Japanese for Half-Assed People VI

Genki: 元気: (ghen-key): adj., n. energetic

While the literal meaning of ‘genki’ is energetic, it’s used as a ‘how are you’-type greeting.

Ex:
A: Genki?
B: Un, genki!

(or more formally)
A: O-genki desu ka?
B: Hai, genki desu yo!

However, unlike “How are you?,” which is an open-ended question with many possible responses, “genki?” assumes the natural state is energetic and up — Anything else requires a dissenting and contradictory “no,” which is simply terrible for maintaining a good sense of wa (harmony).

Demanding happy conformity is oh-so very Japanese.

Japanese for Half-Assed People V

Hisashiburi: 久しぶり: (hee-sa-shii-bu-riiii): adv. After a long time

You say 'hisashiburi' as you would 'long time no see' — only that 'long time no see' makes you sound like a neo-maxi-zoom-dweebie, whereas hisashiburi ends with that same endearing, high-pitched squealy "iiiiii" that makes Japanese so kawaii and fun.

Example:

Jimmy Hoffa: "Hisashiburi!"
Gladys Hoffa: "Where the hell have you been?"

Japanese for Half-Assed People IV

Chō: 超: (cho): adj. Very

After a long hiatus, Japanese for Half-Assed People returns so that I can start to use this word again in my everyday English and have people understand me. I love this word and used it all the time, it’s so handy and fun: I’m chō tired; this train is chō late; Palau Jeff is chō kawaii.

In a very Japanese one-word-with-opposite-meanings, I thought that ‘chō,’ meaning ‘very’ was short for ‘chotto,’ which means ‘a little bit,’ but this is not the case. Japanese is a chō interesting language!

Japanese for Half-Assed People III

This is one word I'm determined to introduce into the English language!

Conbini: コンビニ: (kon-bee-nee): n. convenience store.

I love this word because it's very kawaii. "Convenience store" is so bland and boring –and also not very convenient for being so long.

Japanese people love shortening words and making abbreviations, so the word conbini comes from CON-VE-NIence store (there's no 'V' sound in Japanese, so they had to change that bit). Another example; SEXUal HARAssment becomes sekuhara.

Here are some more of my fav Japanese abbreviations. Can you figure them out?

Remocon
Wai-shatsu
Terebi
Pasocon
Masucomi
Diji-came
Wopro
Maza-con
Sha-pen

Japanese for Half-Assed People II

Today’s word is very popular in Japan.

Kawaii: 可愛い かわいい: (ka-wa-iiiii —preferably pronounced with an exaggerated high-pitched squealy emphasis on the ‘iiiiii’): adj. Cute.

Japan is, in fact, a nation of cuteness. Think ‘Hello Kitty’ and ‘Pokémon’. Okay, now think ‘Hello Kitty’ and ‘Pokémon’ painted on the side of a 747 jumbo jet that flies daily to Frankfurt and you’ll begin to understand just how serious people here are about cute. Cute is everything; even the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have a cute little mascot smiling at you from every station —his name is Biibo-kun.

“That handbag is really kawaii.”

“Your pet chihuahua is sugoi kawaii.”

For advanced students only: “Biibo-kun is sugoi sugoi kawaii.”

Japanese for Half-Assed People

Okay, per Jenni's request, here is ya'll's first Japanese lesson:

Sugoi: 凄い すごい: (su-goy): adj. Great, wonderful, amazing, terrific. Also; terrible, dreadful.

How oh-so-Japanese to have one word with two completely opposite meanings! I'd say it's probably the most used word in conversations with people under 35. In fact, it probably gets used in a typical conversation, oh, about every second sentence. So feel free to sprinkle it liberally throughout your converstation. I know I sure do.

A: "I just won the lottery."
B: "Sugoi!"

Those new shoes are sugoi!