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
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Japanese person; Japanese people
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.
to protect; to guard; to defend; to keep (i.e. a promise); to abide (by the rules); to observe
thing; matter; incident; occurrence; circumstances; situation; work
opposite side; bottom; rear; back; lining; inside; in the shadows
face; visage; look; expression; honor; honour
to hold (in one's hand); to take; to possess; to have; to maintain; to keep; to last
accomplishment; execution
man; male; fellow; guy; male lover; boyfriend
eye; eyeball; eyesight; sight; look; stare; notice
victim; injured party; sufferer
to take out; to get out; to put out; to reveal; to submit (e.g. thesis); to turn in; to publish
police; police officer; police station
open criminal investigation
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to change; to exchange; to convert; to renew; to throw a switch; to replace
to chase; to run after; to follow (a set order, a trend, etc.); to drive out; to get rid of; to drive (e.g. a herd)
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
in front (of); before (e.g. a building); before; earlier; (the) front; frontal part; forward
event; affair; incident; case; plot; trouble
truth; reality; truly; really; absolute truth
to be aware of; to know; to notice; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to remember
jacket; book jacket; dust cover; CD jacket; record jacket
at that time; in those days
use; application; employment; utilization; utilisation
to step into (e.g. someone else's territory); to break into; to raid; to come to grips with; to get to the core of
actual place; actual location; the spot; place where one is currently living
now; the present time; just now; another; more
to get up; to rise; to wake up; to be awake; to occur (usu. of unfavourable incidents); to happen
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
connection; link; relationship
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
to be; to exist; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen
you said; he said; if ... then; do you seriously think that; I already told you; you should know by now that; the said ...
one (esp. of two); the other; on the one hand; on the other hand; whereas; although
doing something separately (from the group); going off on one's own
to take; to pick up; to pass; to hand; to get; to obtain; to adopt (a method, proposal, etc.)
(one's) superior; (one's) boss; the higher-ups