| N | | |
| Nakayoshi, nakayoshi | 仲良し、仲良し | Used like this toward children, it is meant as a reminder that you are good friends and to thus, stop quarreling. A nice way to admonish, I think! Literally means “good friends.” |
| namae | 名前 | name |
| Nanatsu no ko | 七つの子 | The name of a famous folk song that everyone can sing the first few lines of. |
| nariyuki | なりゆき | fate. Literally how it unfolds is how I go… or something like that. A sense of destiny beyond one’s control. |
| natsu | 夏 | summer |
| natsubate | 夏バテ | A special word used to describe suffering in the summer due to the oppressive heat. When you get natsubate you don’t feel like eating and you can quickly succumb to the heat. Natsu means summer and the bate comes from the verb bateru which means to be exhausted. |
| natsukashii | 懐かしい | nostalgic. This word gets a LOT of use in Japan. |
| nattō | 納豆 | fermented soybeans. I have never even wanted to try nattō and there is a fierce battle between the nattō camp and the not nattō camp. I’m sure they are quite healthy, but yuck. Generally, people in Kyoto do not eat it. I rest my case. |
| neko | 猫 | cat(s) |
| Neko ga ippiki mo imasen | 猫が一匹もいません | “I don’t have a single cat. Not even one… “ Neko=cat. This was my very sad sad state when my two elderly cats died. But I remedied it. See this post. |
| nekutai | ネクタイ | necktie |
| nezumi | ねずみ | mouse or rat |
| nezumi no undōkai | ねずみの運動会 | literally “a field day for mice” or a sports event for mice. It’s what you say when you hear mice in the ceiling or walls. Cute, right? Undōkai are a whole other topic and they happen in the fall, most popularly at the elementary school level. |
| nichiyōbi | 日曜日 | Sunday |
| nikuman | 肉饅 | a kind of dumpling with meat inside. This has Chinese origins. |
| Nihon | 日本 | Japan |
| nihongo | 日本語 | the Japanese language |
| nihonjin | 日本人 | Japanese person or people |
| ninjin | 人参 | carrot |
| ninpu | 妊婦 | pregnant woman |
| Nishiki Market | 錦場 | Google it, if you don’t know it. It’s a famous food shopping street in downtown Kyoto. It might be more famous for being crowded than for food at this point, but admittedly, you have to visit it. |
| niwa | 庭 | garden |
| Nodo Jiman | のど自慢 | song show. Please read the wikipedia entry here. I can’t explain it in a few sentences and do it justice. |
| nuno omutsu | 布おむつ | cloth diapers (as opposed to disposable diapers which are kami omutsu) |
| O | | |
| obāsan | おばあさん | grandmother, granny, or any old woman of this age. (I am one now and I wear it with pride) |
| obon | お盆 | a holiday in August (or July in some areas) when ancestors return. So, many people travel back to their own home towns to greet them. Basically it serves as a summer holiday break. |
| ōbun | オーブン | oven. There is no V sound in Japanese so it usually converts to a B sound. |
| ochazuke | お茶漬け | a bowl of rice with tea poured over it, usually served with a variety of pickles in Kyoto. It can also have salmon, or other ingredients with it. It’s a great late night snack. |
| oden | おでん | a type of food that is sold by street venders and in bars (it practically cries out for beer) and now in 7-11 and other stores. It has an unmistakable smell to it due to the fish products it uses. A lot of non-Japanese fail to see the charm of it. But in the winter, before many homes had heat, it was a great way to warm up before returning to a stone cold room. |
| ofukuro no aji | お袋の味 | the taste of mom’s home cooking |
| ofuro | お風呂 | the bath. Note that the honorific “o” is attached because I wouldn’t dream of saying it without honoring it. |
| ohashi | お箸 | chopsticks. Note the honorific “o” here as well. |
| ohayō chan | お早うちゃん | The Kyoto way of saying good morning to a child |
| ohayō gozaimasu | お早うございます | good morning. This is a very polite way of saying it. WIth friends you can just use ohayō . |
| ohayō san | お早うさん | The Kyoto way of saying good morning. Used widely in the Kansai area (Western Japan). |
| ohiru | お昼 | noon, but often used to mean lunch |
| oishii | 美味しい | delicious |
| ojigi | お辞儀 | a bow, as in bowing, not bow and arrow |
| ojisan | おじさん | uncle or man around that age |
| ojīsan | お爺さん | old man or grandfather |
| okane | お金 | money |
| okāsan | お母さん | mother |
| okonomiyaki | お好み焼き | a savory pancake that you cook on a grill. Osaka and Hiroshima are both famous for their versions. |
| Okyaku-sama | お客様 | This is the polite way for someone to address a customer, be it in a store, hotel, or in my case, bus. |
| omawari–san | お巡りさん | police officer |
| Omedetō gozaimasu | おめでとうございます | Congratulations! |
| omiai | お見合い | arranged marriage meeting. Usually what happens is that photos and written profiles are exchanged and if there is an interest, a meeting is arranged. Better than match.com perhaps? |
| omiai kekkon | 思い出 | arranged marriage. This is in contrast to renai kekkon 恋愛結婚 which is a “love marriage.” |
| ōmisoka | 大晦日 | New Year’s Eve |
| omoide | 思い出 | memory or memories. A word that is used very often in Japan as omoide are considered very precious. |
| onara | おなら | fart, pass wind |
| oniku | お肉 | meat |
| onna no ko | 女の子 | girl, young girl |
| onna shujinkō | 女主人公 | onna means woman and shujinkō is hero, so together they mean heroine. |
| ookī | 大きい | big, adjective |
| Orenji Pēji | オレンジぺーじ | Orange Page. The name of a popular women’s magazine that comes out twice a month. It’s fairly cheap and geared towards housewives and mothers. |
| orenji jūsu | オレンジジュース | orange juice |
| oshiire | 押入れ | traditional style of double-decker closet found in older homes. It is big and deep enough to hold futon. It’s considered to be a safer place during an earthquake and mothers would often shove the children inside of it when an earthquake began. |
| Oshimai! | お仕舞い | Finished! Done! You could also use it to say “I call time” or “Time’s up.” |
| Oshin | おしん | the morning drama that had everyone in tears. Worth googling for more information. It’s everything. |
| Osho | 王将 | Another cheap Chinese restaurant chain that is famous for gyōza. If you’re young and your stomach can stand it, it’s great food! Best way to get a full stomach for the least amount of money. |
| Oshōgatsu | お正月 | New Year’s. The Japanese celebrate it on January 1, i.e. not when China does. |
| oshūji | お習字 | the study of traditional Japanese calligraphy |
| otenki | お天気 | weather. Yes, it gets that honorific “o” |
| otera | お寺 | temple. Of course this word uses the honorific “o” in front of it. Remember, temples are Buddhist and shrines are Shinto. Also, you can’t use this word for a synagogue. |
| otoko | 男 | man |
| otoko no ko | 男の子 | boy or boys |
| otōsan | お父さん | father. This is what a child would call their father, or perhaps Papa. |
| otoshiyori | お年寄り | senior citizen |
| oyako | 親子 | parent and child. There is also a rice dish called oyako donburi, which is chicken and egg on rice. Get it? |
| Oyasumi nasai | おやすみなさい | Good night |
| oyatsu | おやつ | a snack, used mostly for children. Adults might take a midafternoon break and call it “osanji” or a “3 o’clock.” |
| P | | |
| panchi paama | パンチパーマ | punch perm. A tightly permed hairstyle that was popular for members of the Japanese crime world back in the 1970’s and maybe still. For some reason, older singers also like this look so you can’t say someone’s a criminal for sure if they wear their hair like this. But, if they aren’t a singer, it might give you pause. |
| pan | パン | bread |
| panyasan | パン屋さん | bakery. It has a bit of an old-fashioned feel to it, though, since bakery is one of those words that is now used widely around Japan. |
| pika pika | ぴかぴか | One of the many onomatopoeic Japanese expressions. A new penny is pika pika as is anything shiny and new. |
| poteto | ポテト | You might think this is how you say potato, but you’d be wrong. This means french fries. Potato has its own word. |
| R | | |
| rajio taisō | ラジオ体操 | radio exercise. Explanation to come…. It’s an important tradition in Japan at this point. |
| rakkī ! | ラッキー | Lucky!! |
| Randen | 嵐電 | a small tram to Arashiyama |
| reimen | 冷麺 | cold Chinese noodles in the Kansai area. See also hiyashi chūka. |
| reizōko | 冷蔵庫 | refrigerator |
| remon | レモン | lemon |
| renji | レンジ | range. A shortened way to refer to a kitchen countertop gas range. |
| renrakuchō | 連続 | series. So renzoku asadora means “a serialized morning drama” |
| resutoran | レストラン | restaurant. There are many ways to say restaurant in Japanese depending on the type of food it serves. You would not use this for a cheap Chinese joint or an eatery that serves only soba. It implies Western-like food and probably came into popularity due to the 1970s invasion of “famirī restoran -ファミリーレストラン” like Big Boy and Dennys. Shorter still, famiresu (ファミレス) |
| Retasu Kurabu | レタスクラブ | Lettuce Club. The name of a popular women’s magazine that comes out twice a month. It’s fairly cheap and geared towards housewives and mothers. |
| retoro | レトロ | retro |
| ringo | リンゴ | apple |
| ringo jūsu | リンゴジュース | apple juice |
| ringo no ki | りんごの木 | apple tree. Literally the tree of apples. |
| ryū | 流 | style or school, You have different ryū in tea ceremony, karate, flower arranging, etc. People are very loyal to their ryū. |
| ryūgakusei | 留学生 | study abroad student |
| S | | |
| sakana | 魚 | fish |
| sakura | さくら | cherry blossom or tree |
| sakura mochi | さくらもち | a Japanese sweet which is pink, contains red bean paste wrapped in sweet glutinous rice and then further wrapped in a salted sakura leaf. |
| sakusen | 作戦 | plan or strategy |
| samurai | 侍 | I can’t even. You know this. Okay, warrior. Did you really not know this?! |
| sanma | 秋刀魚 | a type of fish, (Pacific) saury. Though available all year long, it is associated with autumn. |
| sanrinsha | 三輪車 | tricycle |
| sansai | 三才 | three years old. three + suffix for age |
| sasuga | さすが | “indeed!” or “as you might have expected” |
| satō | 砂糖 | sugar |
| satsumaimo | サツマイモ | sweet potato. Literally a potato from Satsuma |
| sedai | 世代 | generation. Used to specify a certain age range. |
| seikatsu | 生活 | life style, or how you are living your life |
| seishun | 青春 | youth. Often combined with jidai, which means era or period to talk nostalgically about younger days |
| sekihan | 赤飯 | red rice. Just as delicious as it sounds? It’s made with azuki beans and usually sprinkled with black sesame seeds |
| semi | セミ | cicada. I feel like the ones in Japan are super noisy. The Japanese describe their call as “min, min.” |
| senbei | 煎餅 | Japanese rice crackers |
| senpūki | 扇風機 | electric fan. There are other words used for handheld fans depending on the type. I may get into that later. |
| sensei | 先生 | Don’t we all know this is teacher, thanks to the martial arts? It’s also the prefix used for doctors. |
| sentakki | 洗濯機 | washing machine |
| sentaku | 洗濯 | laundry |
| sentō | 銭湯 | public bath. I will probably talk a lot about it in this blog because it was my life for many many years. |
| senzai | 洗剤 | laundry detergent |
| shako-yuki | 車庫行き | the sign on the front of a bus (in this case) announcing it is heading for the garage and not necessarily doing the regular route since many routes are circular. Shako means garage and yuki in this case indicates the destination |
| shamisen | 三味線 | three-stringed traditional Japanese instrument |
| shanpū | シャンプー | shampoo |
| shashin | 写真 | photograph(s) |
| shimai toshi | 姉妹都市 | sister city. Kyoto has a number of these relationships. For the US, it is Boston. |
| shinamon tōsuto | シナモントースト | cinnamon toast. Order it if you ever see it on a menu at an old-fashioned coffee shop. Japan does it really well! |
| shinbun | 新聞 | newspaper |
| shichimenchō | 七面鳥 | turkey. Not at all a popular food in Japan. |
| Shinjuku Eki | 新宿駅 | Shinjuku is a place in Tokyo. It also often refers to the station there, even without eki which means station. It’s chaotic, confusing, busy, and there may be people lost in there right now. |
| shinkansen | 新幹線 | bullet train |
| shinsen | 新鮮 | fresh, new |
| shinsetsu | 親切 | kind, kindly |
| shio/kosho | 塩・胡椒 | salt/pepper |
| shioppoi | 塩っぽい | salty. Shio alone is salt. |
| shisōshi | 思想史 | literally the history of thought. I guess ideology works for a translation. |
| shitagi | 下着 | underwear |
| shitsumon | 質問 | question |
| shizuka | 静か | quiet/peaceful |
| shōbuyu | 菖蒲湯 | Bath with iris bulbs in it for Children’s Day. See illustration. |
| shōga | 生姜 | (raw) ginger. Please note that you can’t use this for the pickled ginger served with sushi. Sushi has its own vocabulary for things. |
| shōgakkō | 小学校 | elementary school. Japanese elementary school goes from Grades 1-6 in most cases. After WW2 the American system of the time was thrust upon them so that they still have three years of junior high and three years of high school. |
| shōgakusei | 小学生 | elementary school students |
| shokku | ショック | shock(s), surprise |
| shōtengai | 商店街 | shopping street |
| Showa | 昭和 | the era of Japan that waxes oh so nostalgic for those of us who lived it. It represents the reign of Emperor Hirohito and goes from 1926-1989. Of course most people are nostalgic about the last forty years of it, though those war years are not to be forgotten. |
| shōyu | 醤油 | soy sauce. You need to memorize this term if you haven’t already. It’s a must know! |
| shukudai | 宿題 | homework |
| shūmatsu | 週末 | weekend |
| shungiku | 春菊 | chrysanthemum leaf is what the dictionary says for this. It’s very good in sukiyaki. |
| sō desu ne | そうですね | “Is that so?” or “hmmm” or “well, yes.” I once had a whole conversation with a little old lady where I didn’t understand a word of it and simply murmured this phrase the whole time. It took her a while to catch on, so this is a handy phrase. |
| soba | 蕎麦 | buckwheat noodles |
| sōdan shimasu | 相談します | to consult or to confer with; adding shimasu makes it a verb |
| sōsharumedia | ソーシャルメディア | social media |
| sōzō | 想像 | imagination |
| sugoi | すごい | amazing |
| suihanki | 炊飯器 | rice cooker (appliance) |
| sunakku | スナック | Okay, you’re looking at it and you think it means snack. And it does… now. But in the 1970s this is what we called a bar. I think it is falling out of favor now, but you can still see signage for older bars using this term. |
| suteteko | ステテコ | another kind of underwear |
| sotsugyō | 卒業 | graduation. Note that in Japan entrance ceremonies are a bigger thing than graduations. That is, it is harder to get in than to get out! |
| Sukinshippu | スキンシップ | A pseudo-Anglicism describing a close relationship like the one between mother and child. Or the act of getting closer by hanging out together. When I first heard this term and told people it didn’t exist in English they were shocked… simply shocked. Then what do you call it, they asked? Good question. |
| sūpā | スーパー | supermarket |
| suzushī | 涼しい | cool. Note that there is a different word for cool to the touch or cool as in stand-offish. Suzushī is used for weather situations. |
| T | | |
| tabemono | 食べ物 | food |
| takenoko | 竹の子 | bamboo shoots |
| takenoko gohan | 竹の子ご飯 | bamboo shoot rice. You cook the rice with the bamboo and a few other ingredients. It isn’t spring in Japan if you don’t eat this. And if you’re eating this, it IS spring. |
| taki | 滝 | waterfall |
| takumashii | たくましい | strong, capable, sturdy |
| takushii | タクシー | taxi |
| tamago | たまご | egg |
| tamago-yaki | 卵焼き | Japanese style omelette |
| Tanabata | 七夕 | a festival that generally falls on July 7, but varies from region to region. In English it often gets translated as the Star Festival. |
| tanjōbi | 誕生日 | birthday |
| tanki daigaku | 短期大学 | junior or two-year college |
| taoruketto | タオルケット | a summer blanket made out of cotton towel material. They are wonderful on a hot summer’s night and are often given as gifts. |
| tatami | 畳み | bamboo mats that used to cover almost all floors in houses and apartments. Sadly, they are disappearing in new construction. There is nothing like the smell of fresh tatami. |
| te | 手 | hand or hands |
| teinei | 丁寧 | polite, or used to describe something done with attention to detail |
| teishokuya | 定食屋 | the kind of old fashioned eatery that serves set meals usually with soup, rice, a main dish, pickles and a side dish. They often have daily specials. |
| “teishu wa genki de, rusu ga ii” | 亭主は元気で留守が良い | Teishu =master of the house, genki=healthy, rusu=not home, ii = good. Wa, de, and ga are particles that hold the expression together. “Husbands should be healthy and not around the house too much.” |
| tengoku | 天国 | heaven or paradise |
| Teramachi | 寺町 | Literally temple town. It’s a famous street in Kyoto. Part of it is an arcade, but the northern part of it is a lovely street filled with old shops and temples. Mostly. There are now two conbini on the street as well, but it is still charming to me. |
| terebi bangumi | テレビ番組 | television + program, tv program |
| と | と | This is a particle and it means ‘and’ or ‘with’, i.e. in addition to. |
| tōgarashi | 唐辛子 | hot pepper |
| toire | トイレ | this is a general word for toilet. Men might use benjo 便所 (literally ‘convenient place’) instead and women could delicately use otearai お手洗い (literally ‘to wash hands’). |
| Tōkōji | 東光寺 | the name of a temple in Meguro Ward. It’s very much off the beaten track so only locals would visit it. Or parents of the students at their kindergarten. It also has a cemetery as the temple was created in memory of the death of a ten year old. |
| tokubetsu shō | 特別賞 | special award |
| torēnā | トレーナー | what we Americans call a sweatshirt |
| tsuyu | 梅雨 | rainy season. The characters literally say “plum rain.” It sounds so poetic, doesn’t it. Ha! |
| U | | |
| uchimizu | 打ち水 | The deliberate sprinkling of water on the pavement to cool the air. Does it really work? They say that even looking at the water should make you feel cooler…. |
| uchiwa | うちわ | hand -held fan |
| udo | うど | spikenard or mountain asparagus. Another mountain vegetable. |
| uinnā pan | ウインナーパン | wiener or hot dog bread |
| umeboshi | 梅干し | pickled plum |
| untenshu | 運転手 | driver |
| ureshii | 嬉しい | happy |
| usagi | ウサギ | rabbit |
| uta | 歌 | song |
| W | | |
| “wareware nihonjin wa” | 我々日本人は | “We Japanese.” It’s a pompous or slightly academic way to start a sentence when you are going to describe some national trait of the Japanese people. |
| washoku | 和食 | Japanese food/meal, i.e. not Western or Chinese |
| Y | | |
| yakisoba | 焼きそば | a fried noodle dish that can be kind of junk food. |
| Yamaguchi Momoe | 山口百恵 | one of the most popular of the so-called idol singers. She retired when she got married. All of Japan wept on that day. |
| yasai | 野菜 | vegetable(s) |
| yasai itame | 野菜炒め | literally stir-fried vegetables. Considered to be a proper dinner dish, though you’d want to be sure there was also protein involved. |
| yasui | 安い | cheap (adjective) |
| yatto wakarimashita | やっと分かりました | “I finally understand.” |
| yōchien | 幼稚園 | this usually gets translated as kindergarten, but can include classes of 3,4 and 5 year olds. It contrasts with daycare centers which are called hoikuen. |
| yōfuku | 洋服 | clothes. Western style clothes. There’s a different word for Japanese style clothing. |
| yokareashikare | 良かれ悪しかれ | “for better or for worse” |
| yuba | ゆば | a soybean product often called tofu skin as it it forms on the top of soy milk during the processing of tofu |
| yudōfu | 湯豆腐 | a simple tofu dish. The quality of the tofu is what makes this dish. It’s all about the tofu. |
| yūhan | 夕飯 | dinner, evening meal |
| yukata | 浴衣 | summer kimono. These are generally made of cotton. In my mind, if it is not cotton, it is not genuine, i.e. please do not wear any made from rayon or polyester. Cringeworthy! |
| yonige | 夜逃げ | literally night running away or absconding into the night. This is, unfortunately, more common in Japan than you can imagine and is usually due to debt or being unable to support one’s family. |
| yubi | 指 | finger |
| yunomi | 湯飲み | teacup |
| yurai | 由来 | origin, roots |
| yūrei | 幽霊 | ghost, or spirit. More spirit than ghost, i.e not a Halloween type of ghost. |
| yuwakashiki | 湯沸器 | tankless hot water heater |
| yuzu | ゆず | a Japanese citrus. Becoming more popular and known here in the States now. |
| Z | | |
| zabuton | 座布団 | floor cushion |
| zen wa isoge | 善は急げ | “Do good things fast” or “Don’t hesitate to do good” |