headquarters (on the battlefield); direct retainer of a shogun (Edo period); shogunal vassal; hatamoto
counter for jewels in a watch; counter for transistors, diodes, etc. in an electronic product
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
imperial court; shogunate government; authorities; public affairs; official; government
secret; clandestine; covert; spy (for a daimyo, shogun, etc.); secret agent
daughter; girl (i.e. a young, unmarried woman)
thought; imagination; mind; desire; wish; love
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 cut (cloth, paper, etc.); to cut off; to sever (ties); to break off (relations); to cut off (a supply route, enemy's retreat, etc.); to block
sword (esp. a large, double-edged one); blade; bayonet; swordsmanship; stinger; ovipositor
training; practice; discipline; ascetic practices
to begin a trip; to depart; to embark; to die; to pass away; to depart this life
several years; a few years
behind; rear; after; later; remainder; the rest; more (e.g. five more minutes)
exactly; just; right (when); just (as); just (about to); on the point of
transmission of the secrets of an art, craft, trade or learning from father to only one child
teacher; master; religious leader; specialist; five-battalion brigade comprising 2500 men (Zhou dynasty Chinese army)
early evening cloud; clouds at sunset
to kill (a human) using a blade (sword, machete, knife, etc.); to slice (off); to lop (off); to cut (off)
possessing full mastery of an art (e.g. Judo); initiation into the secrets (e.g. of an art); full mastership
arm; ability; skill; (physical) strength
person; someone; human beings; mankind; human (Homo sapiens); (other) people; others
tool; implement; means; furniture
brute; beast; monster; inhuman person; ungrateful person
road; path; route; way; distance; journey; road (e.g. to victory)
at; in; to; toward; to; for; because of
to decline (of morals, character, etc.); to become vulgar (e.g. of a conversation); to stoop (to); to be ruined; to go under; to fall (into hell)
if; when; and; as well as; with; together with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.)
comprehension; understanding; enlightenment; spiritual awakening; satori
disappointment; despair; despondency; broken heart; adversity
inside; within; while (e.g. one is young); during; among; amongst; in (secret, chaos, poverty, etc.)
begging Zen priest of the Fuke sect (wearing a sedge hood and playing a shakuhachi flute)
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
Edo (shogunate capital; former name of Tokyo); Yedo
to turn back (e.g. half-way); to return; to go back; to recover (e.g. something lost); to be returned; to rebound
attacking a passerby with a sword (to test its sharpness or one's skill); samurai who tries out his sword on a passerby
honorific/polite/humble prefix
furthermore; again; after all; more and more; moreover; even more
woman; female; female lover; girlfriend; mistress
reward; compensation; collateral; security; turning to look behind