guidance; leadership; leading the way
sign of life; human presence; humanity; humaneness
to polish; to shine; to brush (e.g. teeth); to refine (e.g. a skill); to improve; to cultivate
floor; stage (for the narrator and the shamisen player); dining platform built across a river
groan; moan; roar; howl; hum (e.g. motor); buzz (e.g. bee, wire in wind)
inside the breast of one's clothing (esp. kimono); bosom; space between one's chest and outstretched arms; (one's) reach; heart (e.g. of a mountain); bosom (e.g. of nature)
loose; slack; gentle (slope, curve); slow (speed); lenient; liberal
curve; turn; curveball; curve ball; (wine) cellar
before I knew it; next thing you know; when I came to
to hang; to suspend; to lower; to reduce; to demote; to move back
to intercommunicate; to exchange (messages, vows, etc.)
honorific/polite/humble prefix; honorific suffix
to build up; to establish; to form; to become (a state); to accomplish; to achieve; to change into
fluttering; flapping; (arch.) flickering (light, flame, etc.); frill; piece of thin material
goes without saying; needless to say; obvious
taking a seat; sitting down (in one's seat)
to go by; to go past; to run (between; of a rail service, bus route, etc.); to operate (between); to go indoors; to go into a room; to penetrate
standing figure; standing posture; dancing pose
hands behind one's back; hands tied behind one's back; behind (e.g. someone); rear; appearance from behind
nonchalant; unconcerned; in a casual manner
severe; strict; hard (to do); difficult; intense (e.g. cold); harsh (weather)
for two people's eyes to meet; catching someone's eye; making eye contact; meeting a person's gaze
as one would expect; naturally; indeed; still; all the same; after all
to respond; to answer; to meet (e.g. demands, expectations); to affect; to take a toll; to strike home
passing through (a tunnel, station, town, etc.); passing by (e.g. of a typhoon); passage (of a bill, e.g. through parliament); carriage; passing (an examination, inspection, etc.); clearing
lack of virtue; immorality; vice; depravity; unworthiness
essential; important; crucial; vital; main
to take command; to give direction
indeed; really; absolutely; truly; actually; very
regrettable; unsatisfactory; deplorable; lamentable
unfortunately; sorry, but ...
circumstances; conditions; situation; reasons; state of affairs
to fall behind; to lag behind; to lose (race, contest)
temptation; allurement; lure; enticement; seduction
selection; choice; option
place; room; margin; scope
fortuitous; luck; windfall; godsend; good fortune
to deceive; to delude; to trick; to be as ... as ... (e.g. "as bright as day", "as beautiful as a rose")
abduction; kidnapping; kidnaping
not less than; ... and over; beyond (e.g. one's expectations); above; above-mentioned; aforementioned
support; backing; aid; assistance