名詞 V

名作めいさくと言いわれる所以ゆえんが分わかった。

I understood why it is called a masterpiece.

Usage 〜と言われる所以 — the reason it is so called. The same reading and meaning as 由縁, but 所以 is the commoner spelling. Written register.

Remember it 所 (that which) + 以 (by means of) → that by which the thing is so.

初動しょどうの遅おくれが被害ひがいを広ひろげた。

The delay in the initial response widened the damage.

Usage 初動が遅れる, 初動対応 — a slow first response, the initial handling. Common in disaster and investigation reporting. Read しょどう.

Remember it 初 (first) + 動 (move) → the first move made.

真価しんかが問とわれる場面ばめんだ。

This is where his true worth is tested.

Usage 真価が問われる, 真価を発揮する — having one's true worth tested, or showing it. Read しんか — do not confuse 進化, evolution.

Remember it 真 (true) + 価 (value) → what it is actually worth, not what it is priced at.

もう少すこしの辛抱しんぼうだ。

Just a little more patience.

Usage 辛抱する, 辛抱強い — enduring patiently. Close to 我慢, but 辛抱 stresses holding out over time. Read しんぼう.

Remember it 辛 (bitter) + 抱 (hold) → holding on to what is bitter.

改革かいかくを強力きょうりょくに推進すいしんする。

Driving the reforms forward vigorously.

Usage 〜を推進する — pushing something forward. Transitive. 推進力 is driving force. Read すいしん.

Remember it 推 (push) + 進 (advance) → pushed forward from behind.

是ぜか非ひかを議論ぎろんした。

We debated whether it was right or wrong.

Usage 是か非か, 是が非でも — right or wrong, and 'by any means whatever'. 是 is right and 非 is wrong. 是正する is to put right. Read ぜ.

Remember it 是 (right, this is so) → the side of the argument that is so.

今週こんしゅうが正念場しょうねんばとなる。

This week will be the crucial test.

Usage 正念場を迎える — reaching the decisive moment. From kabuki, the scene in which the actor must give everything. Read しょうねんば.

Remember it 正念 (right concentration) + 場 (scene) → the scene that demands everything you have.

過去かこを清算せいさんして出直でなおす。

Settling the past and making a fresh start.

Usage 借金を清算する, paying off debts; and 過去を清算する, breaking with the past. Read せいさん — do not confuse 精算, adjusting a fare.

Remember it 清 (clear) + 算 (account) → the account cleared.

費用ひようは折半せっぱんしよう。

Let us split the cost.

Usage 〜を折半する — dividing in two equal parts. 折 is to break and 半 is half. Used of money and profits. Read せっぱん.

Remember it 折 (break) + 半 (half) → broken cleanly down the middle.

先例せんれいのない措置そちだ。

It is a measure without precedent.

Usage 先例がない, 先例に倣う — having no precedent, following one. Close to 前例. Read せんれい.

Remember it 先 (earlier) + 例 (instance) → the instance that came before.

事件じけんの全容ぜんようが明あきらかになった。

The full picture of the case has come to light.

Usage 全容が明らかになる, 全容解明 — the whole picture emerging. Common in investigative reporting. 容 is the shape or form. Read ぜんよう.

Remember it 全 (whole) + 容 (form) → the whole shape of it, not just the part showing.

成功せいこうする素地そじはあった。

The makings of success were there.

Usage 素地がある — having the groundwork or the makings. Literally the unglazed body of a piece of pottery. Read そじ.

Remember it 素 (plain, unworked) + 地 (ground) → the plain base before anything is applied.

二人ふたりはこの分野ぶんやの双璧そうへきだ。

The two of them are the twin peaks of this field.

Usage 〜の双璧をなす — forming a matched pair of the very best. 璧 is a precious jade disc. It always refers to exactly two. Read そうへき.

Remember it 双 (pair) + 璧 (jade disc) → two flawless jades, neither finer than the other.

組合くみあいの総意そういとして決定けっていした。

It was decided as the consensus of the union.

Usage 総意として, 総意を得る — as the collective will, obtaining consensus. Formal. Read そうい — do not confuse 創意, originality.

Remember it 総 (all together) + 意 (will) → the will of all of them taken as one.

それは俗説ぞくせつにすぎない。

That is no more than a popular belief.

Usage 〜は俗説だ, 俗説にすぎない — a piece of received wisdom with nothing behind it. Implicitly set against 定説, the established view. Read ぞくせつ.

Remember it 俗 (common, popular) + 説 (account) → the account that circulates, whether or not it is true.

損得そんとく抜ぬきで協力きょうりょくしたい。

I want to help without counting the cost.

Usage 損得抜きで, 損得勘定 — without regard to gain, and the weighing of profit and loss. 損 is loss and 得 is gain. Read そんとく.

Remember it 損 (loss) + 得 (gain) → what you lose set against what you get.

体裁ていさいを気きにしすぎている。

He worries too much about appearances.

Usage 体裁を気にする, minding appearances; and 体裁を整える, putting something into proper form. Read ていさい, not たいさい.

Remember it 体 (body, form) + 裁 (cut, tailor) → how the thing is cut to be looked at.

大義たいぎのために立たち上あがった。

He rose for the sake of a great cause.

Usage 大義のために, 大義名分 — for a great cause, and a legitimate justification. 大義名分が立たない means there is no proper case for it. Read たいぎ.

Remember it 大 (great) + 義 (righteousness) → the cause large enough to act in the name of.

とんでもない代物しろものをつかまされた。

I was landed with an outrageous piece of goods.

Usage 〜な代物 — a specimen, an article. Read しろもの, not だいぶつ. Usually critical or wry. The reading is a frequent exam item.

Remember it 代 (price) + 物 (thing) → the thing considered as what it is worth, usually not much.

今回こんかいは駄作ださくだと酷評こくひょうされた。

It was savaged as a poor piece of work this time.

Usage 駄作だ — a dud. The prefix 駄〜 marks something of no value: 駄菓子, 無駄. Its opposite is 傑作. Read ださく.

Remember it 駄 (worthless) + 作 (work) → work not worth the making.

端末たんまつから情報じょうほうを入力にゅうりょくする。

Information is entered from the terminal.

Usage 携帯端末 is a handheld device. 端 is the tip and 末 the far end. Information-technology vocabulary. Read たんまつ.

Remember it 端 (tip) + 末 (far end) → the far end of the network, where the user sits.

調査ちょうさで新あらたな知見ちけんが得えられた。

The survey yielded new findings.

Usage 知見を得る, 新たな知見 — gaining new insight. Academic written style, more formal than 知識. Read ちけん.

Remember it 知 (know) + 見 (see) → what has been seen, and therefore known.

蓄たくわえを切きり崩くずして暮くらしている。

I am living off my savings.

Usage 蓄えがある, 蓄えを崩す — having savings, dipping into them. The verb is 蓄える. Read たくわえ.

Remember it 蓄 (store up) → what has been put by.

人気にんきが頂点ちょうてんに達たっした。

His popularity reached its peak.

Usage 頂点に達する, 頂点を極める — reaching the summit. Used of mountain peaks, geometric vertices and the height of a career. Read ちょうてん.

Remember it 頂 (summit) + 点 (point) → the point at the very top.

慧眼けいがんの持もち主ぬしだと評ひょうされる。

He is spoken of as a man of discernment.

Usage 慧眼の持ち主 — someone with an eye that sees to the heart of things. Formal written style. Read けいがん; in Buddhism it is read えげん.

Remember it 慧 (wisdom) + 眼 (eye) → the eye that wisdom looks out of.

話はなしの辻褄つじつまが合あわない。

The story does not hang together.

Usage 辻褄が合う / 合わない — being consistent or not. From sewing: 辻 is where seams cross and 褄 the hem of a kimono. Read つじつま.

Remember it 辻 (where seams meet) + 褄 (hem) → the seams that must line up, or the garment is wrong.

出発しゅっぱつの手筈てはずは整ととのった。

The arrangements for departure are in place.

Usage 手筈を整える — getting the arrangements in order — is a set phrase. 筈 is the notch at the end of an arrow. Read てはず.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 筈 (arrow notch) → the notch fitted to the string before you shoot.

先輩せんぱいを手本てほんにしている。

I take my senior colleague as my model.

Usage 〜を手本にする, 手本を示す — taking as a model, setting an example. Literally a copybook for practising handwriting. Read てほん.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 本 (the original) → the master copy the hand works from.

怒おこるのも道理どうりだ。

It is only reasonable that he should be angry.

Usage 道理で, 〜も道理だ — 'no wonder', 'and rightly so'. 道理にかなう means standing to reason. Read どうり.

Remember it 道 (the way) + 理 (principle) → the way things properly go.

同志どうしを募つのって活動かつどうを始はじめた。

He gathered comrades and started the campaign.

Usage 同志を募る — recruiting the like-minded. Read どうし — do not confuse 同士 (どうし), meaning 'among fellows', as in 学生同士.

Remember it 同 (same) + 志 (aspiration) → people pointed the same way.

特権とっけんを乱用らんようしてはならない。

Privilege must not be abused.

Usage 特権を乱用する, 特権階級 — abusing privilege, the privileged class. Read とっけん.

Remember it 特 (special) + 権 (right) → the right granted to some and not to others.

業界ぎょうかいの内幕うちまくを暴あばいた本ほんだ。

It is a book exposing the inside story of the industry.

Usage 内幕を暴く, 内幕を語る — exposing or telling what goes on behind the scenes. Literally the inner curtain of a stage. Read うちまく, also ないまく.

Remember it 内 (inner) + 幕 (curtain) → what is behind the curtain the audience sees.

与あたえられた任務にんむを果はたした。

He carried out the mission he was given.

Usage 任務を果たす, 任務に就く — discharging or taking up a duty. More formal than 仕事, implying a formal charge. Read にんむ.

Remember it 任 (entrusted) + 務 (duty) → the duty entrusted to you.

熱意ねついが相手あいてに伝つたわった。

His enthusiasm got through to them.

Usage 熱意が伝わる, 熱意を持つ — enthusiasm coming across, having it. Unlike the adjective 熱心, 熱意 is the noun for the heat itself. Read ねつい.

Remember it 熱 (heat) + 意 (will) → the heat behind the will.

立たち上あがった拍子ひょうしにめまいがした。

As I stood up, I felt dizzy.

Usage 〜した拍子に — at the very moment of doing something — is the tested sense. It also means a beat in music. Read ひょうし.

Remember it 拍 (beat) + 子 → the beat, and by extension the exact instant on it.

事件じけんの発端ほったんは些細ささいなことだった。

The origin of the affair was something trivial.

Usage 〜の発端 — the beginning of it. Read ほったん, not はつたん — the reading is a frequent exam item. Its opposite is 結末.

Remember it 発 (set out) + 端 (the tip) → the tip from which it all set out.

中途ちゅうと半端はんぱな気持きもちでは続つづかない。

You will not keep it up half-heartedly.

Usage 中途半端 — half-done, neither one thing nor the other — is the commonest phrase. In youth slang 半端ない means incredible. Read はんぱ.

Remember it 半 (half) + 端 (an end piece) → half of it, and an odd piece at that.

生活せいかつ必需ひつじゅ品ひんを買かい込こんだ。

I stocked up on daily necessities.

Usage 必需品 — essential goods. It is nearly always used in compounds rather than alone. 需 is demand. Read ひつじゅ.

Remember it 必 (necessarily) + 需 (required) → what is required and cannot be gone without.

批判ひはんの標的ひょうてきにされた。

He was made the target of criticism.

Usage 〜の標的にする / される — making or being made a target. Literally a shooting target, used figuratively of whoever is attacked. Read ひょうてき.

Remember it 標 (mark) + 的 (target) → the mark that is aimed at.

その土地とちの風土ふうどに根ねざした文化ぶんかだ。

It is a culture rooted in the land's own character.

Usage 風土に根ざす, 企業風土 — rooted in the local character, corporate culture. It covers climate and way of life together. Read ふうど.

Remember it 風 (wind, custom) + 土 (soil) → the weather and the soil, and what grows out of both.

万全ばんぜんの布陣ふじんで臨のぞむ。

We go in with a flawless line-up.

Usage 布陣を敷く, 万全の布陣 — deploying a formation, a faultless line-up. Originally military, now used in sport and business. Read ふじん.

Remember it 布 (spread out) + 陣 (battle array) → the array laid out across the field.

分別ふんべつのある大人おとななら分わかるはずだ。

Any adult with sense ought to understand.

Usage Read ふんべつ it means mature judgement; read ぶんべつ the same characters mean sorting rubbish. Two quite different words — a classic trap.

Remember it 分 (divide) + 別 (distinguish) → telling one thing from another, in judgement or in the bins.

何なんの変哲へんてつもない日常にちじょうだ。

It is an utterly ordinary daily life.

Usage 何の変哲もない — nothing out of the ordinary. It is used ALWAYS in this negative form and almost never otherwise. Read へんてつ.

Remember it 変 (unusual) + 哲 → the 'anything remarkable' that the phrase then denies.

有効ゆうこうな方策ほうさくが見みつからない。

No effective measure can be found.

Usage 方策を講じる, 方策がない — devising a measure, being out of options. More formal than 方法, and strategic in flavour. Read ほうさく.

Remember it 方 (direction) + 策 (scheme) → the scheme for which way to go.

そろそろ本腰ほんごしを入いれて取とり組くもう。

It is about time we tackled it in earnest.

Usage 本腰を入れる — getting down to it seriously — is a set phrase. The image is of dropping your hips into a solid stance. Read ほんごし.

Remember it 本 (proper) + 腰 (hips) → settling your weight properly before you lift.

独裁どくさい者しゃの哀あわれな末路まつろだ。

It was the pitiful end of a dictator.

Usage 哀れな末路, 末路をたどる — a sorry end. Always negative; it is never used of a happy conclusion. Read まつろ.

Remember it 末 (the end) + 路 (road) → the last stretch of the road, and where it leads.

容疑ようぎ者しゃの身柄みがらが確保かくほされた。

The suspect was taken into custody.

Usage 身柄を確保する, 身柄を拘束する — taking into custody. Legal and news vocabulary. Here 柄 is read がら. Read みがら.

Remember it 身 (the person) + 柄 (the article) → the person considered as the thing to be held.

長ながらくご無沙汰ぶさたしております。

It has been a long time since I was in touch.

Usage ご無沙汰しております — the standard formula for apologising for a long silence, common in letters. The same root as 沙汰. Read ぶさた.

Remember it 無 (no) + 沙汰 (word, news) → no word sent for a long while.

目算もくさんが狂くるってしまった。

My estimate went badly wrong.

Usage 目算が狂う, 目算が立つ — an estimate going wrong, or being possible. It is a reckoning by eye, so never exact. Read もくさん.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 算 (reckon) → reckoned by eye rather than measured.

有志ゆうしが集あつまって募金ぼきんを始はじめた。

Volunteers gathered and started a collection.

Usage 有志が集まる, 有志を募る — volunteers gathering, calling for them. 志 is the willing heart. Read ゆうし.

Remember it 有 (having) + 志 (the will) → those who have the will for it.