by TheJapanesePage.com
A weekly podcast for upper beginner to intermediate learners of Japanese. Listen to Yumi talk about... whatever she wants to talk about. Practice your listening comprehension with natural (howbeit slightly slowed down) Japanese on various topics such as Japanese culture, fun idioms, and, of course, cats. The episodes can be enjoyed in any order. -- Become a Makoto+ member and get show notes with a complete transcript and a list of key vocabulary. www.MakotoPlus.com
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April 7, 2025
In this episode of Nihongo no Tane, Yumi shares a personal and heartfelt story about returning to Japan for her father’s funeral. From navigating unfamiliar funeral customs to reconnecting with family members she hadn’t seen in years, Yumi reflects on the busy, emotional days that followed her father’s passing. She also talks about what made the ceremony special and how her father’s long life in his hometown was filled with friendship and meaning. A touching episode with insights into Japanese culture and family life. KEY VOCABULARY: 私(わたくし)ごと — "A personal matter." 私 is read here as わたくし, a formal and humble reading of "I" or "private," and ごと (事) means "matter" or "thing." A humble expression to refer to one's personal affairs, often used in formal or respectful speech. お葬式(そうしき) — "Funeral." 葬 means "to bury" and 式 means "ceremony." The prefix お adds politeness to the word. およそ — "About; approximately." A formal adverb used to express an estimated quantity or duration. 脳梗塞(のうこうそく) — "Stroke; cerebral infarction." 脳 means "brain," 梗 means "blockage," and 塞 means "obstruction," referring to a blocked blood vessel in the brain. 麻痺(まひ) — "Paralysis; numbness." 麻 means "numb" or "hemp," and 痺 means "numbness" or "paralysis," used for loss of movement or sensation. 車椅子(くるまいす) — "Wheelchair." 車(くるま) means "vehicle," and 椅子(いす) means "chair," literally describing a wheeled chair. 癌(がん)になり — "Developed cancer." 癌 means "cancer," and 〜になる ("to become") is used here in its ます-stem form なり, which connects to the next verb (手術(しゅじゅつ)をしまして); this is common in narrative style to maintain flow. 手術(しゅじゅつ) — "Surgery; operation." 手 means "hand," and 術 means "technique" or "skill," referring to a medical procedure. 老人(ろうじん)ホーム — "Nursing home." 老人(ろうじん) means "elderly person" (老 = "old," 人 = "person"), and ホーム is "home" in katakana, meaning care facility. 出(で)ることもできず — "Could not go out." 出(で)る means "to go out," こと turns the verb into a noun, できる means "can," and 〜ず is the classical negative of 〜ない, so できず = "could not (and...)"—implying an ongoing state or sequence. そろって — "All together; as a group." From 揃(そろ)う ("to be gathered/complete"), in て-form to connect actions or indicate simultaneous action. 浸(ひた)っている — "To be immersed (in something)." 浸る means "to soak or immerse," and the 〜ている form indicates a continuous state—here, emotionally immersed. 葬儀屋(そうぎや)さん — "Funeral director." 葬儀(そうぎ) means "funeral service" (葬 = "to bury," 儀 = "ceremony"), 屋 means "shop/person in charge," and さん adds respect. ああだこうだ — "This and that; back and forth." A colloquial expression representing indecision or a flurry of decisions, often used when things are hectic. お坊(ぼう)さん — "Buddhist monk." 坊 refers to a Buddhist monk (originally meaning “boy” or “temple person”), and さん adds politeness. お布施(ふせ) — "Offering to a monk or temple." 布 means "to distribute" or "cloth," 施 means "to give" or "bestow," and together refer to a monetary offering. 年老(としお)いた母(はは) — "Elderly mother." 年老(としお)いた is the past form of 年老(としお)いる ("to grow old," 年 = "year," 老 = "old"), and 母 means "mother"—a respectful phrase for one’s aging mother. 費用(ひよう) — "Cost; expense." 費 means "expense," and 用 means "use" or "purpose"—together meaning "cost required for something." 祭壇(さいだん) — "Altar." 祭 means "ritual" or "festival," and 壇 means "platform"—a ceremonial platform often decorated in religious events. 豪華(ごうか) — "Luxurious; splendid." 豪 means "magnificent" or "extravagant," and 華 means "splendor" or "flower," together describing something rich or ornate. 昭和(しょうわ) — "Showa era." 昭 means "bright" and 和 means "peace," referring to the Japanese era from 1926 to 1989 (Showa 12 = 1937). 末(すえ)っ子(こ) — "Youngest child." 末 means "end," and 子 means "child." The small っ adds emphasis to show it's the last-born. 高齢(こうれい) — "Old age; elderly." 高 means "high," and 齢 means "age," a respectful and formal term for advanced age. 故郷(ふるさと) — "Hometown." 故 means "former" or "deceased," and 郷 mean
March 3, 2025
In this episode of Nihongo no Tane, Yumi shares a shopping trip with her daughter that started with a simple plan to buy one pair of exercise pants but ended with three! She also talks about how their dog, Maro, played a role in this unexpected shopping spree. Along the way, Yumi reflects about how English words get adapted into Japanese. Tune in for a lighthearted and relatable episode filled with everyday moments and language insights! KEY VOCABULARY: いわゆる — "So-called; what is commonly known as." Used to introduce a term or phrase that may be more familiar or widely recognized. 愛犬(あいけん) — "Beloved dog; pet dog." 愛(あい) means "love," and 犬(けん) means "dog," together forming a word that expresses affection for one's pet dog. 食(た)べられてしまいまして — "Ended up being eaten (unfortunately)." 食(た)べられる is the passive form of 食(た)べる ("to eat"), indicating that something was eaten by something else. 〜てしまう adds a nuance of regret or unintended consequence. ビリビリ — "Torn apart; ripped to shreds; electrically tingling." An onomatopoeia that can describe something being ripped apart or the sensation of tingling, like from static electricity. 状態(じょうたい) — "Condition; state; situation." Used to describe the status or condition of something at a given moment. 我慢(がまん) — "Endurance; patience; putting up with something." Refers to enduring discomfort or inconvenience without complaining. 回数(かいすう) — "Number of times; frequency." 回 refers to an instance of an action, and 数 means "number," so together, it indicates how often something happens. 長(なが)い丈(たけ) — "Long length (of clothing)." 長(なが)い means "long," and 丈(たけ) refers to the length of clothing, such as pants or skirts. ふと — "Suddenly; unexpectedly; without thinking." An adverb used when something comes to mind or happens spontaneously. どうせ — "Anyway; in any case; after all (with a nuance of resignation)." Often used when expressing that an outcome is inevitable or when giving up on something. 短(たん)パン — "Shorts; short pants." 短(たん) means "short," and パン is short for "pants," forming a casual way to refer to shorts. 際(さい) — "On the occasion of; when." A formal word used to indicate a specific time or situation when something happens. 袖(そで)を通(とお)してみる — "To try on clothes (literally: to pass one's arms through the sleeves)." 袖(そで) means "sleeve," and 通(とお)す means "to pass through," making this phrase a natural way to say "try on clothing." ぱっと — "At a glance; quickly; suddenly." An adverb used to describe quick actions or immediate impressions. あら印象(いんしょう) — "Oh, the impression (has changed)!" あら is an exclamation expressing surprise, and 印象(いんしょう) means "impression," often used when something looks different from expectations. ど忘(わす)れしてしまって — "Completely forgot (momentarily)." ど忘(わす)れ is when you suddenly forget something you usually know. The 〜てしまう adds a nuance of unintended or unfortunate forgetting. 何(なに)だっけ — "What was it again?" A casual phrase used when trying to remember something you forgot. スペリング — "Spelling." A loanword from English, used in Japanese to refer to how a word is written letter by letter. ほぼ — "Almost; nearly." Used when something is close to but not entirely complete or exact. 早口言葉(はやくちことば) — "Tongue twister." 早口(はやくち) means "fast-talking," and 言葉(ことば) means "word(s)," together referring to phrases that are difficult to pronounce quickly. For upper beginners to intermediates. Listen to the short podcast and then answer the comprehension questions on the website: https://thejapanesepage.com/nihongonotane-index/ Take a quiz on this episode here: https://thejapanesepage.com/podcast-nihongonotane-168 If you are a Makoto+ member, you can find the transcript, English translation, key vocabulary, and a downloadable PDF for printing: https://MakotoPlus.com/podcast-nihongonotane-168-m -- Become a Makoto+ member and get show notes with a complete transcript, translation, key vocabulary, and a downloadable PDF. www.MakotoPlus.com
February 3, 2025
In this episode of Nihongo no Tane, Yumi shares her recent conversations with her mother and younger sister in Japan. She reflects on how her elderly mother has developed a habit of one-sided conversations, often hanging up as soon as she’s finished speaking. She also considers her own role as a listener rather than a talker and how being a good listener can be a rare and valuable trait. Tune in for an insightful and relatable discussion on family dynamics, communication, and the importance of listening. KEY VOCABULARY: 超(こ)えて高齢(こうれい) — Exceeding old age; being very elderly. 超(こ)えて is the te-form of 超(こ)える, meaning "to exceed" or "to go beyond." 高齢(こうれい) means "old age" or "elderly." 一方的(いっぽうてき)に — One-sidedly; unilaterally; without considering the other person. 一方的(いっぽうてき) means "one-sided" or "lacking reciprocity." に is an adverbial particle making it function as an adverb. まどろっこしい — Frustratingly slow; tedious; sluggish. An adjective describing something that feels slow or inefficient, causing impatience. 返(かえ)そう — Let’s return (something); Let’s respond. 返(かえ)す means "to return" or "to give back," often used for responses. 〜そう is a volitional form indicating intention, like "let’s" or "I will." 終(お)わらされてしまう — To be forced to end (unwillingly); to be made to stop. 終(お)わらされる is the passive causative form of 終(お)わる ("to end"), meaning "to be made to end." 〜てしまう expresses completion or regret, often implying something happened against one's will. 不快(ふかい)なもの — Something unpleasant; something uncomfortable. 不快(ふかい) means "unpleasant" or "discomfort." な makes 不快(ふかい) function as an adjective. もの means "thing," referring to something abstract (a feeling, experience, etc.). 話(はな)しぶりに — Way of talking; manner of speaking. 話(はな)しぶり is a noun meaning "speaking style" or "way of talking." に is a particle indicating the manner or context of something. 不満(ふまん) — Dissatisfaction; complaint; discontent. 不(ふ) is a prefix meaning "not" or "negative." 満(まん) means "full" or "satisfaction," so together, 不満(ふまん) means "not satisfied." ぶちまけてくれました — (They) vented; (They) spilled everything out. ぶちまける is a slangy, emphatic verb meaning "to pour out one's feelings" or "to reveal everything." 〜てくれました indicates that the action was done for the speaker’s benefit. うんざりしていたみたい — Seemed to be fed up; looked tired of it. うんざりする means "to be fed up" or "to be sick of something." していた is the past progressive form, indicating ongoing frustration. みたい is a suffix meaning "seems like" or "appears to be." 小一時間(こいちじかん) — About an hour; nearly an hour. 小(こ) in this case means "slightly less than." 一時間(いちじかん) means "one hour." 態度(たいど) — Attitude; manner; behavior. A noun referring to a person’s demeanor, approach, or attitude in a situation. 聞(き)き役(やく)に回(まわ)ること — Taking on the listener’s role; becoming the listener. 聞(き)き役(やく) means "listener role," someone who listens rather than talks. に回(まわ)る means "to take on the role of" or "to turn into." こと turns the phrase into a noun ("the act of taking on the listener role"). 発信(はっしん)する — To transmit; to send out information. 発信(はっしん) means "transmission," often used for communication or broadcasting. する makes it a verb ("to transmit" or "to share information"). 近況(きんきょう) — Recent situation; current status. 近(きん) means "near" or "recent." 況(きょう) means "condition" or "situation," so together, it means "recent condition" or "current updates." 語(かた)る — To talk about; to tell (a story); to narrate. A formal or literary verb meaning "to tell" or "to recount." 案外(あんがい) — Unexpectedly; surprisingly. 案(あん) means "plan" or "idea." 外(がい) means "outside," so together, it suggests something turning out differently than expected. ほっとする — To feel relieved; to feel at ease. ほっと is an onomatopoeic word for relief or relaxation. する turns it into a verb, meaning "to feel relieved." For upper beginners to intermediates. Listen to the short podcast and then answer the comprehension questions on the website: https://thej
Sayuri Saying
Miku
YUYU NIHONGO
Haruka
NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Shunsuke Otani
JapanesePod101.com
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