I've heard that ...; rumour has it that ...; it appears as if ...
direction; district; area; field (e.g. of study); sphere; quarter
arm; skill; efforts; ability
to attempt; to test; to try out
result; consequence; coming to fruition; bearing fruit; as a result; consequently
kind; gentle; considerate; generous; friendly; nice
clerk; office worker; office staff
obstruction; check; hindrance; prevention; impediment; interdiction
a lot; many; (not) much; (not) many; almost (none)
it cannot be helped; there's nothing for it; it's no use fighting back; it's hopeless; there is no way out of it
to be hard pressed; to be at a loss; to become poor; to be reduced to poverty
supposing; even if; granting that; temporarily; provisionally; for the time being
door; gate; opening; title page
to go under; to pass under; to dive (into or under the water); to evade; to get around; to survive
blushing; getting red in the face; embarrassment
is not; am not; are not; isn't it?
end; close; conclusion; end of a game of go, shogi, etc.
to come along; to come around; to turn up; to arrive at the present; to get where one is; to have been doing something (for a period of time)
literally; to the letter; literal
to wear (in modern Japanese, from the shoulders down); to put on; to bear (guilt, etc.)
with the exception of; excepting; excluding
ordinary; common; free of charge; unaffected; as is; only
young; youthful; immature; green; low (number); small
beautiful face; good looks; beauty
courage; bravery; valour; valor; nerve; boldness
to lose; to miss (a change, opportunity); to lose (a loved one); to be bereaved of; to concede (goals, points, etc.)
determination; resolution
other (place, thing, person); the rest; outside; beyond; nothing except; nothing but
to be hit; to strike; to touch; to be in contact; to be equivalent to; to be applicable; to be right on the money (of a prediction, criticism, etc.)
to see; to look; to examine; to look over; to look after; to attend to; to experience
nonexistent; not being (there); unowned; not had; unique; not; impossible
to be aware of; to know; to notice; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to remember
indicates word or phrase being defined; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); with; (not) as much as; (not) so much as; the fact that
maid; female servant; hostess (in a ryokan); waitress (in a traditional restaurant); (arch.) court lady
live-in domestic service; live-in apprenticeship; public duty; public service
loser; failure; underdog; unmarried and childless older woman
inside; within; while (e.g. one is young); during; among; amongst; in (secret, chaos, poverty, etc.)
bed; bedding; sickbed; alcove; riverbed; seedbed; straw "core" of a tatami mat
polish; improvement; burnishing
employment agency; placement agency; labour exchange; labor exchange