Words May 2024 Week 1

There were several 1,000-yen notes in a plastic bag. (For dollars, we say “bills.” For all other paper money, we say “notes.”)

He got a call from the store. (The store employee called him.)

Her father passed away, so they postponed the wedding ceremony. (They were legally married last year, but the ceremony was held this year.)

Her uncle will escort her down the aisle. (“Virgin Road” is “wasei eigo.”)

They are all heavy drinkers. (The word “drunkard” has a negative meaning.)

I got a call from her. (She called me.)

He rode the bike well. (It was his first time riding a bicycle.)

Shizuoka wants a station to be built before allowing a linear motor car to be used. (They are using other excuses for not allowing the railroad to be built there.)

It was a slip of the tongue when he said negative things about people in agricultural jobs. (Slip of the tongue means to make a mistake in choosing words.)

The Pillow Book is akin to a diary written by Sei Shonagon. (The book is about her daily life, gossip about her peers, comments on fashion and the seasons.)

The Empress received a "bundle of notebooks" and she didn't know what to do with them. (Sei Shonagon asked if she could make a pillow of them.)

There were many conspiracies amongst the aristocrats during the Heian Period. (People were secretly fighting to get a higher position or more power.)

They all had a stomach virus. (The virus passed from one person to the next.)

A sequel is the continuation of a story in a movie. (A prequel is about what happened before the original movie.)

Something authentic is something that is real. (The samurai costumes were authentic.)

Martial arts are various sports, mainly of Japanese origin, that originated as forms of self-defense or attack, such as judo, karate, and kendo. (The term “martial arts” is derived from an older Latin term meaning "arts of Mars".)

Mars was the Roman god of war. (Hachiman is the Japanese god of war.)

Some people gave the restaurant a one-star rating. (People made bad reviews of the restaurant.)

The shop had many positive reviews. (People gave it four- and five-star ratings.)

It broke from normal wear and tear. (It was old and broke from normal use over many years.)

It was a little chilly, so I turned on the heater. (The word “stove” is ok, but “heater” is better.)

They estimated that it would take six years to repair the railroad. (But they worked hard and finished it in three years.

The train had only two cars. (It was a local countryside train.)

There is a drinking fountain in the park. (A couple of young girls were playing in the water that went high into the air.)

I mowed the lawn. (A lawn is well-trimmed grass.)

I cut the weeds with a weed eater. (There were too many weeds to dig up by hand.)

The cherry blossoms were artificial. (They were imitation blossoms.)

The goldfish were adorable. (They were very cute.)