HAVEは以外に役に立つな単語

Sorry for not writing anything last week! I was really busy at work.

Today's topic is "have." It's a very easy word, and means います or あります, but it can be difficult, because there are a lot of ways to use "have" that don't match with the Japanese (日本語の言い方と違う使い方があります）.

Can you say these sentences in English? All of them use "has." The answers are in the comments.
1. 彼は茶色い髪をしています。
2. 昼ご飯を食べました。
3. 授業を受けました。
4. パーティーを開くつもりです。
5. 私たちはチェスをしました。
6. シャワーを浴びました。
7. 猫を飼っています。
8. 奥さんは子供を生みました。
9. 手術を受けました。
10. 事故に遭いました。
11. 風邪をひいています。
12. 楽しみました。
13. 口喧嘩をした。


By the way, there are two new reading exercises on our chunk reading page: http://www.english-live.com/chunk/chunk.html

さまざまな意味を持つ単語ー濃い

 How do you say 濃い in English? Yesterday, one of my students said that Tokyo food is more 濃い than food in Osaka. I checked in 英辞郎, and found "rich," "thick," "full-flavored," "dark," "strongly flavored."
 If you say, "this food is rich," it means the food has a lot of sugar, butter or cream.
例： "My birthday cake was really rich and tasty."
Thick is for the texture (質感). It means that a liquid is a little hard.
例： "This pudding is really thick."
 Dark is only for the color.
例： "The chocolate had a nice dark color."
I If a food has a strong flavor, you can say it is "full-flavored," "strong," or "strongly flavored." Full flavored emphasizes (強調する） that the flavor is strong, but also has the nuance of being delicious. Strong flavored just means strong, and we don't know if it is delicious or not.
例： "I love his coffee because it's so full-flavored."
例： "This tea is too strong. It needs some sugar."
例： "The food in Tokyo is more strongly flavored than the food in Osaka."

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 穏やか

 How would you say 穏やか in English? This week, a student said that his sister's fiance was 穏やか, but he used the word 'gentle.' To me, the word 'gentle' sounds like 激しくない or maybe even 弱い.
 I think that "easygoing" would be better in this case. "Easygoing" means someone who doesn't get angry, and is "easy" to talk to. I would say, "My sister's fiance is easygoing."
 By the way (ところで）"easygoing" is sometimes translated (訳された）as のんき, but "easygoing" usually has a very good nuance in English, so I think it's good for 穏やか。
Here are some other English words for 穏やか：
calm - Use 'calm' to talk about the ocean, people, or a breeze (そよ風、微風)
例: The sea is calm today.
     He's a very calm person so he never panics.
     There was a calm breeze blowing through the trees.
mild: Use 'mild' to talk about the climate (気候), or a reaction (反応）
例：San Diego has a very mild climate.
     There was only a mild reaction to the news.
modest - Use 'modest' for change or growth
例：We made some modest changes to the plan.
     There was modest growth (成長) in our sales (売り上げ）this year.

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 積極的

 When I do translations (翻訳）, one of the most difficult words to write in English is 積極的. Many people just write "positively," but often, there are other words that are better. "Positive" is close to 前向き or 楽観的.
Using positively could be confusing because if you say, "He contributed positively" (彼は積極的に貢献した), it sounds like "多いに貢献した。”
If you wanted to translate "積極的に研究を振興した”, it would sound strange to say "He positively promoted the research." It is better to say, "He actively promoted the research."
 Often, the meaning of 積極的 is closer to "actively," "aggressively," "proactively," or "take an active role in." Here is some information about some different ways to say 積極的 in English.

Actively - "Active" is the opposite (反対） of "passive" (受身的), so the word "actively" means that a person is making things happen, not waiting for others to do something.
例：　He participated actively in the activity. (活動に積極的に参加した。）

Aggressively - Sometimes aggressive has a negative meaning. It can mean 攻撃的 or 挑戦的. For example, you could say, "No one likes him because he's so aggressive." But sometimes, "aggressive" has a good meaning, meaning that people make a strong effort or try to "attack" problems or challenges.
例： We aggressively market our website. （積極的にウェブサイトを売り込む。）

Proactively - "Proactive" (前向きな、積極的な、率先、革新的) means that you prepare for trouble before it happens or don't wait for others to do something.
例：　You should proactively take advantage of business opportunities. (ビジネスチャンスを積極的に利用するべき。）

Take an active role in - Sometimes it's better to use a phrase such as "take an active role in".
例： I want to take an active role in it. "積極的な役割を果たしたい。”

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 面倒くさい

面倒くさい – If you look up (調べる) 面倒くさい in the dictionary, you will find words such as “troublesome,” “tiresome,” “a pain,” and “a bother.” But there is another word that native speakers use quite often, and that’s “nuisance”. Here are some different ways to say 面倒くさい, depending on the situation (状況によって).

Nuisance – When you want to talk about small jobs that you don’t like doing, “nuisance” is the best word. Words like “troublesome” and “a pain” are too strong.
例：Taking out the garbage (ゴミを出す) is a nuisance.
例：Doing paperwork is a nuisance.
例：Taking care (世話する) of my little brother is a nuisance.

Troublesome – When something really causes “trouble” then you can use the word troublesome, but be careful, because it’s stronger than “nuisance.”
例：Many of my customers are rude (失礼), so serving them is really troublesome.
例：My boss asked me to do a really troublesome job and I’m very worried about it.

Tiresome – This word is used for things that are not so bad, but they happen over and over again so they become 面倒くさい。It also has a strong negative (否定的) nuance.
例：His bad jokes are really tiresome.
例：The morning meeting is really tiresome because it’s always the same.

A pain – The strongest way to say 面倒くさい is “a pain.” Be careful, because “a pain” means 痛み, so it can sound like you really hate something.
例：Taking the crowded trains every day is a pain.

Bother – This word is very close to 面倒くさい but it is very formal (硬い言葉) and is a little old-fashioned (古臭い).
例：Cleaning my room every week is a bother.

As you can see there are many ways to say 面倒くさい, but probably 90 percent of the time, it is best to use “nuisance.”

-Ed

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 気持ち悪い

気持ち悪い

　The Japanese word 気持ち悪い is usually translated (訳された） as “disgusting” or “gross,” but these are very strong words in English. 気持ち悪い is used very often in daily conversation in Japanese, but “disgusting” is not used so often in English. In English, people only say “disgusting” for things that are very, very 気持ち悪い。 Often the Japanese meaning of 気持ち悪い is closer to “unpleasant,” “awful,” “weird,” or “creepy.” When talking about your own feeling, you can often use “sick.” Here is some information about some different ways to say 気持ち悪い in English.

disgusting – This word is only used when someone has a very, very strong feeling.
例：All the blood and violence (暴力) in the horror movie was disgusting.
例：Many foreigners think that natto is a disgusting food.

gross – Gross is the same meaning as disgusting, but it is a slang word and is popular with younger people.
例：Rotten (腐った) eggs smell gross.
例：When he threw up (吐いた), it was really gross.

awful – “Disgusting” and “gross” are usually used for physical things (物質的), but awful is usually used for situations or ideas.
例：That’s an awful story.

unpleasant - When talking about people or situations, “disgusting” can be very strong, so it’s often better to use “unpleasant.”
例：He has an unpleasant personality (性格).
例：It was an unpleasant conversation.

weird – When talking about people, “disgusting” can be very strong, and the meaning of 気持ち悪い人 is often closer to 変、so it’s better to use “weird.”
例：A weird guy tried to pick me up (ナンパする) at the train station. 例：He told me a weird story about his crazy uncle.

creepy – This word is almost the same as weird, but it is much stronger.
例：He always stares at (見詰める) me. It’s creepy.

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 認める

　The word 認める has two very different meanings. The first is “admit,” “plead guilty,” or “confess”. These words are used when a person has done something bad.
　The second meaning is “approve,” “allow,” or “agree to” and means that you like something or give permission for something.

Admit  - If you did something bad, and then tell someone what you did, use the word “admit”.
例：He admitted that he made a mistake.
例：He admitted that he stole the money.
例：He admitted that my idea was better than his.

Confess - This word is almost like “admit” but only always used for a crime, a mistake, or a lie, and sounds more serious.
例：He confessed that he had lied. 例：He admitted that he stole the money.
× He confessed that my idea was better than his.

Plead guilty - This phrase is only used in court (裁判所).
例：He pleaded guilty to the crime.

Allow - Use the word allow when you mean that someone gave permission (許可).
例：The boss allowed him to take a vacation.
×　The boss allowed his vacation.

Approve - Approve is almost the same as “allow” but it is used for a noun (名詞), while “allow” is used for verbs (動詞).
例：The boss approved his vacation request(休暇届).
×: The boss allowed his vacation request.

Approve of - You can use “approve of” to say that you like something or think that it is good.
例：I approve of your decision (決定).
×：I approve your decision.

Recognize - Usually, recognize means 認識する (例：I didn’t recognize him because he got a haircut), but it can also mean 認める。
例：I recognize that you are right.
例：The teacher recognized his talent (才能).

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 我慢する

我慢する

Gaman is one of the most difficult Japanese words to say in English. Some of the meanings of the word are really different in English.

Be patient – When someone pressures you (圧力を掛ける) to hurry, you ask the person to “be patient”. Also, if you know a person who doesn’t get angry when people are late or do things slowly, you could also use “patient”.
例：”Please be patient.”
例：”I’m a slow learner, but my teacher is very patient with me.”

Stand・endure – When you are talking about pain or a difficult situation, use the word “stand” or “endure”. “Stand” is more casual than “endure” and “endure” is only used for physical things (E.g. pain and tiredness).
例：”He never stops talking. I can’t stand him.” (×I can’t endure him.)
例：”I’m going to Hawaii because I can’t stand/endure the cold weather in February.”
例：”I couldn’t stand/endure the pain so I took some pain killers (鎮痛剤).”

Hold your temper – In a situation where you want to get angry, but try to remain calm (冷静さを保つ), you can say “hold your temper.”
例：”He was really rude (失礼), but I held my temper.”

Persevere – If someone makes a strong effort for a long time, or if one tries again many times after failing, we sometimes use the word "persevere."
例：”The exam (試験) was difficult, but he persevered and passed it on his third attempt (三度目の試みで).

Stick it out – When you want to talk about continuing in a difficult situation, you can use the phrase “stick it out”.
例： ”My new job is really tough, but I am going to stick it out.”
例： “He wasn’t very good at first, but he stuck it out and became one of the best players on the team.

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 元気

元気
Last week, I talked about the many meanings (色々な意味) of 頑張って. This week, I would like to talk about another word that seems simple, but has many meanings. It’s 元気.

Fine.
This is a popular answer to the question “How are you.” But the Japanese word 元気 has a positive nuance. If you use the word “fine,” it just means (意味する) you are not sick or sad.
例： When someone asks “How are you?”: I’m fine.

Great.
If you feel really good, you can say, “great.” This may be closer to the Japanese word 元気.
例： When someone asks “How are you?”: Great. (注　I'm greatは自慢話に聞こえる）

Full of energy./Energetic.
In this case, 元気　means a child likes to run around and make a lot of noise. “Full of energy” and “energetic” are almost the same, but “ full of energy” usually means at the present time, and “energetic” means he is a person who usually has a lot of energy.
例： When a child is running around: Your son is really full of energy!
例： When someone asks you, “What is your son like?”: He’s a very energetic boy.

Cheerful.
In this case, 元気 means that the person feels cheerful. The Japanese word 元気 means both physical (身体) and mental, but English doesn’t have one word that includes (含まる) both.
例： When someone asks you, “What is your daughter like?”: She’s a very cheerful girl.”

In good health. 元気 can also mean that a person is not sick.
例： When someone asks “How is your grandfather?”: He’s in good health.

In good shape.
If someone does a lot of exercise and is very healthy and strong, we say, “in good shape.”
例：If your friend can run a marathon: He’s in good shape.

Spry
This meaning of 元気 is only used for old people who are still in good health.
例：　If you want to say that your grandfather is still active： He's still spry.

さまざまな意味を持つ単語 ー 頑張って

頑張って

 Some Japanese words are very difficult to say in English. 頑張って is on of the most difficult, because it can be used in many different ways. Here are some different ways to say 頑張って in English.

Good luck.
In this case, 頑張って means that we hope they will have good luck that will help them pass (合格) or win (勝つ).
例：　Before a test: “Good luck on the test.”
例：　Before a sports event: “Good luck in the race.”
例：　Before a job interview: “Good luck with the job interview.”
Don’t work too hard.
When someone has to go to work, many Japanese people say “頑張って” but many Westerners don’t like someone saying “Work hard!” so we say the opposite (反対).
例：　Before going in to work. “Don’t work too hard.”
Break a leg.
Before a performance (演劇), people don’t usually wish someone good luck. This is an old superstition (迷信) from the theater (演劇界).
例：　Before someone goes onstage: “Break a leg.”
Hang in there.
If someone is depressed (落ち込んだ) or is thinking about quitting (辞めること) people say “Hang in there”. The origin (由来） of this expression is that if a person is in danger of falling, they have to hang on to something tightly (しっかりつかまる).
例：　When we are consoling (慰めること) someone whose boss got angry with the person: “Hang in there. Things will get better.”
例：　When someone is thinking about quitting because the situation (状態) is difficult: “Hang in there. You can do it.”
Keep up the good work.
”Keep up” means to continue at the same high level.
例：　When someone has done a good job and you want the person to continue: “This report (報告) is really good. Keep up the good work.”
Please do your best on this.
If you want to tell someone that something is very important so they have to make a special effort (動力) you can say, “Please do your best on this.” This phrase is usually used by a superior (上司) talking to a subordinate (部下).
例：　When someone is going to give an important presentation: “Please do your best on this presentation. It’s very important.”

-Ed

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