indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
previously; before; first; before (something or someone else); beforehand; in advance
to die; to pass away; to lose spirit; to lose vigor; to cease; to stop
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
ghost; specter; spectre; apparition; phantom
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
crown prince; Prince Shōtoku
Mr.; Mrs.; makes a word more polite (usu. in fixed expressions); state; situation
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
like; similar to; (I) think (that); (I) have a feeling (that); feels like; feels similar to
(for something) to have occurred; to have done (something); (for something) to happen on occasion
immediately; at once; soon; before long; easily; readily
to follow; to pursue; to die right after a loved one; to kill oneself after the death of a loved one; to follow an example set by earlier generations (or one's master, etc.)
blade; sword; forged blade; wavy pattern on forged blades; sharpness; unhulled rice
to throw oneself (e.g. off a cliff, etc.)
now; soon; already; yet; further; more
what kind of; what sort of; what; no matter what (kind of); whatever; any
law; rule; regulation; destiny; fate; karma
too; also; both A and B; A as well as B; even; as much as
to pull apart; to separate; to have a lead over; to pull ahead of; to outdistance
to do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
Leigh (Britain); Ri; Li; Lie
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
song; singing; classical Japanese poem (esp. tanka); modern poetry
red; crimson; Red; communist; (arch.) beautiful
highway (esp. one existing from the Edo period); main road; highway (e.g. to success); path (to becoming ...); subdistrict (in China)
thief; robber; burglar; bandit
character (in a play or novel); dramatis personae
super-; ultra-; extremely; really; over; more than
soldier; combatant; warrior
popular name; common name; nickname; alias
black; black go stone; guilt; guilty person
beloved concubine; favourite concubine (e.g. of the shogun)
daughter; girl (i.e. a young, unmarried woman)
tribe; clan; (taxonomical) tribe; group (of the periodic table)
old age; age; old people; (arch.) I; (arch.) me; (arch.) my humble self
patriarch; head of a family
twelve; 12; queen (playing card)