preface; introduction; preamble
to begin to say; to start talking; to broach (a matter); to be the first to say; to suggest (doing); to propose
tone-deafness; amusia; tone-deaf; off-key; having no sense (of something); being hopeless (when it comes to something)
study; diligence; discount; reduction
entirely useless; completely worthless; no no; don't!
to make matters worse; besides; what's more; in addition; on top of that
precisely; exactly; plumb; damn; stupid; cursed
nearsightedness; shortsightedness; myopia
remainder; remnant; not very; not much; too much; excessively
trembling from fear; trembling all over
ancestral; hereditary; generation after generation; passing from father to son
to fall down; to drop; to be omitted; to be missing; to decrease; to sink; to fail (e.g. exam or class)
to hit; to strike; to strike (noon, etc.); to sound (cymbals, etc.); to beat (rhythmically, e.g. pulse, waves, etc.); to move; to impress
have no relation to; have no luck with; not be fated to
daydream; fantasy; fancy; vision
poor; pitiable; pathetic; pitiful
to scratch; to perspire; to shovel; to paddle
to pluck; to pick; to tear
to include (in a group or scope); to instruct; to make one understand; to include (a nuance); to put in (an implication); to put in (someone's) mouth
honorific/polite/humble prefix; honorific suffix
konnyaku (Amorphophallus konjac); konjac; devil's tongue; konnyaku jelly; konjac jelly; devil's tongue jelly
making; producing; appearance (attire, make-up, etc.); build; physique; sashimi
(period of) a year; during an era
you; presence (of a god, nobleman, etc.)
father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy
serious; severe; grave; acute
mumblingly; mutteringly; unintelligibly
to cling to; to hold on to; to grapple; to set about doing; to begin; to take hold of
skip it; drop it; I've had enough (e.g. when offered something); that's enough
degree; extent; (health) condition; state of health; adjustment; moderation; addition and subtraction
container; case; receptacle; coffin; casket
to pour into; to wash down; to insert (e.g. into a data stream)
blowing (e.g. of the wind); playing (a wind instrument); player (e.g. clarinet); (pair of) bellows; casting; founding
toothpick; skewer for eating moist wagashi (steel, bamboo, etc.)
powerful; strong; forceful; reassuring; encouraging
sputtering; smoldering; repeated thrusting into something (sword, needle, etc.); pricking repeatedly; mutterings of discontent; faint sounds of complaint