January 3rd, 2007
The french version of the japanese proverbs started in 2005 contains more than 160 proverbs ! I just started the english translation here : japanese proverbs. Each proverb is explained and an english equivalent is given where possible. Feel free to participate to the translation or other parts of the wiki on japanese and french languages. Sharing your own knowledge of the japanese language will help you to memorize and give you the chance to verify that your understanding of the japanese language is correct. In 2007 I will focus on 四字熟語 “4 Kanji expressions (french version)” and on the translation of the japanese proverbs list. I hope that you will make tremendous progress in your study of the japanese language in 2007.
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November 11th, 2006
へのへのもへじ is more than likely the oldest japanese 絵文字 “émoji“. “An emo-what ?!”. émoji is a 絵 “drawing” made of 文字 “characters”. In other words, it is equivalent of the smileys used in chat messaging : 
. However, you don’t need to turn your head to decipher 絵文字 “the japanese smileys”. For instance, the equivalent of is ^_^ .
Let’s go back to へのへのもへじ “hénohénomohéji“. It is a 顔 “face” made of the following 平仮名 “japanese characters” : へ “hé” for the eyebrows and the mouth, の “no” for the eyes, も “mo” for the nose, and じ “ji” for the face with two drops of sweat (my guess). For a long time it used to be へへののもへじ “héhénonomohéji” but you will agree that this one is more difficult to pronounce correctly. There are plenty of faces made of 平仮名 “japanese characters” like the spouse of mister Hénohénomohéji : へめへめくこひ “héméhémékukohi” !
Mr Hénohénomohéji is working in the fields. His job is to scare the crows. Well, he is trying. For his defence we shall say that is deaf-mute and planted into the ground. You probably guessed that it is a 案山子 “scarecrow”. It is interesting to note that the 漢字 “chino-japanese characters” used for かかし “scarecrow” : 案 “proposal, suggestion”, 山 “mountain” and 子 “child”. Is it that scarecrows are some kind of mountain guide ? In fact, it is a bit more complicated than that.
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August 18th, 2006
I just can’t get tired of learning the Japanese language. One of the main reason that makes learning Japanese language such a thrill is discovering words like とかく. Here is the sentence that made me look up this strange word in my electronic dictionnary.
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いずれにしても、先輩や年長者の言うことは、傾聴するに値するといった戒めですが、とかく若い人たちは年長者を尊敬するよりも、軽くみるといった風潮が強くあります。
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Izure ni shite mo, senpai ya nenchôsha no iu koto ha, keichô suru ni atai suru to itta imashime desu ga, tokaku wakai hitotachi ha nenchôsha wo sonkei suru yori mo, karuku miru to itta fûchô ga tsuyoku arimasu.
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At any rate, the lesson is that it is valuable to listen to one’s Senpai (senior) or elders. However, Tokaku the trend for young adults regarding this matter is not really an attitude of respect but rather an unconcerned attitude.
Even if this sentence makes sense without understanding とかく, I seize any chance to learn new words. Looking up this word in the integrated 広辞苑 “Kôjien (Japanese<->Japanese dictionnary)” in my electronic dictionnary not only revealed its meaning but also its writing with Kanji. とかく is used to introduce an unexpected example. Its writing in Kanji is 兎角 “Rabbit - Horn” ! Indeed, a rabbit with horns is not really natural. I learned that there is also 亀毛 “Turtle - Fur/Hair”. However, it is only used in combination with the other word : 亀毛兎角 is a Buddhism expression used for something that is unreal.
I bet that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would qualify for 亀毛兎角 !
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