The Japanese language is unique, full of words that do not exist in Portuguese or other languages. In this article, we will share some strange words you may not have known and their meanings.
Table of Contents
Irusu – 居留守 – Pretending not to be home
Did you know that the Japanese language has its own word for those who pretend not to be home? This word is called Irusu [居留守], where [居] means to reside, to exist, [留] means to leave, to stop, and [守] means to protect or defend.
Someone can use the word Irusu in situations like:
もし電話がかかってきたら、居留守を使っておいて。
Moshi denwa ga kakatte kitara, irusu o tsukatte oite.
If someone calls, I'm not here.
Fuubutsushi – 風物詩 – Special time
Similar to natsukashi [懐かしい], fuubutsushi [風物詩] also expresses a kind of nostalgia for a special time. The word fuubutsushi is composed of the ideograms [風物詩] which mean wind, things, and poetry.
This word is used for things that remind one of a special time, and it can also mean a poem about a certain time or a natural landscape. There is also the word fuubutsushi [風物誌] written differently, which means a prose about a certain area, scene, or seasonal time.
It's worth mentioning the word mono no aware[物の哀れ] which indicates a type of nostalgia and sensitivity to nature.
Kawaakari – 川明かり – the glow of the river
The word kawaakari [川明かり] refers to the glow of a river or stream in darkness or twilight, the shimmering surface of a shaded river. It also refers to the reflection of moonlight on the currents of water, or the shine of sunlight at dusk.
Ichariba chode – 行逢りば兄弟 – Friends forever
The Japanese word ichariba chobe [行逢りば兄弟] means “even though we have only met once, even by chance, we are friends forever.”
The kanji [行逢] derive from the expression [行き会う] which means to meet by chance. [兄弟] refers to brothers, but it can also refer to friends or brothers by consideration.
Kogarashi – 木枯らし – WINTER WIND
Kogarashi refers to the biting wind that comes at the beginning of winter, the one responsible for stripping the remaining leaves from the trees of autumn.
The word kogarashi [木枯らし] is composed of the ideograms [木] which means tree and [枯] which means to dry, to die.
Other words that only exist in the Japanese language
We have already written other articles with unique words that only exist in the Japanese language. To conclude, I will leave a list of articles that talk about these words:
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