This is just a reminder (催促) of the hamster naming contest. If you would like to vote (投票する）for Derek's hamster's name, please click on this link. It only takes a few seconds.
http://twoyen.blogspot.com/
http://twoyen.blogspot.com/
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.
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.
Last weekend I went to the Koto-ward (区） festival. It's not very famous (有名）, but I think it's one of the best festivals I have seen in Japan. I was very impressed (に感銘を受ける) by the log rolling (角乗）demonstration. One guy even did log rolling while wearing Japanese wooden clogs (下駄). That was unbelievable (驚くべき)! Canadian lumberjacks (木材伐採人) also do log rolling, but I wonder if they could do it wearing Japanese wooden clogs.
Another very impressive trick was when they carried a palenquin (かご） with a young boy in it.
Finally, I saw the Chikara-mochi demonstration. I thought it was really funny because they covered a man with rice bales (米俵) and then pounded him with a heavy hammer to make rice cakes (餅）. If you look at the photo below, you will notice (気付く） that everybody looks happy, but nobody is looking at the poor guy on the bottom.
-Ed
Another very impressive trick was when they carried a palenquin (かご） with a young boy in it.
Finally, I saw the Chikara-mochi demonstration. I thought it was really funny because they covered a man with rice bales (米俵) and then pounded him with a heavy hammer to make rice cakes (餅）. If you look at the photo below, you will notice (気付く） that everybody looks happy, but nobody is looking at the poor guy on the bottom.
-Ed
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
Thank you everyone for all your comments on my hamster name posting.
I think we have some great names to choose from.
Now it is time to decide, so please go to this site and vote for your favorite name.
http://twoyen.blogspot.com/
The name with the most votes on November 5th will be declared the winner and that will be the name given to my still nameless hamster.
Finally, don't forget the person who posted the winning name will win any book from our A to Z shop.
Thank you and get voting!
Derek
I think we have some great names to choose from.
Now it is time to decide, so please go to this site and vote for your favorite name.
http://twoyen.blogspot.com/
The name with the most votes on November 5th will be declared the winner and that will be the name given to my still nameless hamster.
Finally, don't forget the person who posted the winning name will win any book from our A to Z shop.
Thank you and get voting!
Derek
This weekend, I'm going to the Koto ward (区) festival. It's not very famous (有名), but I went last year and really enjoyed it.
In the morning, they have a demonstration of log rolling (木場の角乗). I saw some photos of it on this homepage, and it looks really interesting: http://wadaphoto.jp/maturi/edogei1.htm. Unfortunately (残念ながら), I was too late last year, and I didn't get to see it so I'm really looking forward (楽しみ）this year.
In the afternoon, they have a lion dance (獅子舞) and an event called 深川力持. It's really impressive (印象的). In this demonstration, strong men lift heavy bales of rice (米俵) over their heads and perform other feats of strength (力わざ). Here is a photo that I took last year:
In the morning, they have a demonstration of log rolling (木場の角乗). I saw some photos of it on this homepage, and it looks really interesting: http://wadaphoto.jp/maturi/edogei1.htm. Unfortunately (残念ながら), I was too late last year, and I didn't get to see it so I'm really looking forward (楽しみ）this year.
In the afternoon, they have a lion dance (獅子舞) and an event called 深川力持. It's really impressive (印象的). In this demonstration, strong men lift heavy bales of rice (米俵) over their heads and perform other feats of strength (力わざ). Here is a photo that I took last year:
Yesterday, I talked about how long it takes to improve your English. It could take years to become fluent (流ちょう), so I think it is important to make set small goals (目標を定める). Here are some examples （例） of smaller goals (目標） that you could set:
*learn 100 words in a month. For example, this homepage has the 1000 most common words in English: http://www.esldesk.com/esl-quizzes/most-used-english-words/words.htm
*write a diary (日記） in English twice a week (週に二回） for three months
*take (受ける） a TOEIC or TOEFL practice test (模擬試験） and find three grammar mistakes (文法敵な間違え） that you often make. Practice (練習する） the grammar points for one month, and then take another practice test to make sure (確認する) that you can use the grammar perfectly
If you achieve (達成する) a small goal, you will know that your English is getting better.
*learn 100 words in a month. For example, this homepage has the 1000 most common words in English: http://www.esldesk.com/esl-quizzes/most-used-english-words/words.htm
*write a diary (日記） in English twice a week (週に二回） for three months
*take (受ける） a TOEIC or TOEFL practice test (模擬試験） and find three grammar mistakes (文法敵な間違え） that you often make. Practice (練習する） the grammar points for one month, and then take another practice test to make sure (確認する) that you can use the grammar perfectly
If you achieve (達成する) a small goal, you will know that your English is getting better.
Are you making progess with your English (あなたの英語は上達していますか)? Many students worry that they should be learning faster. I think that many people don't realize (認識する）that it takes a very, very long time to learn English.
For example, the US government (政府）says that it takes 40-60 weeks of full-time study for Asian immigrants (移民) to become fluent (流ちょう). That's 1200 hours in the classroom (教室)! Those people live in America, so they can practice (練習）English every day. If you study English once a week in Japan, it would take 23 years to learn English well.
That's the bad news. But the good news is that if you are a complete beginner (入門), you can move up to beginner level in about one year, or less if you study hard. If you are a beginner, you can move to intermediate (中級） in 4 or 5 years. To get to advanced （上級), it will take another 5 to 6 years.
Next time I will write about some ways to improve your English.
-Ed
For example, the US government (政府）says that it takes 40-60 weeks of full-time study for Asian immigrants (移民) to become fluent (流ちょう). That's 1200 hours in the classroom (教室)! Those people live in America, so they can practice (練習）English every day. If you study English once a week in Japan, it would take 23 years to learn English well.
That's the bad news. But the good news is that if you are a complete beginner (入門), you can move up to beginner level in about one year, or less if you study hard. If you are a beginner, you can move to intermediate (中級） in 4 or 5 years. To get to advanced （上級), it will take another 5 to 6 years.
Next time I will write about some ways to improve your English.
-Ed
If you want to try to win our hamster naming (名づけ）contest, here is a good homepage for you. It is a hamster name generator (ハムスター名作成プログラム) to help you choose (選ぶ）a nice name for a hamster.
Here is the URL: http://www.coyoteslodge.com/hamform.htm
Here are some names it suggested (進めた）:
Biffy
Hammy
Beethoven
Adam
Peanut
Savage (どう猛な) Henry
Candy Bar
I think I like Peanut and Savage Henry.
-Ed
Here is the URL: http://www.coyoteslodge.com/hamform.htm
Here are some names it suggested (進めた）:
Biffy
Hammy
Beethoven
Adam
Peanut
Savage (どう猛な) Henry
Candy Bar
I think I like Peanut and Savage Henry.
-Ed
I moved into a new apartment this week. It's great because my commuting time (通勤時間） is much shorter now, and my apartment is much bigger.
The only problem is that everything I have is in boxes and it takes me at least (少なくとも） 10 minutes to find everything. I wanted to take a shower and I was looking for my shampoo, toothpaste, and soap. I searched all over the apartment for about 20 minutes, but I couldn't find them anywhere.
Finally, I found them in the toilet. The reason (理由） is that I wrote "toiletries" on the bag, so the movers (引越しやさん） thought it was things for the toilet. Actually, toiletries means 洗面用化粧品 or 化粧品.
-Ed
The only problem is that everything I have is in boxes and it takes me at least (少なくとも） 10 minutes to find everything. I wanted to take a shower and I was looking for my shampoo, toothpaste, and soap. I searched all over the apartment for about 20 minutes, but I couldn't find them anywhere.
Finally, I found them in the toilet. The reason (理由） is that I wrote "toiletries" on the bag, so the movers (引越しやさん） thought it was things for the toilet. Actually, toiletries means 洗面用化粧品 or 化粧品.
-Ed