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Word of the Day: Otokomae 男前

22 Feb

Persona 4 (PS2)

Word of the Day: 男前【おとこまえ】 (noun) handsome man.

Notes: 男 may stand by itself as おとこ (noun: man). It is the おとこ in 男気【おとこぎ】 (noun: chivalry), 男狂い【おとこぐるい】 (noun, suru verb: being wanton; chasing men), and the i-adjective 男らしい【おとこらしい】 (manly). ç”· is the だん in 男性【だんせい】 (noun: male) and the なん in 長男【ちょうなん】 (noun: one’s eldest son).

前 may be read by itself as まえ (in front of or before). It appears in compounds as varied as 午前【ごぜん】 (before noon; AM) and 建前【たてまえ】 (tatemae).

Word of the Day: Hatsumei 発明

21 Feb

Slapstick (SNES)

Word of the Day: 発明【はつめい】 (noun, suru verb) (An) invention.

Notes: 発明 has a few derived terms: 発明家【はつめいか】 (noun: inventor), 発明者【はつめいしゃ】 (noun: inventor), and 発明品【はつめいひん】 (noun: invention).

発 appears in a variety of compounds, including 発表【はっぴょう】 (noun, suru verb: announcement), 発売【はつばい】 (noun, suru verb: to sell) and 不発【ふはつ】 (noun: misfire).

明 appears as the base of the adjective 明るい【あかるい】 (bright). It’s the first character in 明日【あした】 and the めい in 説明【せつめい】 (noun, suru verb: explanation) and 明治【めいじ】 (noun: the Meiji Era, 1868-1912).

Word of the Day: Buji 無事

18 Feb

エマ様!ご無事ですか?

Last Remnant (PC/Steam)

Word of the Day: 無事【ぶじ】 (noun) Safety, peace, good health.

Notes: 無 is the root of the adjective 無い【ない】, which expresses absence or negation. It can form words like 無数【むすう】(noun, no-/na- adjective: countless, uncountable, infinite), 無口【むくち】(noun, no-/na- adjective: reticent; taciturn), and 無地【むじ】(noun, no- adjective: plain).

事 may be read by itself as こと(thing). It appears in a large variety of common words, including 返事【へんじ】(noun, suru verb: reply), 事故【じこ】(noun: accident), and 火事【かじ】(noun: a fire).

Word of the Day: Kerai 家来

17 Feb

オレ様は、おまえの家来じゃないんだぜ

Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei Ou (SNES)

Word of the Day: 家来【けらい】 (noun) A follower, servant, vassal, retinue, etc.

Notes: 家, by itself, means “house” and can be read as 「いえ」 or 「うち」. It’s a part of compounds like 家族【かぞく】(noun: family), 家庭【かてい】(noun: home, family, household), and 画家【がか】(noun: painter). 来 is the base of the verb 来る【くる】(to come) and appears in compounds like 未来【みらい】(noun: the future), 以来【いらい】(temporal/adverbial noun: since, henceforth), and 来訪【らいほう】(noun, suru verb: to visit).

Word of the Day: Meirei 命令

16 Feb

Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei Ou

Word of the Day: 命令【めいれい】 (noun, suru verb) An order; a decree.

Notes: By itself, 命 can be read as いのち(noun: life). It forms the root of the transitive verb 命じる【めいじる】 and appears as the めい in 運命【うんめい】(noun: fate).

令 appears in compounds like 禁令【きんれい】 (noun: prohibition; ban), 発令【はつれい】 (noun, suru verb: announcement; order), and 禁令【きんれい】 (noun, no adjective: laws and ordinances; legislative acts).

Word of the Day: Yuukyuu æ‚ ä¹…

15 Feb

Arabian Nights: Sabaku no Seirei Ou (SNES)

Word of the Day: 悠久【ゆうきゅう】 (noun, na adjective, no adjective) Eternity, permanence.

Notes: 悠 also appears in the words 悠長【ゆうちょう】 (na adjective: slow, easygoing) and 悠々【ゆうゆう】 (taru adjective: quiet, calm).

久 appears in words like 久し振り【ひさしぶり】 (na adjective, no adjective: a long while), 持久【じきゅう】 (noun, suru verb: endurance), and 耐久性【たいきゅうせい】 (noun: durability).

Word of the Day: Wakusei 惑星

14 Feb

インパクト 「あれが 惑星インパクトです。」

Ganbare Goemon - Boku Ga Dancer ni Natta Riyuu - Kira Kira Douchuu (SNES)

Word of the Day: 惑星【わくせい】 (noun) A planet.

Notes: 惑星 also forms the compound 小惑星【しょうわくせい】 (noun: asteroid).

惑 appears in several similar words relating to confusion: The nouns 惑い【まどい】 (noun: perplexity) and 戸惑い【とまどい】 (loss of bearings, confusion); the verbs 惑う【まどう】 (intransitive: to be perplexed), 戸惑う【とまどう】 (intransitive: to be perplexed), and 惑わす【まどわす】 (transitive: to perplex, confuse). 惑 also appears in the compounds 当惑【とうわく】 (noun, suru verb: bewilderment, confusion), and 迷惑【めいわく】 (noun, na- adjective: trouble, bother).

星 can be read by itself as ほし(star). It appears in words like 流れ星【ながれぼし】 (noun: shooting star), 衛星【えいせい】 (noun: satellite), and 星座【せいざ】 (noun: constellation).

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