J-WOTD: 鰻登りBeige on Nov 08 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
うなぎのぼり (unagi nobori)
* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
The eel, or “unagi”, not only has pride of place on the Japanese menu but, in the term unagi nobori, it also adds some rich flavour to the Japanese lexicon. Literally meaning “eel climb”, this delightfully descriptive term refers to something that is constantly growing or [...]
J-WOTD: 倦怠期Blue on Nov 04 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
けんたいき (kentaiki)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
I often hear colleagues at work and other Japanese friends talking about their relationships at home - married or otherwise. Some of the key words used these days seem to be セックスレス(sexless)、喧嘩多発(constant quarreling) and 離婚寸前 (thinking of divorce)…
I’m not going to go to deep into [...]
J-WOTD: 怪我の功名Blue on Oct 27 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
けがのこうみょう (kegano koumyou)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
A “lucky mistake”, or “to come out of a mistake unscathed”. (Literally “Great feat from an injury”)
Once again, I heard this at work today. We had quite a serious mishap a few weeks ago, but we found it and fixed it before our SOX [...]
J-WOTD: 天は二物を与えずBlue on Oct 21 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
てんはにぶつをあたえず (tenha nibutsuwo ataezu)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
Rather than being a “J-Word of the Day”, this is a great ことわざ that I heard today. It is a strange one, and would normally instinctively go against the grain for most foreigners.
It literally means,
J-WOTD: しゃくに障るBlue on Sep 23 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
しゃくにさわる (shakunisawaru)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
“grate on one’s nerves” or when used about a person, “gets on my nerves”
Examples:
「お嬢ちゃんと言われるのは、本当にしゃくに障るよ」
“Being called a ojyo-san really grates (gets) on my nerves”
「彼はしゃくに障るね」
“He gets on my nerves”, “He is a trying person”
J-WOTD: 袂Red on Sep 21 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
たもと (tamoto)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
As I was getting my daily dose today of Horie’s trial today on the livedoor higaisha nikki, I came accross the word tamoto. While it literally refers to the sleve of a kimono, it is generally combined with the verb 分かつ (wakatsu) and used to mean [...]
J-WOTD: 波瀾万丈Blue on Sep 08 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
はらんばんじょう (haranbanjyou)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
“Full of ups and downs” This pharse basically means that something has been eventful, but in a negative way.
Examples: 彼女の波瀾万丈な生活にずっとつきあってきたよ。 “I have put up with her rollercoaster of a life for so long”
It can be used for almost anything, even for more formal usages, 波瀾万丈な経歴 means a [...]
J-WOTD: 物別れBlue on Sep 07 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
ものわかれ (monowakare)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
I thought this was a cool phrase, and I was surprised that I had never heard anyone use it before yesterday..
Basically points out a situation or a confrontation, or even just a discussion between two parties that did not go well, and ended with no conclusion. [...]
J-WOTD: 実るほど頭を垂れる稲穂かなBlue on May 26 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
みのるほど こうべをたれる いなほかな (minoruhodo koubewotareru inahokana)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
“Those ears of rice that bear the most grain (people in high positions) should be the ones that bow lowest”
This is a kotowaza.. Heard it used (sarcastically) today about an 偉そうな guy at work, who is supposedly a head of a division, [...]
J-WOTD: 力任せBlue on May 08 2006 | Filed under: WOTD - Japanese
ちからまかせ (chikaramakase)* “J-WOTD” = “Japanese Word of the Day”
“do something in an angry state” (not sure about this… some Japanese person, please leave a comment?)
子どもが親に怒って庭で力任せにボールを蹴り続けていました
The kid was angry with his parents, and just kicked the ball for hours in the garden.