today; this day; these days; recently; nowadays
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
story; tale; talk; discussion
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
poverty-stricken; destitute; poor; penurious
woodcutter; lumberjack; logger
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
two persons; two people; pair; couple
together (with); at the same time; in a lump
to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
boy; son; baby boy; young man
girl; daughter; baby girl; young woman
to stray from the right path; to go wrong; to go off the rails; to turn delinquent
to ask; to inquire; to blame (someone) for; to accuse of; to care about; to regard as important
very hard; with utmost effort; as hard as one can; with all one's might; for dear life; eagerly
to work; to labor; to function; to operate; to commit (e.g. a crime); to perpetrate
finally; at last; ultimately; in the end
house; residence; family; household; lineage; family name
to; for; in order to; for; as for; regarding
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
to finish; to stop; to close (a business, etc.); to close down; to put away; to put back
to be at a complete loss; to be without recourse; to be completely stymied; to have absolutely no idea what to do
how; in what way; how about
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.)
good; excellent; sufficient; enough; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial
indicates a question; or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); hmm; huh; very
to think (about, of); to think over; to consider; to bear in mind; to think (that); to believe; to intend (to do)
to sigh; to breathe a sigh
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.
number one; first; best; most; game; round
inner part; inside; interior; depths (e.g. of a forest); back (of a house, drawer, etc.); bottom (e.g. of one's heart)
to take (someone) out (for a walk, to lunch, etc.); to entice out; to lure away
leaving somebody behind; abandoning someone; marooning someone
have no choice; there is nothing but; no more than