I have decided to start learning by heart the first chapter of 星の王子さま which is the Japanese translation of The Little Prince. I explained the benefit of learning by heart in this post and so far, it totally works for me. What helps me is that The Little Prince is a story I know very..
都はるみ ～愛は花、君はその種子
The song "愛は花、君はその種子" sung by 都はるみ・みやこはるみ appears at the end of the Ghibli film "Only Yesterday", directed by Isao Takahata. It is a Japanese cover of "The Rose" by Amanda McBroom. I don't know if I would have loved that song so much, hadn't I seen the film. It's only the ending film song but..
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第４章～１
From page 169 to 178. We are beginning chapter 4 and have almost reached the middle of the book! In this chapter, Yasumasa has returned to work but pursues his investigation. There are a lot of words I didn't know, especially at the beginning... 分離帯・ぶんりたい I have no idea how to say that in English... On..
すーちゃん～８
From p.53 to 59. In this new story, Maichan has to go to the housewarming party of the managing director, as promised in the previous story. Even though it is Sunday, she has to give away this "part of her life" to work. Vocabulary: おおげさ grandiose, exagerated 帳消し・ちょうけし cancellation, writing off 媚・こび flattery, cajolery So, Maichan is..
Those things that are more than objects
One way of staying motivated when learning a new language is to have physical objects related to the country. It is certainly not the biggest motivation booster than one can find, but it is a little something that does add some fuel to your motivation on a daily basis. At least, it works for me...
YouTubed away
I am sure I am not the only one to get lost in YouTube, going to check something relevant and ending up watching cows opening doors with their horns. YouTube really is a world in itself, where you can learn many things and loose a lot of your precious time, too. Well, I have decided..
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第３章～５
From page 150 to 166. Finally, the first confrontation between Yasumasa and Junichi. 裾・すそ cuff, hem, fringe パタパタ sound of something thin and light moving through the air 腋・わき I knew the kanji 脇 but not this one. It means, armpit 速断・そくだん jumping to a conclusion 若僧・わかぞう youngster 舶来・はくらい imported, foreign-made イーゼル easel あぐらをかく to sit cross-legged 得体・えたい nature, character 粘着・ねんちゃく adhesion 消滅・しょうめつ extinguishment, termination 鬱陶しい・うっとうしい irritating,..
すーちゃん～７
A story about working relationships and living alone.
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第３章～４
The 4th part of chapter 3 goes from page 134 to 149. A new confrontation between Kaga and Yasumasa! 濃紺・のうこん dark blue 捺印・なついん affixing a seal 兆候・ちょうこう sign, indication, symptom 苛立つ・いらだつ to be irritated 口元・くちもと the mouth 鑑識・かんしき judgement, discernment. But I guess that here it means: forensics, crime lab ニキビ pimple, acne 晒す・さらす to expose (to the public) 繋がり・つながり connection, relationship 経営者・けいえいしゃ manager,..
Writing, writing, writing…
The writing skill is certainly one of the most (if not the most) difficult competence to improve. Especially in Japanese, where kanjis are to be taken into account. Let's try to find some methods to practice writing. No one to correct you? No matter! The first discouraging argument is: "if what I write is full..
つじあやの～かぜになる
This is the song 風になる from the singer つじあやの. It's the song from the Ghibli film The cat returns. https://youtu.be/-BRKURfRHso The lyrics: 忘れていた目を閉じて 取り戻せ 恋のうた 青空に隠れている 手を伸ばしてもう一度 取り戻す・とりもどす to take back, to regain, to get back, to recover 青空・あおそら blue sky 隠れる・かくれる to be hidden 伸ばす・のばす to reach out, to straighten 忘れないで すぐそばに僕がいる いつの日も 星空を眺めている 一人きりの夜明けも 星空・ほしぞら starry sky 眺める・ながめる to view, to gaze at 夜明け・よあけ dawn, daybreak..
どちらかが彼女を殺した～第３章～３
The third part of the third chapter, a very challenging part with a lot of vocabulary! 懲りる・こりる to learn by experience 暗証番号・あんしょうばんごう password number 精算・せいさん means fare adjustment. It's strange here with the 済ませる・すませる It certainly means that the subscription has been stopped. かすか faint, dim 名残・なごり remains, traces 突き止める・つきとめる to determine (a culprit, a cause) 忍び込む・しのびこむ to creep in, to steal in..