In the late 1980s, it became a trend among people in the TV industry to read words in (partially) reverse order and use them as jargon. Such words include “ザギン”, meaning “銀座 (Ginza)” and シースー, meaning “寿司 (sushi)”, and people used to say the phrase “ザギンでシースー”, meaning “(eating) sushi at Ginza”, to make a suggestion for lunch or dinner. Eventually, these TV industry jargons spread to ordinary people since some celebrities, especially the comedy duoとんねるず started to use them on TV. Although most of the words now sound quite old-fashioned, some people still use them as a joke or humorous expression. This article explains famous reverse words that you may use to make your Japanese friends laugh and surprised!Read Definition
正義マン (seigiman): Japanese Slang Meaning “Justice Man”
正義マン (せいぎまん, seigiman) is a relatively new slang term which literally means “justice man”. It is a pejorative term which sardonically refers to “do-gooders” who are always seeking for someone who does something immoral or unethical, no matter how trivial, and revile them ostentatiously to show off their moral superiority.Read Definition
自粛警察 (jishukukeisatsu): Japan’s “Self-Restraint Police” Explained
Recently, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Japanese slang term has been coined called “自粛警察 (じしゅくけいさつ, jishuku keisatsu)”, which literally means “self-restraint police”. This post explains what it exactly means and also what 自粛 (jishuku) refers to during the pandemic in Japan.Read Definition
チャットやSNSでよく使われる便利な英語の略語３０, IMO
日本語で「了解」を「りょ」と略すように、英語でも様々な略語がチャットやSNSで使われます。この記事では、実際に私が見た事のある英語の略語を思いつくだけリストアップしたので、是非参考にしてみてください。 例: imo, ikr, tbh, brb, ttyl, tho, btw, omg, bae, YOLO, sozRead Definition
「了解」「わかった」「おけ」など会話で同意を表す英語表現２０＋
日本語には「それな」「りょ」「おけ」「うっす」など同意や賛成を表す様々な表現が存在しますが、英語にもいろいろな表現があります。この記事では、そんな表現を一言解説をそえて簡単に紹介します。いつも “I see” や “OK” では味気ないので、たまには新しい表現も使ってみてはいかがでしょうか。Read Definition
11 Japanese Idioms and Metaphors about Baseball (野球, Yakyū)
As you may know, in (American) English there are many metaphors about baseball, including “hit a home run” and “touch base”. This is also the case in Japanese, the language of the country where baseball is one of the most popular sports. This article introduces unique Japanese baseball metaphors that you can pitch in a casual conversation! (However, don’t go overboard, as you may sound like a middle-aged baseball fanatic.)Read Definition
Differences Between Location Particles に (ni) and で (de) in Japanese
Why 日本 “に” 住む (live in Japan) but 日本 “で” 働く (work in Japan)? This post explains when and how to use Japanese particles に (ni) and で (de) correctly.Read Definition
How to Memorise Japanese Kanji Efficiently with Radicals
This article explains with examples how radicals of Japanese kanji characters can help you memorise their meanings and pronunciations efficiently!Read Definition
「一発屋」「飴と鞭」: 意外と上手く英語に訳せる日本語の表現１０+
この記事では、日本語独自の表現かと思ったら、意外と英語に丁度良い訳が存在する日本語の表現とその英訳について解説します。（例）ROM専, 一発屋, 爆買い, 焼け石に水, 希望が打ち砕かれる, 首を突っ込む, 奥の手, などRead Definition
「冷たい七面鳥」？直訳出来ない不思議な英語イディオム１１
直訳すると意味不明になる, 不思議な英語のイディオムを紹介します。自身の備忘録も兼ねているので、新しい表現を見つけ次第更新しています。(e.g.,) “The world is your oyster”, “trip the light fantastic”, “rain cats and dogs”Read Definition