Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 12 - 國 （국）

國

country (나라 / 국) / simplified variant: 国

國家 국가 　こっか

country

國民 국민　こくみん 

citizens of a country

　

國歌 국가　こっか

national anthem

國際 국제　こくさい

international

國內 국내　こくない

domestic

國籍 국적　こくせき

nationality

國境 국경　こっきょう

a country's borders

國債 국체　こくさい

national debt

國會 국회　こっかい

The National Assembly (Korea)

國產 국산　こくさん

domestic products

Japanese Newspaper Vocabulary 日本語の新聞の語彙 (May 31, 2010)

These words are from a newspaper article regarding a record-breaking heat stroke in Myanmar. There are 16 new words in this list.

見舞われる　(みま・われる）to experience, to suffer  

頻発する　（ひんぱつ・する）to occur frequently  

抑制策 (よくせいさく）suppression policies 

まばら (疎ら・疎）sparse  

脱水症 (だっすいしょう）dehydration  

熱中症 (ねっちゅうしょう）heat stroke 

農閑期 (のうかんき）off-season (for farming) 

干上がる　（ひあ・がる）to dry up  

懸念  (けねん）worry, fear 

顕著 (けんちょ）remarkable, obvious 

躍起 (やっき）desperation, eagerness

翼賛 (よくさん）countenance, assistance  

高騰 (こうとう）sudden increase in price

直結する (ちょっけつ）to connect directly
 
不信感 (ふしんかん）distrust 

摘み取る　（つ・み・と・る）to pluck

中上级单词 Upper-Intermediate Chinese Vocabulary

There are 18 new words from this list.

导航（導 航）dǎoháng navigation

搜索  sōusuǒ to search    

州选区 （州選區）xuǎnqū state electoral district

联邦分区 （聯邦分區）liánbāng fēnqū federal division

滑浪    huálàng to surf

相邻（相鄰）xiānglín adjacent

规划（規劃）guīhuà plan; program

兴建（興建）xīngjiàn to build; to construct

构想 （構想）gòuxiǎng to conceive (a thought)

趋势（趨勢）qūshì trend, tendency

谋 （謀）móu to plan, to seek

执行（執行）zhíxíng to implement

繁华 （繁華）fánhuá flourishing, bustling

地段 dìduàn section, district

后院（後院）hòuyuàn backyard

游艇 （遊艇）yóutǐng yacht

出游 chūyóu to go on a tour

闻名 （聞名）wénmíng well-known

Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 11 - 本 （본）

本

origin, base (밑 / 본)
 

本能 　　본능　　ほんのう
instinct

本望 　　본망  　ほんもう
real desire, true wish

本格的　본격적 ほんかくてき　
authentic; whole-hearted　

本部 　　본부　　ほんぶ
the main office, headquarters

本人 　　본인　　ほんにん
the person (himself/herself)

本體 　　본체　　ほんたい
the thing (itself)

Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 10 - 店 (점)

店

a shop, a store (가게 / 점) 
 

店員      점원      てんいん

store attendant, shopkeeper

店鋪      점포    　てんぽ

a store, a shop

店內      점내　　てんない

inside a store

專門店  전문점　せんもんてん

a specialty store

支店      지점　　　してん

a branch (store)                                                                                                                                         

Yoji-Time 四字熟語 # 3 - 本末転倒

ほんまつてんとう

本末転倒

中文： 本末倒置

한국어: 배보다 배꼽이 크다

The English equivalent for this Yojijukugo is "putting the cart before the horse."

Example Sentence: 

 賭博で食事のお金がなくなるなんて本末転倒ではないですか。

You don't have your priorities straight if you lose

低脂肪の食べ物の糖分が高いのは本末転倒だ。

 It's self-defeating for low-fat food to have a high sugar content.

Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 9 (보)

保 

to preserve, to safeguard (보)

保健 보건 　ほけん 

health preservation, sanitation, hygiene

保留 보류 　ほりゅう 

to put on hold

保證 보증   ほしょう 

to guarantee 

保護 보호   ほご 

to protect, to safeguard 

保存 보존   ほぞん 

to preserve, to conserve, to save (data files) 

保障 보장   ほしょう 

to guarantee

中上级单词 Upper-Intermediate Chinese Vocabulary # 2

This list has 37 new words...

不端 bùduān improper (behavior)

透露 tòulù to divulge

企圖 （企图）qǐtú to attempt

縱火 （纵火）zònghuǒ to set on fire

騷擾 （骚扰）sāorǎo to disturb

巡視 （巡视）xúnshì to patrol

有所 yǒusuǒ to some extent

收斂 （收敛）shōuliǎn to show restraint

聲明 （声明）shēngmíng a declaration, to declare

經營 （经营）jīngyíng to operate

慶典 （庆典）qìngdiǎn a celebration

熟知 shúzhī an acquaintance

查驗 （查验）cháyàn an inspection, to inspect

豪華 （豪华）háohuá luxurious

轎車 （轿车）jiàochē a limousine

行業 （行业）hángyè an industry

投訴 （投诉）tóusù to file a complaint

運營者 （运营者）yùnyíngzhě to operate

保障 bǎozhàng to guarantee

撥出 （拨出）bōchū to pull out

受益 shòuyì to benefit from

補貼 （补贴）bǔtiē a subsidy, an allowance

運行 （运行）yùnxíng to be in motion

理應 （理应）lǐyīng should, ought to

縮短 （缩短）suōduǎn to curtail

環節 （环节）huánjié connect

資助 zīzhù to subsidize

海濱 （海滨）hǎibīn shore, seaside

寶貴 （宝贵）bǎoguì precious

財富 （财富）cáifù wealth, riches

入伍 rùwǔ to enter (the army)

服役 fúyì to serve in the army

暫時 （暂时）zànshí temporary

霍華德 huòhuádé Howard

防衛 (防卫）fángwèi to defend

軍隊 （军队）jūnduì army troops

貢獻 （贡献）gòngxiàn to contribute

Japanese Newspaper Vocabulary 日本語の新聞の語彙 # 1

覚せい剤　（覚醒剤） - かくせいざい - a stimulant (drug)                                            
It is interesting to note that the word "醒" (セイ、さ・める）is not written in kanji, but in hiragana. Apparently the character "醒" is a current candidate for addition to the list of commonly-used characters (常用漢字）. In dictionaries however, the word is written in kanji.

脱北者 - だっぽくしゃ(탈북자) - a North Korean defector
I added the Korean pronunciation since it was close enough.

装う　－　よそ・う　－　to be disguised as

密輸する　－　みつゆ・する　－　to smuggle　

素手　－　すで　－ bare hands

Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 8 (기)

記
to record in writing (적다 / 기) / simplified variant: 记

記錄         기록　　　　　きろく     
a recording, to record

記念         기념　　　　　きねん   
a commemoration, to commemorate

記載         기재　　　　　きさい    
to record (to write down)

記憶         기억　　　　　きおく     
a memory

記事         기사　　　　　きじ        
a newspaper or magazine article

Yoji-Time 四字熟語 # 2 - 心機一転

　しんきいってん

心機一転

The English equivalent of this Yojijukugo is to "turn over a new leaf."

Example Sentence:

彼は病気になり、心機一転、タバコをやめるよう決心した。
He turned over a new leaf when got sick, and he decided to quit smoking.

Yoji-Time 四字熟語 # 1 － 不撓不屈

 ふとうふくつ

不撓不屈

This Yojijukugo means to have an unbending will and spirit. 

Example Sentence: 

不撓不屈の努力でやっと日本語能力試験の一級に受かった。

I finally passed Level 1 of the JLPT due to my unwavering perseverance.

Extra Notes：

 撓う　しなう 　－　to be flexible, to be springy

Japanese Study Plan from June 2010 to July 2010

I've already achieved a major milestone for studying Japanese - passing Level 1 of the proficiency test. I know I've mentioned this over and over in my blog posts and that makes me sound like I'm "full of myself" but in all honesty I'm just trying to convince myself that I've made progress after all this time. I also have to remind myself that this is not the end of my journey into Japanese language fluency and so I have to set specific goals to make sure that I don't lose the proficiency I've gained and that I can further improve.

I really love Yojijukugo 四字熟語, which are idiomatic expressions made out of 4 Chinese characters. I also like plain idiomatic expressions. Therefore I will make an effort to learn either one Yojijukugo or idiomatic expression everyday and post a few example sentences everyday. I should also read at least 3 newspaper articles in Japanese everyday and list down the words I did not understand.

I should really make sure I have listening input too, so I think I will look into watching Japanese TV on the internet.

頑張ります！

Canto Mando Menu 菜單指南 # 5

chòudòufu cau3 dau6 fu6

臭豆腐

This popular street-food in China must be one of those foods that only Chinese people can enjoy and a only a few foreigners can stomach. I heard the most authentic version of this stinky snack can be found in Taiwan, however I have yet to try it. I've only tried the Hong Kong and Shanghai versions of it. The Shanghai version doesn't taste or smell that much different to plain deep-fried tofu, but the Hong Kong version definitely does have a special taste and smell to it. I wouldn't call it stinky, but my American friends thought otherwise. I guess I'm just that open to trying new and exotic foods.

この人気のある中国の屋台食べ物は、普通は中国人だけが好きで、外国人があまり好きではない食べ物の一つである。最も本格的な臭豆腐は台湾で見つかると聞いたことがあるが、まだ食べたことがない。上海風と香港風の臭豆腐だけを食べたことある。上海風の臭豆腐は普通の揚げ豆腐との味が違いがあまりないが、香港風の臭豆腐は確かに独特な味とにおいがある。自分は臭いと思わないが、友達は臭いと言った。僕は独特な味と臭いに「免疫がある」かもしれない。

Vocabulary：
臭 - smelly, stinky
豆腐 - bean curd
豆 - bean
腐 - rotten

Reflecting on the Last Two Years of Language Learning

Reading an article from a language learning website called "Fluent in 3 Months" by Benny the Irish polyglot has made me think about the language learning strategies I have been using for the last 2 years. Being out of school where language learning was structured, I felt the need to try out a few different methods of language learning. It's good to try different methods of course and pick out elements of each method that seem useful. However I think each language learner has their own tried and tested method and for me it has always been memorizing vocabulary lists.

That's right...memorizing lists!!

It sounds tedious, boring and pointless but it has truly worked for me. Of course I don't mean just looking at a word in a foreign language and then try to memorize its English definition. I of course look at the foreign word used in context. When I've memorized a set of words I move onto a new one but I always make sure I review the words at a set time in the future.

However the freedom I experienced after graduating coupled with the fact that I discovered and had more access to different kinds of learning materials has actually put me off course. I also think I have spent more time worrying about losing ability in a language rather than actually doing something about it.

This is where the previously mentioned article comes in.

The article states the key to language learning is setting small achievable goals. For every foreign language that I intend to use in the future, ie. Japanese, Mandarin, Korean and Cantonese I have to set different goals as my skills in each language vary significantly. In my next post I will write about my major and minor goals for each language.

I think I will just have to come to terms with the fact that I will not be proficient in Korean or Cantonese anytime soon, because if I spend too much time learning these languages, my Mandarin will suffer. I need to get my Mandarin skills up to professional level because I have gotten so far to just stop.

Hopefully sharing my experiences in this blog will help me keep track of my goals.

Random Chinese Vocabulary # 2

This entry's random vocabulary comes from chinesepod.com and popupchinese.com. I can never seem to remember the word for traffic jam in Chinese.

堵車 - dǔchē - traffic jam
遇上- yùshàng - meet, encounter
暗示 - ànshì - hint
謙虛 - qiānxū - modesty
谦虚
權利鬥爭 - quánlì dòuzhēng- power struggle
权力斗争

Canto Mando Menu 菜單指南 # 4

xiǎolóngbāo siu2 long4 baau1

小笼包 小籠包

Originally from Shanghai or one of it's neighbouring cities, this dumpling is one of my all time favourite street foods. I remember during my first week in Suzhou I discovered a food alley near my dorm and saw cart full of steaming xiaolongbao. I was already full by then but I couldn't resist buying some. It's a surprise I didn't die from overeating that time.

I almost forgot to mention what was special about this dumpling. It's filled with soup! Therefore those who are inexperienced may get lose the soup while grabbing it with their chopsticks, or even worse, burn their toungue!

小籠包はもともと上海かその付近の都市の食べ物で、僕の一番好きな「屋台食べ物」の一つです。蘇州での一週間目はある屋台の並を見つけた日が思い出した。その中に小籠包が売っている屋台が見つけた。その時にもうお腹がいっぱいだったが、小籠包を買わずにはいられなかった。食べすぎで死ななかったのは謎！

小籠包の特徴は中に汁が入ってる。小籠包を食べたことのない人はお箸で掴もうとする時に汁をなくすこともある。舌を焦げる恐れもある！

Vocabulary:
小 - small
籠 - a basket used for steaming dumplings
包 - a Chinese dumpling, a stuffed Chinese bun

Random Chinese Vocabulary # 1

This is a set of words from a chinesepod.com lesson which I will not name (because it's not a free site and people have to pay to see the content). I previously haven't encountered or mastered the words in this list, and so I hope posting them here will help me remember them.

水印 - watermark
假鈔 (假钞） jia3 chao1 - counterfeit bill
薄 bao2 - thin
驗鈔機 (验钞机） yan4 chao1 ji1 - money verifier
鈔票 （钞票）chao1 piao4 - paper money

Korean Through Hanja 한자어정선 # 7 - 不 (부 / 불)

不

no, (negative prefix) (아니다 / 부 / 불)

不便 불편 ふべん　

inconvenient, uncomfortable

많은 사람들이 안전벨트는 불편하다고 말합니다.
Many people say seat belts are uncomfortable.
多くの人がシートベルトは不便と言います。


不景気 불경기 ふけいき

depression, recession

언제까지 이 불경기가 계속되는 걸까?
How long will this recession last?
いつまでこの不景気が続くのでしょう。


不足 부족 ふそく

shortage, scarcity

많 은 경제전문가들은 중국에 진짜로 부족한 것은 숙련된 인력, 특히 관리자라고 말합니다.
Many economists say what China is really short of are skilled people, especially managers.
多くの経済専門家たちは「中国に 本当に不足するのは熟練した人材。特に管理者と言いました。」

不安 불안 ふあん

unease, anxiety

질투와 불안감은 남녀를 불문하고 모든 사람에게 공통적으로 있는 것입니다.
Jealousy and insecurity are one-size-fits-all clothes worn by both men and women.
嫉妬と不安感は男女を 問わず、すべての人に共通的にあります。

不可能 불가능 ふかのう

impossible
 

이 개울을 수영해서 건너기는 불가능하다.
It is impossible to cross this creek by swimming.
この小川を泳いで渡るのは不可能 です。

不可缺 불가결 ふかけつ

indispensable

문 화를 이해하자면 언어의 습득은 불가결하다.
Learning the language is the key to understanding the culture.
文化を理解しようとすれば、言語の習得は不可欠です。

Canto Mando Menu 菜單指南 Lesson # 3

咸鱼鸡粒炒饭 鹹魚雞粒炒飯

Daily Korean Verb and Adjective # 7

The Korean and English example sentences are from the Naver Dictionary.


묻다 ask 聞く・問う・尋ねる

전문가의 의견을 묻다.
Ask the opinion of an expert.
専門家の意見を聞く。
问专家的意见。/ 問專家的意見。
Alamin ang opinyon ng isang dalubhasa.



밝다 bright 明るい
달이 밝다.
The moon is bright.
月が明るい。
月很明亮。
Maliwanag ang buwan.

Canto Mando Menu 菜單指南 Lesson # 2

yúxiāng qiézi jyu4 hoeng1 ke2 zi2

鱼香茄子 魚香茄子 This is a very simple and inexpensive dish. When I first saw this dish in a menu back when I was an exchange student at Suzhou University, I thought it was some sort of fried fish dish with eggplant. However what I was given was simply a mix of stir-fried eggplant with pork... and that's simply what it is. The sauces they use to flavour the dish are suppose to make the dish taste like fish. I don't really think it tastes like fish though, but it definitely tastes good!

これは本当に簡単で手ごろの料理です。蘇州大学で留学した時、あるレストランのメニューでこの料理を見た時になんか揚げた魚と茄子の料理だと思いました。でも料理が出てきたのはひき肉で炒めた茄子でした。この料理の調味料は魚の味がすると言われています。僕は魚の味がしないと思うけど、とにかくおいしいと思います。

Vocabulary:

魚（鱼）- Fish
香 - Scent
茄子 - Eggplant