How I Study with 「げんき」

I’ve had some comments and questions asking how I study Japanese with the Genki textbook. I thought I’d break it down in writing, and try to explain my method.

始めましょう！～

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Common Japanese Homophones

Hi guys! Today I will be talking about Japanese homophones and when to use them. These are the ones that I used to have a lot of trouble with, but there are a lot more so I encourage you to research/study more homophones.

　1.　あつい

暑い　“used when talking about the weather (temperature)”

熱い　“hot to the touch” or “full of enthusiasm”

厚い　“to be thick”

　Examples

今年の夏は特に暑いですね。

     This summer is especially hot.

このスープは熱すぎて食べれない。

     This soup is too hot to eat.

サリーは桜のセブチへの熱い思いに心を動かされた。

     Sally was moved by Sakura’s enthusiasm towards SEVENTEEN.

このシャツの記事はすごく厚いね。

     This shirt’s fabric is very thick.

　2.　あう

会う　“to meet someone”

合う　“to go together/match” or “to come across something”

　Examples

京都でお気に入りのYouTuberに出会った。

     I bumped into a YouTuber I like in Kyoto.

この色は肌色に合わない。

     This colour doesn’t complement my skin tone.

一生に一度の大チャンスに巡り合った。

     I came across a once in a lifetime chance.

　3.　あたたかい

暖かい　“warm weather”

温かい　“warm to the touch” or “having emotion/empathy”

　Examples

この部屋は暖かいですね。

     This room is warm.

のどが痛いから温かい飲み物を飲みたいな。

     I want something warm to drink because I have a sore throat.

とても心温まる話でした。

     It was a very heartwarming story.

　4.　あし

足　“a foot or feet from ankle outwards”

脚*　“legs from the waist down” or “something that serves a similar purpose”

　Examples

そのアイドルの足はめっちゃでかいね！

     That idol’s feet are really big!

私の脚が長かったらよかったな。

     I wish my legs were long.

椅子の脚が壊れてますよ。

     The chair leg is broken.

*While there is an official distinction between “足” and “脚”, there are many cases in which “足” is used to write “脚”. This is because the kanji is easier to write!

　5.　はやい

早い　“early”

速い　“fast”

　Examples

早起きだね。

     You wake up early.

佐藤さんって脚速い。

     Satou-san is a fast runner.

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@godsllama

Japanese Phrases for Essays

初めに・はじめに　　to begin with; first of all まず 　　first of all; to start with 最初に・さいしょに　　first 第一に・だいいちにfirst 劈頭第一・へきとうだいいち　　first and foremost 次に・つぎに next 更に　　furthermore そして　　and; thus その上に・そのうえに　　in addition; furthermore 他に・ほかに　　in addition; besides また　　also 並びに・ならびに　　both ~ and ~; ~ as well as ~ 及び・および　　and; as well as それだけでなく　　not only~ but also ~ のみならず 　　besides; as well as しかも 　　moreover; furthermore; nevertheless; and yet おそらく　　probably しかし 　　however すでに 　　already その結果・そのけっか　　as a result それにしては 　　considering that それに対して・それにたいして　　contrary to this ため 　　in order to; because of というのは 　　the reason why is にしたがって 　　following; in accordance with にとって 　　for; concerning によって　　due to; because of 一方で・いっぽうで　　on the other hand 全く・まったく　　really; truly; entirely 全て・すべて　　overall; in general 多数の・たすうの　　countless; majority 必ず・かならず　　definitely 急速に・きゅうそくに　　rapidly increasing ますます　　increasingly; more and more; decreasingly (when declining); less and less 次第に・しだいに　　gradually; little by little 現在・げんざい　　nowadays 確かに・たしかに　　it is true that (but) 要すると・ようする　　in short 非常に・　　extremely 要するに・ようするに 　　in short 全く・またく　　absolutely 絶対・ぜったい　　absolutely 誠に・まことに　　absolutely 〜によると　　according to 〜によって　　due to 従って・したがって　　accordingly; therefore; consequently 事実上・じじつじょう　　actually; as a matter of fact; in reality だって　　also 結局・けっきょく　　after all おしまい　　in closing 終わりに・おわりに　　to finish; to end; to close やはり　　after all ようやく 　　finally 加えて・くわえる　　in summary それに加え・それにくわえ　　to summarise 最後に・さいごに　　in conclusion

Star Festival Vocabulary

You can read about Tanabata here

Star Festival, Tanabata　七夕「たなばた」

Milky way　天の川「あまのがわ」

Orihime　織姫「おりひめ」

Weaving　機織り「はたおり」

Hikoboshi　彦星「ひこぼし」

Cattle herding　牛飼い「うしかい」

To marry 　結婚する「けっこんする」

To slack off 　怠ける「なまける」

Divine punishment 　罰「ばち」

Punishment (regular)  　罰「ばつ」

To pull apart 　 引き離す「ひきはなす」

Once a year 　年に一度「ねんにいちど」

To allow  　許す「ゆるす」

Magpie  　カササギ

Yukata  　浴衣「ゆかた」

Tanzaku, Paper strips　 短冊「たんざく」

Wishes　 願い事 「ねがいごと」

Bamboo 　竹「たけ」

Bamboo grass　 笹「ささ」

Bamboo decoration　 笹飾り「ささかざり」

To decorate 　飾る「かざる」

Origami 　折り紙「おりがみ」

Folded stars 　星飾り「ほしかざり」

Paper kimono 　紙衣「かみごろも」

Crane　鶴「つる」

Purses　巾着「きんちゃく」

Streamers　吹き流し「ふきながし」

Nets　投網「とあみ」

Paper lanterns　屑籠「くずかご」‘

New words I learned in Japan

Last year’s post here. 離陸 [りりく] - takeoff 探偵 [たんてい] - detective 有望な [ゆうぼうな] - good prospects, full of hope, promising 鶯 [うぐいす] - Japanese bush warbler; Japanese nightingale 単品 [たんぴん] - individual item (i.e. not of a set), single article, single item 冤罪 [えんざい] - false charge, false accusation, misrepresentation 来店 [らいてん] - coming to a store (restaurant, bar, shop, etc.) 運賃 [うんちん] - (passenger) fare 清楚な [せいそな] - neat and clean, tidy, trim 箸が転んでもおかしい年頃  [はしがころんでもおかしいとしごろ] - age at which even the slightest things seem funny (esp. said of a girl in the late teens)​ 達成 [たっせい] - achievement, attainment, accomplishment, realization  丁寧な [ていねいな] - polite, corteous, civil; careful, close, thorough, conscientious  積雪 [せきせつ] - snowpack, snow cover, fallen snow  くねくね - winding, meandering, wriggling, wiggling, waving, swaying, twisting and turning 遺伝 [いでん] - heredity, (genetic) inheritance  切っても切れない [きってもきれない] - inseparable (esp. bond, relationship), inextricable, joined at the hip, integral, essential, cannot be broken (cut, separated), indissoluble 出没 [しゅつぼつ] - appearing frequently, infesting, appearance and disappearance  支配 [しはい] - domination, rule, control 惨めな [みじめな] - mizerable, wretched, unhappy, sad, pitiable  蓋 [ふた] - cover, lid, cap 簪 [かんざし] - kanzashi, ornate hairpin 転勤 [てんきん] - job transfer, job relocation, job migration, intra-company transfer 狂暴な [きょうぼうな] - ferocious, brutal, atrocious, savage, barbarous  ヨレヨレ - worn-out, shabby, seedy, wrinkled-up, threadbare  住めば都 [すめばみやこ] - you can get used to living anywhere, home is where you make it, wherever I lay my hat is home  素面 [しらふ] - soberness, sobriety 囲炉裏 [いろり] - sunken hearth, sunken fireplace, irori 夫婦別姓 [ふうふべっせい] - (system of) husband and wife retaining separate family names  利益 [りえき] - profit, gains, benefit, advance, interest (of the public, etc.) 白桃 [はくとう] - white peach 黄桃 [おうとう] - yellow peach