Takashi's Japanese Dictionary

A blog for learning Japanese that introduces Japanese slang words and Idioms!

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Japanese Word of The Day

Everyday, I explain a Japanese word or expression that I find interesting and worth sharing. See the top page for the Word of Today (I also share interesting words on my social media accounts). For some words, the links to the relevant blog posts are provided, where I give you more detailed explanations (e.g. Usage, Origin, Related Words)

Table of Contents

  • ~じゃあるまいし
  • 二度寝する
  • やみつき
  • 杞憂
  • とっくのとうに
  • 金魚のフン
  • 冷やかし
  • しょぼい
  • 結果論
  • 早い者勝ち
  • 屁でもない
  • あっという間
  • たられば
  • かけらもない
  • 目がない
  • ホッとする
  • 初耳
  • 内弁慶
  • 有言実行
  • 職業病
  • 自己満
  • 寝落ちする
  • 腹八分目 (はらはちぶんめ)
  • バレる
  • ~だけに
  • ~ は別腹 (べつばら)
  • 朝飯前(あさめしまえ)
  • 胃袋(いぶくろ)を掴(つか)む
  • Words in January 2022
  • Words in November 2021
  • Words in October 2021
  • Words in September 2021
  • Words in August 2021
  • Words in July 2021
  • Words in June 2021

~じゃあるまいし

Word Type

phrase

Yomi

~じゃあるまいし

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

As something/someone is not ~

Additional Info

Often used when one denies something

Related Post

None

Example

子供じゃあるまいし、こんなので興奮しないわ!
As I’m not a kid, I don’t get excited by things like this!

ドラマじゃあるまいし、そんな奇跡は起きないよ
As it’s not a drama, such a miracle won’t happen

二度寝する

Word Type

standard

Yomi

にどねする

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

go back to sleep soon after waking up

Additional Info

None

Related Post

None

Example

週末はつい二度寝してしまう。
On weekends, I can’t resist going back to sleep after I wake up.

やみつき

Word Type

standard

Yomi

やみつき

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

be absorbed in something; addicted

Additional Info

It is often used to describe food that is so yummy that it makes you addicted. Originally, やみつき is written as “病み付き” and means “catch a disease”, but this meaning is rarely used nowadays. It is often used as やみつきになる, “be addicted”

Related Post

None

Example

一度食べたらやみつきになる味
The taste that makes you addicted once you have it.

杞憂

Word Type

standard

Yomi

きゆう

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

unduly worrying about something  that is very unlikely to occur; unnecessary fear/worrying

Additional Info

It originates from an ancient Chinese philosophical (Taoist) text, 列子 (Liezi), where a man from 杞 (Qi) enormously worried and feared that the sky might fall down someday, insomuch that he couldn’t sleep. The word 杞憂 is short for 杞人憂天, meaning “a man from 杞 worries about the sky”. It is often used as 杞憂に終わった, meaning “ended up being/turned out to be 杞憂” (≒ “what one was worried about didn’t happen”). The kanji 憂 is used in the notoriously difficult-to-write Japanese word “憂鬱 (ゆううつ)”, meaning “depression”.

Related Post

None

Example

新しい学校で友達が出来るか心配していたけど、杞憂に終わった。
I was worried that I could make friends at a new school, but that worrying turned out to be unnecessary.

筋トレしすぎたら今の服が入らなくなるかもと心配したけど、完全に杞憂だった
I was worried that if I work out too much, I may become too big to wear the clothes I have now. But that was completely unnecessary worrying (= it has never happened).

とっくのとうに

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

とっくのとうに

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

a long time ago; ages ago

Additional Info

It is often used when someone asks you something and you answer “It was done/finished loooong time ago!”. Instead of とっくのとうに, just とっくに is also used but the former puts more emphasis on the statement.

Related Post

None

Example

え、彼女はどうだって?とっくのとうに別れたよ。
What, how is my girlfriend? We broke up ages ago.

金魚のフン

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

きんぎょのふん

Literal Meaning

goldfish poop

Meaning

people who always follow or tag along with a particular person

Additional Info

This idiom comes from the fact that when goldfish takes a poop, the poop often remains attached to it, like following it. It is often used as 金魚の糞のように or 金魚の糞みたいに, both meaning “like goldfish poop”. It might be somewhat old-fashioned; a more famous phrase which has a similar (if not the same) meaning would be 虎の威を借る狐, literally meaning “a fox that borrows the authority of a tiger” and figuratively “people who behave pretentiously behind someone strong or important”.

Related Post

None

Example

彼は金魚の糞みたいに上司といつも一緒にいる
He is always with his boss like goldfish poop.

冷やかし

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

ひやかし

Literal Meaning

something that cools off things

Meaning

1. people who look around a shop in a non-serious or even mocking manner with no intention to purchase an item or service there.

2. the act of making fun of someone

Additional Info

Its verb form is 冷やかす. Originally, it means “just to look around women in a brothel for fun and leave without spending money”. Therefore, it is still often used in that sense but also used for other things, like entering a kimono shop, taking heaps of pictures of the items, and leaving the store without buying anything. It is often used in the phrase 冷やかしはお断り, meaning “冷やかし is not allowed”, i.e. “If you don’t intend to buy anything, please don’t come in”.

Related Post

None

Example

冷やかしの客が多くて、腹が立つ.
I feel irritated because there are lots of customers who enter my store just for fun and don’t buy anything.

しょぼい

Word Type

casual word

Yomi

しょぼい

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

of poor quality; lousy; unexciting; dull

Additional Info

None

Related Post

None

Example

このゲーム、マジでしょぼい
This game is so dull.

結果論

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

けっかろん

Literal Meaning

result theory

Meaning

an idea/afterthought with hindsight; subsequently suggesting an optimal choice one could have taken in the past

Additional Info

It is often used to criticise the act of saying that one should have done something after everything has become clear. One of its synonyms is たられば (“what-if scenario”).

Related Post

None

Example

「去年株に投資すべきだった」と言うけど、それは結果論に過ぎない。
Although you say “You should have invested in stocks”, that is just an idea with the benefit of hindsight.

早い者勝ち

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

はやいものがち

Literal Meaning

people who come early win

Meaning

First come, first served

Additional Info

It sounds slightly childish compared to its synonym, 先着順 (せんちゃくじゅん), meaning “first-arrive order”. Its antonymous expression (proverb) would be 残り物には福がある, meaning “a fortune is in the remnants”, similar to “good things come to those who wait”.

Related Post

None

Example

チョコレート欲しい人はこっちにおいで!早い者勝ちだよ!
If you want chocolates, please come here! First come, first served!

 

屁でもない

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

へでもない

Literal Meaning

not even a fart

Meaning

trivial; have no value or impact; nothing

Additional Info

Synonym of 痛くも痒くもない (“not painful or itchy”)

Related Post

None

Example

好きな人にみんなの前で告白してフラれた時の辛さと比べたら、こんなの屁でもない
This is nothing compared to the hardship that I had when I confessed my love to my crush and got rejected in front of everyone.

あっという間

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

あっというま, attoiuma

Literal Meaning

While saying あ

Meaning

the blink of an eye; in a very short time; time flies

Additional Info

This idiom is so common that some people probably do not notice its literal meaning. It is often used as あっという間に… (“in the blink of an eye”) or あっという間だった (“it was the blink of an eye”)

Related Post

None

Example

あっという間に雨が止んだ。
It stopped raining in the blink of an eye.

たられば

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

たられば, tarareba

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

hypothetical; unreal; what if

Additional Info

It comes from the conditional forms ~たら and ~れば. It is often used to talk about what if one had done something in the past.

Related Post

None

Example

今更たらればの話をしてもしょうがない。
It is no use to talk about now what if we had done this and that in the past.

 

かけらもない

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

かけらもない, kakera mo nai

Literal Meaning

(there is) not even a piece.

Meaning

not … at all

Additional Info

It is used as …のかけらもない, meaning “(there is/one has) no … at all”

Related Post

None

Example

彼にはファッションセンスのかけらもない
He has no fashion sense whatsoever.

目がない

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

めがない, meganai

Literal Meaning

have no eyes

Meaning

have a strong interest/liking; really like; be preoccupied

Additional Info

None

Related Post

None

Example

チョコレートには目がない。
I have a strong liking for chocolates

ホッとする

Word Type

standard

Yomi

ほっとする, hottosuru

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

feel relieved

Additional Info

Synonym of 安心する

Related Post

None

Example

迷子になった息子を見つけて、ホッとした。
I found my son after he got lost and I felt relieved.

初耳

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

はつみみ, hatsumimi

Literal Meaning

first ears

Meaning

I’ve just learnt it; I didn’t know that; I was today’s years old

Additional Info

寝耳に水 (“water on sleeping ears”) is an idiom meaning “astonished to hear something”.

Related Post

None

Example

えちょっと待って、あの二人付き合っているの? 初耳だよ!
Wait, are they dating? I didn’t know that!

内弁慶

Word Type

idiom

Yomi

うちべんけい, uchi benkei

Literal Meaning

inside Benkei; Benkei at home

Meaning

be aggressive and arrogant towards one’s parents/family at home (内/ウチ), but quiet and faint-hearted outside (外/ソト).

Additional Info

弁慶 (Benkei), whose full name is 武蔵坊弁慶 (Benkei Musashibo), was a historic monk warrior (1155–1189) who was allegedly known for his strong power and aggressive nature. Similarly, ネット弁慶, literally “Internet Benkei”, means “a keyboard warrior”.

Related Post

None

Example

うちの息子は典型的な内弁慶で、外では静かでシャイなのに家では偉そうにする。
My son is a typical “Benkei at home”; while he is quiet and shy outside, he is arrogant and self-important at home.

有言実行

Word Type

四字熟語

Yomi

ゆうげんじっこう, yuugen jikkou

Literal Meaning

with words, carry out

Meaning

“keep one’s word; (laudably) accomplish what one has promised before”

Additional Info

Antonym: するする詐欺 (suru suru sagi): “All-Talk-No-Action Fraud”

Related Post

None

Example

あの選手(せんしゅ)は有言実行で金(きん)メダルをとった。
The athlete won the gold medal as he/she promised before.

 

職業病

Word Type

Slang

Yomi

しょくぎょうびょう, shokugyou byou

Literal Meaning

occupational disease

Meaning

something you can’t resist doing (whether you like it or not) because you do it all the time at work

Additional Info

Translators may often find themselves assessing the quality of subtitles while watching films due to their 職業病

Related Post

Slang Meaning of 職業病 (shokugyou byou, “Occupational Disease”)

Example

歯科医の男友達が、人が話しているときについ歯を見てしまうと言っていたけれど、まさに職業病だね
A male friend of mine who is a dentist said that he cannot help checking the teeth of someone when they’re talking. This is exactly his 職業病

自己満

Yomi

じこまん, jikoman

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

self-satisfaction/for the sake of satisfying oneself

Additional Info

It can be either negative or neutral, as shown in the example sentences below.

Related Post

None

Example

人のためと彼は言うけど、ただの自己満に見える
Tho he says it’s for others, it looks like he’s just self-satisfied

自己満で絵を描いている
I draw pictures just for fun/myself

 

寝落ちする

Yomi

ねおちする, neochisuru

Literal Meaning

to sleep and fall

Meaning

to fall asleep while doing something, without realising it.

Additional Info

Synonym of 船(ふね)を漕(こ)ぐ,  literally meaning “row a boat” and figuratively “nod off while sitting”

Related Post

None

Example

テレビゲームしてたら寝落ちしてた。
I was playing video games and fell asleep without realising it.

腹八分目 (はらはちぶんめ)

Literal Meaning

belly 80 %

Meaning

to stop eating when you feel 80% full (for your good health)

Additional Info

There is a saying, “腹八分目に医者(いしゃ)いらず” meaning “You don’t need a doctor by exercising 腹八分目”.

Related Post

Meaning of 腹八分目 (hara hachi bun me) and 分 (bun) in Japanese

Example

腹八分目の食事(しょくじ)を心(こころ)がけよう
Keep it in mind that you stop eating when you feel 80% full.

バレる

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

“(something you hide is) discovered/found out by someone; become known to the public”

Additional Info

And ネタバレ means “spoiler”, which is short for “ネタがバレる” (an idea comes known to the public). ネタバレする means “to spoil (a plot of movies/books/manga, etc.)”

Related Post

None

Example

子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、ポケモン赤にハマったなぁ。あ、歳(とし)がバレる
When I was a child, I was into Pokémon Red. Oops, that’d reveal my age.

樽(たる)の中にお金(かね)を隠(かく)していたが、すぐバレた。バレルだけに…
Although I hid my money inside a barrel, it bareta (was discovered) easily. Because it’s “barrel”, you know…?

~だけに

Literal Meaning

None

Meaning

because ~, you know?

Additional Info

It is used when you make a (cheesy) pun. Usually, It’s used in inverted word order and put at the end of a sentence/remark.

Related Post

Meaning of だけに (dake ni) and Its Usage to Make a Pun in Japanese

Example

このスープあっさりしてるね、アサリだけに
This soup tastes “assari” (light), because it’s “asari” (clam) soup, you know?

 

~ は別腹 (べつばら)

Literal Meaning

“have a separate stomach for ~”

Meaning

(Even after I eat a lot) I can still eat ~

Additional Info

It is often used when you make an excuse or provide a reason for eating something (esp. desserts or snacks) after you eat a whole meal.

Example

デザートは別腹だから、こってりラーメンを食べた後でも全然食べれる
As I have a separate stomach for desserts, I can readily eat them even after I’ve eaten thick-taste ramen

 

朝飯前(あさめしまえ)

Literal Meaning

“before breakfast”

Meaning

a piece of cake, very easy

Additional Info

It’s a synonym of お茶のこさいさい

Example

あの万年最下位のチームに勝(か)つなんて、朝飯前だ。
It’s a piece of cake (for us) to beat that team, which always ranks at the bottom.

 

胃袋(いぶくろ)を掴(つか)む

Literal Meaning

“grab/grip one’s stomach”

Meaning

“attract or ‘grip’ someone you like by cooking her/him delicious food”

Additional Info

It is usually used as “…に胃袋を掴まれた meaning “My stomach has been gripped by …)” when you are smitten by a great cook.

Example

初めて彼の手料理を食べた時に完全に胃袋を掴まれてしまい、それ以来、仕事が終わるとすぐ彼の家に行くようになった。
When I ate his home-cooked meal for the first time, my stomach was completely gripped, and since then I started going to his house as soon as I finish work.

  • Words in January 2022

  • Words in November 2021

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  • Words in September 2021

  • Words in August 2021

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  • Words in June 2021

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