Most recent Japanese word you've learned?

This post is not sponsored by 青空文庫, but contains some book-related vocab:
文庫 - book collection, “library”
文庫化(する) - publishing in paperback
文庫本 - paperback book
文庫版 - paperback edition, but not to be confused with (same kana):
文庫判 - paperback format (note the use of the “seal” kanji 判)

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矢印やじるし – arrow-shaped symbol (other possible meaning: the full name and family crest marked on an arrow in order to make the identity of the archer clear)
左・右矢印キー – left/right arrow keys (on the keyboard)

Context: I’m trying to take a programming course in Japanese.

My monolingual dictionary notes that this is usually the A6 format (「A6 判」). (I’m just adding this so the meaning of ‘format’ and the way 判 is used are a little clearer, because I was confused too.)

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Not a particularly exciting word in itself, but I was reading graded readers and came across 小麦粉 (こむぎこ), and between a bit of context and Wanikani having taught me the first two kanji, I was able to deduce that it might be (wheat) flour! And that it was! It feels very nice to finally figure something out by the kanji.

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Thanks for the clarification! I guess I should’ve explained this and the 版 in 文庫版 as well, because 版 comes up as a suffix in other words as well (like 試用版 - trial version, for instance of software). Usually means “edition” or “version” of something.

Nice, albeit niche words I found for practicing kanji:
高速輸送艦 - high speed transporter (a military ship, for instance destroyer, repurposed to act as a transport vessel)
不沈艦 - unsinkable ship

And some less niche words/phrases:
模型飛行機 - model airplane
照準器 - weapon sights (準器 is a device/tool for leveling/making something even and appears also in 水準器 - bubble level)
彗星のように現れる - to become famous quickly (“to appear like a comet”)
都道府県 - prefectures of Japan

The last one is of those “all in one” compound words like 春夏秋冬; each kanji stands for a suffix used in prefecture names, for instance:
東京都 - the Tokyo metropolis
北海道 - Hokkaido
大阪府 - Osaka metropolitan prefecture
京都府 - Kyoto metropolitan prefecture
宮城県 - Miyagi prefecture

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This can be just “field of view” in the physical sense, doesn’t always have to be metaphorical. You’ll see 視野(しや) options in games a lot.

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I love this thread.

My word for today is 記紀万葉. It seems to be an abbreviation of the Kojiki, Nihon-Shoki, and Manyoushuu, three of the most ancient and important works of Japanese literature (two chronicles and a massive poetry anthology respectively). The context was “「うお」は,記紀万葉の時代から魚類の総称として使われているが…” because I was trying to make sense of the new reading they added to 魚. Since I’m very interested in early early Japanese literature I’m hoping that some day I’ll be able to use it (this new word, not the fish word, though that’s nice too).

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一巻の終わり - end of the line (metaphorically)

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I technically knew this word before, but I didn’t know what the kanji was. But recently, I was watching Gaki no Tsukai and they flashed the Kanji while the person was speaking and so I made the connection… It turns out they’re two Kanji that I’ve already come across (They’re in my review but I haven’t cleared them yet so the vocab hasn’t popped up yet), just not put together yet for the purpose of creating a vocabulary word: 電話, “でんわ” which of course means “phone”. I obviously love watching Japanese shows already, but it is definitely even more enjoyable now as I start to pick out these random tidbits of Kanji that I’ve learned so far.

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種痘しゅとう - smallpox vaccination

:thinking: How did I come across this?

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A very random word of the day:
否定神学 - negative/apophatic theology (something they might not teach during 神学 studies)

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葛藤 - かっとう - a conflict
手綱 - たづな - reins, for a horse

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模写(する)- reproduction (of a work of art)
給水(する) - water supply
給油(する)- refueling (of a vehicle)
石油 - petroleum
浮かび上がる - to surface (getting from underwater to the surface)
探し求める - to seek
本日は晴天なり - microphone testing phrase (something like “1 2 3 testing testing”)

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たづな :slight_smile:

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Lol where did you find this? I’m reading a Japanese translation of Olivier Clemente’s “The Orthodox Church” so I expect to see it a lot.

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I usually do dictionary searches for new kanji I come across, in this case 否, and put weird and/or useful words here :sweat_smile: . The rest goes into my Anki decks.

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Hah, you’re right. :joy::+1:

I’m so used to reading 手 the other way. I’ll correct my post.

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彳亍 is an interesting one. Not to be confused with 行 of course.

卜する was one I also learned somewhat recently. Not to be confused with トする, of course.

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水着 (みずぎ):shorts:

今朝娘にこの言葉を習いました。:smiley:

菓子屋 - sweet shop
音声録音(する)- audio recording
反射波 - reflected wave
筆記(する)- writing, recording (not audio related)
作成(する) - drafting (for instance, legal documents)
軽食 - light meal

and if you feel like training your tongue a little, I have:
複雑骨折 - compound bone fracture

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Just learned this and found it interesting that (うるう) has 4 characters and 3 of them are u’s - uruu!
By itself (うるう) means “embolism; intercalation” (I definitely didn’t just have to look up what both of these mean)
Apparently it’s also used in “leap second” (閏秒(うるうびょう)), “leap day” (閏日(うるうび)) and “leap month” (閏月(うるうづき))!

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