indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
returning from school; going home from school
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
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 descend (e.g. a mountain); to go down; to alight (e.g. from bus); to get off; to step down; to retire; to be granted
if; when; and; with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.); promoted pawn; indicates a question
always; all the time; never; usual; regular
like; similar to; as with; in the same way
toilet; restroom; bathroom; lavatory
at (place, time); in; to (direction, state); toward; for (purpose); because of (reason); for
to enter; to go into; to break into; to join; to enroll; to contain; to hold
civilian clothes; plain clothes; mufti; plainclothes police officer
and; and then; thus; and now; and finally
from (e.g. time, place, numerical quantity); since; from (originator); by; because; since; out of (constituent, part)
chair; stool; post; office; position
to take out; to produce; to pick out; to fetch; to retrieve
to assemble; to set up; to construct
above; up; top; summit; surface; before; previous
black; dark; blackish; suspicious; criminal; darkened and dirty; sooty
cloth; bujian (spade-shaped bronze coin of ancient China)
to hang up (e.g. a coat, a picture on the wall); to let hang; to put on (e.g. a blanket); to put on top of; to put on (glasses, etc.); to wear (a necklace, etc.); to make (a call)
front part; frontage; facade; initial pledge (e.g. election); opening slogan
to; for; in order to; for; as for; regarding
fortune-telling; divination
once; one time; one round; one game; one bout; one heat
yen (Japanese monetary unit); circle
paper patch; paper backing; poster; sticker; label
desktop; desk-top; tabletop; after-dinner speech
indicates sentence subject (occasionally object); indicates possessive (esp. in literary expressions); but; however; regardless of; whether (or not)
one; for one thing; only; (not) even; just (e.g. "just try it"); some kind of; one type of
only; just; merely; as much as; to the extent of; enough to
called; named; as many as; as much as; all ...; every single ...
market price; speculation (e.g. on stocks); reputation (according to conventional wisdom); estimation
judging from; on the basis of; from the point of view of
considerably; fairly; quite
cheap; inexpensive; calm; peaceful; quiet
but (still); and yet; nevertheless; even so; notwithstanding
two persons; two people; pair; couple
guest; visitor; customer; client; counter for containers used to entertain guests
to come off; to be removed; to disappear (of pain, a fever, etc.); to be caught; to be harvested; to be interpreted (as); to be taken (as)