indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
permission; approval; authorization; license
nonexistent; not being (there); unowned; not had; unique; not; impossible
Europe and the United States; Europe and America; the West
major powers of the world; great powers
if; when; and; as well as; with; together with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.)
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 tie; to bind; to bear (fruit); to close (e.g. deal); to confirm; to connect (two distant places); to close tightly
founding a country; opening of a country (e.g. Japan) to the world; ending (a policy of) national seclusion
at; in; to; toward; to; for; because of
to take off; to jump; to take the plunge; to decide; to step out of the ring
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
people; men and women; each person; everybody
in succession; one by one
right arm; right-hand man; right hand; right-handed pitcher
to plan; to plot; to attempt (e.g. suicide, murder); to undertake (e.g. business); (arch.) to stand on tip-toes
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
extreme (measure, idea, etc.); radical; violent (language); strenuous (exercise, work, etc.); excessive; (physically) demanding
speech and conduct; words and actions; words and deeds; behavior; behaviour; manners
Chōshū; (former) Nagato Province
han (estate of a daimyo in the Edo and early Meiji periods); feudal domain; fief; province
by means of; due to; because of; according to
again; once more; a second time
hills and fields; hill and dale
imprisonment; incarceration
Ansei era (1854.11.27-1860.3.18)
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
January; first month of the lunar calendar
Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica)
to be (of animate objects); to exist; to stay; to be ...-ing; to have ...-ed; to be ...-ed
New Year (esp. first three days); first month of the year; January
indicates the subject of a sentence; indicates possession; but; however; and; used after an introductory remark or explanation; regardless of ...
to come (spatially or temporally); to approach; to come back; to do ... and come back; to come to be; to become
sound; noise; (musical) note; fame
to leave; to exit; to leave (on a journey); to depart; to move forward; to come to; to get to
from; since; through (e.g. a window, door); via; because; as; from (as in "made from")
three years; third school year (e.g. of high school)
once; before; formerly; never yet; never before; first time