Vocabulary and phrases
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Vocabulary and phrases · Page 3
Otona Meaning: 大人, Otonappoi, Otonagenai and Otona-gai
Otona (大人) means 'adult' or 'grown-up'. Around it Japanese builds many everyday words: otonappoi, mature-looking; otonagenai, childish for an adult; otona-gai, buying something in bulk that you could only dream of as a child; and otona no aji, a grown-up flavour.
10 min readJitsu Wa Meaning: 実は, Actually and To Tell the Truth
Jitsu wa (実は) means 'actually', 'to tell the truth' or 'the thing is'. It signals that you are about to reveal something the listener does not know yet: news, a confession, a surprising fact, or the background to a favour you are going to ask.
10 min readIyashi Meaning: Healing, Iyasareru and Iyashi-kei in Japanese
Iyashi (癒し) means healing or soothing: the feeling of being calmed and restored when stress and tiredness melt away. In everyday Japanese you hear it most as iyasareru, I feel so soothed, and as iyashi-kei, the soothing type of person, music or character.
11 min readIsshoukenmei Meaning: Doing Your Best With Isshōkenmei in Japanese
Isshōkenmei (一生懸命) means with all your might, as hard as you can. You use it to promise effort, isshōkenmei ganbarimasu, and to praise someone who is clearly giving everything, isshōkenmei da ne.
11 min readNikoniko Meaning: Smiling Happily in Japanese, From Nikkori to Niyaniya
Nikoniko (にこにこ or ニコニコ) describes a warm, happy smile that stays on someone's face: a baby beaming at everyone, a grandmother greeting her neighbours, a friend who cannot stop smiling after good news. You use it as nikoniko suru or, most often, nikoniko shite iru.
10 min readGorogoro Meaning: Lazing About, Thunder, Purring and More in Japanese
Gorogoro (ごろごろ or ゴロゴロ) is the sound and feeling of something heavy and roundish rolling or rumbling. In daily Japanese it most often means lazing around at home, ie de gorogoro suru, but it also describes thunder, a purring cat, an upset stomach, grit in your eye and big chunks of vegetables.
10 min readPikapika Meaning: Shiny, Sparkling and Brand New in Japanese
Pikapika (ぴかぴか or ピカピカ) describes a bright, clean shine: shoes polished until they gleam, a floor wiped spotless, a brand-new car, or a light that flashes on and off. Pikapika ni suru means to make something sparkling clean, and pikapika no ichinensei is a brand-new first grader.
10 min readMochimochi Meaning: The Chewy, Springy Texture Japan Loves
Mochimochi (もちもち) describes a soft but springy, chewy texture, like fresh mochi rice cake: it gives when you bite, then bounces back. It is a compliment for food such as bread, noodles, dumplings and sweets, and it can also describe soft, plump baby cheeks.
10 min readBochibochi Meaning: Kansai's So-So, Getting By and Time to Go
Bochibochi (ぼちぼち) has two main meanings: so-so or getting by, as a modest answer to how are you, and little by little or about time, as in bochibochi ikō ka, shall we get going. It is heard everywhere in Japan but has a strong Kansai flavour, especially in the Osaka exchange mōkarimakka, bochibochi denna.
10 min readOokini Meaning: Ōkini, the Kansai Way to Say Thank You
Ōkini (おおきに) means thank you in Kansai dialect, the speech of Osaka, Kyoto and the surrounding area. It comes from ōki ni arigatō, thank you greatly, and you hear it most from shopkeepers, restaurant staff and older speakers, often as maido ōkini, thanks as always.
10 min readJapanese Volleyball Vocabulary: Court Words, Calls and Positions
Most Japanese volleyball vocabulary is English-based katakana: sābu (serve), reshību (receive), tosu (set) and supaiku (spike). What makes it sound Japanese is everything around those words: the short calls on court, the verbs for hitting and digging, and the polite phrases you need to join a local team.
11 min readJapanese Basketball Vocabulary: Shots, Fouls and Court Calls
Basketball in Japanese is basukettobōru, usually just basuke, and most of its words are katakana: doriburu, pasu, shūto, ribaundo. A few key terms are native Japanese, such as sokkō for a fast break and gōru shita for under the basket, and those are the ones that make you sound like a real player.
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