indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
what; how many; many; a lot of; several; a few
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
box; case; car (of a train, etc.); shamisen case; shamisen; public building; community building
major; large; the Major Leagues; Major League Baseball; major (key, scale, etc.); (oil) major
tourist attraction; sight-seeing area
railway station; train station; staging post on a highway (in pre-modern Japan); counter for railway stations and bus stations
back (esp. of a building, etc.); rear; behind
stairs; stairway; staircase
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
step; stair; grade; rank; counter for breaks in written language (or speech, etc.); dan
to ascend; to go up; to ascend (as a natural process, e.g. the Sun); to rise; to go to (the capital); to be promoted; to add up to
place; spot; address; district; area; one's house; point
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to be; to exist; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen
yes; indeed; ha!; what?; huh?; sigh
here; this place; this point; here; these past ... (e.g. three years); these last ...
to be aware of; to know; to notice; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to remember
he; she; that person; (arch.) you
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
to be (of animate objects); to exist; to stay; to be ...-ing; to have been ...-ing
secret; secrecy; mystery; secret (e.g. to success); esoteric teachings
key; lock; key (to a problem); clue
young lady of noble birth; princess (esp. in Western contexts, tales, etc.); girl; small; cute; (arch.) prostitute
to be careful; to pay attention; to take care
don't; do; hey; listen; now, ...; well, ...
father; dad; husband; you; he
it is ... that ...; precisely; although; while; it is precisely because ... that ...; only because ...
telephone booth; telephone box
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
hey; you; hey; hey; hold on; yo
clerk; office worker; kulak
to draw; to paint; to depict; to describe; to picture in one's mind; to imagine
cute; adorable; dear; precious; innocent; childlike
girl; daughter; baby girl; young woman
oh!; good heavens!; ugh!; oh no!; ah!; the penny drops!