chapter one; first chapter
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
low-lying part of a city (usu. containing shops, factories, etc.); Shitamachi (low-lying area of eastern Tokyo near Tokyo Bay, incl. Asakusa, Shitaya, Kanda, Fukugawa, Honjo, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi and surrounds)
at; in; at; when; by; with; so
cheap-looking; tawdry; insignificant
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 wear (from the shoulders down); to put on; to take (the blame, responsibility); to bear
to become thin; to lose weight; to slim; to become impoverished (of soil); to become sterile; to become infertile
indicates the subject of a sentence; indicates possession; but; however; and; used after an introductory remark or explanation; regardless of ...
from; since; through (e.g. a window, door); via; because; as; from (as in "made from")
to raise one's face; to lift one's head; to raise one's eyes
still; as yet; (not) yet; more; (more) still; at least
dark; gloomy; depressed; dispirited; dark (in colour); dull; ill-boding
outside; exterior; the open (air); other place; somewhere else
scenery; scene; landscape; scene (e.g. of a crime)
to stare (at); to gaze (at); to look hard (at); to watch intently; to fix one's eyes (on)
reflection; reverberation; reflex; reflexes
with a momentary flash of light
if; when; and; as well as; with; together with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.)
to shine; to glitter; to be bright
long (distance, length); long (time); protracted; prolonged
to grow long (e.g. hair, nails); to lengthen; to extend; to reach out; to hold out; to straighten; to smooth out
face; visage; look; (facial) expression; honor (honour); face; influence
like; similar to; as with; in the same way
to dress (oneself in); to attire oneself in; to adorn; to pretend; to feign; to affect
below; down; bottom; beneath; underneath; just after; right after
at; in; to; toward; to; for; because of
body; physical system; (the) person
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
soft; tender; soft (colour, light, etc.); subdued; informal; light
woman; female; feminine gender
thing; object; one's things; possessions; things; something; quality
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
to come (spatially or temporally); to approach; to come back; to do ... and come back; to come to be; to become