Easy Japanesey - Absurd mnemonics for studying Japanese vocabulary

地獄 - hell (n) - jigoku

2008-10-18T13:51:00.000+09:00

売店 - stand, kiosk (n) - baiten

2007-10-19T16:25:00.000+09:00

It's been over a month... hurrah!

2007-03-30T20:37:00.001+09:00

Has anyone seriously studying Japanese actually learned something useful from this site?

Update: Due to the overwhelming response, I'm going on hiatus.

発音 - pronunciation (n) - hatsuon

2007-03-30T20:33:00.000+09:00

Jamaican borrowed from Speak Jamaican.

服 - clothes (n) - fuku

2007-03-29T22:32:00.000+09:00

辛い - spicy (adj) - karai

2007-03-28T16:00:00.000+09:00

大勢 - a great number of people (n) - oozei

2007-03-27T09:30:00.000+09:00

早退します - leave eary (verb III) - soutaishimasu

2007-03-26T19:19:00.000+09:00

一生懸命 - with all one's effort (adv) - isshoukenmei

2007-03-25T13:29:00.000+09:00

情報 - information (n) - jōhō

2007-03-24T13:02:00.000+09:00

歌手 - singer (n) - kashu

2007-03-23T13:38:00.000+09:00

弱い - weak (adj) - yowai

2007-03-22T00:03:00.000+09:00

お祝い - celebration (n) - oiwai

2007-03-21T23:43:00.000+09:00

乾く - dry (verb I) - kawaku

2007-03-20T09:08:00.000+09:00

外します - be away (verb I) - hazushimasu

2007-03-19T16:20:00.000+09:00

Dan's Lunch
Terry Tate

呼びます - call (verb I) - yobimasu

2007-03-18T23:55:00.000+09:00

必ず - without fail (adv) - kanarazu

2007-03-17T00:24:00.000+09:00

青い - blue (adj) - aoi

2007-03-16T18:28:00.000+09:00

発明します - invent (verb III) - hatsumeishimasu

2007-03-15T13:51:00.000+09:00

渡る - wataru (verb I) - cross

2007-03-14T18:23:00.000+09:00

知識 - chishiki (n) - knowledge

2007-03-13T21:44:00.000+09:00

優勝します - yuushoushimasu (verb III) - win the championship

2007-03-12T20:36:00.000+09:00

重い - omoi (adj) - heavy

2007-03-11T14:35:00.000+09:00

測る - hakaru (verb I) - measure

2007-03-10T18:01:00.000+09:00

空気 - kuuki (n) - air

2007-03-09T16:48:00.000+09:00

泣く - naku (verb I) - cry

2007-03-08T12:28:00.000+09:00

遊びます - asobimasu (verb I) - play, enjoy oneself

2007-03-07T12:10:00.000+09:00

減ります - herimasu (verb I) - decrease

2007-03-06T15:52:00.000+09:00

I believe I may have misunderstood the context of this verb, as my trusty Langenscheidt tells me that heru translates to "decline, drop off, shrink" (lending itself to further and perhaps more graphic representations). Oh wells.

参加します - sankashimasu (verb III) - attend

2007-03-06T00:44:00.000+09:00

歴史 - rekishi (n) - history

2007-03-05T02:07:00.000+09:00

相談します - soudanshimasu (verb III) - consult

2007-03-03T15:18:00.000+09:00

うわさ - uwasa (n) - gossip

2007-03-02T12:26:00.000+09:00

働きます - hatarakimasu (verb I) - work

2007-03-01T22:48:00.000+09:00

守ります - mamorimasu (verb I) - obey

2007-03-01T22:43:00.000+09:00

特別 - tokubetsu (na adj) - special

2007-03-01T22:37:00.000+09:00

Welcome to Easy Japanesey!

2007-02-26T16:41:00.000+09:00

It occurred to me one day that I'm crazy. Buh-la-la-la-la! I've been studying Japanese for nearly a year, mostly on my own (though it certainly helps to be living in Japan and having about 125 million teachers), and have realized that my mnemonics for vocabulary absorption are far from sane. They are, in fact, absurd. Unfrozen-caveman-lawyer absurd. That, I think, lends itself to the ease in which they are memorized. I'm writing this blog for those of you willing to follow along with these mnany mnemonics of mnine.

Easy Japanesey FAQ

How often will you post?
I'd like to average one vocabulary word per day. However, I have two jobs (three if you count copious ironing of clothesline-dried clothes). By the transitive property, you are a banana.

Who is this blog intended for?
Anyone with at least a fundamental understanding of the Japanese language. You should be aware that verbs have a masu form and such. It might help to know Kanji, but hey, I don't (yet). This blog here do not be for all audiences. Some of my mnemonics are not PC, some are not safe for children, some are so innately powerful that they can overthrow your government (and here come the feds, so long, it's been fun). If you have complaints, write them down, seal them in an envelope, go to your nearest corn field, strip down naked, and run backwards.

Some of your definitions are crazy. Are you crazy?
I believe we covered that in Chapter 1: How Not to Butter Your English Muffin. But I'm using the definitions provided by the Japanese language textbook Minna No Nihongo. Blame either the publisher or your tenuous grasp on reality.

Do I have permission to use your content?
Yeah sure, but if I don't receive adequate compensation (as determined by me) and acknowledgment I will send my elite squadron of ninja lawyers... make that unfrozen caveman ninja lawyers after you. Everything here is copyright me. So maybe no permission. No no no definitely no permission, no way, no how.

I notice some of your "illustrations" contain what appear to be stock photos and copyrighted images. Do you have legal ownership of that material?
No, but it's cool.

Why does your artwork suck?
I'm using a touch pad, and frankly, shut up. Come on back now and be sure to tell your friends!