Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 13

Vocabulary

ウサギ

usagi — Rabbit; a small, long-eared mammal.

さん

san — Honorific title; Mr., Mrs., or Ms.

は

wa — Topic-marking particle indicating the subject.

まるで

marude — Just like; exactly as if; used for comparisons.

その

sono — That; referring to something near the listener.

まま

mama — As is; remaining in the same condition or state.

さっさと

sassato — Quickly; without delay; briskly and promptly.

家

ie / uchi — House; home; one's place of residence.

に

ni — Directional or locational particle; to, at, in.

帰っ

kaette — Returned home; went back (te-form of 帰る).

て

te — Conjunctive particle connecting sequential actions.

すぐ

sugu — Immediately; right away; without hesitation.

仕事

shigoto — Work; job; one's occupation or task.

を

wo — Object-marking particle indicating the direct object.

始める

hajimeru — To begin; to start doing something.

か

ka — Question particle or uncertainty marker in Japanese.

の

no — Possessive or nominalizing particle; of, 's.

よう

you — Appearance; manner; seeming like something.

きびきび

kibikibi — Briskly; energetically; moving with lively efficiency.

と

to — Particle meaning 'and', 'with', or quotation marker.

歩き出し

arukidashi — Started walking; began to move on foot.

まし

mashi — Polite past auxiliary; part of ました form.

た

ta — Past tense auxiliary verb; indicates completed action.

しかし

shikashi — However; but; used to introduce a contrasting statement.

三十

sanjuu — Thirty; the number 30.

分

fun / pun — Minute(s); unit of time measurement.

後

go / ato — After; later; subsequent in time or order.

が

ga — Subject-marking particle identifying the grammatical subject.

たまたま

tamatama — By chance; coincidentally; happening unexpectedly.

前

mae — In front of; before; previous position or time.

通りかかる

toorikakaru — To happen to pass by a place.

腕

ude — Arm; the limb from shoulder to hand.

組ん

kun(de) — Folded; crossed (arms), te-form of 組む.

座り

suwari — Sitting; the act of being seated.

しか

shika — Only; nothing but; used with negative verbs.

でき

deki — Can do; able to; stem of できる.

ない

nai — Not; negation; indicates inability or absence.

な

na — Sentence-final particle expressing emotion or reflection.

素早さ

subayasa — Quickness; swiftness; the quality of moving fast.

動き回る

ugokimawaru — To move around; to bustle about actively.

ながめ

nagame — View; scenery; the act of gazing at something.

い

i — Existence verb (て-form base); being present there.

とうとう

toutou — Finally; at last; after a long time.

友だち

tomodachi — Friend(s); a person with whom one has friendship.

や

ya — Listing particle meaning 'and' among other things.

近所

kinjo — Neighborhood; the area near one's home.

人たち

hitotachi — People; a group of persons collectively.

全員

zen'in — Everyone; all members of a group.

ところ

tokoro — Place; location; also indicates a point in time.

回り終え

mawarioe — Finished going around; completed making the rounds.

また

mata — Again; once more; also; in addition.

もと

moto — Origin; original place or starting point.

ぼろぼろ

boroboro — Worn out; tattered; in a ragged, exhausted state.

戻っ

modotte — Returned; came back (te-form of 戻る).

き

ki — Came (te-form of 来る, often written き).

やれやれ

yareyare — Good grief; phew; expressing exhaustion or exasperation.

ため息

tameiki — Sigh; a deep breath expressing fatigue or resignation.

つき

tsuki — While doing; attached to (stem form of つく).

ながら

nagara — While; simultaneously doing two actions at once.

小さな

chiisana — Small; little; of diminutive size or scale.

古い

furui — Old; aged; not new; having existed long.

ほとんど

hotondo — Almost; nearly; mostly; the greater part.

隠し

kakushi — Hiding; concealing; stem form of 隠す.

しまっ

shimatte — Ended up doing; completed (te-form of しまう).

いる

iru — To be; to exist; used for animate beings.

もつれ

motsure — Tangle; entanglement; twisted or knotted state.

いばら

ibara — Thorns; briar; a prickly, thorny plant or bush.

見

mi — Looking at; seeing (stem form of 見る).

言い

ii — Said; saying (stem form of 言う).

これ

kore — This; referring to something near the speaker.

全部

zenbu — All; everything; the whole of something.

片付ける

katazukeru — To tidy up; to clear away; to put in order.

なんて

nante — Such a thing as; expressing surprise or dismissal.

とても

totemo — Very; extremely; quite; used to intensify adjectives.

来

ki — Come; coming (stem of 来る, to come).

手伝っ

tetsudatte — Helped; assisted (te-form of 手伝う).

くれる

kureru — To give (to me); to do something for one.

とき

toki — Time; moment; when a certain situation occurs.

方

hou — Direction; way; alternative; comparing two options.

ずっと

zutto — Much more; all along; continuously over time.

し

shi — And; listing reasons or actions; stem of する.

やすい

yasui — Easy to do; suffix indicating ease of action.

だろう

darou — Probably; I suppose; expressing conjecture or probability.

そこ

soko — There; that place; near the listener.

もう

mou — Already; anymore; soon; indicates a changed state.

一度

ichido — Once; one time; a single occurrence.

つい

tsui — Unintentionally; inadvertently; just now; involuntarily.

組み

kumi — Group; pairing; also stem of 組む (to fold/join).

本来

honrai — Originally; by nature; fundamentally; as it should be.

す

su — Do; informal shortened form of する.

べき

beki — Should; ought to; expressing moral obligation.

だっ

datte — Was; past copula (te-form of だ/である).

始めよ

hajimeyo — Let's begin; volitional form of 始める.

う

u — Volitional suffix meaning 'let's' or 'shall we'.

ませ

mase — Polite imperative or volitional ending in Japanese.

ん

n — Negative suffix; part of ません (polite negative).

でし

deshi — Polite copula (part of でした, polite past tense).

そして

soshite — And then; and so; connecting sequential events.

太陽

taiyou — The sun; the star at the center of our solar system.

明るく

akaruku — Brightly; in a bright, luminous manner.

暖かく

atatakaku — Warmly; in a warm, comfortable temperature manner.

照っ

tette — Shining; blazing (te-form of 照る, to shine).

気持ち

kimochi — Feeling; mood; sensation; emotional state.

よかっ

yokatte — Was good; felt pleasant (past of よい/いい).

おじいさん

ojiisan — Grandfather; old man; elderly male person.

うとうと

utouto — Dozing; nodding off; falling into a light sleep.

始め

hajime — Beginning; start; the first part of something.

やがて

yagate — Before long; soon; eventually; in due time.

ぐっすり

gussuri — Sound asleep; deeply sleeping; sleeping soundly.

眠り込ん

nemurikon(de) — Fell fast asleep; sank into deep slumber.

しまい

shimai — Ended up; completed unintentionally (stem of しまう).

さて

sate — Well; now then; used to shift topic or attention.

自然

shizen — Nature; the natural world; also natural, innate.

お母さん

okaasan — Mother; mom; polite term for one's own or another's mother.

人々

hitobito — People; various persons; folks in general.

驚かせる

odorokaseru — To surprise; to astonish; to startle someone.

こと

koto — Thing; fact; nominalizer for verbs and clauses.

好き

suki — Like; fond of; having a preference for something.

ちょうど

choudo — Exactly; just; precisely at a certain point.

この

kono — This; referring to something near the speaker.

日

hi / nichi — Day; sun; a 24-hour period of time.

約束

yakusoku — Promise; appointment; an agreed commitment.

訪問

houmon — Visit; a formal call upon someone at their home.

する

suru — To do; general-purpose action verb in Japanese.

彼女

kanojo — She; her; also means girlfriend in Japanese.

道すがら

michisugara — Along the way; while walking a path or route.

目

me — Eye; one's vision or point of view.

もの

mono — Thing; object; something; a tangible or abstract matter.

すべて

subete — Everything; all; the entirety of something.

満足

manzoku — Satisfaction; contentment; feeling pleased with something.

たどり着い

tadoritsui(te) — Arrived after a struggle; finally reached a destination.

それ

sore — That; referring to something near the listener.

変わり

kawari — Change; difference; alteration in state or form.

まあ

maa — Well; oh my; an interjection expressing mild surprise.

雑草

zassou — Weeds; unwanted plants growing in a garden or field.

隠れ

kakure — Hidden; concealed; stem form of 隠れる.

両手

ryoute — Both hands; using the left and right hand together.

上げ

age — Raising up; lifting (stem form of 上げる).

叫び

sakebi — Shouting; crying out; a loud exclamation.

本当

hontou — Really; truly; genuine; expressing sincerity or surprise.

誰か

dareka — Someone; somebody; an unspecified person.

ここ

koko — Here; this place; near the speaker.

住ん

sun(de) — Living; residing (te-form of 住む, to live).

そんな

sonna — Such; that kind of; like that.

あり得る

arierу / ariuru — Possible; can exist; it is conceivable that.

かしら

kashira — I wonder; feminine sentence-final particle of wondering.