I came across the Hir@gana Times magazines while browsing in Kinokuniya the other day. It advertises itself as being a magazine for ‘read Japanese study’. Curious, I decided to buy a copy. It wasn’t cheap for sure, SGD 11.50 for a thin magazine. It was even more expensive than the other magazines with Arashi in it, considering the thickness. Intrigued… Read more »
Hi all! This week I’ll be introducing a book! The Japanese English Bilingual Visual Dictionary (DK Visual Dictionaries) is a wonderful resource for beginners to intermediate/advanced learners alike. With a wide range of vocabulary, this visual dictionary will help greatly in your quest to expand your Japanese vocabulary. Think of the themed list we have here. Only multiply that by 300. And put… Read more »
河豚 (ふぐ, fugu) – puffer fish; blow fish; fugu; globefish; swellfish 眼梶木 (めかじき, mekajiki) – swordfish (Xiphias gladius); broadbill 梶木 (かじき, kajiki) – marlin; swordfish; spearfish; sailfish 帆立 (ほたて, hotate) – Japanese scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis); Yesso scallop 螺貝 (つぶがいt, subugai) – whelk (esp. Neptunea and Buccinum spp.) 雲丹 (うに, uni) – sea urchin; sea urchin eggs 蛍烏賊 (ほたるいか, hotaru ika) – firefly squid (Watasenia scintillans); sparkling enope… Read more »
浅蜊 (あさり, asari) – Manila clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) 赤貝 (あかがい, akagai) – blood clam (Scapharca broughtonii); ark shell 蛸 (たこ, tako) – octopus 海獺 (らっこ, rakko) – sea otter (Enhydra lutris) 鰻 (うなぎ, unagi) – eel (esp. the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica) 平目 (ひらめ, hirame) 1. flounder (esp. the large-tooth flounders of family Paralichthyidae, but also lefteye flounders of family Bothidae) 2. bastard halibut;… Read more »
海月 (くらげ, kurage) – jellyfish 蟹 (かに, kani) – crab 海鼠 (なまこ, namako) – sea cucumber (Holothuroidea spp.) 海馬 (かいば, kaiba) 1. seahorse; sea horse 2. walrus 竜の落し子 (たつのおとしご, tatsu no oto shigo) – seahorse; sea horse This is an interesting name for sea horse. It literally means ‘fallen child of the dragon’. 海豹 (あざらし, azarashi) – true seal (animal); earless seal 海驢… Read more »
貝類 (かいるい, kairoi) – shellfish 貝 (かい, kai) – shell; shellfish 魚介類 (ぎょかいるい, gyokairoi) – marine products; seafood; fish and shellfish 類 (るい, roi) means type, sort, kind… So 貝類 refers to all the various types of shellfish, and 魚介類 refers to all the various types of fish. 鮪 (まぐろ, maguro) – Tuna (Thunnus spp.) 魬 (はまち, hamachi) – young Japanese amberjack; young yellowtail 鯖… Read more »
海 (うみ, umi) – sea; ocean; waters 海面 (かいめん, kaimen) – sea level; (surface of) sea 海洋底 (かいようてい, kaiyoutei) – ocean floor; sea floor; seabed 藻場 (もば, moba) – seaweed bed; seaweed forest 魚 (さかな, sakana) – fish 鮫 (さめ, same) – shark 海がめ (うみがめ) – sea turtle 珊瑚 (さんご, sango) – coral 海老 (えび, ebi) – prawn; shrimp; lobster; crayfish 海星 (ひとで, hitode) – starfish; sea star;… Read more »
Hi everyone, it’s kanji spotlight time! The kanji that I’ll be focusing on today is 忍. Anime and manga fans would probably have seen this word before… Yup, that’s right, this kanji is pronounced as ‘にん, nin’, as in ‘忍者, ninja’. Let’s look at the definition of 忍 first. This word is actually an old word, one that is hardly used on… Read more »
Here we go, part 2 of the little things cluttering my desk. 紙 (かみ, kami) – paper ノート (nooto) – notebook; copy-book; exercise book ペンナイフ (pennaifu) – penknife 原稿用紙 (げんこうようし, Genkou youshi) – Japanese writing paper (lined with a square grid, one square per character) ノートパソコン (nootopasokon) – laptop; notebook マウス (mausu) – mouse マウスパッド (mausupaddo) – mouse pad キーボード (kiiboodo) – keyboard 鍵盤 (けんばん,… Read more »
Hi! A new series of vocabs coming up! It’ll be a list of things you might see around your desk. At least… It’s the stuff I have around on my very messy desk. Here goes, the first series of 10 words. 机 (つくえ, tsukue) – desk 椅子 (いす, isu) – chair, stool ペン (pen) – pen シャープペンシル (shaapopenshiru) – mechanical… Read more »