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Category Archives: Japanese
For the very rich and the very poor?
(Either you have a big enough house for it, or you don’t have the money for multiple residences, regardless.) 累世同居rui.sei.dou.kyo Literally: accumulate – generation – same – reside Alternately: Multiple generations of a family living in the same house. In … Continue reading
Serendipitous learning… about farts!
This afternoon I unexpectedly learned something new about Japanese language and culture. In my family we’ve been making a point of watching anime together as a family, for entertainment and for Japanese practice. This isn’t just passive consumption of media, … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Musing, Nonfiction
Tagged anime, 科負う, fart, folktales, Japanese study, serendipity, traditional values, trivia, 屁, 比丘尼
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A root of the problem
盗人根性nusu.bito.kon.jou Literally: steal – person – root – nature (as in the innate essence of a thing, not “Mother Nature”) Alternately: A thief’s personality. Someone’s character being cruel, devious, greedy, and generally underhanded. Notes: 盗人 may also be read as … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 盗人, personality, the banality of evil, thievery, 根性
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Fences within fences
I heard you like chumrot so I put a chumra in your chumra. 念には念を入れよ(Nen ni wa nen wo ireyo;“Put thought into thought”) Definition: An exhortation to be extra meticulous or cautious in a given task or situation. Make absolutely certain … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged admonitions, caution, Huainanzi, redundancy, yo dawg, 念には念, 念を入れ, 淮南子, חומרה
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Teeing up some self-improvement
爪の垢を煎じて飲む(Tsume no aka wo senjite nomu;“to boil and drink fingernail-dirt”) Definition: To follow a good example that someone has set. To learn from someone who excels, by doing whatever it takes to get any positive effect at all. Often referenced … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged bad hygiene, 煎じて飲, 爪の垢, 薬, fingernails, folk medicine, good example, homeopathic tea, role model
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They do toil, and they do spin
Humans aren’t plants, it turns out; we just raise ‘em. 粒粒辛苦ryuu.ryuu.shin.ku Literally: grain* / drop – grain* / drop – spicy / unpleasant – bitter / suffer Alternately: Hard, steady work. To carry on with plain, painstaking, long-term labor. Elbows … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged Chinese literature, 粒々, 粒粒, 辛苦, hard work, pastoral poetry, perseverance, rice farming, 憫農, 李紳
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The sleeve’s edge; another life
袖すり合うも他生の縁(Sode suriau mo tashou no en;“Even a brushing of the sleeves is a connection from a past life.”) Definition: Every relationship you have in your entire life – including not just the big important ones, but the people you merely … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Kotowaza
Tagged Buddhism, 蛤の草紙, 袖すり合う, 袖振り合う, fated meetings, human kindness, karma, reincarnation, relationships, 名歌徳三舛玉垣, 多生の縁, 他生の縁
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Leaving the ivory tower
What is the tower of practical applications made out of? Tungsten? 知行合一chi.kou.gou.itsu Literally: know – act – join – one Alternately: One’s knowledge and deeds are in accordance. One’s actions must be guided by one’s knowledge, and knowledge only has … Continue reading
Posted in Japanese, Yojijukugo
Tagged 王陽明, 知行, GhostBusters, knowledge, practical application, realization, theory vs practice, 傳習錄, 合一, 一致, 伝習録, 传习录
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