The Joy o' Kanji Essays

毀

Learn about a long-term movement that nearly eradicated Buddhism in Japan, destroying many thousands of temples. See what "praise and criticism cancel each other out” means. Discover how to say, "The best thing is to destroy them," "They called off their engagement," "That destroyed all his dreams," "The old building was demolished," and "The actress sued the magazine for libel."

萎

Learn to talk about withering and atrophy, as in "Flowers wither when exposed to frost," "The flowers wilted in the summer heat," "Old vegetables wilt and cannot be sold," and "Unused muscles will atrophy." On the figurative side, find out how to say, "I shrink in her presence," "I lost my motivation to work," and "Losing signal from the spacecraft dampened hopes for a moon landing."

椅

Find out how to say, “The curve of this chair makes it feel luxurious,” “In the center stood a desk with a red leather swivel chair,” and “This easy chair is comfortable.” Learn to use “musical chairs” figuratively and see how 椅子 (chair) connects to “He is a shoo-in to win the presidency.” Read about what it really means when a restaurant worker offers seating in a chair or on the floor.

彙

You likely know 単語 (たんご: vocabulary). One can think of 単語 as the equivalent of a single book in the library that 語彙 (ごい: vocabulary; lexicon) represents. The Japanese associate the size of a 語彙 with adulthood (whereas some in the U.S. correlate the size of something very different with manhood!). See how the Japanese use 語彙 and 語彙力 (“word power”) syntactically.

唄

Find out about 唄, which always plays second fiddle to 歌 but is more likely to represent Eastern songs, whereas 歌 is more for Western music. See why the Japanese prefer to see "Singin' in the Rain" in English. Discover a term that means "song sung by a blind person with the accompaniment of the shamisen, esp. in the Kamigata area of Kansai"! And learn a bit about Okinawa via its music.

怨

From the Japanese perspective, those who carry grudges into the afterlife (including emperors!) become vengeful, troublemaking ghosts. Find out about that and how to drive nails into an effigy to lay a curse on someone. Also learn to say, “He has a grudge against you,” “The resentment runs deep,” “He seems to have it in for me,” and “The cockroach and centipede are my sworn enemies.”

媛

This essay teaches you to discuss highly regarded women and to say, for instance, “He married the most educated and talented woman in town.” It also whisks you away to Ehime Prefecture, home to famous writers (e.g., Soseki, Shiki, and Oe) and attractions such as Dogo Onsen. One of the oldest hot springs in Japan, this site inspired Soseki’s “Botchan” and Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away.”

旺

If you’re a spirited sort, this essay is for you! It’s about being full of energy, drive, vitality, curiosity, and the like. And it will teach you to say all of this: "This school’s ideal is to help students grow to be full of verve," "He’s not afraid to take on challenging work," and "He is writing prolifically." On the flip side, the essay sheds light on Jabba the Hutt’s less-than-laudable appetites.

岡

Find out what role 岡 (primarily 'hill') could possibly play in a bathhouse, on an inkstone, in a wooden carrying box, in unrequited love, and in a 2nd-class red-light district. The essay provides connective thread between uses of 岡 that otherwise seem completely random. See how 岡 relates to 丘, another kanji for "hill." And enjoy a bevy of photos with 岡 in the names of people and places.

臆

Find out how the wind and the timidity-causing god can cause a loss of nerve. Also learn to say these things: “We looked down on him as cowardly,” “He is much too cowardly to attempt it,” “He audaciously crashed this party,” “She boldly went up to the king,” “You should offer your opinion without hesitating,” and “It's not something I can talk about in public without shame.”