frankly)

split your stomach (emotional center) open

歯を食いしばる

はをくいしばる

to grin and bear it

bite and lock your teeth

膝を交える

ひざをまじえる

to get together for a friendly chat

sit knees crossed and chat

人の口には戸は立てられぬ

ひとのくちにとはたてられぬ

people are gonna talk

you can't erect a door over a person's mouth

一肌脱ぐ

ひとはだぬぐ

to help in any way you can

remove your top and expose your upper body skin to signal intent to get serious and help

腑に落ちない

ふにおちない

unsatisfying (conclusion or explanation)

does not fall in line with your gut (better judgment)

臍で茶を沸かす

へそでちゃをわかす

you're killing me!; that's rich!

that makes me laugh so hard, I could boil tea on my bellybutton! usually said in a mocking manner)

臍を曲げる

へそをまげる

to get cranky

hunched over grumpy making your bellybutton bend

下手な鉄砲も数撃てば当たる

へたなてっぽうもかずうてばあたる

given enough tries, anyone can succeed

even a poorly handled cannon, fired enough times will hit the mark by sheer chance

下手の考え休むに似たり

へたのかんがえやすむににたり

an idiot in thought may as well be napping

a poor attempt at thinking is the same as just resting

下手の横好き

へたのよこずき

a glutton for punishment

unskilled at something, but you insist on liking it

臍を噬む

ほぞをかむ

to regret bitterly

using the futility of trying to chew your own bellybutton as a metaphor for the futility of agonizing over the past

骨折り損の草臥れ儲け

ほねおりぞんのくたびれもうけ

a whole lot of effort for a whole lot of nothing

work til you suffer broken bones and earn only exhaustion

骨が折れる

ほねがおれる

difficult or intensive (work)

work that will break your bones

骨身を削る

ほねみをけずる

to work yourself to the bone

shave down your body and bones with work

骨を埋める

ほねをうずめる

to live out your life somewhere; to dedicate your life to a pursuit

bury your bones somewhere

骨を折る

ほねをおる

to work hard without complaint

break your bones to accomplish something or support someone

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #ことわざ #japanese proverbs #こと検9級 #は #は～ほ #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

New Year's Resolutions in Japanese

It's almost that time of year, to make resolutions that you may or may not keep! Here's how to make some of those resolutions in Japanese!

Vocabulary to Use for New Year's Resolutions

新年の抱負　しんねんのほうふ　New Year's resolution

抱負　ほうふ　aspiration; ambition; plan; hopes; wishes

新年の誓　しんねんのちかい　New Year's resolution (less common)

誓　ちかい　oath; vow

目標　もくひょう　goal

習慣　しゅうかん　habit

癖　くせ　(negative) habit

Grammar Forms to Use for New Year's Resolutions

～(verb)たい　want to do ～

毎日散歩したい まいにちさんぽしたい I want to walk every day

～(verb)こと　verb nominalizer (allows verbs to act as nouns)

毎日ジムに行くこと まいにちジムにいくこと Go to the gym every day

～ことにする　decide on/intend to do ～

毎晩10時の前に寝ることにする まいばん１０じのまえにねることにする I intend to go to bed before 10 every night

10 Common New Year's Resolutions in Japan

健康に気を付けること けんこうにきをつけること Take care of one's health

本をたくさん読むこと ほんをたくさんよむこと Read a lot of books

家族と多くの時間を過ごすこと かぞくとおおくのじかんをすごすこと Spend more time with family

やせる　 Lose weight

お金を貯める おかねをためる Save money

禁煙する きんえんする Quit smoking

習い事を始める ならいごとをはじめる Learn something new

お酒の量を減らす おさけのりょうをへらす Drink less alcohol

運動の習慣をつける うんどうのしゅうかんをつける Exercise regularly

試験に合格することにする しけんにごうかくすることにする Pass an exam

How to Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions

自分、あるいは他の人に責任を持たされる じぶん、あるいはほかのひとにせきにんをもたされる to be held accountable by yourself or by others

抱負の数を限る ほうふのかずをかぎる limit the number of resolutions

抱負を細かく決める ほうふをこまかくきめる decide resolutions in detail

What are your New Year's resolutions?

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #japanese studyblr #langblr #studyblr #japanese vocabulary #単語 #語彙 #japanese new year's resolutions #new year's resolutions in japanese #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

没頭

ぼっとう

immersing oneself in; being absorbed in; devoting oneself to; giving oneself up entirely to

彼女は研究に没頭している。 かのじょ は けんきゅう に ぼっとう している。 She is deep in research.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

限る

かぎる　

① to restrict; to limit; to confine

② to be restricted to; to be limited to; to be confined to

③ to be best (for); to be the best plan; to be the only way (to)​ (…は…に限る)

地球の資源は限られている。 ちきゅう の しげん は かぎられている。 The earth's resources are limited.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

美味

びみ　

good flavor; good flavour; delicacy; dainty

むしパンは美味です。 むしパン は びみ です。 Steamed buns are delicious.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy

[tokidokitokyo]

目まぐるしい

めまぐるしい

dizzying (speed, changes, etc.); rapid; drastic; bewildering; hectic; bustling (e.g. world)​, (note: usually written using kana alone)

朝から目まぐるしく働く。 あさ から めまぐるしく はたらく。 Working at a hectic pace from the morning.

#日本語 #japanese #japanese language #japanese langblr #langblr #studyblr #単語 #語彙 #japanese vocabulary #tokidokitokyo #tdtstudy