highest; uppermost; topmost; oldest; eldest
sky; heaven; God; svarga (heaven-like realm visited as a stage of death and rebirth); deva (divine being of Buddhism); top (of a book); sole (of a Japanese sandal)
Tales of Ise (Heian period collection of poems)
fact; truth; reality; in fact; actually
casual; unconcerned; nonchalant; ordinary; normal; regular
zabuton; flat floor cushion used when sitting or kneeling; usu. rectangular
to sit (down); to have a seat; to be seated; to assume (a position); to take on (a duty); to occupy (a post)
exotic non-Japanese wood (rosewood, ebony, blackwood, etc.); imported wood
to hold between (e.g. one's fingers, chopsticks); to grip (from both sides); to put between; to sandwich between; to catch (e.g. a finger in a door); to trap; to insert (e.g. a break into proceedings)
absorbed in; immersed in; forgetting oneself; daze; within a dream; while dreaming
what kind of; what sort of; what; no matter what (kind of); whatever; any
to take in one's hand; to pick up; to obtain
crow (Corvus spp.); raven
typeface; style of handwriting; calligraphic style
hard; solid; stiff; tight; strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved); safe
to be surprised; to be amazed; to be frightened; surprise (e.g. surprise party)
to pile up; to heap up; to stack up; to repeat many times over; to go through repeatedly; to accumulate
son of a distinguished family; son of a noble
correction; looking over; touching up
acquaintance; relations; sexual intercourse; intersection
idiot; moron; stupid; foolish; trivial; insignificant; malfunctioning
cooked rice; meal; food; one's living; livelihood
when; at what time; how soon; normal times; ordinary days
to make do with; to manage with; to make shift; to get (something) done in time; to have ready (by)
stomach; Chinese "stomach" constellation (one of the 28 mansions)
right side; right-hand side
last night; yesterday evening
remains; traces; (the sorrow of) parting; end
whereabouts; what part; how much; what point
judgement; judgment; expert opinion; appraisal
as was expected; just as one thought; sure enough; really; actually; ever
narrow; confined; small; limited; narrow-minded; confining
stepping stones; stone skipping; ducks and drakes
to bury (e.g. in the ground); to fill up (e.g. audience fills a hall); to cause to be packed; to plug (a gap); to stop (a gap); to make up for (a loss, shortage, etc.); to make amends
really (seem, appear, etc.); truly; evidently; in that way
looking good; sounding good; (of) good appearance
cliff; precipice; precipice; brink of a dangerous situation
to hold out; to extend (e.g. a hand); to present; to submit; to sacrifice; to give (up)
thicket; bush; coppice; brushwood