名詞 IX

寸暇すんかを惜おしんで勉強べんきょうした。

He studied using every spare moment.

Usage 寸暇を惜しんで — grudging even a moment's spare time — is a set phrase. 寸 is an inch, hence very short. Read すんか.

Remember it 寸 (an inch) + 暇 (leisure) → an inch of free time, and even that begrudged.

将来しょうらいの青写真あおじゃしんを描えがく。

Drawing up a blueprint for the future.

Usage 青写真を描く — sketching out an overall plan. From the blue-backed technical drawing. Read あおじゃしん.

Remember it 青 (blue) + 写真 (print) → the old blue-printed drawing of what is to be built.

双方そうほうが折衷せっちゅう案あんを受うけ入いれた。

Both sides accepted a compromise proposal.

Usage 折衷案を出す, 折衷案を受け入れる — proposing or accepting a compromise. The compound form of 折衷. Read せっちゅうあん.

Remember it 折衷 (meeting in the middle) + 案 (proposal) → the proposal that meets in the middle.

先見せんけんの明めいがあった。

He had foresight.

Usage 先見の明がある — having the foresight to see what is coming — is a set phrase and the commonest use. Here 明 is read めい and means discernment. Read せんけん.

Remember it 先 (ahead) + 見 (see) → seeing what is ahead before it arrives.

本戦ほんせんの前哨ぜんしょう戦せんと位置いち付づけられる。

It is regarded as a preliminary to the main contest.

Usage 前哨戦 — an opening skirmish before the real contest. Military in origin: the clash of the forward outposts. Read ぜんしょうせん.

Remember it 前哨 (forward outpost) + 戦 (battle) → the fighting at the outposts, before the armies meet.

一連いちれんの騒動そうどうが収おさまった。

The whole disturbance has died down.

Usage 騒動が起きる, 騒動を起こす — an uproar breaking out or being caused. Heavier than 騒ぎ, implying it grew into a public affair. Read そうどう.

Remember it 騒 (clamour) + 動 (movement) → noise and movement spreading beyond the spot it began.

俗物ぞくぶつと呼よばれるのを恐おそれた。

He dreaded being called a philistine.

Usage 俗物だ, 俗物根性 — a snob, a grasping small-mindedness. Always contemptuous. The same 俗 as 低俗 and 俗説. Read ぞくぶつ.

Remember it 俗 (worldly) + 物 (creature) → a creature of the world and nothing more.

他意たいはありません。

I meant nothing by it.

Usage 他意はない — there is no hidden meaning, no ill intent — is almost the only form, and it is used to disclaim. Read たい.

Remember it 他 (other) + 意 (intention) → some other intention behind the stated one.

成功せいこうの代償だいしょうは大おおきかった。

The price of success was high.

Usage 代償を払う, 〜の代償 — paying the price. Unlike 対価, a neutral payment in return, 代償 is usually a painful loss. Read だいしょう.

Remember it 代 (in place of) + 償 (compensate) → what had to be given up in its place.

他愛たわいのない話はなしで時間じかんが過すぎた。

The time went by in idle chatter.

Usage 他愛のない — trivial, harmless. This is the kanji spelling of たわいない. Read たわい, also たあい.

Remember it 他愛 → the kanji borrowed for the sound; the sense is 'nothing of substance in it'.

断腸だんちょうの思おもいで手放てばなした。

It was heartbreaking to let it go.

Usage 断腸の思い — a feeling as though the bowels were torn — is a set phrase and the commonest use. From a Chinese story of a mother ape grieving her young. Read だんちょう.

Remember it 断 (sever) + 腸 (bowels) → grief felt as something tearing inside.

知性ちせいを感かんじさせる話はなし方かただ。

He speaks in a way that suggests intelligence.

Usage 知性がある, 知性を感じる — having, or sensing, intellect. Distinct from 知識, knowledge, and 知恵, practical wisdom. Read ちせい.

Remember it 知 (know) + 性 (nature) → the knowing faculty itself, not what it knows.

あんな議論ぎろんは茶番ちゃばんにすぎない。

A debate like that is a mere charade.

Usage 茶番だ, 茶番劇 — a farce, transparently staged. From the cheap comic skits of the Edo period. Always contemptuous. Read ちゃばん.

Remember it 茶 (tea) + 番 (turn) → the little skit put on between servings, not the real performance.

どちらにも長短ちょうたんがある。

Each has its merits and drawbacks.

Usage 長短がある — having both strengths and weaknesses. 長 is long, hence strong points, and 短 short. Close to 一長一短. Read ちょうたん.

Remember it 長 (long) + 短 (short) → where it runs long and where it falls short.

部下ぶかの手綱たづなを締しめ直なおした。

I tightened the reins on my staff again.

Usage 手綱を締める, 手綱を緩める — tightening or loosening control. From a horse's reins. Always figurative, about managing people. Read たづな.

Remember it 手 (hand) + 綱 (rope) → the rope in your hand that the horse answers to.

安全あんぜん確認かくにんは鉄則てっそくだ。

Checking safety is an iron rule.

Usage 〜は鉄則だ — an inviolable rule. 鉄 is iron: it does not bend. Read てっそく.

Remember it 鉄 (iron) + 則 (rule) → a rule made of iron.

二ふたつの条件じょうけんを天秤てんびんにかけた。

I weighed the two conditions against each other.

Usage 天秤にかける — putting two things on the scales to compare them — is a set phrase. It implies calculating self-interest. Read てんびん.

Remember it 天 (heaven) + 秤 (scales) → the beam balance, one pan against the other.

同郷どうきょうのよしみで助たすけてくれた。

He helped me out on the strength of our shared home town.

Usage 同郷のよしみ — the bond of coming from the same place. よしみ is an existing tie of friendship. Read どうきょう.

Remember it 同 (same) + 郷 (home district) → from the same patch of country.

父ちちの道楽どうらくは釣つりだ。

My father's hobby is fishing.

Usage 〜が道楽だ, a pastime; and 道楽息子, a dissolute son. The second sense is critical. Read どうらく.

Remember it 道 (the way) + 楽 (pleasure) → a way followed for the pleasure of it, and sometimes too far.

あの分野ぶんやは彼かれの独壇場どくだんじょうだ。

That field is his alone.

Usage 〜の独壇場だ — one's own unrivalled arena. It was originally 独擅場 (どくせんじょう); the misreading became the standard. Read どくだんじょう.

Remember it 独 (alone) + 壇 (platform) + 場 (place) → the stage nobody else is on.

虎とらの子この貯金ちょきんを使つかった。

I used the savings I had been hoarding.

Usage 虎の子の〜 — a treasured possession one is loath to touch. From the tigress guarding her cub. Read とらのこ.

Remember it 虎 (tiger) + 子 (cub) → what a tiger guards as jealously as her cub.

難局なんきょくを乗のり切きった。

We got through the difficult situation.

Usage 難局を乗り切る, 難局に立たされる — riding out or being placed in a crisis. Close to 局面, but 難局 is always negative. Read なんきょく.

Remember it 難 (difficult) + 局 (the state of the board) → the board in a position hard to play out of.

二枚にまい舌じたを使つかう人ひとは信用しんようできない。

You cannot trust someone who talks out of both sides of his mouth.

Usage 二枚舌を使う — saying different things to different people; it always takes 使う. The image is of having two tongues. Read にまいじた.

Remember it 二 (two) + 枚 (counter) + 舌 (tongue) → two tongues, and a different story on each.

念入ねんいりに下調したしらべをした。

I did thorough preliminary research.

Usage 念入りに〜する — carefully, with attention to every detail. Close to 入念, which is the same characters reversed. Read ねんいり.

Remember it 念 (attention) + 入り (put in) → attention put into every part of it.

勝かってしまい拍子抜ひょうしぬけした。

We won, and it felt oddly flat.

Usage 拍子抜けする — feeling deflated because something proved easier than expected. From missing a beat. Read ひょうしぬけ.

Remember it 拍子 (the beat) + 抜け (dropping out) → the beat you had braced for never came.

裸はだか一貫いっかんから会社かいしゃを築きずいた。

He built the company up from nothing.

Usage 裸一貫から — starting with nothing but yourself. 貫 was an old unit of currency: you have only your own body. Read はだかいっかん.

Remember it 裸 (naked) + 一貫 (one coin's worth) → nothing to your name but the body you stand in.

波乱はらんに富とんだ人生じんせいだった。

It was a life full of ups and downs.

Usage 波乱に富む, 波乱万丈 — full of turbulence, of dramatic vicissitudes. Also written 波瀾. Read はらん.

Remember it 波 (waves) + 乱 (disorder) → the sea running rough.

悲願ひがんの初はつ優勝ゆうしょうを果はたした。

They achieved the first championship they had longed for.

Usage 悲願の〜, 悲願を達成する — a long and deeply held ambition. Buddhist in origin. Close to 宿願. Read ひがん.

Remember it 悲 (sorrow) + 願 (wish) → a wish held so long that longing has turned to ache.

自分じぶんの非力ひりきを痛感つうかんした。

I felt my own powerlessness keenly.

Usage 非力を痛感する, 非力ながら — feeling one's inadequacy, 'weak though I am'. Used of physical strength and of ability. Read ひりき.

Remember it 非 (not) + 力 (strength) → not having the strength for it.

不作法ぶさほうを詫わびた。

I apologised for my bad manners.

Usage 不作法な, 不作法を詫びる — ill-mannered, apologising for it. Also written 無作法. Read ぶさほう.

Remember it 不 (not) + 作法 (the proper form) → not done in the proper form.

あの場面ばめんが伏線ふくせんになっていた。

That scene had been laying the ground for it.

Usage 伏線を張る, 伏線を回収する — planting foreshadowing, paying it off. Originally a term of storytelling, now used more widely. Read ふくせん.

Remember it 伏 (lie hidden) + 線 (line) → the line laid down out of sight, to be picked up later.

この決断けつだんが分水嶺ぶんすいれいとなった。

That decision proved the watershed.

Usage 〜が分水嶺となる — becoming the point at which two courses divide. Geographically, the ridge that parts the waters. Read ぶんすいれい.

Remember it 分 (divide) + 水 (water) + 嶺 (ridge) → the ridge where rain falling either side runs to different seas.

解決かいけつの方途ほうとを探さぐる。

Looking for a way to a solution.

Usage 方途を探る, 方途がない — seeking a way, having none. Formal written style. Close to 方策 and 方法. Read ほうと.

Remember it 方 (direction) + 途 (road) → which road there is to take.

約束やくそくを反故ほごにされた。

The promise was torn up.

Usage 〜を反故にする — treating a promise as waste paper. From a sheet spoiled in the writing. Read ほご, also ほうご.

Remember it 反 (reverse) + 故 (used) → paper written on and turned over, fit only for scrap.

末席まっせきを汚けがさせていただきます。

May I be permitted to join your company.

Usage 末席を汚す — a modest formula for joining a distinguished group. Here 汚す is read けがす. Read まっせき.

Remember it 末 (the end) + 席 (seat) → the lowest seat, which you say you only dirty by sitting in it.

身みの上うえ話ばなしを聞きかされた。

I was told the story of his life.

Usage 身の上話, 身の上を案じる — one's life story, worrying about someone's circumstances. Same family as 身の程 and 身の丈. Read みのうえ.

Remember it 身 (the person) + 上 (what is upon it) → everything that has come upon a person in their life.

今いまとなっては無用むようの長物ちょうぶつだ。

By now it is a white elephant.

Usage 無用の長物 — something large and useless. 長物 is an overlong object that only gets in the way. Read むようのちょうぶつ.

Remember it 無用 (useless) + 長物 (an overlong thing) → too big to ignore and too useless to keep.

大義たいぎ名分めいぶんが立たたない。

There is no proper justification for it.

Usage 大義名分 — legitimate justification — is the commonest phrase. 名分が立つ means having a proper case for doing something. Read めいぶん.

Remember it 名 (name) + 分 (station) → the name under which you are entitled to act.

目論見もくろみが外はずれた。

His calculations came to nothing.

Usage 目論見が外れる, 目論見通り — a plan going wrong, or coming off as intended. Read もくろみ — an irregular reading. Close to 思惑.

Remember it 目 (eye) + 論 (reckon) + 見 (see) → what you had your eye on and reckoned would happen.

問責もんせき決議けつぎが可決かけつされた。

A censure motion was passed.

Usage 問責決議, 〜を問責する — a censure motion, calling to account. Parliamentary vocabulary. The same 責 as 譴責 and 重責. Read もんせき.

Remember it 問 (question) + 責 (responsibility) → putting the question of responsibility to them.

彼かれには役不足やくぶそくな仕事しごとだ。

The job is beneath his abilities.

Usage 役不足だ — the ROLE is too small for the person. NOTE: many take it to mean being unequal to the job, but that is 力不足. A classic trap.

Remember it 役 (role) + 不足 (insufficient) → the role, not the person, is what falls short.

批判ひはんの矢面やおもてに立たたされた。

He was put in the firing line of the criticism.

Usage 矢面に立つ — standing where the arrows come — is a set phrase. Read やおもて.

Remember it 矢 (arrow) + 面 (face) → standing face-on to the arrows.

由緒ゆいしょある神社じんじゃを訪おとずれた。

We visited a shrine of long standing.

Usage 由緒ある, 由緒正しい — of long and honourable history. Read ゆいしょ, not ゆうしょ.

Remember it 由 (origin) + 緒 (thread) → the thread running back to where it began.

交通こうつうの要衝ようしょうに位置いちする。

It stands at a strategic point for transport.

Usage 交通の要衝 — a key transport junction — is the commonest phrase. 衝 is where major roads meet. Read ようしょう.

Remember it 要 (vital) + 衝 (crossroads) → the crossroads that has to be held.

事件じけんの余波よはが今いまも続つづいている。

The repercussions of the case are still being felt.

Usage 余波が及ぶ, 余波を受ける — repercussions spreading, feeling the aftermath. Literally the swell left after a storm. Read よは.

Remember it 余 (remaining) + 波 (wave) → the waves still running after the storm has passed.

理想りそうと現実げんじつの落差らくさに戸惑とまどった。

I was thrown by the gap between the ideal and the reality.

Usage The head of water at a waterfall; and the N1 sense 〜の落差, a wide gap or disparity. The second is the tested one. Read らくさ.

Remember it 落 (fall) + 差 (difference) → the height the water drops between one level and the next.

良否りょうひを慎重しんちょうに判断はんだんする。

Judging carefully whether it is good or not.

Usage 良否を判断する, 良否を問わず — judging quality, regardless of quality. 良 is good and 否 is not: one word for both. Read りょうひ.

Remember it 良 (good) + 否 (or not) → whether it is good or it is not.

いくつかの類型るいけいに分わけられる。

They can be divided into several types.

Usage 類型に分ける, 類型化する — classifying into types. Academic written style. The same 類 as 類似 and 類別. Read るいけい.

Remember it 類 (kind) + 型 (mould) → the mould each kind is cast in.

老婆心ろうばしんながら一言ひとこと申もうし上あげます。

If I may say so, at the risk of labouring the point...

Usage 老婆心ながら — 'forgive an old woman's fussing' — is the hedge one puts before offering advice. Literally an old woman's anxious concern. Read ろうばしん.

Remember it 老婆 (old woman) + 心 (heart) → the heart of an old woman who worries more than she needs to.