This is the place where Fusanosuke writes about her love for Japanese language and anything that relates to it.
羊 --ひつじ-- (n) sheep;
The word "sheep" is not that useful in the daily vocabulary, I could only remember it, because of the 2 titles.
--あおいひつじのゆめ--
夢 --ゆめ-- (n) dream
Official English translation - Blue Sheep Reverie.
--ひつじをめぐるぼうけん--
めぐる-- (1) to go around; (2) to return; (3) to surround;
冒険 --ぼうけん-- (n,vs) risk; venture; adventure
The official English translation A Wild Sheep Chase.
大事 --だいじ-- (adj-na,n) important; valuable; serious matter;
用 --よう-- (1) task; business; (2) use; duty; service;
"Something important"
I just came around this 用 again it in a little DN doujinshi and thought it was a nice way to illustrate the word.
"Death on the round table" Death Note doujinshi by Emu -- えむ - (circle - Zangyou Teate 残業手当).
「大事な用」
だと言うから
来てみたら
Here is anime I really want to see again. My husband told me that once in his childhood (in early 1980s) he had seen in the cinema and it was so different and such a Weltschmetz. I just have to find it and watch it.
-- たつのこたろう -- directed by 大野 和士 --おおの かずし-- Oono Kazushi released in 1979.
English release title - "Taro the Dragon Boy".
龍 -- たつ-- dragon (esp. a Chinese dragon);
How the dragon 龍 is different to the dragon 竜?
旨い --うまい-- delicious; appetizing;
美味しい --おいしい-- (uk) delicious; tasty;
Both are i-adjectives, both express that it tastes good. They seem to be interchangeable, if only oishii more of men's vocabulary, or so I gathered from the lesson.
大野和士 --おおの かずし-- Oono Kazushi is is a Japanese orchestra conductor.
He used to be a Musical Director of La Monnaie, Bruxelles and that's where I've seen his performances. This man made me finally realize how indeed awesome Mozart it. Mozart is such a must-do for anyone studying music, that after a while one can easily miss the fascinating genius of his music. Until you hear it performed by someone very talented. Oono Kazushi is rumored to be an avid fan of Mozart and it really shows. I've seen several of his Mozart performances and it blew my mind away.
指揮者 --しきしゃ-- (musical) conductor;
指揮者はオーケストラの指揮をする。 A conductor directs an orchestra.
指揮 --しき-- command; direction;
(1) by 高尾滋 (Takao Shigeru).
This is my favourite manga about Taishou period. I'm reading it currently, trying to translate every phrase instead of skipping through and it definitely proves very useful as suddenly I see all the grammar points I've just learned.
でもこれはオレにバイオリンを教えてくれたじーさんが買ってくれた
教えてくれた --おしえてくれた--
買ってくれた -- かってくれた--
The problem with translation is that I always want to make it passive voice, though it's not passive in Japanese, but overall meaning is "But my grandpa had brought me this violin and taught me how to play it".
vol.1 ch.1 p.7
お邪魔します--おじゃまします-- (exp) (1) excuse me for disturbing (interrupting) you; (2) greeting used on going to someone's home
This is a polite and formal expression when entering someone's home. As for the "entering" there are 2 verbs to describe the procedure:
上がる --あがる--to go in, to come in
入る -- はいる -- to enter
The difference is in the threshold. If there is a threshold, then one needs to raise his/her foot to enter the location, hence, 上がる. If there is no threshold, then simple 入る will do.
部屋に入る - enter a room. The floor between a room and a corridor is usually even, one does not need to raise his/her foot.
家に上がる - enter a house. Here most likely there is a threshold or some sort of stairs.
And in each and every textbook there is :
風呂に入る - to take a bath.
The Oooku (or often alternative romaji - Ōoku) is the location of the Edo Castle (江戸城,) reserved as living quarters for the women of the Shogun (将軍).
大奥 --おおおく-- (n) shogun's harem; palace's ladies chambers
大奥様 --おおおくさま-- (n) lady of the house
奥 --おく-- (n) interior; inner part; inside
Oooku was functioning as female quarters since 1607, established by Tokugawa Hidetada (徳川秀忠), and lasted for about 200 years.
What I find much more interesting is Alternative Universe (AU) manga featuring Japan under matriarchy with the males as the residents of the Oooku and a female shogun. A very smart setting and very interesting switch of gender roles. manga by よしながふみ (Yoshinaga Fumi).
My favourite ever double-page spread from this manga:
上様の!
お成り!
上様 --うえさま; うえざま; かみさま-- (n) (1) emperor; shogun; (2) honored person (honoured);
Just so amazingly fabulous! And in 2009 this manga got Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
