Japanese Word of the Day

Thanks LF and everyone else contributing this thread.

箸 はし hashi chopsticks もくせいのはし/ wooden chopsticks ひとくみのはし/ pair of chopsticks.

Homophones in Japanese are abundant, and annoying :) To go back a day, depending on how you write/read "ame" it could either be rain or a hard candy/lozenge (written 飴) And Japanese people from different regions will often accent words differently... You also have to be very careful of long (as in lengthened) vs short vowels and words with a small "tsu" (っ) , as these will sometimes sound the same to you, but totally different to a Japaese person. For example: 過去 (かこ kako) = past, previous 格好 (かっこう kakkou) = shape, form, posture, appearance, manner 加工 (かこう kakou) = manufacturing, processing, treatment, machining 確固 (かっこ kakko) = firm, unshakeable, resolute 格好 is the word used in the expression kakko(u) ii (cool, attractive, stylish) it is also sometimes written カッコいい, so technically the final vowel can be pronounced long or short when used in this expression.

boutux wrote: that link was very useful. hearing the differences in pronouciations because different morae have or don't have accents helped. thanks

Waaaaah it was really useful for me too!! Thanks ! <3<3

kurinezumi wrote: Homophones in Japanese are abundant, and annoying :)

To go back a day, depending on how you write/read "ame" it could either be rain or a hard candy/lozenge (written 飴)

And Japanese people from different regions will often accent words differently...

You also have to be very careful of long (as in lengthened) vs short vowels and words with a small "tsu" (っ) , as these will sometimes sound the same to you, but totally different to a Japaese person.

For example:
過去 (かこ kako) = past, previous
格好 (かっこう kakkou) = shape, form, posture, appearance, manner
加工 (かこう kakou) = manufacturing, processing, treatment, machining
確固 (かっこ kakko) = firm, unshakeable, resolute


格好 is the word used in the expression kakko(u) ii (cool, attractive, stylish) it is also sometimes written カッコいい, so technically the final vowel can be pronounced long or short when used in this expression.

this is a good point too. i have always heard and read that it's difficult for new learners to tell the differences between these sounds, but I actually have not had any problem picking out the differences. I guess some people pick up those little sounds easier than others? what i find hardest is right now when i'm listening to something in Japanese and trying to pick out some words is that often multiple words are strung together to sound like one reeeeeaaally long word, and that just messes me right up. it's easy to forget that.words.aren't.seperated.the.way.english.ones.are. andsometimesruntogether it's a whole different way of speaking beyond just the actual vocabulary, grammar etc and i have a hard time picking out the different words sometimes



the fact that you can find 12 different Japanese readings when you look up a word in english on something like jiisho is so intimidating, it's like ok which one do i use? what if i use the wrong one and get laughed at or can't make my point across or insult someone? why is it so confusing???

like

今日
きょう
kyou
today; this day

is the most common version of 'today' that i have seen in all my lessons so far, but i suppose which one you use depends on the context, what you're trying to say, who you're talking to, etc.... when you look it up on jiisho you get a list like this

Found 30 words.
ツデー today
トゥデー today
本日 ほんじつ today
今日まで きょうまで until today
今日まで こんにちまで until today
こんち today; this day
よりによって今日 よりによってきょう today of all days
今日 きょう today; this day
今日 こんじつ today; this day
今明日 こんみょうにち today and (or) tomorrow
今日中に きょうじゅうに by today; before the day is over
休診 きゅうしん no medical examinations (today)
先週の今日 せんしゅうのきょう this day last week; a week ago today
今 こん 1: the current ...; this; 2: today's ...
昨日の友は今日の敵 きのうのともはきょうのてき A friend today may turn against you tomorrow
来週の今日 らいしゅうのきょう this day next week; today week; a week from today
今日 こんにち 1: today; this day; 2: these days; recently; nowadays
今日明日 きょうあす today and tomorrow; today or tomorrow; in a day or two
今時 いまどき present day; today; recently; these days; nowadays; at this hour
今どき いまどき present day; today; recently; these days; nowadays; at this hour
お疲れ様 おつかれさま 1: thank you; many thanks; much appreciated; 2: that's enough for today
御疲れ様 おつかれさま 1: thank you; many thanks; much appreciated; 2: that's enough for today
お疲れさま おつかれさま 1: thank you; many thanks; much appreciated; 2: that's enough for today
を限りに をかぎりに as of the end of (today, this month, etc.); to make (today, etc.) the last (day)
神代文字 じんだいもじ ancient Japanese characters (regarded today as created at a much more recent date)
今日昨日 きょうきのう 1: today and yesterday; 2: (something that happened) only yesterday (just recently)
昨日今日 きのうきょう 1: yesterday and today; 2: (something that happened) only yesterday (just recently)
昨日の今日 きのうのきょう right on the heels of yesterday, then today ...; soon after something, and yet now
キョドる 1: (Slang) to act suspiciously; to behave in a strange way; (Expression) 2: How are you today?
富貴浮雲 ふうきふうん Riches and honors are as fleeting as floating clouds; Fortune and fame are here today, gone tomorrow





it's enough to melt your brain. some of them are obvious (expressions etc) but some of them not so much.

kurinezumi wrote: it is useful to understand what 本日 means because there are a lot of practical situations where people might say it to you. :)

I have another practical situation to add: The announcer on a TV show will often say 本日.

yep, that was actually an easy one, there are definitely way more confusing ones (like study). You just have to get through them one at a time. That is where feedback comes in handy. Also paper dictionaries tend to be better organized, and if you can get your hands on one, electronic dictionaries are the perfect marriage of internet ease with paper dic organization... a bigger investment though.