today; this day; these days; recently; nowadays
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
June; sixth month of the lunar calendar
twenty-fifth day of the month; twenty-five days
soon; shortly; before long; nearly; almost
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
to end; to come to an end; to close; to finish
to try to ...; to be about to do ...; to decide to ...; to take as; to treat as; to use for; to suppose that (such) is the case
year; counter for years (e.g. of an era), grades (e.g. school); period of an apprentice's contract (usu. ten years)
too; also; both A and B; A as well as B; even; as much as
fast; quick; early (in the day, etc.); premature; (too) soon; not yet
right?; isn't it?; hey; say; you know; you see; will you?
a blink of time; (lit.) the time it takes to say "Ah!"
July; seventh month of the lunar calendar
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to become; to get; to result in; to turn out; to consist of; to be composed of; to be completed
to be; to exist; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen
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
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.
introduction; presentation; referral; listing
seventh day of the month; seven days
Star Festival (held in July or August); Tanabata; Festival of the Weaver
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
based on; on the basis of
to be (of animate objects); to exist; to stay; to be ...-ing; to have been ...-ing
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
China; Chūgoku region (western part of Honshu comprising the prefectures of Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Tottori and Shimane); central part of a country; main region; province of the second lowest rank (ritsuryo system)
from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part)
to be handed down; to be introduced; to be transmitted; to be circulated; to go along; to walk along
to be called ...; to be referred to as ...
from now; from the present moment; from this time forward; henceforth
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
origin; source; history; originally; from the start; by nature
to talk; to speak; to tell; to explain; to speak (a language)
this; this one; this person; now; this point (in time); here; used to stress the subject of a sentence
sky; the air; weather; far-off place; distant place; state of mind; feeling
above; up; top; summit; surface; before; previous
long ago; once upon a time
woman textile worker; Vega (star in the constellation Lyra); Alpha Lyrae
name; given name; first name
woman; female; feminine gender