to be needed; to be wanted
anyhow; at any rate; anyway; somehow or other; generally speaking; in any case
to become less crowded; to thin out; to get empty; to be hungry
after a while; a little while later; shortly afterward
to be placed on; to be set on; to be piled on; to appear (in print); to be mentioned; to be recorded
should (be); bound (to be); nock (of a bow); nock (of an arrow); nock-shaped grip (between thumb and forefinger); wooden frame on the tip of the mast of a Japanese ship that prevents the hawser from falling out
because; the reason is; if you want to know why
old enemy; longtime enemy; arch-enemy; traditional rival; longstanding foe
mistake; error; accident; mishap; improper conduct (e.g. between man and woman); indiscretion
material (for a story, article, etc.); information; joke; jest; proof; evidence; (magician's) trick
to often be the case; to occur frequently; to be common; to be popular
to mutter; to murmur; to grumble; to tweet (Twitter)
meaning; significance; sense
boy; son; baby boy; young man
indicates supposition; if ... then; when; (typically after someone's name) indicates exasperation
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
flapping; rattling (sound); noisily; commotion; kerfuffle
box; case; car (of a train, etc.); shamisen case; shamisen; public building; community building
to thrust before; to thrust at
than; from; out of; except; but; more
many; numerous; large amount of; large quantity of; frequent; common
few; a little; scarce; insufficient; seldom
middle way; (golden) mean; moderation; the Doctrine of the Mean (one of the Four Books)
number of long thin objects (movies, TV programs, baseball games, etc.) (programmes)
right; correct; proper; righteous; just
to pull out; to draw out; to disconnect; to steal contents of; to pilfer (from); to pickpocket
to be called ...; to be referred to as ...
character (in a play or novel); dramatis personae
gender; distinction of sex; sex
(sudden) change; reversal; turn-around; coming from behind (baseball)
may; might; perhaps; may be; possibly
imagination; supposition; guess
stealthily; secretly; in secret
unexpressed; unspoken; implied; implicit
to load (a gun, etc.); to charge; to put into (e.g. emotion, effort); to include (e.g. tax in a sales price); to hang over; to shroud
to lie on one's back with legs outstretched; to recline; to get cocky; to be arrogant
(not) at all; (not) in the slightest; wholly; entirely; extremely; very
light novel; young-adult illustrated fiction
cartoon; comic; comic strip; manga
the other day; lately; recently; during this period
to change places; to relieve one another; to replace someone
what is called; as it is called; the so-called; so to speak