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
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
ball (for sport, games, etc.); kemari; type of football played by courtiers in ancient Japan
work (e.g. of art); production; harvest; cultivation; technique
picture; drawing; painting; image (TV, film, etc.); picture; footage
tree; shrub; bush; wood; timber
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.
to search for; to look for; to hunt for; to search (a house, pocket, etc.); to search through; to rummage in (e.g. a drawer)
north; the North; northern territories; North Korea; (arch.) north wind
end; verge; extremity; miss; failure; blank (e.g. lottery ticket)
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
satisfactory; decent; good; proper; worthy
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
to be; to exist; to have; to be located; to be equipped with; to happen
beginning; start; first (in line, etc.); origin; such as ...; not to mention ...
indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
to play (games, sports); to enjoy oneself; to mess about (with alcohol, gambling, philandery, etc.); to be idle; to do nothing; to meet up (with friends); to hang out
indicates a question; or; whether or not; some- (e.g. something, someone); hmm; huh; very
yes; yeah; hum; hmmm; oof
happy; glad; pleased; joyful; delightful; gratifying
this; last (couple of years, etc.); these; you (as in "you liar")
inside; interior; among; within; middle; center; during
one long cylindrical thing; one film, TV show, etc.; one version; one book; a certain book; ippon; one point
only; just; merely; as much as; to the extent of; enough to
in that way; thus; so; so?
be; is; did; (have) done; please; do
hey; you; hey; hey; hold on; yo
tightly; closely; exactly; precisely; suddenly (stopping); perfectly (suited)
to put; to place; to leave (behind); to establish (an organization, a facility, a position, etc.); to set up; to appoint (someone to a certain position); to hire
that; the; part (as in "part two"); um ...; er ...
to meet; to encounter; to see; to have an accident; to have a bad experience
to go; to move (in a direction or towards a specific location); to proceed; to take place; to pass through; to come and go; to walk
adds force or indicates command
near; close; beside; vicinity; proximity; besides
to; for; in order to; for; as for; regarding
to cut; to cut through; to sever (connections, ties); to turn off (e.g. the light); to terminate (e.g. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to punch (a ticket)
stock; share; stump; (clump of) roots; plant with attached roots or stem; strain (of bacteria, etc.); stock company