Tip's Notes & Plans

[tip]

7/23/2025

4 days til end of level

several words were from the Mango lessons Chapter 3•Social Events and Gatherings so I did not include them here.

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
44	Hair	髪の毛		on the head
	Haircut		カット
44	Hairstyle	髪型	かみがた
	Hair salon	美容院	びよういん	beauty salon
	Barbershop	床屋	とこや
	Bangs	前髪	まえがみ
	Sideburns		もみ上げ	Compare髭 ひげ
	Clippers		バリカン	Compareはさみ
32	To dye	染める	そめる
	Comb	櫛	くし
	To comb	梳かす	とかす	usually written using kana alone
40	Thin	薄い	うすい	Compare 細い
		WORDS I LOOKED UP OUT OF CURIOSITY
	Wig		かつら
46	Curly hair	癖毛, 巻き髪	くせげ, まきがみ
35,31	braids (hairstyle)		三つ編み み つ あ み
	braids (hairstyle)		お下げ	wearing one’s hair in braids
31	To braid	編む	あむ
	Shampoo	洗髪	せんぱつ	washing one’s hair
	part		分け目	わ け め
	Scalp	頭皮	とうひ
	To shave	剃る	そる
	hairdresser	美容師	びようし
	Barber	髪床	かみどこ

some gifts for finishing the course. I don’t quite understand the game.

[Shannon-8]

@tip

I will walk facing up, so my tears don’t roll down. 上を向いて歩こう、涙がこぼれないように。

When I got this sentence, I knew it was a thing, so I went and found the famous song link (great whistle solo btw)

And I found this really great mashup that was a fundraiser to aid Tohoku people damaged by the huge tsunami of 2011 link

ALSO to me it’s funny that “curly hair” uses the kanji 癖 (on’へき kunくせ habit WK46)

[tip]

That song is famous but I never knew the words. The hook reminds me of an 80s hip hop sample.
The other word for curly is probably more common. I too thought habit was funny .

[tip]

Sunday, July 27, 2025

13 level 26 vocab to do. Level 27 unlocked 8/8 R, 24/32 K, 49/117 V.

Midweek the web version did a forced update. My phone is broken so … just like that, I have completed my 2025 goal.

At first glance, it seemed like content had been removed from the course.
It turns out, I have been advanced without actually working through some content. The reviews have words that are news to me but are not highlighted as such.
This must be how US students feel in the no child left behind era. Going forward, my vocabulary and context sentences may not be related to the active unit.

Is there rhyme or reason for the reading of 歯?

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
47	Tooth brushing	歯磨き	はみがき	toothpaste
36	Dentistry	歯科	しか	歯科医術 しかいじゅつ
32	Hygiene	衛生	えいせい	Dental hygiene 歯科衛生
	Gums	歯茎	はぐき	gingiva 歯肉 しにく
54	Stem	茎	くき
	to swell (from inflammation)	腫れる	はれる
	Cheeks	頬	(ほほ) ほお
	Tartar	歯石	しせき
	Toothache	歯痛	しつう
	Baby tooth	乳歯	にゅうし
	Throbbing		ずきずき	ずきんずきん

https://escapepod.org/?s=mouthfeel
Phoenix has this to say about the story: “Perhaps unsurprisingly, this story was inspired by finding my ex’s toothbrush in the bottom of my bathroom organizer. (It’s still there…)

臼歯	きゅうし	molar (tooth), grinder, premolar
小臼歯	しょうきゅうし	premolar
犬歯	けんし	eyetooth, cuspid, canine (tooth),
糸切り歯	いときりば	canine tooth
切歯	せっし	incisor (esp. in humans)
細胞	さいぼう	cell
口腔衛生	こうくうえいせい	dental health, oral hygiene
奥歯	おくば	back tooth, molar
足根骨	そっこんこつ	Tarsus
唇	くちびる	Lips
歯垢	しこう	(dental) plaque

歯は、ある身体と別の身体、つまり身体の内側と外側の境界を示していた。しかし今、そのような境界は存在しない。

The process of moving in Japan sounds like a racket. Key money? Gifts to neighbors? Notifying the government unsettles the libertarian in me.

[tip]

7/30/2025

電話 番号 が 誰のものか を 特定しなきゃ。
I have to identify whose telephone number this is.
(I need to find out who the phone number belongs to.)

–所有代名詞（Possessive Pronoun）「～のもの」と所有を表します。

–Whose is it? それは誰のものですか？ 誰のものか?

Today, anyone is free to access most websites.
今日、ほとんどのウェブサイトには誰でも自由にアクセスできる。
(今日、誰でもほとんどのウェブサイトには自由にアクセスできる.)

–As with many other adverbs that highlight an ‘amount’ in Japanese, ほとんど can modify a whole phrase, or can be used before の, to further specify a single noun.

–ほとんどの人は私の名前を読めません。Most people can’t read my name.

How can I connect my computer to the internet?
パソコンをインターネットにつなぐにはどうすればいいんですか？

–にはIn order to, In regard to, For…
のにIn order to ….

–のに, simply attach it to the base (non-past) form of a verb that you would like to express as being the ‘goal’, before following it with the conditions required to meet that goal.
(DBJG A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar Page 335)

It takes a few seconds (in order) for the images to load.
画像を読み込むのに数秒かかります。
mistake 画像を読み込むに数の秒かかります。

There is no English equivalent for that. それに相当する英語はない。

I put off getting a new phone so resorted to loading this app on my kindle. My progress was not saved for the unit .. minor set back.

[tip]

Sunday August 3, 2025- I didn’t forget. You forgot.

Oh no I didn’t go to bed with 105 reviews pending. Oh yes I did.

Let’s walk hand in hand. 手を繋いで歩こう。

• 手を繋ぐ 【てをつなぐ】[exp] to join hands (with) Conjunctive (~te)
• 歩こう 【あるこう】volitional

I finally got through to him by phone. やっと 電話が彼に つながった。

I unintentionally ended up smoking cigarettes out of habit. つい習慣的からタバコを吸ってしまった。

Even when I am talking with my friends, I wind up looking at my phone unintentionally. 友だちと話して、てもつい スマホ を見てしまう。

I ended up carelessly dropping my wallet. うっかり財布を落としてしまいました. Duo used the casual form for the verb. I have not learned it yet.

The computer went crazy. コンピューターがめちゃめちゃなった。 Should there be a に in there?

Have you gone insane? 頭おかしくなった?

I tried to go through this whole winter with just a heated table for heating.

It was rude when he laughed at me. 私のことを笑うとは 、 彼は失礼だった。WHAT?

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
18,20	Connection		つなぐ	to connect, to link together, to transfer (phone call)* I have not seen this kanji since April 2025 Enlightened*
33	vacuum cleaner	掃除機	そうじき
34	Switch on power	電源を入れる	でんげんをいれる	expression
	Switch off power	電源を切る	でんげんをきる	expression
	Plug in	差し込み	さしこみ	Insertion, plug, electrical outlet
	Outlet		コンセント	Wall socket
	Unintentional		つい	compare思わず
	Specific	特定	とくてい
	Carelessly, by accident		うっかり	Onomatopoeic (oopsie!)
	Video	動画	どうが	(esp. digital), clip
29	To search	検索	け ん さ く	looking up (e.g. a word in a dictionary), search (e.g. on the Internet), retrieval (of information)
32	Complicated	複雑	ふくざつ	compare 難しい
	Features, functions	機能	き の う
21, 23	Equipment	設備	せつび	Facilities Random: 接尾 = suffix (adjoin/tail)
	Load	読み込む	よみこむ	to load (data), to read, to fetch (e.g. a CPU instruction)
	Adjustment, control	調節	ちょうせつ
38	Air cooling	冷房	れいぼう
38	Air heating	暖房	だんぼう
	Heated table		こたつ
37	published	掲載	けいさい	posting (e.g. on the web) compare所載

… the most common way to give instructions, for example like when giving a recipe for something, is by simply using the polite non-past (i.e. shimasu) form.

…. a real example of this, using the first few steps of a pancake recipe

• 材料をホイッパーで混ぜます。[Mix the ingredients with an egg beater.]
• フライパンを弱火にして生地の半分を入れます。[Set the fry pan to low heat and add half of the mixture.]
• そのまま3分待ちます。 [Wait 3 minutes.]

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
48,50	To melt (not for metals)	溶かす	とかす	to dissolve
36	To fry	炒める	いためる	Compare焼く
33	Steam	蒸気	じょうき	Compare湯気
	sticky		ベタベタ	clinging
47	Slimy		ねばねば	sticky, glutinous noun or participle taking the aux. verb する
48	To spread	塗る	ぬる	to paint, smear
35	Vinegar	酢	す	お酢
	(Black) pepper		こしょう
36	To pickle	漬ける	つける	to preserve, to dip, to dunk
	A pickle	There is no specific word for it
0	To peel	剥く	むく	usually written using kana alone
	Cotton candy	綿飴	わたあめ
	Each		ずつ	each at a time, piecemeal
44	Peach	桃	も も	I have only ever seen this as kana
	Container	容器	ようき	Compare器物

You need some (kind of) container to carry it in. それ を 持っていくのになにか 容器 が 必要だ。

I dislike gooey foods like natto. 納豆のようなねばねばする食べ物は嫌いだ。

Do you know which of okra and natto is more gooey? (Do you know which is stickier okra or natto?) あなたはオクラと納豆はどちらがよりねばねばしているかわかりますか。source

I use honey instead of jam. ジャムの代わりにはちみつを使います。

He uses honey instead of sugar. 彼は砂糖の代わりにハチミツを使う。source

More coming soon .

[tip]

8/6/2025

nonfiction editorial about smart homes

by Carole Moleti Published in Nov. 2011 (Issue 18) | 1616 EN words translated to JP

宇宙家族ジェットソン and 宇宙家族ロビンソン made me wonder how to refer to a whole family in Japanese e.g the Huxtables or Osbournes .

The writer pondered in 2011 if humans would become physically soft in a Smart environment. I think we (generally) have become intellectually less robust instead.

In other news, I got a new phone and am happy with it. I also got a new laptop and returned it a few hours later because it would not complete the set up without a Microsoft account. I tried the workarounds but Microsoft has blocked those. The store offered to jailbreak it for a fee. This behavior should be illegal.

[tip]

Sunday, August 10, 2025

20 vocabulary remain; level 28 unlocked 6/6 R, 28/35 K, 40/129 V

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
46	polite, civil	丁寧	て い ね い	な adjective
41	bow	お辞儀	おじぎ	Compare 叩頭
48,46	wheelchair	車椅子	くるまいす
28	move	移	イ, うつす
29	donation	寄付	きふ
39	dismissal	解雇	かいこ	firing, layoff
38	counter for choices	択	たく
39	employment	雇用	こよう	Hire compare 就業
	employee, employment	雇い	やとい
	to employ, to hire	雇う	やとう	to charter (a car, boat, etc.)
	employer	雇い主	やといぬし
~	furthermore		さらに	usually written using kana alone
	to fulfill, to gratify	満たす	み た す	to satisfy (conditions, one’s appetite, etc.), to meet (e.g. demands)

彼女は丁寧 にお辞儀した。
She bowed politely.
このトイレは車椅子 使用者用です。
This toilet is for people who use wheelchairs. (This toilet is wheelchair accessible.)
これ以上私の仕事を増やさないでくれ。
Please don’t increase my work any further.
I wonder why the teacher is so hard on me.
どうして先生は私つらく(辛い 【つらい】)当( to treat esp harshly)たるのだろう。（せんせいは私にどうしてつらく当たるのだろう。）
My father walks fast.
父は歩くのが早いです。
He took out his umbrella to avoid getting wet.
彼は濡(ぬ)れるのを避(さ)けるため,傘を取り出した。

work themed short story slow reading JP translation
Escape Pod 419: Expediter * October 28, 2013* [ 9170 words ]* Author : [Mack Reynolds]

to move in ひっこしてくる Just like かえってくる, くる in ひっこしてくる works as a “helping” verb and indicates that the movement (ひっこす) is directed toward the speaker. It’s equivalent to “to move in” in English.
Note that while we have to say ひっこしてくる to mean “to move in,” we can simply say ひっこす to mean “to move out.”

Here’s a quick note on the verb わかる (“to understand” or “to know”). Since わかる itself implies ability or possibility (to understand), there is no potential form for it.

[tip]

8-13-25
There’s a storm outside and I have just finished 160+ reviews.. could only do a handful before a busy workday began. This level will take me longer as a result but a lot of the vocab is familiar.
I was going to post about how Duolingo has changed but will save it because I am too hungry at the moment.

[tip]

Sunday, August 17, 2025

There’s a surprising amount of overlap between the last two levels on WK and Duolingo. It’s been great to almost immediately see the vocabulary in sentences that are useful or at least not sophomoric .

updated UI

The web (left) and mobile (right) versions updated in different ways . On the web, XP is very limited for the same amount of effort on the app. The app however, is really pushing the ads..some are unskippable.

Then there’s the Duo Score.

middle intermediate ? which makes sense if it is B1. NOTE: the JP course stops at section 6.

Duolingo Score System
Scores range from 0 to 160, matching levels of language skill based on CEFR standards.
The Duolingo score has different levels:
Basic (10-55)
Intermediate (60-85)
Upper-Intermediate (90-115)
Advanced (125-160)

CEFR Framework Integration in Duolingo
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. This framework helps measure language skills in six levels: A1 (beginner), A2 (elementary), B1 (intermediate), B2 (upper-intermediate), C1 (advanced), and C2 (proficient).

Each part of Duolingo’s learning path is set at a specific CEFR level. For example, Section 3 (Traveler) is at A1, Section 4 (Trailblazer) at A2, Section 6 (Discoverer) at B1, and Section 8 (Navigator) at B2.

Minors are fobidden from drinking alcohol . 未成年者の飲酒は禁じされている。(Underage drinking is prohibited.)

WK	EN	KANJI	KANA	NOTES
	To Associate	付き合う	つきあう	to go steady with
30	Engagement	婚約	こんやく
28	Married couple	夫婦	ふうふ	Compare 夫妻
41	Fight	喧嘩	けんか	argument
	Constantly		しょっちゅう
	Couple?	婦	ふ	lady, woman, wife, bride
	Legal age	成年	せいねん	adult age, majority
	Under age	未成年	みせいねん	minor
38	Aged	年齢	ねんれい	age, years
	Old age	高齢	こうれい
	growth	成長	せいちょう	development, growing up, becoming an adult
52	Bias	偏見	へんけん
36	Ordinary ,popular, public	一般	いっぱん	universal
28	The public	大衆	たいしゅう
48	Memories		きおく	compare覚え

ep419-expediter 4 paragraphs

After all these hours (>250), I was growing tired of having the narrator’s voice in my ears so, I gave myself some time to miss her. New lessons (20) start tomorrow .

[tip]

It is no longer possible to post or do anything but read only public messages on this forum using anything other than my phone. Unless I find a PC or laptop that I am compatible with, detailed updates to this log will be discontinued.

[hrudey]

@tip

Unless I find a PC or laptop that I am compatible with, detailed updates to this log will be discontinued.

Good luck! Laptops are probably trickier because you can’t really customize those so much (and I’d hesitate to recommend tablets as well for that reason), but hopefully the right device makes itself known to you in due time.

[tip]

Thanks for the wishes. The dilemma is that interacting with the forum is the only thing my current devices won’t do for me. It may just be a matter of time before that changes but is it worth the hassle now?

[tip]

Sunday 8-24-25
LEveled up to 29 this week on WK.
Struggling with Duolingo. The lessons contain a lot of info the app thinks I learned before. There is only a little connection with the topic title on the practice sessions.
Read 6 more paragraphs of the online short story.
Finished current Mango section. Will start another tomorro.

[hrudey]

@tip

Thanks for the wishes. The dilemma is that interacting with the forum is the only thing my current devices won’t do for me. It may just be a matter of time before that changes but is it worth the hassle now?

Obviously I’m not being interesting enough if that’s an actual decision.

Seriously, though, it looks like you’ve had a lot of notes in here (look, I can read the title of the thread!) but that’s also something easily done offline as well. And hassle is… well, hassle. Doing the forums on mobile does suck but it ends up being a matter of does it become more of a hassle than getting a new device and all that entails? Unless it does, if the only thing you’re missing is posting the way you were and it’s not becoming an impediment to your learning, there’s a good case to just let it ride as is.

[tip]

[tip]

08/27/25

last of level 29 kanji started

Please wear a mask. マスクをしってください。

Please remove your mask. マスクを取ってください。

I have to go to the doctor to get a prescription. 処方箋をもらうために医師に行にゃきや。

Skin conditions show up most in young people. ほとんどの若者に皮膚病ができる。

Skin condtions show up in most young people. 皮膚病はほとんどの若者にできる。

[je19426]

@tip

The dilemma is that interacting with the forum is the only thing my current devices won’t do for me.

If it’s just this forum perhaps try another web browser. It may just be something going on between your device, browser and this forum.

[tip]

Yes It’s most definitely a browser issue. The folks running Discourse have decided to only support the most recent version of a short list of browsers. Kindles have been ignored altogether. My devices are running the latest versions they can but that is not good enough for the Discourse updates.
My solution is to use my phone to read the forum and leave s. Updates on this log will be short when done on my phone or longer when I have access to a compatible device with a keyboard and big screen.
I’ve been toying with the idea of taking a cue from the book clubs and linking a document that includes a detailed log. The question is: does anyone besides Shannon actually read the details of my logs?

[YandrosTheSane]

@tip

The question is: does anyone besides Shannon actually read the details of my logs?

Most weeks I do ! But if you do not have access to a convenient way to put updates you shouldn’t feel forced to do it…