Takashi's Japanese Dictionary

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

Japanese Word of the Day (September 2021)

Here is a list of “Japanese Word of the Day” shared in September 2021.

二日（ふつか）酔（よ）い

[30 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “two-day drunk”
Meaning “hangover”
Other Info: If the effect lingers for three days, you may say 三日(みっか)酔い, “three-day drunk”
歳(とし)を取(と)るにつれて、二日酔いしやすくなる。
As you get older, you have a hangover more easily.

猫舌 (ねこじた)

[29 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “a cat’s tongue”
Meaning “cannot take hot food (as in tempreture)”
猫舌だから、熱（あつ）いスープが飲（の）めない
Because I have a cat tongue (cannot have hot food), I cannot have hot soup.

飲兵衛 (のんべえ)/ 飲み助 (のみすけ)

[28 September 2021]
Meaning “a nickname for people who love drinking”
Other Info:  Both words presumably originate from real person’s names; in the old days, …兵衛（べえ）and …助 (すけ) were very popular names, e.g. 権兵衛 (ごんべえ), 愛之助 (あいのすけ). While 兵衛 now sounds old-fashioned and is not very popular, 助 is still used in some names, such as “慎之助（しんのすけ）”
彼は飲兵衛/飲み助だから、日本酒(にほんしゅ)を持って行ったら喜ぶよ。
 Because he loves drinking, he will be happy if you bring him sake.

炎上 (えんじょう)する

[27 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “burn intensely”
Meaning “come under fire”

あの芸能人げいのうじんが「浮気うわきは必要悪ひつようあくだ」と言いって炎上した
The celebrity said, “Cheating on one’s wife is a necessary evil” and came under fire.

猫 (ねこ) の額 (ひたい)

[26 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “a cat’s forehead”
Meaning “very narrow/small in area”
Other Info: For some reason, it is dominantly used to describe a small garden.

猫の額ほどの庭(にわ)で野菜(やさい)を育(そだ)てている

I grow vegetables in a very small garden.

泣(な)いても笑(わら)っても

[25 September 2021]
Meaning “whether you cry or laugh”
Other Info: It is often used to emphasise that what you have gone through for a long time with ups and downs (e.g. a long-term project, competition) is reaching its last phase (and hence you should pull out all the stops to achieve your best outcome)
泣いても笑っても、明日勝負が決まる
Whether you cry or laugh, we’ll see who will be the winner tomorrow.

マンネリ化(か)する

[24 September 2021]
Meaning “get stuck in a rut”
Other Info: A loanword from “mannerism”
日本語の勉強が マンネリ化 して、やる気(き)が出(で)ない
I’ve got stuck in a rut of studying Japanese, and I don’t feel motivated.

日常茶飯事 (にちじょうさはんじ)

[23 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “daily tea rice thing” [日常 (にちじょう) = “daily”, 茶飯事 (さはんじ) = “tea”+”rice”+”thing”]
Meaning: “a common or daily event/incident” (like Japanese people eating rice and drinking tea)
彼(かれ)が遅刻(ちこく)するのは日常茶飯事だ
It is quite usual that he comes late.

オーバー

[22 September 2021]

Meaning “(someone is ) overreacting/exaggerating; (act is) overreacted/exaggerated”
Other info: It is a loanword from “over”
あのサッカー選手(せんしゅ)は、ファールを受(う)けるといつもオーバーな演技(えんぎ)をする
That soccer player always overacts whenever he is fouled.

ふつつか者(もの)ですが…

[21 September 2021]
Meaning “Although I am a little immature, clumsy, and/or goofy…”
Other Info: It is a lovely expression to humble oneself, which is typically used (esp. in manga/anime) when you accept someone’s love confession to you.

A：出会であった時ときから、あなたの事ことがずっと好すきでした！僕ぼくと付つき合あってくれませんか？
B：はい、喜よろこんで！ふつつか者ですが、どうぞよろしくお願ねがいします！

A: Since I saw you for the first time, I have been in love with you. Would you be my girlfriend?
B: Yes, I’m happy to! Although I’m a clumsy and immature person, I’d love to build a close relationship with you (as your girlfriend)!

窓際社員(まどぎわしゃいん)

[20 September 2021] also 窓際族 (まどぎわぞく)
Literal Meaning “employees by the window”
Meaning “(often old) employees who are regarded as expendable and not given much work”
Other Info: It alludes to such employees who are assigned the seat by the window in which they mostly spend time gawping at the view outside instead of working. Sometimes, it is abbreviated as “窓際”
会社の業績が悪くなり、多くの窓際社員が解雇された
My company’s financial performance got worse, and a lot of expendable employees were made redundant.

未練　(みれん)

[19 September 2021]
Meaning “lingering feelings for someone; regret about not having done or accomplished something in the past”
Other Info: It is often used as (~に)未練がある, or more exaggeratedly, 未練タラタラ(na-adj)
昔の恋人にまだ未練がある
I still have lingering feelings for my old flame
彼は元カノに未練タラタラだ
He is still in love with his ex gf

意味深 (いみしん)

[18 September 2021] (na-adj)

Meaning “(a remark/expression) is allusive; delivers a hidden and/or profound meaning”
「もう我慢(がまん)できないよ」と彼女(かのじょ)は意味深なツイートをした。
“I can’t stand anymore”, she posted an allusive tweet.

一時（いちじ）はどうなることかと[+思った]

[17 September 2021] (expression)
Meaning “I was worried at that time about what would happen”
Other Info: It’s used when you, with a sense of relief, look back on the (usually unforeseen) trouble or problem that you had to go through and managed to cope with.
パソコンが急（きゅう）に動（うご）かなくなって、一時（いちじ）はどうなることかと思（おも）ったけど、データは無事（ぶじ）で良（よ）かった。 The PC suddenly broke down and I was worried about what would happen, but I’m glad to know that the data remains intact.

信者 (しんじゃ)

[16 September 2021]
Meaning 1 “(strong) believer in a particular religion”
彼はキリスト教(きょう)信者だ。
He is a believer in Christianity.
Meaning 2 “a fanatic fan” (negative, slang)
ワンピース信者によると、ワンピースを読(よ)めば人生(じんせい)の”意味(いみ)”がわかるらしい。
According to fanatic fans of ONE PIECE, you can understand the “meaning” of life by reading ONE PIECE.

ウンチク

[15 September 2021]
Meaning “trivia/unimportant and little-known facts”
Other info: There is also a loanword トリビア (trivia), but ウンチク is more often associated with people proudly talking about (or showing off) little-known facts about something they love (and thus ウンチクを語る sounds more natural than トリビアを語る, in my opinion)
彼(かれ)はウンチクを語(かた)るのが好(す)きだ
He likes to talk about little-known facts.

新米 (しんまい)

[14 September 2021]

Literal Meaning “new rice”
Meaning “rookie/newcomer”
Other Info: It is a bit old-fashioned word, used by older people (with a slightly condescending tone) or by oneself in a modest way.初(はじ)めてみる顔(かお)だな、新米か？
I see your face for the first time. Are you a rookie?

スッポンポン

[13 September 2021]
Meaning: “completely naked”
Other Info: “A humorous way of saying 全裸 (ぜんら, “completely naked”)
え、ここでスッポンポンになるの？
What,  am I getting completely naked here?

まことしやか (na-adj)

[12 September 2021]
Meaning “As if it is real/a fact”

Other Info: It is often used as “まことしやかに囁(ささや)かれている”, meaning “(a rumour) is whispered as if it is real”

彼が来年引退するという噂が、まことしやかに囁かれている。
A rumour that he’s going to retire next year is whispered as if it’s real.

取(と)り急(いそ)ぎ

[11 September 2021]
Meaning: “I’ll give you the details later”

Other info: It is usually put at the end of a message/email (esp. in business) when one informs someone of new information in a rushed way (e.g. without providing/confirming its details).

 

次の会議の日にちは来週の水曜日に決まりました。取り急ぎ。
The date of our next meeting has been fixed for next Wednesday. I’ll give you the details later.

モテ期(き)

[10 September 2021]

Meaning: “a period of time when you become very popular with men/women (people of the gender you are attracted to)”.

誰でも人生でモテ期を３回経験すると言われている。
It is said that anyone experiences “Moteki” in his/her life three times.

道草(みちくさ)を食(く)う

[9 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “Eat grass on the road”
Meaning “To do random/unplanned things on the way (and waste time)”

Other Info: This idiom alludes to a horse that suddenly stops to eat grass on the way (which is a waste of time in the eyes of humans)

写真（しゃしん）を撮（と）ったり コンビニに寄（よ）ったりして道草を食ってたら、遅刻（ちこく）してしまった
I wasted time doing random stuff on the way, such as taking photos and stopping at a convenience store, and I ended up being late.

残(のこ)り物(もの)には福(ふく)がある

[8 September 2021]
Meaning “There is good luck/fortune in the last remaining thing.”
Other Info: What it suggests is that the most popular one is not necessarily the best, or good luck comes to those who are not desperate or greedy残(のこ)り物(もの)には福(ふく)があるって言うし、くじは最後に引きたい。
As the proverb goes “There is good luck/fortune in the last remaining thing”, I want to draw lots last.

瓜(うり)二(ふた)つ

[7 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “two gourds”
Meaning “(something/someone) look very alike”; “as alike as two peas in a pod”
あの双子 (ふたご) は瓜(うり)二(ふた)つだ
That twin looks very alike/as alike as two peas in a pod).

高嶺(たかね)の花(はな)

[6 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “a flower at the top of a tall mountain”
Meaning “(someone/something is) way out of your league; too good to reach/achieve”
Other Info: Often used by men to describe a girl who they think is too hot/popular to have a date with.
彼女は俺には高嶺の花だから告白(こくはく)なんて出来(でき)ない
Because she is too hot/popular for me, I cannot confess my feelings to her.

けりをつける

[5 September 2021]
Meaning “to bring something (esp. a long-lasting problem) to an end; settle; clinch (a game/deal etc.)”
Other Info: It literally means “to put けり”, where けり is an archaic sentence-ending expression for the past/perfect tense (So it means “make it completed”)
今月でこの仕事にけりをつけたい。
I want to complete this work by this month.
今(いま)は昔(むかし)、竹取(たけとり)の翁(おきな)といふ者(もの)ありけり
Once upon a time, there was a man called Taketorino Okina.
* Old Japanese, the opening line of 竹取物語 (たけとりものがたり, “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter”)

ひっぱりだこ

[4 September 2021]
Literal Meaning “pulled octopus”
Meaning “very popular; be in high demand”
Other Info: Imagine you were a sought-after octopus and your legs/arms were pulled by many people from every direction. It’s usually used as “~にひっぱりだこ” meaning “very popular among ~”
彼は演技が上手くてドラマや映画にひっぱりだこだ
He is good at acting and so a “pulled octopus” by dramas and films.

手前味噌 (temae miso)

[3 September 2021]

Meaning: “I’m afraid I may sound boastful”

Other Info: a very advanced phrase to use when you brag about yourself but still want to sound modest. See the blog post for its origin.

手前味噌になりますが、 拙著が100万部売れました。
I’m afraid it may sound boastful, but my book has sold a million copies.

空元気(からげんき)

[2 September 2021]
Meaning “to pretend to be fine/energetic”
Other info: 空 (から, “empty”) + 元気 (げんき, “fine/energetic”)
私(わたし)、今(いま)とっても幸(しあわ)せだよ」と彼女（かのじょ）は笑顔(えがお)で言(い)っていたけれど、空元気だったような気(き)がして心配(しんぱい)だ
“I’m very happy now”, she said with a smile, but I’m worried about her because I felt she was just pretending to be fine.

言霊 (ことだま, Kotodama)

[1 September 2021]

Literal Meaning “Soul of Word/Language”
Meaning “superstitious (or maybe real) influence that a word/utterance has on real life (e.g.) a negative/positive word causes such results

” 言霊になるから「もし負けたら」なんて言うな
Don’t say “If I lose” as it’ll be kotodama (≒ Don’t jinx it)