Japanese language features quite a few interjections used to express surprise, including majide?, uso!, honto? and ariehen! These can be equated with English expressions such as ‘really?’, ‘I don’t believe it!’, ‘no way!’, ‘get outta here!’ etc.
One such interjection often heard in Japanese conversation is heeee / hēē / he～ (へえええ), which is pronounced ‘hair’ but can be elongated to express greater surprise. The length this phonetic phenomenon is sometimes drawn out to Read the rest of this entry »
While the behaviour of other types of student is often problematic for teachers or classmates, the Mentalist’s behaviour can either be problematic or benign. Whichever way though, their behaviour is so bizarre that you suspect they’re mentally ill.
Every year the words and phrases that are most searched for by internet users around the world are published in Google’s Year-End Zeitgeist. As the name suggests, the report is a snapshot of where the world’s curiosity and interests currently lie, and as such offers a fascinating insight into global internet usage and the national psyche of the countries that are also listed individually.
Thanks to Google’s awesome Google Analytics software I have installed on Big on Japan, I too can take a peak at what internet users around the world are searching for and how they arrived at my site. And as with Google’s report, the bigonjapan.com year-end zeitgeist indicates the popularity of a number of topics, albeit generally restricted to ones relating to Japan. The top 10 for 2008 follows, with last year’s position in brackets: Read the rest of this entry »
Japanese people often seem easily impressed and frequently display this by clapping like trained sea lions and exclaiming ‘sugoi!’ (that’s great!). In particular, things like magic tricks and new gadgets are guaranteed to get this reaction. Where foreigners are concerned, being able to use chopsticks or speak a few words of Japanese is often enough to elicit a round of applause and a chorus of ‘sugoi!’. Read the rest of this entry »
Depending on the situation it’s used in, sumimasen can be used apologetically to mean ‘please move out of my way’ or ‘I’m sorry’/’pardon me’. It can also be used to get someone’s attention politely (although it often sounds otherwise when barked loudly), as in ‘I’m ready to order now’, ‘I need another drink’ or ‘get over here!’. Additionally, it can be used to say ‘thank you’ in an apologetic way when someone has done you a favour, as in ‘thank you for going to so much trouble’ or ’sorry to trouble you’. Read the rest of this entry »
I recently received the following topical and amusing chain email:
Following the problems in the sub-prime lending market in America and the run on Northern Rock in the UK, uncertainty has now hit Japan. In the last 7 days Origami Bank has folded, Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank announced plans to cut some of its branches. Read the rest of this entry »
See below for previous entries in the Beer in Japan series:
Part 1 - Availability; Taste Part 2 - Pseudo-beers; Pricing Part 3 - Marketing; Uniqueness Part 4 - More uniqueness
Beer Trivia
Beer cans on display in Japanese vending machines are typically ‘display models’ - that is, they’re empty and have a flat top with no ring pull or hole for drinking out of.
itadakimasu (lit=’I am receiving something’)
One of many Japanese expressions that has no direct translation in English, ‘itadakimasu’ can basically be equated with ‘saying grace’, a short prayer said by a lot of religious families (particularly in the US) to thank God before eating a meal. Read the rest of this entry »
Atsui (hot) and samui (cold)
It’s often said that British people like to talk about the weather unusually often compared to other nationalities, but the same is true of Japanese people.
Whereas the British tend to elaborate on the topic in more detail (‘looks like rain’ or ‘Autumn’s almost here’, for example) however, the Japanese seem content with merely stating the obvious about the temperature – they exclaim ‘atsui’ at every opportunity all summer and ‘samui’ constantly throughout the winter. Read the rest of this entry »
This series will focus on the most common expressions used in the Japanese language. As anyone who’s spent a considerable amount of time in Japan will know, there are certain words and phrases you hear all the time. And I do mean ALL THE TIME, often to the point of being annoying to non-Japanese people. Read the rest of this entry »
