Written by admin on Jan 29th, 2011 | Filed under: Words
中央駅 -- ちゅうおうえき -- Hauptbahnhof.
I came across this word from the German counterpart Hauptbahhof. And funny enough, Japanese wiki refers to Haupbahnhof as
中央駅(ちゅうおうえき)とはドイツ語のHauptbahnhofの訳語で [...] for instance,
ベルリン中央駅 - Berlin Hauptbahnhof,
ハンブルグ中央駅 - Hamburg Hauptbahnhof,
ミュンヘン中央駅 - München Hauptbahhof.
But from my understanding, it can also mean Central Station in the English speaking places, a noteworthy British station - グラスゴー中央駅 - Glasgow Central.
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Written by admin on Jan 21st, 2011 | Filed under: Words, book
The quote from Karel Chapek's (カレル・チャペック) R.U.R. (1921) Japanese title 「ロボット」 - a science fiction play that introduced the word 'robot':
もし犬がしゃべれたら人間同士と同じくらい付き合いにくくなるだろう。
If dogs could talk perhaps we'd find it just as hard to get along with them as we do with people.
What I find to a very useful word here is:
付き合い --つきあい -- association; socializing; socialising; fellowship
which makes then
付き合いにくくなる -- becomes difficult to get along with
And one more word to remember
人間同士 --にんげんどうし-- mankind
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Written by admin on Jan 20th, 2011 | Filed under: Words
通る --とおる-- to pass (by); to go through; to walk along; to pass exams; to attend (e.g. school);
Several general examples:
1回で試験に通る --pass the test the first time
_個の段階を通る -- pass through __ stages
_歳で立派に通る --can easily pass for __
And more tricky:
そっと通る -- sneak through
のどを通る -- go down〈話〉(食べ物などが), slide down one's throat, to swallow
And very closely related word, using the same kanji:
通り --とおり-- avenue; street; way;
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Written by admin on Jan 18th, 2011 | Filed under: Words
Saw the sentence in the random google search for something else and it caught my attention.
昨日の夜から 食べもの飲み物が のどを通るときに痛みがはしり とても食べにくくなりました。
Yesterday evening swallowing food and drink became painful and eating became difficult.
The translation is not that fancy, but the Japanese structures are rather very handy and good to know:
のどを通る - go down〈話〉(食べ物などが), slide down one's throat
Basically, 食べもの飲み物が のどを通る - swallow food and drinks
通る --とおる-- to go through
痛みが走る - feel the pain
Where as , 痛み --いたみ-- pain
走る -- はしる -- to run; and lots of other 'movement' meanings.
And finally, the real gem: 食べにくくなる - make eating difficult, eating becomes difficult.
Verbにくくなる expressing the increase of difficulty in doing something. Additional examples will be
見えにくくなる -become difficult to see
動きにくくなる - become difficult to move
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Written by admin on Jan 17th, 2011 | Filed under: Words
遊ぶ is usually marked in the dictionaries as "play". "enjoy oneself". But in the connection with 来る such as 遊びに来る it means "visit", "drop by".
遊びに来たらどう? -- Why don't you just stop by?
いつか遊びに来てください。 -- please, come and visit any time.
たまには遊びに来てよ。 -- Stop by every now and then.
来週私たちのビーチハウスに遊びに来ない? -- Why don't you come visit our beach house next weekend?
私のサイトに遊びに来てね! -- Please visit my website!
(人)のところへ遊びに来る -- come to see
(人)の新居に遊びに来る -- come see someone's new place
遊びに来てもいいですか。 -- just drop by, ok?
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