I started to get back into Japanese music and I realized I could either keep dropping this language or be able to say I speak something after all these years.
I am trying a new method for Tobira since I find notes boring. I color coded every grammar point and a quick note to summarize it. Then went through and highlighted. Some words in bright colors and in brown are just vocab I want to note. And the circled words are a new phrase/slang I have never heard before.
My handwriting was very shaky as I was remembering the stroke order. I will definitely need to improve! But otherwise a nice study session ✨
recently got into japanese edo era rakugo stories (imagine one guy on a pillow reading out a absurdly long joke story, complete with voice acting and spoken sound effects, all just as a 30minutesetup for a terrible pun) and found A Selection of highly creative insults.
some of the highlights, basically all meaning "numbskull":
otankonasu おたんこなす. debated etymology but one theory is an abbreviation of 炭鉱の茄子 (lit. "COAL MINE EGGPLANT.") because allegedly it's hard to sell eggplants near coal mines due to the dust, ie. a thing quite useless.
touhenboku 唐変木 (lit. "IMPORTED STRANGE TREE".)
the etymology is likely from 唐木 referring to chinese-imported wood for carving. a strangly shaped piece of wood would be impossible to carve and thus, is also quite useless.
and my favorite,
tofu no kado ni atama wo tsukete shine 豆腐の角に頭をぶつけて死ね . "go hit your head on the corner of a block of tofu and die." , sarcastically meaning "god, you're dumb enough as to find a way to get injured on the softest object imaginable"
チャッピー構文 : Tell-tale signs of AI-generated text in Japanese
I found this video very interesting! Similar to how the em dash has become a sign of AI-generated text in English, in Japanese text there are common features like emojis (👉 and 👇), bullet points, and Markdown language like double asterisks **. There are also common phrases, like まず (first of all, first) and つまり (in conclusion).
These radicals originally represented a hunting or fishing net. Because 罒 looks similar to the kanji for four (四), it is also commonly referred to as "yonkashira."
Grade Levels & Example Kanji:
四年生 (4th Grade)：置
五年生 (5th Grade)：罪
六年生 (6th Grade)：署
弋 (しきがまえ・よく) - the arrow/stake radical
「弋」（式構）のもともとの形は、矢に糸をつけ鳥や魚を捕らえる狩猟道具を表します。また杭を表します。
The original shape of 弋 represents a hunting tool used to catch birds or fish by attaching a string to an arrow. It also represents a stake or peg.
Side Note Box: 「一」、「二」、「三」 を、それぞれ 「壱」、「弐」、「参」 と書くことがあります。「弐」 は、部首 「弋」 になります。
The numbers "one," "two," and "three" are sometimes written formally as 壱, 弐, and 参 (legal/formal numerals). The kanji 弐 (two) belongs to the radical 弋.
Did you know that 鮭 and しゃけ both mean "salmon" in Japanese?
I came across しゃけ in my Marugoto textbook:
I know "salmon" is pronounced さけ, but what does しゃけ mean? Does it also mean "salmon?" 🤔
Yes and no, apparently!
しゃけ is for food while 鮭 is for the living fish
According to WaniKani:
Typically when you refer to the living animal, you use さけ, and when you refer to salmon as a food, it's more likely to be しゃけ (but it can go either way). There might be some generational and regional differences, though.
A quick Google search revealed this fascinating regional difference:
Basically:
鮭 (さけ) is the standard, formal, and written term. It is often preferred when referring to the living fish in nature.
しゃけ is a colloquial, spoken pronunciation. It is very commonly used in daily conversation, especially when referring to the fish as food (cooked, grilled, or as an onigiri filling).
What about サーモン?
サーモン: This term is used—particularly at sushi restaurants and other dining establishments—to refer to raw, farmed salmon. Farmed salmon is apparently more commonly used in sushi because there's less risk of foodborne illnesses such as parasites.
Hi friends, it's been a while since my last post. I've been struggling really hard with depression, anxiety, and GI issues (which landed me in the ER twice in the past few months). Naturally, studying Japanese has taken a back seat.
I logged in to Migaku yesterday to find 300+ reviews waiting for me, and I've managed to whittle that number down to less than 200. I can do a little bit each day, and it will add up over time, even if it's hard to see right now. There's always more to learn, but I can't let how much I don't know be so daunting that I stop learning. Learning this language is a hobby - it's supposed to be fun. When it stops being fun, progress stops too. Any small way I can interact with the Japanese language counts - it doesn't have to be all textbooks, all the time.
I'm currently on summer break from my MLIS coursework, so I have until mid-August until classes resume. I'm really enjoying the program so far, and seeing other MLIS degree holders in the community recently made me feel really excited!
Here's to moving forward, one step and one day at a time.
The topic particle は can either replace or combine with other particles in order to mark the topic of a sentence. For example, は replaces を to mark the direct object as the topic of a sentence.
私も弁当を食べる。
→ I will eat a bento, too.
Has no topic (nothing is marked by は)
Direct object = 弁当 (marked by を)
弁当は、私も食べる。
→ As for a bento, I will also eat it.
Topic = 弁当 (marked by は)
Direct object = still 弁当
What is は doing in the second sentence?
Interpretation #1: A neutral statement. 弁当 is the topic of the conversation, and the speaker is mentioning that they also eat 弁当.
Interpretation #2: Introducing a contrastive topic. 弁当 is the topic of the conversation, but the speaker is being specific about eating 弁当 versus something else.
Contrastive は
Think of は as putting a spotlight on a topic and quietly implying:
"As for X… (here’s what I want to say about it — and it might differ from other things)."
That "might differ from other things" is where the contrast sneaks in. It’s not always strong contrast — sometimes it’s just a gentle nudge.
私も弁当を食べる。
→ I will eat a bento, too.
Focus = 私
You're adding yourself to the group.
No contrast implied.
弁当は、私も食べる。
→ As for a bento, I will also eat it.
Focus = 弁当
You're adding your action to the topic of 弁当.
Contrast = between 弁当 and other possible foods/topics/other people's actions
A trick to feel the contrast
If you can naturally add "but…" after the は phrase, the contrast is there.
弁当は、私も食べる。
→ As for the bento… (but the curry? maybe not).
You don’t have to say the second half — Japanese often leaves it unsaid.
Additional Examples
① りんごは食べるけど、バナナは食べない。
As for apples, I eat them, but bananas I don’t.
Contrast = explicit (けど)
Topics = りんご and バナナ (は marks the things being contrasted)
② 今日は行くけど、明日は行かない。
→ As for today, I’ll go, but tomorrow I won’t.
Contrast = explicit (けど)
Topics = 今日 and 明日 (は marks the things being contrasted)
