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
name; given name; first name
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
Yamada Tarou (1918.3.24-2002.12.23) (1948.8.24-)
black; black (coffee); without cream or milk; exploitative (esp. of employees); overly harsh; boldface
but; however; even; however; no matter how; ... or something; either ... or ...
white; correction fluid; white-out
it is not (like that) either
normal; ordinary; normally; ordinarily; local train; train that stops at every station
company; corporation; workplace
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to work (for); to be employed (at); to serve (as); to act (as); to conduct a religious service
ordinary; common; commonplace; mediocre; unremarkable; undistinguished
office worker; company employee; company man; salaryman (stereotypical Japanese office worker)
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
good; excellent; sufficient; enough; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial
year; age; years; past one's prime; old age
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 do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
lover; sweetheart; boyfriend; girlfriend
too; also; both A and B; A as well as B; even; as much as
to be (of animate objects); to exist; to stay; to be ...-ing; to have been ...-ing
being enthusiastic about; being wild about; being absorbed in; being engrossed in; being devoted to
like; similar to; (I) think (that); (I) have a feeling (that); feels like; feels similar to
hobby; pastime; tastes; preference; liking
to be able (in a position) to do; to be up to the task; to be ready; to be completed; to be made; to be built; to be good at
to hold (in one's hand); to take; to possess; to have; to maintain; to keep; to last
such things as ...; and ... and; the minute (that) ...; no sooner than ...; be; is; o
network; Internet; net (hair, netball, etc.); net (price, weight, etc.); nett
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
vague; ambiguous; shady; disreputable; fuzzy
digestion (of food); digestion (of information); assimilation; consumption; absorption; (arch.) losing one's form and turning into something else
what; you-know-what; that thing; whatsit; whachamacallit; (not) at all; (not) in the slightest
also; too; not ... either; (it's not possible) no matter what; although one might wish otherwise
remnant; fragment; fraction; odd sum; halfway; half-hearted
your house; your home; your husband; your organization; you
to seize; to catch; to obtain; to acquire; to understand; to grasp
while; during; while; although; all; both
dimly; faintly; absentmindedly; vacantly; idly; aimlessly
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question