The Joy o' Kanji Essays
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甚
excessive
JOK: 1449
With the planet coming apart at the seams, 甚 is a timely kanji, helping people discuss intense damage and major disasters. Moving beyond environmental doom, you can use 甚 to say "serious misunderstanding," "quite thoughtless," and "big monetary losses." On the brighter side, this kanji enables you to say "deeply impressed," "very deep meaning," and "He liked you a lot.”
粋
purity
JOK: 1455
By studying 粋, you might learn how to be cool, and you’ll definitely learn to comment on people’s failed attempts at stylishness! You’ll immerse yourself in the spirit of Edo culture and see how it permeates the language today. Plus, you’ll discover words for “purity,” “nationalism,” and “the best of technology,” also finding out how to say “He is a Parisian through and through.”
衰
grow weak
JOK: 1456
See how Japanese authors present Japan as a nation in decline—and as a developing country! Learn to discuss the rise and fall of companies, and discover why one might refer to a company as an empire. Find out how to say, "We can trace the decline to the 1950s," "Life has ups and downs," "My memory is failing," "He died of old age," and "I wasted away to skin and bones."
酔
drunk
JOK: 1457
Find out about drunken boxing and a coinage for "wasted on arrival in Japan." Discover how to get cats drunk and what to dilute drinks with to avoid hangovers. Learn to say, "After several drinks, the guy was feeling no pain," "The drunk staggered up to him," "He was put under anesthesia," "Don't you tend to get carsick?" and "You will be intoxicated by this elegant space."
遂
accomplish
JOK: 1458
Journey to the dark side with terms for attempted crimes, learning to say, “He is accused of attempted robbery.” Then move to the sunny side with positive keywords about achieving things. Sample sentences include, “Come what may, I am determined to accomplish it,” “I will do it at all costs,” “He is equal to the task,” and “He persisted in accomplishing his original plan.”
睡
drowsy
JOK: 1459
If you want to talk about sleeping like a log, not sleeping a wink, or being in a coma, 睡 is the kanji for you! Learn to say, "I must have dozed off," "He stayed awake all night, wondering why the deal fell through," "The noise disturbed his sleep," "What with the heat and the humidity, I didn't sleep well," and “Lack of sleep began to catch up with me.” And see why 睡 is in 睡蓮 (water lily).
穂
ear (of a plant)
JOK: 1460
How do a cattail, calligraphy pen, and fishing rod relate to 穂? When an ear of rice hangs low, what does that figuratively mean in Japan? How about a grafted plant? Which name for Japan means 'Land of Abundant Rice'? Why would a faucet be compared to a rice plant on Amazon? Which French painting related to grain is famous in Japan? Read the essay to find all these answers and more!
曖
dark
JOK: 1461
This essay teaches you how to complain about vague comments, ambiguous replies, obscure explanations, uncertain stances, and lax attitudes. Moreover, the text touches on the role of ambiguity in Japanese culture, "aimai" accents in Japan, and disambiguation in computer contexts. Also find out about an unexpected connection between Oscar Wilde and Yukio Mishima!
随
follow
JOK: 1462
This kanji can represent opposites—both obeying orders and doing as one pleases! Learn to say, “I traveled wherever my fancy took me,” “The small boat drifted at the mercy of the waves,” and “The orchid has an extremely vivid color.” Also find out how to say, “Our techniques are unrivaled,” “This plan comes with a problem” and “It seems a long way from here to the town.”
髄
marrow
JOK: 1463
By learning the figurative senses of “bone marrow” terms, you will grasp the role of 髄 in sentences that mean “A novel has true spirit when it reflects a state of mind” and “The most important part of that picture lies in the person's shadow.” Learn to say, “He is rotten to the core,” “Brevity is the soul of wit,” “the essence of aikido,” and “His article does not get to the essential point.”
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