にほんごのたね Nihongo no Tane with Yumi

Yumi continues her discussion on onomatopoeia in Japanese. Japanese use sound words and mimetic words far more frequently than in English. Learning how to use these words well will help improve your fluency.   KEY VOCABULARY: オノマトペ onomatopoeia ごちゃごちゃ messy; confused; chaotic 整理(せいり)されていない  not organized 状態(じょうたい) condition; state of things ペコペコ very hungry; starvi...

Yumi continues her discussion on onomatopoeia in Japanese. Japanese use sound words and mimetic words far more frequently than in English. Learning how to use these words well will help improve your fluency.   KEY VOCABULARY: オノマトペ onomatopoeia 日本人(にほんじん)らしく話(はなし)せる to be able to speak like a Japanese 汗(あせ)をかいた to sweat さっぱり refreshed 含(ふく)まれます includes さっ...

Yumi continues her discussion on onomatopoeia in Japanese. Japanese use sound words and mimetic words far more frequently than in English. Learning how to use these words well will help improve your fluency.   KEY VOCABULARY: オノマトペ onomatopoeia 擬音語(ぎおんご)  sound word onomatopoeia 擬態語(ぎたいご) mimetic word 音(おと)を真似(まね) imitating sounds ぴかぴか光(ひか)るto sparkle; to glitter...

Yumi is surprised by Clay’s usage of onomatopoeia. “Just as a Japanese person would say,” she thought. Onomatopoeia is used much more often in Japanese than we would in English. Yumi is convinced learning to use onomatopoeia correctly and in natural situations will greatly improve your Japanese conversation.   KEY VOCABULARY: オノマトペ onomatopoeia よっぽど to a large extent; greatly 日本人(にほ...

Today, Yumi looks at a few ways to help prevent dementia. Good news! By listening to this podcast, you are already doing one very powerful thing.   KEY VOCABULARY: 認知症(にんちしょう) dementia; senility; cognitive impairment 認知症予防(にんちしょうよぼう) dementia prevention 言(い)い方(かた) way of saying; term アルツハイマー型認知症(がたにんちしょう) Alzheimer's disease 症状(しょうじょう) sympto...

We spend so much time behind our computer screens, so it is nice to, once-in-a-while, actually meet people. Today, Yumi shares a meeting with a Makoto+ member who happened to be in town. It was a lot of fun and helped motivate Yumi to keep on doing what she's doing.   KEY VOCABULARY: わざわざ taking the trouble (to do something) 海(うみ)を越(こ)えて crossing the sea and 有名人(ゆうめいじん) famous...

A Makoto+ member had a question for Yumi. "Why are Diet members (Japanese parliament) called "kun" when "kun" is mostly for little boys?" Good question. Listen as Yumi delves into the fascinating history behind this common honorific title.   KEY VOCABULARY: 子供(こども)の頃(ころ) when I was a kid; childhood そういう感(かん)じ such a feeling; that's how (I) feel 新聞社(しんぶんしゃ) newspaper compa...

Yumi continues to talk about counters in Japanese. This series started due to a question from a listener about how to count Godzilla. Then, she talked about rabbits (which uses 一羽 ichiwa -- just like birds). This time, she turns her attention to fish. Fish in general are easy to count. But… of course, it isn't that simple in the real world.   KEY VOCABULARY: 数(かぞ)え方(かた) way of counting 島...

Yumi continues counting in Japanese. Last time, she discussed how to count Godzilla (is it 一匹 ippiki or 一頭 ittou?). This week, she turns her attention to the interesting counter for rabbits. Is it 一匹 ippiki? Nope. It's 一羽 ichiwa -- just like birds. Why? Listen as Yumi gives two possible etymologies.   KEY VOCABULARY: 数(かぞ)え方(かた) way of counting 頭(とう) counter for large animals (me...

In the original Godzilla movie from 1954, the professor uses the counter 一匹 to count Godzilla. But isn't 匹 used with small animals? Shouldn't Godzilla be counted as 一頭? This was a bit of a puzzle for Yumi too, so she researched the subject. Listen as Yumi explains what she discovered.   KEY VOCABULARY: ゴジラ Godzilla [mix of ゴリラ (gorilla) and クジラ (whale)] 白黒(しろくろ) Black and white...

Japan has many wonderful things. The latest technology, tons of entertainment, low crime… but Japan also has one of the highest rates of suicide. Why is this so? Yumi talks about this difficult subject and gives a few of her thoughts about how to help prevent it.   KEY VOCABULARY: 自殺率(じさつりつ) suicide rate 私自身(わたしじしん)は I, myself; as for me, I… 有名(ゆうめい)な芸能人(げいのうじん) f...

Yumi was very careful to always keep a sharp eye out on her children when they were young. In the shortest of moments, the unthinkable can happen. Japan is a very safe country most of the time, but children are left unsupervised moreso than in other countries. Yumi wonders is it's time to rethink that.   KEY VOCABULARY: 行方不明(ゆくえふめい) missing (person); lost; whereabouts unknown 一致(いっち...

Did you know Yumi once fell asleep during a production of Cats. You may be thinking, that's because it was in English! Nope. It was a performance in Nagoya in Japanese. She then concluded stories with lines sung rather than spoken make her sleepy and aren't worth the money. But then she saw The Phantom of the Opera. Listen as Yumi explains a similarity that musical shares with modern anime.   KEY...

Walk 10,000 steps a day! Have you heard that slogan? Today, Yumi talks about how many steps the latest research suggests you should walk and what one should do with conflicting health suggestions.   KEY VOCABULARY: 体(からだ)に良(よ)い good for the body 若(わか)い頃(ころ) youth; when (I) was young ラジオ局(きょく)に勤(つと)めていた Worked at a radio station 田舎町(いなかまち)  country town 階段(か...

Living to 100 is becoming more common in Japan. In the 1960s, only a few hundred people were over a hundred. Today, that number is around 80,000. Yumi continues with a few of her thoughts about how she plans to live longer.   KEY VOCABULARY: 保険(ほけん) insurance 漠然(ばくぜん) vague; obscure; hazy 長生(ながい)き long life 金(かね)を貯(た)めてください please save up money 最高齢(さいこうれい) old...

Getting in shape and staying healthy isn't just to feel better now, it also increases the change one can live longer. Japanese have the longest life expectancies on earth. Today, Yumi shares a few of her thoughts about how she plans to live longer.   KEY VOCABULARY: 水筒(すいとう) canteen; water bottle; thermos グビグビ in loud gulps (drinking) 水分(すいぶん)をとる to take (drink) liquids  意識(い...

Do you have allergies? Yumi lives in Florida and while she doesn't have bad allergies, the pollen season is bad. In Japan, however, people with allergies don't just have pollen to worry about but yellow dust from Mongolia called 黄砂【こうさ】 also.   KEY VOCABULARY: 花粉(かふん) pollen 花粉症(かふんしょう) hay fever; allergy to pollen の季節(きせつ) the season of… アレルギーがある to have allergi...

Spring has sprung, and Japan is filled with pink-hued flowers floating in the air. Yumi shares a few of her sakura-related thoughts and memories. KEY VOCABULARY: 桜(さくら) cherry blossoms 花見(はなみ) flower viewing; meeting others under cherry trees to enjoy talking and drinking while watching the blossoms. 満開(まんかい) full bloom 地元(じもと) hometown; local area 名所(めいしょ) famous places...

So-and-so looks just like that celebrity! Oh, I don't think so. Recently two people told Yumi her son resembles someone famous. Yumi looked at the celebrities online and… didn't see the resemblance. How is it some people see a resemblance when others don't? Today, Yumi talks about this phenomenon.   KEY VOCABULARY: 似(に)ている resembling; looks like まず初(はじ)めは first of all 有名選手(ゆうめい...

Do you do well speaking in front of others? Today, Yumi talks about giving speeches.   KEY VOCABULARY: 成人式(せいじんしき) coming of age ceremony ユダヤ式(しき) Jewish style 儀式(ぎしき) ceremony; rite; ritual 招待(しょうたい) invitation 緊張(きんちょう)のあまり was so nervous that; too nervous 一時中断(いちじちゅうだん) temporary suspension ハプニング happening; unexpected incident; unforeseen e...

決まり文句 kimari monku are cliched phrases used in certain situations. Today, Yumi talks about a few useful kimari monku and the situations you should use them in. Using kimari monku in the right way will make your conversational Japanese much smoother.   KEY VOCABULARY: 決(き)まり文句(もんく) set cliché phrases 挨拶(あいさつ) greetings ある場面(ばめん) a certain scene/situation 本来(ほんらい) or...

Did you know Makoto+ also has online courses? We just added one on Japanese names and it is free for Shogun or lifetime members. https://makotoplus.com/ Today, Yumi talks a little about Japanese names. To her, it is natural that 渡部 is "Watanabe" but Japanese names aren't quite as easy for the learner of Japanese. Understanding Japanese names is critical for improving understanding of movies, nov...

Yumi posts daily vocabulary images on Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/thejapanshop/ ). For the past month or so, the lessons have been on Japanese slang. Slang can be fun but also a little dangerous if used in improper contexts. Listen as Yumi talks about slang and her time as a radio DJ.   KEY VOCABULARY: 一時的(いちじてき) temporary 仲間同士(なかまどうし) among friends; peers [the 同士 mea...

Yumi's cat and her childish embarrassment (this story is from when she was a first grade elementary student) gets her into some trouble at school. Do you know what 濡(ぬ)れ衣(ぎぬ)を着(き)せる means? Listen to today's podcast and find out.   KEY VOCABULARY: 思(おも)い出(で) memories; recollections; reminiscences 真(ま)っ赤(か) bright red 教室(きょうしつ) classroom 〇〇君(くん) boy called X [the 〇...

Continuing with the animal-theme from recent episodes, Yumi tells us about her first cat. The cat was plump and so received the name "Koro" (roly-poly). But… there was a reason for the cat's plumpness. Little Yumi was surprised when strange-looking mice-like creatures began coming out of her cat.   KEY VOCABULARY: 子(こ)どもの頃(ころ) childhood 思(おも)い出(で) memory 三毛猫(みけねこ) calico cat...