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ONLINE GUIDE TO JAPANESE COMPOUND WORDS!
Modern Japanese Vocabulary:
A Guide for 21st Century Students
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February 08, 2010
WORD OF THE DAY
経済危機
（けいざい きき）
Usage Example from the Mainichi Shimbun:
経済危機の影響で、世界全体の出願数は前年比４．５％減った。
Due to the influence of the economic crisis, the total number of applications (for patents) decreased 4.5% against the previous year.
Other keywords:
影響（えいきょう）influence
世界全体（せかい ぜんたい） in the entire world
出願数（しゅつがんすう） number of applications
February 07, 2010
WORD OF THE DAY
不具合
（ふぐあい）
defect; problem
Usage example (from Nikkei Net)
トヨタ自動車がハイブリッド車「プリウス」のブレーキ不具合問題で、今週前半にも国土交通省にリコール（回収・無償修理）を届け出ることが７日明らかになった。
Breakdown:
不具合問題 （ふぐあい もんだい） defect problem; quality problem
Other keywords:
ハイブリッド車 （ハイブリッド しゃ）hybrid vehicle
トヨタ自動車 （トヨタ じどうしゃ） Toyota Motor Company
今週前半 （こんしゅう ぜんはん） the first half of this week
February 06, 2010
WORD OF THE DAY
対立する
（たいりつ する）
to oppose; to conflict with
Usage example (from CNN.co.jp)
欧米と対立するイランの核開発問題で、モッタキ同国外相は５日、貯蔵する低濃縮ウランを国外に搬送して濃縮、加工し、返還するとの国際原子力機関（ＩＡＥＡ）の提案について解決策は見付かるだろう、との考えを示した。
Breakdown:
欧米と対立するイラン Iran, which is in conflict with Europe and the U.S.
欧米（おうべい）Europe and the U.S.
イラン Iran
January 30, 2010
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following words is most closely related to 上回る?
- 苦悶する
- 貯蓄する
- 挑発する
- 超過する
Answer: (D) The keyword 上回る（うわまわる）= exceed; transcend
The translations of the answer choices are given below. Choice D is the best answer.
- 苦悶する （くもん する） to be in anguish
- 貯蓄する （ちょちく する） to save up
- 挑発する （ちょうはつ する） to provoke; to excite
- 超過する （ちょうか する） to exceed; to be in excess
January 28, 2010
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the words below is most logically connected with 忠勤?
- 仕事
- 休暇
- 政治
- 幽霊
Answer: (A): We'll begin by defining the keyword: 忠勤（ちゅうきん） = dedication to one’s employer; loyal service
For example: 忠勤を励む （ちゅうきん を はげむ） = to be devoted in the execution of one’s duty
The translations of the answer choices are given below, with A being the one that has the most obvious connection.
- 仕事 （しごと） work
- 休暇 （きゅうか） vacation; holiday
- 政治 （せいじ） politics
- 幽霊 （ゆうれい） ghost
January 19, 2010
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
忌憚ない is a synonym for:
- 気難しい
- ざっくばらん な
- 俗っぽい
- 低廉な
Answer: (B) Translations of the answer choices are given below:
- 気難しい （きむずかしい） touchy; difficult (of a person)
- ざっくばらん な frank; candid
- 俗っぽい （ぞくっぽい） worldly; vulgar
- 低廉な （ていれん な） cheap; moderately price
Related expressions:
忌憚ない意見 （きたん ない いけん） a candid opinion
率直に言えば （そっちょく に いえば） frankly speaking
ざっくばらんな話し合い （ざっくばらん な はなしあい）a frank discussion
January 18, 2010
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the words below is a close synonym for 扇動?
- 死別
- 慰め
- 教唆
- 処罰
Answer: (C) First of all, 扇動（せんどう）= incitement
Usage examples:
扇動的（せんどうてき）inflammatory; seditious
扇動する（せんどう する） to egg on; to instigate
扇動者 （せんどうしゃ） instigator
Now for the answer choices:
- 死別 （しべつ）bereavement
- 慰め （なぐさめ） consolation
- 教唆（きょうさ）incitement
- 処罰 （しょばつ）punishment
(教唆 is the best answer.)
Note: Generally speaking, 扇動 implies instigation on a mass scale, whereas教唆 implies instigation of one or a few individuals. Therefore, 扇動 would more often be applied to the activities of a foaming revolutionary, whereas 教唆 would be used to describe the inciting or abetting of an individual crime.
January 12, 2010
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following expressions concern feelings of anger or enmity? (There can be more than one correct answer.)
- 目の色を変えて怒る
- 目を白黒させる
- 目が高い
- 目の敵にする
* * *
Answer (A and D): Each of the answer choices is some idiom involving the eyes. Both and A and D involve anger/enmity:
A. 目の色を変えて怒る （め の いろ を かえて おこる） to become furious
B. 目を白黒させる （め を しろくろ させる） to look bewildered
C. 目が高い （め が たかい） to have a discerning eye
D. 目の敵にする （め の かたき に する） to regard as an enemy
Let’s look at A and D in a bit more detail:
目の色を変えて怒る literally means “to change the colors of one’s eyes with anger.” This forms a vivid image of fury.
目の敵にする is “to make (a person) the enemy of one’s eye
The two incorrect answers, B, and C, are also interesting:
目を白黒させる is literally “to make the eyes turn white and black.” A person whose eyes are turning alternately white and black would certainly appear surprised and bewildered.
目が高い is “to have high eyes.” It isn’t a large conceptual leap from “high eyes” to a keen sense of discernment.
December 29, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
太鼓腹 is most closely related to which of the following words?
- 頭脳
- 体力
- 青年期
- 肥満した
Answer D. 太鼓腹（たいこばら）literally means "big drum belly.” Figuratively, it means “paunch, pot belly”.
But this fact alone doesn’t provide the answer. You also have to know the meaning of the answer choices:
A. 頭脳 （ずのう） brains
B. 体力 （たいりょく） physical strength
C. 青年期 （せいねんき） adolescence
D. 肥満した （ひまんした） fat; plump
December 17, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Pick the best synonym for 狐日和
- 二日酔い
- 親バカ
- 変わりやすい天気
- 勘違い
Answer: (C) You may be unfamiliar with the term狐日和; so let’s begin with it:
狐日和 is a combination of two words: 狐（きつね）fox + 日和（ひより） weather conditions.
In most cultures, the fox has a reputation for being sly and unpredictable. So what kind of weather would be associated with a fox? Calm and clear weather? Of course not. Obviously, unpredictable weather would be “fox weather.” Therefore:
狐日和 （きつね ひより） = fickle/unpredictable weather
Now we’ll look at the answer choices:
- 二日酔い （ふつかよい） hangover
- 親バカ （おやばか） parental doting; parental overindulgence
- 変わりやすい天気 （かわりやすい てんき） changeable weather
- 勘違い （かんちがい） misunderstanding
Choice C is the only one that has any connection to weather, and it a near synonym for狐日和; so clearly it is the correct answer.
December 16, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
The expression 身から出た錆 refers to:
- a strange medical condition
- a moment of inspiration
- long overdue acknowledgement from others
- just desserts
Answer: D. The expression身から出た錆 （み から でた さび）literally means “rust from the blade of a sword.” (“Blade” is one of the less common meanings of 身.)
Imagine a rusty sword pulled from a scabbard. The blade will shed rust when it is removed. A rusty sword is undesirable, of course; and 身から出た錆 refers to misfortune that results from one’s own misdeeds. This is a problem that a person has created for himself.
Let’s look at a usage example from the Japanese press. Below is the caption below a photograph of Tiger Woods on the website Sanspo.com. This was published in the wake of the famous golfer’s revelations of marital infidelity in December 2009. The author of the caption feels that although Tiger’s problems are of his own doing, he has paid a very high price (loss of sponsorships, etc.)
有力スポンサーから“クビ”を宣告されたタイガー・ウッズ。身から出たサビとはいえ、支払う代償はあまりに大きい
Tiger Woods, who has been pronounced “fired” by powerful sponsors. Although these are problems of his own creation, he has paid a high price.
Notes: 有力な（ゆうりょく な）powerful; influential / 宣告する（せんこく する） to sentence; to pronounce /代償（だいしょう）reparation; compensation; indemnity /支払う（しはらう）to pay / 錆（さび）rust
December 13, 2009
Online sample pages of Tigers, Devils, and Fools....
Click here or click the book below to see the online sample pages.....
Because every life can be brightened with Japanese proverbs.....
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Read the following headline from the Daily Yomiuri:
訪朝の米政府特別代表「協議は非常に有益」
Which of the following statements is true based on the information contained in the headline?
- A U.S. special envoy visited North Korea
- A U.S. special envoy visited China
- The U.S. president visited China.
- A U.S. special envoy visited South Korea.
Answer: A. The keyword for this question is 訪朝の（ほうちょう の）. This is a contraction of the following two words:
訪問 （ほうもん） visit + 北朝鮮（きた ちょうせん） North Korea = 訪朝 = “visiting North Korea”. The addition of the particle の turns it into an adjective that can modify a noun.
Below are some similar contractions that you are likely to see in newspapers:
訪中の （ほうちゅう の） visiting China
訪韓の （ほうかん の） visiting South Korea
訪日の （ほうにち の） visiting Japan
訪米の （ほうべい の） visiting the United States
December 10, 2009
From Falling in Love with Carp: Tips, Tricks, and Tongue Twisters for Remembering Japanese Words
BENKYOU / BENRI / BENTOU
勉強・便利・弁当
It is convenient to study while eating a boxed lunch.
- 便利な （べんり な） convenient
- 勉強 （べんきょう する） study
- 弁当 （べんとう）boxed lunch
December 08, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Pick the best translation for 政教分離:
- separation of church and state
- religious mysticism
- religious persecution
- state-sponsored religion
Answer: A.: 政教分離 is not a very high-frequency word in daily conversation; but you will encounter in discussions about history and politics. In order to understand it, you have to understand the components.
政 = government / 政府（せいふ）
教 = religion /宗教（しゅうきょう）
分離 = separation; division
Therefore: 政教分離（せいきょう ぶんり） = separation of church and state
December 07, 2009
KANJI OF THE DAY
鯨
ゲイ・くじら
whale
Usage examples:
鯨 （くじら） whale
鯨肉 （げいにく） whale meat
捕鯨 （ほげい） whaling; whale hunting
December 06, 2009
JAPANESE PROVERB OF THE DAY
垢で死んだ者は無い
あかでしんだものはない
“No one has ever died from dirt.”
Every culture shows disdain for those with poor personal hygiene habits, and Japanese culture is no exception in this regard. However, some people don’t like bathing; and the above proverb is often cited by such individuals as an excuse for their ways. Aka de shinda mono wa nai is also used in sarcasm when referring to people who need to pay more attention to personal cleanliness.
---From the book Tigers, Devils, and Fools: A Guide to Japanese Proverbs
December 01, 2009
JAPANESE PROVERB OF THE DAY
暑さ寒さも彼岸まで
あつささむさもひがんまで
“Both heat and cold last only until the equinox.”
Higan is the Japanese word for the two equinoctial weeks. There is an equinox in the autumn and another in the spring. When the autumn equinox arrives, the hottest weather of the year is already past, and temperatures become increasingly mild. Likewise, the vernal equinox marks the point where the coldest weather of the year has come and gone, and warmer temperatures are on the way.
Notes: 残暑zansho = lingering summer heat / 余寒yokan = lingering winter cold.
---From the book Tigers, Devils, and Fools: A Guide to Japanese Proverbs
November 27, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following terms is close in meaning to 人気?
- 人間
- 人工衛星
- 人材
- 人望
Answer: 人気（にんき） = popularity. That’s easy enough. But what about the answer choices? You can’t solve the question until you know these. Let’s begin by looking at the definitions of the incorrect choices:
人間 （にんげん） human being
人工衛星 （じんこう えいせい） artificial satellite
人材 （じんざい） person of talent
The correct answer, 人望 （じんぼう） translates as popularity, and is used much like人気:
人望のある popular
人望のない unpopular
人望を得る （じんぼう を える） to win popularity
人望を失う （じんぼう を うしなう） to lose one’s popularity
November 19, 2009
Word of the day: "How elegant!"
端麗な（たんれい な）graceful; elegant
Usage Example:
容姿（ようし）端麗である to have a beautiful figure
November 18, 2009
Do you know this kanji?
鰯
This is the kanji for いわし, or sardine.
November 18, 2009
Word of the day: love and tenderness
愛しい （いとしい）dear; beloved
愛しく思う to think tenderly of
愛しい子 a darling child
November 10, 2009
Watch what you eat: 食中毒
食中毒 （しょく ちゅうどく） food poisoning
Hopefully your sushi will always be fresh and you will not have to worry about food poison while visiting Japan. But it’s good to know the word just in case.
Note the same kanji（食） used in 食べる（たべる）= to eat, as well as the following words:
食事 （しょくじ）meal; diet
食料 （しょくりょう）food
食卓 （しょくたく）dining table
食欲 （しょくよく）appetite
November 8, 2009
Using for two purposes simultaneously: 兼用する
兼用する （けんよう する） to use a thing as both…and….
Usage examples and variants:
男女兼用の （だんじょ けんよう の） serving for both genders; unisex
男女兼用の名前 a name that is suitable for either boys or girls
November 7, 2009
An idiomatic Japanese expression for you today.....
十八番（じゅうはちばん）one's specialty; forte; a trick, performance or technique that one is especially good at
Usage example:
この歌は智子さんの十八番です。Tomoko is especially good at this song.
November 6, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following relate to the concept of “diversity” or “variation”:
- 多岐にわたる
- 多様性
- 多難な
- 多忙な
Answer: You no doubt noticed the common kanji in all of these words, 多 . This kanji means many. Now let’s examine the definition of each term:
多難な（たなん な） = difficulty; full of troubles. The second kanji is the same one used in 難しい（むずかしい） = difficult.
多忙な（たぼう な） = busy. The second kanji is the same one used in 忙しい（いそがしい） = busy.
多岐にわたる （たき に わたる） to diverge. Here is an example of the word in a sentence:
争点は、景気対策、社会保障、外交・安全保障政策、「政と官」のあり方、地方分権など多岐にわたる。 --Yomiuri Shimbun
多様性 （たようせい） variety; diversity. An example sentence for this item is included below:
黒人初の米大統領に就任したオバマ大統領らしく、「変革と多様性」が選考の基準となった。--Jishi Tsushin
Based on these definitions, certainly B is correct; and A could also be correct as well.
Supplementary vocabulary:
October 30, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
In Japan typhoons are commonly referred to by number rather than name. The excerpt below from the Japanese press refers to the eighth typhoon （台風８号・たいふう はちごう）of the 2009 season.
Based on the excerpt, which fact is apparent?
- The U.S. and Taiwan do not have formal relations.
- The U.S. and China do not have formal relations.
- China and the United States are close allies.
- Relations are tense between the United States and China.
米軍は１６日、台風８号で壊滅的被害を受けた台湾への人道支援を目的に、沖縄の基地からＣ１３０輸送機を派遣した。米国防関係者が明らかにした。
米軍機の台湾入りは、１９７９年の米台断交以来初めて。輸送機には防水ビニールシートが積まれていた。
Answer: For decades after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Washington did not recognize the government in Beijing as the legitimate government of China. U.S. policy recognized the Nationalist government in Taiwan as the rightful authority of both Taiwan and China. Relations between the United States and China vacillated between hostility and mutual avoidance.
Nixon’s historic trip to China in 1972 was hailed as a breakthrough in Sino-American relations. By the beginning of the 1980s, diplomatic relations between the U.S. and China would be “normalized.” But Beijing demanded the U.S. acknowledge the PRC as the “real” China. Accordingly, the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 severed formal relations between the United States and Taiwan.
This is the historic fact reverenced by the following phrase: １９７９年の米台断交. The term米台断交 （べいたい だんこう） = break in relations between the U.S. and Taiwan. Therefore, the correct answer is A.
This excerpt contains a number of other words that would be useful to know:
October 27, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Read the following headline from the Japanese-language version of CNN.com:
イラクで同性愛者への暴力が激化 国際人権団体が報告
Which of the following statements can be gathered from the headline?
- Violence against religious minorities in Iraq is increasing.
- Sectarian violence in Iraq is increasing.
- Violence against foreigners is increasing in Iraq.
- Violence against human rights groups is increasing in Iraq.
- Both A and B
- None of the above
Answer: The Japanese word 同性愛者（どうせいあいしゃ）= homosexuals. The headline identifies this group as the target of intensifying violence in Iraq. This means that the correct answer to the question is F, none of the above.
Note the definitions of the other important words in the headline:
October 19, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
2007年10月1日 ... 考えてみると、そんなに吸いたくもないのに惰性で吸っていたので、節煙することにしました。
Which of the following statements is true?
- The blogger is smoking more.
- The blogger is cutting back on smoking.
- The blogger does not have a strong desire to smoke.
- Both B and C
- None of the above
Answer: Your understanding of this passage hinges on your grasp of two expressions: 惰性で and節煙する.
Let’s being with 惰性で（だせい で）, which means by force of habit. This means that answer C is correct; but we still need more information. There is a series of words that begin with the kanji 節:
As you can see, all of these words relate to cutting back, curtailing usage, or economizing in some way.
This realization tells us that B is also correct. The best answer for the question, therefore, is D, both B and C.
October 7, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
The following is an excerpt from a Japanese newspaper (the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, 08/14/09) regarding the case of Myanmar (Burma) democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi. Read the sentence and pick the answer which best summarizes the main ideas of the excerpt:
国連の安全保障理事会は13日、ミャンマーの民主化運動の指導者、アウン・サン・スー・チー氏に軍事政権が有罪判決を出したことに対し「深刻な懸念」を示す報道向け声明を発表した。
- The U.N. Security Council expressed “grave concern” over the fact that the military government handed down a guilty verdict on Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
- The U.N. Security Council expressed “grave concern” that the military government handed down a not-guilty verdict on Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
- The U.N. Security Council expressed “utter outrage” over the fact that the military government handed down a guilty verdict on Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
- The U.N. Security Council expressed “a high degree of satisfaction” over the fact that the military government handed down a not-guilty verdict on Burmese democracy movement leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Answer: In order to answer this question, you need to know the following key words:
The answer, therefore, is A.
Also note that the excerpt gives the 13th of the month as the date of UN announcement. The announcement is described as a statement aimed at the media 報道向け声明 （ほうどう むけ せいめい）.
September 20, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following words means a screech, or a squeal?
美声
鼻声
風声
金切り声
Answer: There is one kanji element that is common to all these words: 声. This kanji represents the word for voice, 声（こえ）.
The items listed from A through D are all relatively advanced vocabulary. Unless your Japanese is quite advanced, you have likely not encountered them before.
You will need a knowledge of kanji to extrapolate the definitions of the compound words. Consider the meanings of the following kanji:
美 beautiful, lovely
鼻 nose
風 wind; cold
金 metal, gold
切 cut
Now the definitions of the first three compounds:
美声 （びせい） a beautiful voice
鼻声 （びせい） a nasal voice
風声 （かざごえ） a hoarse voice (due to a cold)
The final item, D, literally means “a metal cutting voice.” The dictionary meaning is a screech; a squeal. It is commonly used in the phrase 金切り声を上げる （かなきりごえ を あげる） to let out a scream.
September 15, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Which of the following adjectives are complimentary?
- 親切な
- 鉄面皮な
- 頭が切れる
- 腹が黒い
- A and B
- A and C
- A, B, and C
- none of the above
Answer: If someone uses two of the above adjectives two describe you, you should feel complimented. However, two of these words are definitely not complimentary. Let’s take a look at the definition for each word:
親切な （しんせつ な） kind; kind-hearted
鉄面皮な （てつめんぴ な） brazen; shameless
頭が切れる （あたま が きれる） clever; sharp-minded
腹が黒い （はら が くろい） scheming; black-hearted
The answer, then, is F.
September 13, 2009
JAPANESE LANGUAGE QUIZ
Define the term 後釜:
- aftertaste
- successor
- hindsight
- postponement
Answer: This one is a bit tricky if you haven’t seen it before. I will assume that you are familiar with the basic kanji後, which means after, following. But what about 釜? This relatively low-frequency kanji means iron pot/kettle.
When you combine 後 + 釜, the resultant meaning is successor, so B is the correct answer to this question.
後釜（あとがま）is often used in the set phrase 後釜に座る（あとがま に すわる）, to succeed another, to step into another person’s shoes.
There are Japanese words for A, C, and D that begin with後. These are given below:
後味 （あとあじ） aftertaste
後回し （あとまわし） delay; postponement
後知恵 （あとぢえ） afterthought; hindsight
More about Japanese corporations
Here is an example that I culled out of a business textbook, for those of you who are interested in Japanese corporate life.
The excerpt describes the successes that the Japanese economy experienced in the postwar era, including the successful weathering of two oil shocks:
第二次大戦後、日本は奇跡的ともいえる高度成長を遂げ、経済大国と呼ばれるまでになったが、その成長を支えた主役は企業であった。その後、日本は二度のオイル・ショックも見事に乗り切り、その強さがあらためて認識された。 (continue...)
Word Focus:
失敗
Sometimes you fail, and that is exactly what the word失敗（しっぱい）, or “failure” is all about. The following excerpt discusses the failure of a civilian rocket that was launched (and subsequently crashed) in New Mexico: (continue...)
表面化する
The word 表面 = surface. And the suffix 化 conveys the idea of becoming something. When you add 表面 and 化 and then make this combination a Sino-Japanese verb with the addition of する, the result is 表面化する, which means to come to the surface. (continue...)
Having a High Head:
頭が高い
zu ga takai
There are times when you are better off to quit when you're ahead, because a situation or a person is very difficult to handle. Seki no yama 関の山 describes a situation in which even the best effort will result in either a maintenance of the status quo, or possibly a deterioration in conditions: (continue...)
Modern Japanese Vocabulary: A Guide for 21st Century Students
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