Saturday, September 16, 2006

2 kanji for Saturday 16th September 06: 回　＆　図

Last update for a couple of weeks as I'm off traveling around Europe... I'm really gonna miss updating the blog ;-) No excuse for you not to revise grammar points though, so visit ディブーさんｓ blog at http://ganbattekudasai.blogspot.com/

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回
TURN AROUND, # TIMES
カイ、エ
to turn around; to rotate
まわ・る；　まわ・す
ーーーーーーーーーー
何回
なん・かい　how many times?
乗り回す
の・り・まわ・す　to drive/ride around

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図
DRAWING
ズ、　ト
to strive for, to work for, to promote
はか・る
ーーーーーーーーーー
地図
ち・ず　map (lit. ground + drawing)
意図
い・と　intention, aim, design
合図
あい・ず　sign, signal
図書館
と・しょ・かん　library

ほな！、　マット。

posted by Matt Price @ 10:01 am 0 Comments

Friday, September 15, 2006

2 more kanji for Friday 15th September 06: 品　＆　問

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品
ARTICLE
ヒン
しな
ーーーーーーーーーー
品物
しな・もの　goods, article, thing
部品
ぶ・ひん　parts, accessories
上品
じょう・ひん　refined, elegant, polished
品名
ひん・めい　product name

ーーーーーーーーーー
問
QUESTION
モン
to ask, question, enquire; a question
と・う；　と・い
ーーーーーーーーーー
問題
もん・だい　question, problem
自問
じ・もん　ask oneself
不問
ふ・もん　ignorance
学問
がく・もん　scholarship, study, learning

posted by Matt Price @ 8:39 am 0 Comments

Thursday, September 14, 2006

kanji for Thursday 14th September 06: 同　＆　味

Bit of a late update...

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同
SAME
ドウ
the same, identical, similar, equal
おな・じ
ーーーーーーーーー
同時
どう・じ　same time, concurrent, simulatenously
同然
どう・ぜん　similar to, natural, just
同意
どう・い　consent, approval, agreement
同じよう
おな・じよう　similarly

ーーーーーーーーー
味
TASTE
ミ
taste, flavour; to taste, appreciate, relish
あじ；　あじ・わう
ーーーーーーーーー
意味
い・み　meaning
地味
じ・み　plain, simple
気味
き・み　sensation, feeling

posted by Matt Price @ 8:30 am 0 Comments

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

2k for Wednesday 13th September 06: 台　＆　合

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台
STAND
ダイ、タイ
ーーーーーーーーーー
台風
たい・ふう　Typhoon (lit. standing wind, which is pretty much what a typhoon is)
台所
だい・どころ　kitchen
高台
たか・だい　elevation, high ground

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合
COMBINE, FIT
ゴウ
to fit, suit、match
あ・う
ーーーーーーーーーー
試合
し・あい　match, tournament (for sports I guess...)
会合
かい・ごう　meeting
似合う
に・あ・う　to suit, to match (e.g.　それジーンズあなたが似合うと思います I think those jeans suit you). This probably needs correcting :-(

posted by Matt Price @ 8:35 am 1 Comments

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

couple of squashed spiders for Tuesday 12th September 06: 場　＆　家

Late update today as I overslept this morning (I usually update the blog over breakfast!)

Now onto todays kanji!

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場
PLACE
ジョウ
place, spot, site, ground
ば
ーーーーーーーーーー
工場
こう・じょう　factory, plant, mill
広場
ひろ・ば　plaza
式場
しき・じょう　place of ceremony (e.g wedding, graduation)
会場
かい・じょう　assembly hall, meeting place

ーーーーーーーーーー
家
HOUSE, FAMILY
カ、ケ
house, home, household; house (yet another word for house!)
いえ；　や
ーーーーーーーーーー
家族
か・ぞく　family
作家 (Should know this one already!)
さ・っか　writer, author
画家
が・か　painter
家事
か・じ　housework, chores

posted by Matt Price @ 8:26 am 0 Comments

Monday, September 11, 2006

2 more for Monday 11th September 06: 区　＆　去

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区
DISTRICT, WARD
ク
ーーーーーーーーーー
区別
く・べつ　distinction, differntiation, classification
区切る
く・ぎ・る　to punctuate, to cut off
区々　
まち・まち　several, various, trivial

ーーーーーーーーーー
去
GO AWAY
キョ、コ
to leave, depart, resign, elapse
さ・る
ーーーーーーーーーー
去年
きょ・ねん　last year
去来
きょ・らい　coming and going
連れ去る
つ・れ・さ・る　to take away

posted by Matt Price @ 8:34 am 0 Comments

Sunday, September 10, 2006

kanji for Sunday 10th September 06: 勉　＆　動

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勉
ENDEAVOUR
ベン
ーーーーーーーーーー
勉強
べん・きょう　study
勉学
べん・がく　study, pursuit of knowledge
不勉強
ふ・べん・きょう　idleness, lack of application (something I occasionally suffer from!)

ーーーーーーーーーー
動
MOVE
ドウ
to move, shift
うご・く
ーーーーーーーーーー
動物
どう・ぶつ　animal
*I love this one! What is an animal? Something that moves... hence 動　(move) and 物　(thing), moving thing 動物. Classic!
不動
ふ・どう　immobility, motionless
運動
うん・どう　exercise (to exercise 運動する)
手動
しゅ・どう　manual (as in a process, e.g 手動労力しゅ・どう・ろう・りょく　manual labour)

That's it for today. またね

posted by Matt Price @ 10:25 am 1 Comments

Saturday, September 09, 2006

二つの漢字で土曜日０６年九月九日：別　＆　力

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別
SEPARATE, ANOTHER
ベツ
separately, particulary; to separate
べつ・に;　わけ・れる
ーーーーーーーーーー
別々に
べつ・べつ・に　separately
特別
とく・べつ　special
別に
べつ・に　(not) particulary, nothing

ーーーーーーーーーー
力
POWER
リョク、リキ
power, force, strength, energy
ちから
ーーーーーーーーーー
全力
ぜん・りょく　all one's energy/power
有力者
ゆう・りょく・しゃ　influential person
電力
でん・りょく　electric power

posted by Matt Price @ 4:48 pm 0 Comments

Friday, September 08, 2006

2 kanji for Friday 8th Seotember 06: 冬　＆　切

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冬
WINTER
トウ
ふゆ
ーーーーーーーーーー
冬場
ふゆ・ば　winter season
冬物
ふゆ・もの　winter clothing
冬日
ふゆ・び　the winter sun

ーーーーーーーーーー
切
CUT
セツ、サイ
to cut, slice, chop; to break, snap
き・る；　き・れる
ーーーーーーーーーー
大切
たい・せつ　important, valuable
切手
き・って　postage stamp
親切
しん・せつ　kind, gentle
不親切
ふ・しん・せつ　unkind, not nice, unfriendly

I knew all of the above words but had no idea that they used the 切 kanji! 覚えなければいけません！

posted by Matt Price @ 8:38 am 0 Comments

Thursday, September 07, 2006

2 kanji for Thursday 7th September 06: 光　＆　写

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光
LIGHT
コウ
to shine, emit light, glitter, sparkle
ひか・る
ーーーーーーーーーー
電光
でん・こう　lightening
月光
げっ・こう　moon light
日光
にっ・こう　sun light, Nikko (a place in Tochigawa prefecture 140k's north of Tokyo)

ーーーーーーーーーー
写
COPY
シャ
to copy, reproduce, to take a picture
うつ・す
ーーーーーーーーーー
写真
しゃ・しん　picture, photograph
写真屋
しゃ・しん・や　photo studio, photographer
写し
うつ・し　copy, fax, transcript

That's it for today, ほな！

posted by Matt Price @ 8:34 am 0 Comments

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

2 more for Wednesday 6th September 06: 元　＆　兄

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元
ORIGIN
ゲン、ガン
origin, beginning, source
もと
ーーーーーーーーーー
元気
げん・き　health, spirit
地元
じ・もと　local
元々
もと・もと　originally, from the start, by nature
元日
がん・じつ　New Years day
ーーーーーーーーーー
兄
OLDER BROTHER
ケイ、キョウ
あに
ーーーーーーーーーー
お兄さん
お・にい・さん　someone else's older brother
兄
あに　your own older brother
父兄
ふ・けい　guardians, parents and older brothers
兄弟
きょう・だい　brothers and sisters, siblings

posted by Matt Price @ 8:39 am 1 Comments

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

2 kanji for Tuesday 5th September 06: 借　＆　働

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借
BORROW
シャク
to borrow
か・りる
ーーーーーーーーーー
借金
しゃっ・きん　debt, loan, liabilities
借り物
か・り・もの　borrowed thing
貸借
たい・しゃく　credit and debit, lending and borrowing

ーーーーーーーーーー
働
WORK
ドウ
to work, labour, operate, function
はたら・く
ーーーーーーーーーー
働き者
はたら・き・もの　hard working person
働き口
はたら・き・ぐち　opening, position
季節労働
き・せつ・ろう・どう　seasonal work

posted by Matt Price @ 7:26 pm 0 Comments

Monday, September 04, 2006

昨日私は風邪を引いたから今日は家で休みしています。。。

Anybody know any good remedies for getting over colds?!?

posted by Matt Price @ 12:47 pm 1 Comments

Serving up a deuce for Monday 4th September 06: 使　＆　便

Look a little similliar these two...

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使
USE, ENVOY
シ
to use, to make use of, to handle
つか・う
ーーーーーーーーーー
使い方
つか・い・かた　the way to use something
In fact, you can use 方 on any base 2 verb to say 'the way in which something is done', e.g. the way to drink tea - お茶の飲み方。 Notice the particle change from を to の！（さちありがとう！）
天使
てん・し　angel
使者
し・しゃ　messenger

ーーーーーーーーーー
便
CONVENIENT, POST
ベン、ビン
news, correspondence, tidings
たよ・り
ーーーーーーーーーー
便利
べん・り　convenient, handy, useful
不便
ふ・べん inconvenient
郵便局
ゆう・びん・きょく post office

posted by Matt Price @ 12:26 pm 1 Comments

Sunday, September 03, 2006

2 more for Sunday 3rd September 06: 体　＆　作

All of these are from the JLPT 3 spec by the way...

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体
BODY, FORM
タイ、テイ
body, physique, health
からだ
ーーーーーーーーーー
本体
ほん・たい　substance, real form
人体
じん・たい　human body
死体
し・たい　corpse
* See, this is what I love about Japanese. Death 死 + body 体= corspe　死体. Makes sense yeah? Of course, all this goes out of the window with other examples. I can't think of any outrageous examples at the moment - I'm sure that the old 'woman + apple = carburetor' isn't true... Anybody got any good examples of crazy Japanese kanji combos?


ーーーーーーーーーー
作
MAKE, WORK
サク、サ
to make, form, prepare
つく・る
ーーーーーーーーーー
作家
さ・っか　author
作り話
つく・り・はなし　fiction, made up story, myth
工作
こう・さく　work, handicraft

posted by Matt Price @ 11:37 am 1 Comments

Saturday, September 02, 2006

2 kanji for Saturday 2nd September 06: 低　＆　住

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低
LOW
テイ
low, short (stature)
ひく・い
---------------
最低
さい・てい　the lowest, least, worst
背が低い
せ・が・ひく・い　short person
低温
てい・おん　low temperature*
高低
こう・てい rise and fall, high and low*

---------------
住
LIVE
ジュウ
to live, reside
す・む
---------------
職住
しょく・じゅう workplace and residence
住所
じゅう・しょ　address
移住
い・じゅう　immigration, migration*
独り住まい　
ひと・り・ず・まい　leaving alone*

Struggling for examples once again!
*Courtesy of Dave-san. Cheers matey!

posted by Matt Price @ 10:59 am 1 Comments

Friday, September 01, 2006

2 kanji for Friday 1st September 06: 仕　＆　代

I'm thinking of upping it to 3 (or maybe 4) kanji each day since all of these kanji are already known - or should be! - and therefore covering more vocab as well...

---------------
仕
SERVE, DO
シ、ジ
to serve, to work for
つか・える
---------------
 仕事
し・ごと work, occupation
仕事場
し・ごと・ば
place where one works
仕上げる
し・あ・げる to finish up, to complete
... struggling for examples. Anybody got any others, email me and I'll edit the post! Cheers.

---------------
代
SUBSTITUTE, GENERATION
ダイ、タイ
to substitute, to take the place of
か・わる
---------------
世代
せ・だい　age. generation
代金
だい・きん　cost, price, the bill
時代
じ・だい　period, era
現時代　
げん・じ・だい the present era, now
江戸時代
え・ど・じ・だい　Edo period - first person to email me the correct dates of the Edo period wins a rare mystery prize... ほな、マット。
デイブからもう一つの例文。。。
９０年代
９０・ねん・だい　the 90's. Personally I preferred the ８０年代!

posted by Matt Price @ 10:47 am 2 Comments