Mother West Wind "Why" Stories — Page 59

Vocabulary

なぜ

naze — Why; used to ask for a reason or cause.

モグラの

mogura no — Of the mole; possessive form of mole.

地下に

chika ni — Underground; beneath the surface of the earth.

住んでいるのか

sunde iru no ka — Why does (he/she) live there? Questioning ongoing residence.

シマリスは

Shimaris wa — As for Chipmunk; topic marker on chipmunk character.

草が

kusa ga — Grass; subject marker on the word for grass.

盛り上がっている

moriagatte iru — Bulging or mounded up; raised above surrounding surface.

小さな

chiisa na — Small; little; used as a prenominal adjective.

畝を

une wo — Ridge of earth; small mound or furrow in ground.

じっと

jitto — Fixedly; steadily; without moving or looking away.

見つめながら

mitsumenagara — While gazing at; staring intently at something simultaneously.

座っていました

suwatte imashita — Was sitting; describes a continuous seated state in past.

彼は

kare wa — He; third-person masculine pronoun with topic marker.

そのような

sono you na — Such; that kind of; of that sort or nature.

よく

yoku — Often; frequently; also means well or skillfully.

目にして

me ni shite — Having seen; come across with one's own eyes.

いましたが

imashita ga — Was (doing), but; past tense with contrastive conjunction.

あまり

amari — Not very; not much; used with negative verb forms.

深く

fukaku — Deeply; in a deep or thorough manner.

考えた

kangaeta — Thought about; past tense of to think or consider.

ことは

koto wa — The fact that; nominalizer plus topic marker combination.

ありませんでした

arimasen deshita — There was not; polite past negative of aru.

それらは

sorera wa — Those (things); plural demonstrative pronoun with topic marker.

作った

tsukutta — Made; created; past tense of the verb tsukuru.

ものだと

mono da to — That it is something; nominalizer with quotation marker.

知っていました

shitte imashita — Knew; was in a state of knowing something past.

質問

shitsumon — Question; an inquiry or query posed to someone.

できるくらい

dekiru kurai — Enough to be able to; to the extent of capability.

大きく

ōkiku — Largely; in a big way; grown enough to do.

なった

natta — Became; past tense of the verb naru (to become).

頃から

koro kara — Since around the time (when); from about that period.

ずっと

zutto — All along; continuously; the whole time without interruption.

そのことを

sono koto wo — That matter; that fact; referring to the thing mentioned.

知っていた

shitte ita — Had known; was in a state of knowing (plain past).

のです

no desu — It is that; explanatory or emphatic sentence ending particle.

しかし

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

今

ima — Now; at this moment; the present time.

これを

kore wo — This (object); near demonstrative pronoun with object marker.

見ていると

mite iru to — When looking at this; while in the act of watching.

生涯を

shōgai wo — One's lifetime; entire life; used as object of verb.

通じて

tsūjite — Throughout; through the course of; by means of.

一度か

ichido ka — Once or; indicating a small uncertain number of times.

二度しか

nido shika — Only twice; limiting particle shika emphasizing rarity.

見た

mita — Saw; looked at; past tense of the verb miru.

ことが

koto ga — The fact that; nominalizer koto with subject marker ga.

ないと

nai to — That there is not; quotative with negative plain form.

ふと

futo — Suddenly; unexpectedly; casually coming to mind.

気づきました

kizukimashita — Noticed; realized; became aware of something politely past.

なんて

nante — What a; how; exclamatory expression of surprise or emotion.

奇妙な

kimyō na — Strange; odd; peculiar way of doing something.

暮らし方

kurashikata — Way of living; lifestyle; manner of spending one's days.

だろう

darō — Probably; I wonder; expresses conjecture or mild exclamation.

と

to — Quotation particle; marks the content of speech or thought.

思いました

omoimashita — Thought; felt; polite past tense of the verb omou.

地面の

jimen no — Of the ground; surface of the earth possessive form.

下に

shita ni — Below; underneath; in a lower position or place.

居心地の

igokochi no — Of comfort; relating to a comfortable, cozy feeling.

よい

yoi — Good; fine; comfortable; positive quality adjective.

家を

ie wo — House; home; object marker on the word for home.

持ち

mochi — Having; possessing; connective form of the verb motsu.

長く

nagaku — Long; for a long time; adverbial form of nagai.

寒い

samui — Cold; chilly; describes low-temperature weather or feeling.

冬を

fuyu wo — Winter; the coldest season; object marker on winter.

眠って

nemutte — Sleeping; connective form of the verb nemuru (to sleep).

過ごし

sugoshi — Spending (time); passing; connective form of sugosu.

完全に

kanzen ni — Completely; perfectly; in an entirely thorough manner.

安全で

anzen de — Being safe; secure; connective form of safety adjective.

いられる

irareru — Can be; able to remain in a state or place.

のは

no wa — The fact that; nominalizer with topic marker for emphasis.

とても

totemo — Very; extremely; quite; intensifying adverb in Japanese.

結構な

kekkō na — Splendid; fine; quite good; appreciative or sufficient.

ことだけれど

koto da keredo — It is fine, but; concessive expression acknowledging a point.

美しい

utsukushii — Beautiful; lovely; aesthetically pleasing adjective.

春や

haru ya — Spring and; listing particle ya after the word spring.

夏や

natsu ya — Summer and; listing particle ya after the word summer.

秋の

aki no — Of autumn; fall season with possessive particle no.

間中

あいだじゅう (aidajū) — Throughout; all through; during the entire period of time.

住もうと

sumō to — Intending to live; volitional form of sumu with quotation.

する

suru — To do; to make; a fundamental Japanese verb.

理由は

riyū wa — The reason; cause; topic marker on the word reason.

理解できない

rikai dekinai — Cannot understand; unable to comprehend the rationale.

見逃して

minogashite — Missing out on; overlooking; letting something pass unseen.

いるものを

iru mono wo — The things that (you) are missing; object of missing out.

ちょっと

chotto — A little; just a moment; used to soften a request.

考えて

kangaete — Think about; connective form of the verb kangaeru.

みて

mite — Try (doing); please try; connective form of miru (attempt).

陽の

hi no — Of the sun; sunlight possessive; relating to sunlight.

光

hikari — Light; radiance; the light emitted by the sun.

花々

hanabana — Flowers; the plural or collective form of hana (flower).

鳥たちの

tori-tachi no — Of the birds; possessive plural form of bird.

歌声

utagoe — Singing voice; the sound of birds or people singing.

そして

soshite — And then; furthermore; used to add or continue a thought.

一緒に

issho ni — Together; jointly; doing something with another person.

遊べる

asoberu — Can play; potential form of the verb asobu (to play).

陽気な

yōki na — Cheerful; merry; lively and in good spirits.

風たち

kaze-tachi — Winds; the breezes; plural suffix tachi applied to wind.

不思議

fushigi — Strange; mysterious; wonderful and hard to explain.

だわ

dawa — It is (feminine); soft assertive sentence-ending particle.

何が

nani ga — What (subject); interrogative pronoun with subject marker.

なの

na no — Is it?; soft explanatory question ending, often feminine.

その

sono — That; demonstrative prenominal adjective near the listener.

声は

koe wa — The voice; sound of speaking; topic marker on voice.

シマリスの

Shimaris no — Of Chipmunk; possessive particle applied to chipmunk.

すぐ

sugu — Right away; immediately; very close in time or distance.

そばで

soba de — Nearby; right beside; indicating a close physical location.

聞こえた

kikoeta — Was heard; could be heard; past tense of kikoeru.

ので

no de — Because; so; causal connective explaining a reason.

飛び上がって

tobiagatte — Jumping up; leaping in surprise; connective form of tobiagaru.

しまいました

shimaimashita — Ended up doing; completed an action, often regrettably.

くるりと

kururi to — With a spin; quickly turning around in one swift motion.

振り向きました

furimukimashita — Turned around; looked back; polite past of furimuku.

そこには

soko ni wa — There; at that place; topic marker on that location.

いました

imashita — Was there; existed; polite past tense of the verb iru.

驚かせよう

odorokaseyō — Let's surprise; volitional causative of the verb odoroku.

できる

dekiru — Can do; able to; potential verb meaning to be capable.

限り

kagiri — As much as possible; to the limit; extent of ability.

静かに

shizuka ni — Quietly; in a calm and silent manner; adverbial form.

忍び足で

shinobiashi de — On tiptoe; sneaking quietly; stealthily creeping along.

やって

yatte — Doing; coming along; connective form of yaru or yatte kuru.

来ていた

kite ita — Had been coming; was in the process of approaching.

にやりと

niyari to — With a grin; smirking; manner of a sly or wide smile.

笑いました

waraimashita — Laughed; smiled; polite past tense of the verb warau.

繰り返しました

kurikaeshimashita — Repeated; said again; polite past tense of kurikaesu.

向かって

mukatte — Facing toward; turning to; connective form of mukau.

顔を

kao wo — Face; object marker on the word for face.

しかめました

shikamemashita — Frowned; scowled; made a displeased expression at someone.

きっと

kitto — Surely; certainly; expressing strong expectation or confidence.

あなたが

anata ga — You (subject); second-person pronoun with subject marker.

知らない

shiranai — Don't know; plain negative of the verb shiru (to know).

ことを

koto wo — The thing that; nominalizer koto with object marker wo.

不思議に

fushigi ni — Strangely; in a mysterious way; adverbial form of fushigi.

思ってる

omotteru — Am thinking; is wondering; casual form of omotte iru.

のよ

no yo — You know; soft emphatic feminine sentence-ending particle.

答えました

kotaemashita — Answered; replied; polite past tense of the verb kotaeru.

それは

sore wa — That is; that (topic); near demonstrative with topic marker.

簡単

kantan — Simple; easy; not complicated or difficult to understand.

だよ

da yo — It is (you know); casual assertive sentence-ending expression.