Tag - vocabulary-boost

 
 

VOCABULARY BOOST

Sometimes just saying that you won't break a promise isn't enough. You may need the power of the pinky finger.
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Nov 3, 2023
Breaking a promise comes with sharp penalties in Japan
An interesting element that is present in both Japanese and English rhymes around pinky promises is the idea of needles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Dec 16, 2022
Merriam-Webster’s word of the year is ‘gaslighting,’ and don't try to tell us there isn't a Japanese equivalent
Merriam-Webster saw a huge spike in people looking up the word “gaslighting” in 2022, and Japan is also no stranger to the concept.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Oct 28, 2022
A verb you're bound to wear out on Halloween
The verb 'kiru' (to wear) is a necessary bit of a vocabulary to know on a night like Halloween. Its usage is about more than just costumes, though.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Sep 8, 2022
Climate talk reaches 'crisis' mode
Are you clued in to the “GX” taking place in Japan? If not, it's time to review your environmentally focused vocabulary lists.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Sep 1, 2022
Take some time to refresh your emergency vocabulary on Disaster Prevention Day
It was 99 years ago that a devastating earthquake hit Tokyo. As a result, Japan marks Sept. 1 by conducting disaster-preparedness drills at schools and companies nationwide.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Jun 3, 2022
Returning a pencil, returning to work and the return of Okinawa
Last month marked the 50th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese control. But the word used for 'return' in this case wasn't the same as what you'd use to 'return' a pencil.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Mar 22, 2022
Describing an invasion and expressing unity in Japanese amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict
As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues, Japanese-language learners are discovering that there's no shortage of terms relating to “invasion” and “unity.”
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Feb 4, 2022
'Minashi yōsei' and other recent pandemic-related terms
It seems like every week Japanese-language learners are introduced to new terms that are connected in some way with the pandemic.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Jan 14, 2022
Language roars to life in 2022, the Year of the Tiger
The arrival of the Year of the Tiger is an opportune moment to go over a few idioms and sayings that involve the animal of 2022.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Sep 24, 2021
Heading into fall with politically themed Japanese vocabulary
Load up on some election vocabulary for the upcoming polls, as well as some new coronavirus jargon.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Jun 25, 2021
Variants, the Olympics and other boosters for your vocabulary
Frequent Japanese words popping up in the media have more to do with vaccinations, but could an Olympic shift be ahead?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / Vocabulary Boost
Mar 26, 2021
COVID-19 continues to infect the way we speak Japanese in 2021
Rebounds, dominoes and life after corona are some of the English terms that have been popping up in Japanese conversations recently.

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores