chief; main; principal; important
character (in a play or novel); dramatis personae
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; (at sentence-end, falling tone) indicates a confident conclusion; (at sentence-end) indicates emotional emphasis; (at sentence-end, rising tone) indicates question
protagonist; main character; hero(ine) (of a story); head of household
angle; square; cube; bishop; third degree (of the Japanese and Chinese pentatonic scale); Chinese "horn" constellation (one of the 28 mansions); jiao (monetary unit of China; one-tenth of a yuan)
head; hair (on one's head); mind; brains; leader; chief; top
as (i.e. in the role of); for (i.e. from the viewpoint of); apart from... (used to change the topic); even (e.g. "not even a single person"); thinking that...; trying to...
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
companion; partner; other party; addressee; opponent (sports, etc.)
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to make war (on); to wage war (against); to compete (against); to struggle (against adversities, etc.); to fight
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
to be defeated; to be beaten; to be unsuccessful; to lose
rock; boulder; crag; cliff; anchor
salt; common salt; hardship; toil; saltiness; cold
at; in; at; when; by; with; and then
to pick up; to find; to gather
lively; full of spirit; energetic; healthy; well; fit
good; excellent; sufficient; enough; profitable (deal, business offer, etc.); beneficial
infant; baby; little child
woven mat (of sedge, hay, etc.)
to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
injury; wound; mistake; accident; loss
to do; to carry out; to cause to become; to make (into); to serve as; to act as; to wear (clothes, a facial expression, etc.)
to move; to stir; to operate; to run; to make a move; to take action; to be touched
place; spot; address; district; area; one's house; point
to save; to rescue; to help; to assist; to support (financially); to contribute (to)
from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part)
to come (spatially or temporally); to approach; to come back; to do ... and come back; to come to be; to become
another (person); the other person; one more (person)
talented; gifted; prodigious; virtuoso; masterful
teacher; master; religious leader; specialist; (arch.) five-battalion brigade comprising 2500 men (Zhou-dynasty Chinese army)
follower; attendant; valet; servant
assistant; helper; assistant (to a professor)
grandfather; old man; kyogen mask used for the role of an old man