nr.13 : 「間違い」？それとも「新しい」？

While I've worked at the university of Iceland as a Japanese language teacher, I needed to teach language, make examinations, mark and evaluate them.

I love teaching and almost all works as teacher, but it was not easy for me.

The reasons why I say it's not easy is, because the Japanese language is "still alive".

The languages which people keep using is constantly changing.




For example, the sentence
お召し上がりください。
is many companies using on their product.
As a Japanese language teacher, I should point out it's grammatically incorrect, yet I also need to mention that nowadays people understand and it's considered as a "correct expression".

Another example, 五月晴れ doesn't mean the beautiful sunny weather in May, or 小春日和 shouldn't use in spring when you feel comfortable the warm climate.

As a Japanese language teacher, I need to make a clear line for "correct" or "incorrect" especially on the examination.
However when I teach in the class, or just as an ordinary Japanese speaker, I sometimes really confused how should I think about those INCORRECT-or-NEW USAGE of the language/expression.

My current stance as an ordinary Japanese language user is "I don't use these newer-usage expressions/words by myself, but try to NOT think it's WRONG usage".

I cannot ignore my awkward feeling against to the "non-traditional usage", because I teach Japanese language, especially focus on the grammar.
However I understand the languages which is alive changing constantly, moreover the language is an important tool for communicate with others.

So, even though the usage/expression is incorrect grammatically, if many current users consider it's NOT WRONG, then I should respect it, I think.
Yet, I cannot think the "non-traditional usage" is CORRECT, so I don't use it by myself.

I often think I'm stiff and stubborn with Japanese language... yet if there is no person like me, then I believe that Japanese language will be "lawless-language", and there will be no correct or incorrect.

If so, the language won't be work as a communication tool between people, right?

How do you think about your first language and Japanese "non-traditional usage"?

Do you think these are correct? or incorrect-but-not-wrong? or incorrect/wrong?

Always so interesting to think about language, isn't it?

nr.12 : ちんぷんかんぷんだからいい。

I believe that I am not only one language learner who is struggling with idioms and similar expressions.

When you hear "Hara ga tatsu", how do you understand it?

I imagine if I were a beginner of Japanese learner, then I only have an image "literal translation" in my head. And...it makes no sense at all.

There are so many complicated expressions (in my opinion) in all languages which I've tried to learn.

As you know, literal translation: "Belly stands." means "the person is/getting angry".

For express "angry" emotion in Japanese, I can easily write at least three (or four) different expressions.

- (Watashi wa) okotteiru. 【using U-verb】
- Hara ga tatsu. 【Idiom】
- Iraira/Mukamuka suru. 【Onomatopoeia + verb "suru"】

Moreover, when we use Onomatopoeia, we can express different "level" or situation of anger.

Languages are "chi n pun kan pun", but that’s why, they are interesting.
Don’t you think so?

("Chi n pun kan pun" is an idiom to mean "cannot understand", "(something) doesn’t make sense" etc..)

nr.11 : 「簡単には見えない存在」と日本人

Not only humans and animals live in Iceland.
Huldufólk (EN: Hidden people, Elf-like existence) also living here.
Sadly even though I've been in Iceland more than 15 years, I haven't met them.

Icelanders don't talk about Huldufólk daily, moreover I don't feel that people strongly believe Elves.
However, people might say naturally, like "That rock over there is related to Huldufólk...".


I believe that this Icelanders' "feeling" is very familiar to Japanese people.

Because Japanese people also have similar kind of sense that "existence that is not easily visible," such as Yookai-monsters and ghosts in our life. (Of course how strongly "believe" is depends on the person.)

In 2024, I believe that almost no Japanese encounter Yookai-monsters regularly.
But, for example, Japanese-inn in Iwate Prefecture and in Tohoku-region where you may be able to meet a "zashiki-warashi" are still popular and it's not easy to make a reservation for staying.

There are proverbs related to Yokai-monsters, like "Kappa no kawanagare (EN: Even Homer sometimes nods.)" and "Onaji ana no Mujina (EN: Birds of a feather.)".
I've never met Japanese who complains "There are no kappas!" or "There are no Yokai-monsters, so the proverb doesn't make sense" or something like that.

In recent years, it seems that many Japanese say they are "non-religious" people.

Though I believe that only a few would consider Jizo-statue is just a stone statue so may treat badly, or may behave "whatever" when they visit temples and shrines.

In the first place, in my opinion, listening to the bells on New Year's Eve or going to a shrine/temple for praying on New Year's day means people still have a certain kind of devotions.

Summer is the season for ghost stories, and I'm sure some people test their courage by doing Kimodameshi.


Ghosts (Yuurei, Obake), Yokai-monsters, spirits, gods... there are many "beings that are not easily visible" in Japan.
Probably now more people are "not denying their existence" than "actively believing" in them.
But still, I understand that believe "beings that are not easily visible" is the Japanese sensibility and culture.

nr.10 : マイペースでいこう。ファイト！

It seems that many Japanese language learners have difficulty with Katakana words.

Some of them said difficult to write, others said hard to understand.

Brand-new Katakana words often came from English nowadays, but older-generation words came from various languages.

If you have learned Japanese history, then easily understand why some of them came from Chinese and Portuguese. Russian, Ainu language, French... A variety of origin of Katakana words words.

So, modern Japanese's Katakana words are foreign origin, right?

If so maybe it's easier to learn, however sadly, not everything. There are Japanese-made Katakana words.

Often they are called as "Wasei-Eego (EN: Japanglish, Japanese-made English)".
Like you see, the words came from English, but Japanese people mean differently or the word doesn't exist in English.

I believe that probably some Japanese doesn't know about it, and thinks it's "pure" English words.

There are many Wasei-Eego, so I picked up only few as examples.

• Hai ten shon (i.e. high + tension) : The animated object (normally, human being) is excited for something. It uses as positive meaning.

e.g.) ディズニー映画の『アラジン』に出てくるジーニーはいつもハイテンションだ。

• Mai peesu (i.e. my + pace) : Someone doing something as his own pace. Describing personality/character. Often use in positive way.

e.g.) 焦らなくて良いよ。マイペースに頑張ろう！

• Ryukku sakku (i.e. Rucksack in German) : This word is "Katakana-written-version" of Rucksack in German. So actually this is the different "type", and actually exist in other language. However, I believe that many Japanese people think it's English word. “Ryukku sakku” means "backpack" in English.

e.g.) 今日は教科書をたくさん持って行かないといけないから、リュックサックに入れていこう。

At last, as you see in this blog post title, Japanese people use ファイト to encourage others. Not recommend to fight with or beat someone.

Katakana words are a little bit "too complicated"?
If think so, as a Japanese mother tongue speaker, also a Japanese language teacher, I totally agree with you.

nr.9 : 挨拶の時間

If you study Japanese using a textbook, then very often you learn greetings first.


Because almost same greetings are exist, so I think Japanese greetings translate into English is not difficult.


However for example Icelandic language has only one greeting phrase for “daytime”, which is “Góðan daginn”.
It means there is no exactly same idea greeting, which is homologized for Ohayoo (gozaimasu) and/or Konnichiwa.

So, when we speak Icelandic, we can use “Góðan daginn” while we see sun. (To tell the truth, it's not correct to say so, because the sky doesn't getting darker during summer, on the other hand, in winter we hardly see sun here in Iceland...!)
However when we speak Japanese, when should we change greetings between Ohayou gozaimasu, Konnnichiwa and Kombanwa?

Of course there is no written rule, so it depends on the person.
I personally start to use Ohayou gozaimasu around 4 o'clock in the morning, change to Konnichiwa around 11:00 A.M., and Kombanwa from ca. 17:00.

For information, I want to introduce NHK website's “Q&A” summary below.

Q: On broadcast, until what time is acceptable to use "Ohayoo gozaimasu"?

A: It seems that not many people have objections if it is used up until 9:00 A.M..

Q: When shall we start to use "Kombanwa" on broadcast?

A: It seems that it's strongly related to "how the sky is dark". So "what time" depends on generation, region and season.

How do you think?
Which time do you want to switch greetings?

nr.8 : 日本製の漢字

As you know, Kanjis are imported from China.
We don't know exactly when Kanjis came, yet B.C. 100, already Chinese money which is written Kanji characters arrived to Japan.

I haven't learned Chinese, so unfortunately I don't know well about it. However, I know Modern Chinese has two types of Kanjis.
In Japanese, we call them Hantaiji and Kantaiji. Some characters are same, but now often Kanji (Japanese), Hantaiji and Kantaiji (Chinese) are different. (Like you see above.)

Thus, in Chinese looks different, but most of Kanjis are exist in Chinese, too.

However, Japanese has some original Kanjis, that not exist in “ancestor” of Kanji.

For example, 畑 (Kun reading: Hata, Hatake / On reading: -), 働 (Kun reading: Hatara / On reading: Dou) and 榊 (Kun reading: Sakaki / On reading: -).

Agriculture is absolutely strongly connected to Japanese culture and history, working hard is important in Japanese way of thinking, and Sakaki is one of the strongest connected plant with Shintoism.
“Made in Japan” kanjis are very likely nessesary to have for Japanese people.

One last example Japan-made-kanji 鱈 (Kun reading: Tara / On reading: Setsu) is probably Icelandic people also needed.
Because this kanji means "cod fish", which is very important word when we talking about Iceland and their culture.

I found it's interesting that the Kanji which means important fish for Iceland, where I felled in love is made in Japan.

nr.7 : どんな鳴き声？

Keigo, Causative-passive, Ageru&Morau&Kureru... There are many characteristic grammars in Japanese language.
And I believe that we cannot forget “onomatopoeia” if we talk about what can be a “significant” grammar of Japanese.
(By the way, the origin of the word “onomatopoeia” is Ancient Greek language, then Japanese import from French language. Japanese words for onomatopoeia are; Gion-go, Gitai-go and Gisee-go. On means sound, Tai in this case can be translated as situation/condition/state, and See means Voice.)

There are millions of onomatopoeia in Japanese, and they describe a lot, like sound, voice and even situation.

I cannot talk about all of them in one short blog, so this time, I focus on “voice (/call /cry...)” of animals.
Because I believe that many language have this kind of onomatopoeia.

Dogs barking in English: Bowwow. In Japanese, they say Wan Wan.
Cats are Nyaa or Nyan.

I listed some “voices” below. Please guess what animals' voice are they.
The answer is the last part of this blog post.

Do you agree the Japanese sounds? Or do you think they are too strange?

1. Mee
2. Moo
3. Hi hii n
4. Chuu
5. Gaoo
6. Piyo piyo
7. Pa oo n
8. Ko ke ko kkoo