気に障る

きにさわる

to hurt one's feelings; to rub someone the wrong way

何か気に障るようなことを言いましたか？ なに か き に さわる よう な こと を いいました か？ Have I said something to hurt your feelings?

Photo by Svetlana Gumerova on Unsplash

2024年10月31日

Cozy season is in full swing, and it's almost JLPT time. I hope everyone's studies are going very well and that you have seen improvement since last month! As the holiday season and the end of the year (!) approaches, I would like to begin to assess my progress for the year and prepare a path for my studies for next year. Every year at the end of the year I feel like I fell short of my goal, and wish to ramp up for the next year. But I have been trying to be more realistic, so I'm excited to see how my goals and my actual studies line up at the end of the year.

秋と言えば勉強したい季節ですね。もうそろそろ日本語能力試験の時間になりますね。皆さんの勉強が上手く進んでいますように。後少しで年末年始なので、自分の進歩を調べて、そして来年の目的を考え始めようと思います。毎年の年末で目的を越えなかったと気がしますし、来年もっと頑張らないといけないと気分があるんだけど、最近はもっと現実的に目的を作るつもりんですが。今年の目的をどれくらい当たったのを調べるのを楽しみにしています。

October Progress

This month I spent the most time Reading (I read every day!) and the least time on Kanji. I practiced a lot of Vocabulary, focusing on learning and remembering vocabulary rather than just reviewing a large amount. I reviewed Grammar (both N2 and N3) so that I can try to make the usage stick in my mind.

I realized that I really can't do passive Listening, which I tried to do while doing mindless work, because I don't catch a single thing. It isn't like osmosis either, where something entered my brain without having to try. I was listening to native material (child-rearing info) but it really didn't leave any kind of impression. Active is really the best way for me, otherwise I tune it out.

Study Habit Check-In:

〇 = Great, △ = Decent, ✖ = Not Great

November Goals

As the end of the year approaches, I want to wrap up any goals that seem doable for the end of the year. I tried earlier in the year focusing on one area of study (e.g. vocab, kanji, reading) each day, but since my days are so busy that has kind of fallen apart. I'd like to continue to try to balance my study so that each area receives somewhat equal attention, and then start looking forward to my plans for 2025.

Goals for this month:

I wish I could spend long hours just practicing Japanese whilst wearing a comfy sweater and drinking hot tea, but unfortunately life doesn't allow that, so I will keep trying to fit in my study where I can. Wishing everyone the best of luck during your journey to the JLPT!

何時間連続勉強しながら暖かいお茶を飲みたいんだけど、それはなかなか無理です。そしてできるだけ日本語を勉強しようと思います。皆さん日本語能力試験の勉強頑張ってね！

なおさら

① still more; even more; all the more

② still less; even less

これは本当に自分にも説明できないから他の人に対してはなおさらだ。 これ は ほんとう に じぶん にも せつめい できない から ほか の ひと に たいして は なおさら だ。 I really can't explain this to myself, and I can explain it even less to other people.

辻褄が合う

つじつまがあう

to be consistent; to be coherent​

複数の証言が矛盾していて、辻褄が合わない。 ふくすう の しょうげん が むじゅん していて、つじつまがあわない。 There are several contradictory testimonies, and the story doesn't add up.

JLPT N1 Vocabulary

補足　ほそく　supplement; complement

保護　ほご　① protection; safeguard; guardianship; custody; patronage; ② preservation; conservation

保険　ほけん　① insurance; ② guarantee; warranty

本能　ほんのう　instinct

本音　ほんね　real intention; motive; true opinion; what one really thinks

本心　ほんしん　① true feelings; real intention; one's heart; ② one's right mind; one's senses; one's conscience

本質　ほんしつ　essence; true nature; substance; reality

施す　ほどこす　① to give (time, money, goods); to donate; ② to do; to perform; to conduct​; ③ to apply (processing, makeup, etc.); to add (e.g. ornamentation, annotation)​; ④ to sow; to seed; to scatter (e.g. fertilizer); to sprinkle​; ⑤ to spread far and wide​ (Archaic)

崩壊　ほうかい　① collapse; crumbling; breaking down; caving in; ② (radioactive) decay; disintegration​

放棄　ほうき　abandonment; renouncement; renunciation; resignation; abdication; surrender; relinquishing; waiving; giving up

方策　ほうさく　plan; policy

報酬　ほうしゅう　remuneration; recompense; reward; toll

法廷　ほうてい　court (of law); courtroom

票　ひょう　① vote; ballot; ② label; ticket; tag; stub (used as a suffix)

書

音読み　おんよみ　ショ

訓読み　くんよみ　か(く)

英語　えいご　write

権力に屈する

けんりょくにくっする

to succumb to authority

権力に屈しないという意思と正義の意味。 けんりょく に くっしない と いう いし と せいぎ の いみ。 The will to resist succumbing to authority and the meaning of justice.

読

音読み　おんよみ　ドク、トク、トウ

訓読み　くんよみ　よ(む)

英語　えいご　read

開始

かいし

start; commencement; beginning; initiation

何時に搭乗開始ですか。 なんじ に とうじょう かいし です か。 What time does the boarding begin?

語

音読み　おんよみ　ゴ

訓読み　くんよみ　かた(る)

英語　えいご　word, speech, language

会計

かいけい

account; finance; accountant; treasurer; paymaster; reckoning; bill

お会計はレジでお願いします。 おかいけいはレジでおねがいします。 Please pay the cashier.

聞

音読み　おんよみ　ブン、モン

訓読み　くんよみ　き(く)

英語　えいご　hear, ask, listen

声

音読み　おんよみ　こえ、こわ～

訓読み　くんよみ　セイ、ショウ

英語　えいご　voice

所謂

いわゆる

what is called; as it is called; the so-called; so to speak (usually written using kana alone)

いわゆるマスコミ媒体にインターネットは含まれない。 いわゆる マスコミ ばいたい に インターネット は ふくまれない。 The Internet is not included in so-called mass media.

JLPT N2 Grammar げ

Meaning: looks like, seems like, appears to be

Note: ～げ becomes a な-adjective

入学式の朝、息子はとても不安げだったが、学校から帰ってくると、明るい表情だった。

にゅうがくしき の あさ、むすこ は とても ふあんげ だった が、がっこう から かえって くる と、あかるい ひょうじょう だった。

On the morning of the school entrance ceremony, my son looked nervous, but when he returned home from school, he had a cheerful expression.

あの人は寂しげな目をしている。

あの ひと は さびしげ な め を して いる。

That person has a lonely look in their eyes.

ずいぶん、自信ありげだね。

ずいぶん、じしん ありげ だね。

You seem very confident.

あの子はケーキを食べたげな顔をしている。

あの こ は ケーキ を たべたげ な かお を して いる。

That child has a look on their face like they want to eat the cake.

お客さんに大人げない態度をとってしまった。

おきゃくさん に おとなげ ない たいど を とって しまった。

I took an immature attitude with the customer.

答

音読み　おんよみ　トウ

訓読み　くんよみ　こた(える)

英語　えいご　solution, answer

一体

いったい

① (adverb) (what) the heck; (why) in the world; (who) on earth (before an interrogative, forms an emphatic question)

② one object; one body; unity

③ one form; one style

④ one Buddhist image (or carving, etc.)

⑤ (adverb) generally; in general

一体、どうしたの。 いったい、どうしたの。 What on earth is the matter.