early; a little earlier than usual; a little faster than usual; slightly quicker
to find fault (with trivial matters); to scold over minor things; to get angry over trifles; to raise one's eyebrows
technical skill; ability; capacity
fault; weakness; flaw; crux (of a matter); difficult point; point of contention
skill; dexterity; proficiency
to exceed (esp. figures: profits, unemployment rate, etc.); to surpass; to be more than; to be better than
to polish; to shine; to brush (e.g. teeth); to refine (e.g. a skill); to improve; to cultivate
look; appearance; spectacle; sight; observation meditation; outlook on ...
history of a nation; Japanese history
relations; members of extended family
after death; posthumously
enfeoffment (incl. bestowal of government post and court rank)
(arch.) linen kariginu; (during the Edo period) plain kariginu
to remonstrate; to admonish (someone) for; to advise (someone) not to; to warn against
to be believed to; to be expected to; to be feared to; to be poised to; to be considered to; to be likely to
in one's lifetime; (while) in life
government service; government employ
flow (of a fluid or gas); stream; flow (of people, things); passage (of time); course (of events); (step-by-step) procedure; group of people who remain together after the end of an event
to sever; to cut off; to suppress; to eradicate; to abstain (from); to give up
grounding (in a skill or subject); knowledge; training; achievements; attainments; accomplishments
far from; anything but; not at all; let alone; to say nothing of; not to mention
military service; conscription
somehow; how; in what way; why; what kind of
noncommittal; equivocal; indecisive; evasive; ambiguous; vague
local specialty or souvenir bought as a gift while travelling; present brought by a visitor; something unpleasant that one is given (e.g. an illness while on vacation); unwelcome gift
some; any; please; anyway; anyhow
legend; tradition; biography; life; method; way
soon; in a moment; nearby; close; direct; spot transaction
discord; (on) bad terms (with)
to guess; to conjecture; to surmise
Spring and Autumn period (of Chinese history, approx. 770-403 BCE)
Hundred Schools of Thought; general term for the large number of scholars and controversialists, and their respective schools, that flourished during China's Spring and Autumn period and Warring States period
to manufacture; to produce; to raise (crops); to invent; to dream up; to create
belief that human nature is fundamentally good
Mencius (372-289 BCE); Mengzi; Mencius (one of the Four Books)
cynicism (of mankind); belief that human nature is fundamentally evil
constitutionalism; rule of law; legalism
burning books on the Chinese classics and burying Confucian scholars alive