Dictionary of Japanese words
Bushido, or the Way of the Warrior, is a code of conduct that resembles the code of honor of knights. In battle and everyday life Japanese samurai warriors observed seven moral principles.
Virtue first: Gi - Justice.
Gi is the ability to make good decisions without hesitation, to act fairly and to treat everyone as equals, regardless of their skin color, race, gender or age.
The second virtue: Yu - Courage.
Yu - the ability to get out of any situation with honor and confidence.
Virtue three: Jin - Kindness.
Jin is compassion and generosity. This virtue works in conjunction with Gi and prevents the samurai from exalting himself or bending others to his will.
Virtue Four: Ray - Respect.
Ray is all about courtesy and proper behavior. This virtue requires treating everyone with respect.
Virtue five: Makoto - Honesty.
Makoto - the ability to be honest with oneself and others. This means doing things fairly and always trying to do the best job you can.
Virtue sixth: Mayeux - Nobility.
Nobility is sought with pure intentions. It can only be achieved correct behavior. Success is a noble goal.
Virtue seventh: Tyungi - Loyalty.
Tungi is the basis of all virtues; Without dedication and loyalty to others, no one will achieve the goal.
A little about pronunciation
In Japanese words, each syllable is pronounced separately:
Ma-sa-mo-to
Ka-zu-ki
Japanese names and surnames
In Japanese names, the surname usually comes before the given name. In feudal Japan, names reflected social status man and his spiritual principles. Rules of politeness require adding to the surname (or first name - in an informal setting) the particle “san”, which means “mister”, “madam”. “Sama” is added to the names of high-ranking persons. Teachers are addressed by adding “sensei” after their name, but in “Young Samurai” the familiar European word order is preserved. “Kun” and “chan” are added to the names of boys and girls, respectively.
abunai- danger
ama- Japanese pearl divers
arigato- Thank you
ashigaru- infantrymen, samurai of the lower strata
bakemono jutsu- “ghost” ninja technique
bo- wooden combat staff
bojutsu- the art of wielding bo
bokken- wooden sword
bonsai- dwarf tree
budo- Japanese martial arts
bushido- The way of the warrior - the moral code of the samurai
Butoku-den- Palace of Military Virtues
Butsu-den- Buddha Palace
wakizashi- short sword
washi- Japanese paper
gaijin- stranger, stranger (pejorative)
Gambatte!- Hold on! Don't give up!
Ganjitsu- New Year's celebrations in Japan
geisha - Japanese girl entertaining guests
gi- workout clothes
daimyo- feudal ruler
daisho- two swords, wakizashi and katana, traditional samurai weapons
daruma-Japanese traditional tumbler doll, personifying Bodhidharma - the deity who brings happiness
zabuton- pillow
zazen- meditation
zanshin- constant vigilance, literally: an alert mind
jindou- arrows with blunt wooden tips
zori- straw sandals
zen-literally: concentration, reflection
juban- underskirt-pants
"Dim Mak"- Touch of Death
dojo- training room
dokujutsu- the art of poisoning
ikebana- literally: the life of flowers, in traditional Japanese art the symbolic composition of plants
inro- a box for storing small items
in-yo- an ancient prayer of the samurai, meaning “Light and Darkness”
irezumi- method of tattooing
Kagemusha- shadow warrior
kaginawa- rope with a three-pronged grappling hook
kakurenbo- Japanese version of the game hide and seek
kakegoe- cry
Kama- sickle-shaped bladed weapon
kami- perfume; worship and deification of natural forces and phenomena
kamon- family coat of arms
Kampai!- toast “Let's be healthy!”
kanabo- large oak club with iron spikes
kanji - Chinese characters which are used in Japanese writing
kata- sequence of movements in martial arts
katana- long sword
Kati- victory
Kati Guri- dried chestnuts
kappan- a bloody seal on the document, symbolizing its indestructibility
ki- flow of energy or vitality(in China - qi)
kiai- literally: concentrated spirit; used in martial arts in the form of a cry, which helps to concentrate energy on performing a technique
kiai jutsu- art of kiai
Kiyosa- horse archery competition
kimono
kitty - japanese art horse archery
kissaki- sword tip
koan- a Buddhist riddle that promotes the development of intuition
cookie-nage- air throw
kunoichi- female ninja
kenjutsu- sword art
kyujutsu- art of archery
ma-ay- distance between two opponents
manriki-husari- a weapon in the form of a chain with two weighted ends
maekuzuke- a couplet to which a haiku is added
mokuso- meditation
momiji gari- maple leaf viewing ceremony
mon- family coat of arms
menpo- protective metal mask that partially or completely covers the face
Menuki- ornament decorating the hilt of a sword
metsuke- “Looking at a distant mountain” technique
Mugan ryu- School of closed eyes
Musya Shugyo- warrior's pilgrimage
naginata- a weapon with a long wooden handle and a curved blade at the end
ninjutsu- secret martial art ninja
ninja- hitman in Japan
ninjato- ninja sword
Niten ichi ryu- School of the Unity of Two Heavens
nobori- long rectangular flag of a military unit
nodachi- large two-handed sword
obi- belt
o-goshi- hip throw
omamori- Buddhist amulet that protects the wearer
origami- the art of folding paper figures
ofuro- bath
randori- big fight, training fight
Ryoanji- Temple of the Pacified Dragon
ri- Japanese unit of length, approximately 3.93 km
ronin- samurai without a master
ray- command to bow
sado- the way of tea
sayonara- Goodbye
sakaki- evergreen tree
sakura- Japanese cherry
sake- rice wine
samurai- Japanese warrior
sashimono- a small rectangular flag worn by samurai on the battlefield
sasori- scorpion
satori- enlightenment
saya- scabbard
shogun- literally: a great commander who conquers barbarians
shoji- Japanese sliding door
si- four or death
shinobi shozoku- ninja clothes
Shishi-no-ma- Palace of Lions
sohei- warrior monk
bitch- “claws” that help climb walls
sushi- a dish of raw fish and rice
senryu- Japanese poems
sensei- teacher
sencha- green tea
seoi nage- shoulder throw
seppuku- ritual suicide
shuriken- metal throwing star
Shuryujin- rope weapons with weighted ends
shaku- length measure, about 30 cm
tabi- socks with separate big toe
taijutsu- body art (hand-to-hand combat)
taiko- literally: big drum
Taka-no-ma- Falcon Palace
tank- a short Japanese poem containing approximately thirty-one syllables
tanto- knife, dagger
Taryu-jiai- martial arts competitions between schools
tatami- mats used to cover the floor
Cho-no-ma- Butterfly Palace
tomoe nage- throw over the head with the foot resting on the stomach
tonfa- stick-shaped weapon
Tory- defending
torii- Japanese gate
tofu- bean curd
tessen-Japanese fan with a weighted metal rod
tetsu-bishi- metal “hedgehog” with sharp spikes
cha-no-yu- literally: meeting for tea
uke- striker (partner on whom the technique is being practiced)
futon-Japanese bed: a flat mattress that is spread directly on the tatami and rolled up in the morning
hajime!- Start!
hi- yes
haiku- short Japanese poem
hakama- traditional Japanese clothing
jamon- pattern on the sword; appears as a result of hardening the blade
Hanami- holiday of admiring cherry blossoms
hara- center of vital energy
Khasi- chopsticks
Hatsuhinode- first sunrise of the year
hibachi- small clay roasting pan
Ho-o-no-ma- Phoenix Palace
chi sao- “sticky hands” (or “sticky hands”)
Yabusame- ritual horse archery
yakatori- pieces of fried chicken on a stick
yame!- stop!
HIEROGLYPH "WAR"
WAR, JUST WAR, or rather, WEAPONS
Today we are talking about the character 戦 (war). Or rather, he is not quite “War”. Today's main Japanese meaning the hieroglyph 戦 means to fight, fight, fight (tatakau), and hence the noun tatakai - battle, fight, and, of course, war... In general, its main meaning expresses only one of the sides more global problem- wars.
First of all, the kun reading "tatakai". Let's pay attention to the consonance: atatakai - warm, tatakai - battle. 温かい戦い (atatakai tatakai) is a warm (for us, hot) battle - after this, it is unlikely that anyone will forget the kun reading, that is, the Japanese reading of the hieroglyph 戦.
We will take this reading of “SEN” from the word “War” (senso:), but we’ll talk about this word some other time, now a play on words: ONSEN - the world famous hot springs of Japan - 温泉 (onsen). Please note that although there is a “sen” here, it is different (the hieroglyph 泉 is well played out in Kanjavy’s essays), but the “he” is the one that is warm (attakai). What does “source” have to do with it, you ask? And it has absolutely nothing to do with it, but for yourself personally you can easily turn a “hot spring” into a hot battle 温戦 - the same thing happens with ON + SEN.
And now the most interesting thing: graphic images of the hieroglyph 戦. An eloquent picture speaks more than a thousand spoken words:) If it is difficult to remember the hieroglyph 戦, then replace the element 単 (TAN simple) with the Teutonic knight from the film Alexander Nevsky, and the hieroglyph 戈 (KA hoko spear, weapon) with Chelubey from the famous painting by Mikhail Ivanovich Avilov " The duel between Peresvet and Chelubey on the Kulikovo Field." Phenomenal coincidence!
And yet, along with representing the element 単 as a knight, we strongly recommend that you still do not forget about the main meaning of the element 単 - simple. The thing is that each of us has come across more than once and will come across the word 簡単 (kantan) - simple. This is where our hieroglyph 単 is visible. By the way, it was after the “knightly-Tatar-Mongol” interpretation that the hieroglyph 戦 is somehow confidently fixed in memory and the hieroglyph 単: 簡単な戈 (kantan-na hoko) - a simple spear, 簡単な戦 (kantan-na tatakai) - a simple battle .
I get a lot of emails asking me to translate a certain phrase into Japanese in order to get a tattoo, or help in choosing hieroglyphs, and a lot of requests concern the topic of samurai.
We already had a post about how real samurai talk, and I will dedicate this one to the hieroglyphs with which “Bushido” and the principles of a real samurai are written. You can read more about the code itself and the samurai on many other sites of enthusiastic people. I took descriptions of the principles from one of them.
武士道
Bushido:- consists of the hieroglyphs “warrior”, “samurai” and “path”.
Please note that in “samurai” (士) the upper horizontal line is longer than the lower one. If you write it backwards, you get "earth" (土).
7 principles of the samurai
Gi- justice. Always be honest in your actions. Believe in the justice not of other people, but in the one that is within you. For a samurai, there is no gradation in the assessment of honor and justice, there is only black or white, truth or lie. Every honest man Those who have a pure soul should not be afraid of the truth.
Yu:- courage. Raise yourself above the crowd. Hiding in your shell like a turtle means not living at all. A samurai must have the spirit of a hero. This is very dangerous and risky, but only then can life be fulfilling. This is not spiritual blindness; the samurai is smart and strong. Replace your fear with respect and caution.
Dzin- virtue. Compassion and pity. Intense training makes a samurai fast and strong. He develops a power which he must use for the common good. If fate does not give him such an opportunity, he finds it himself.
Ray- respect. A samurai has no need to be cruel and prove his strength. Even with the most evil enemy a samurai must be polite. Without this quality we are nothing more than animals. True inner strength manifests itself in conflicts.
Makoto- sincerity. If a samurai says he will do something, he must do it. Nothing in this world can stop him. He should not give his word, should not promise. Just the fact that he said this is already a guarantee of implementation. Saying and doing are the same thing. What is noteworthy is that the character consists of “speak” (言) and “become” (成), that is, “what he said, he did.”
名誉
Mayeux- honor. For a samurai, there is only one judge who can judge his honor - that is himself. The decisions he makes and executes reflect his true self. You can't hide from yourself!
忠義
Chu:gi- devotion. The samurai is responsible for his actions, voluntarily accepting responsibility for his actions. He is absolutely devoted and faithful to his boss and is a model for his subordinates. A man's word is his footprints, and you can follow them wherever he goes. Watch where you're going!
For many centuries, Japan was drowned in warriors and civil strife, which resulted in the military shogunate, and the Japanese art of war, after its visit by Europeans, became known throughout the world. Of course, wartime influenced almost all spheres of Japanese life, and in speech and writing it was impossible to do without special vocabulary. Today we decided to look at several “warlike” hieroglyphs for you.
Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo. Hieroglyph "warrior"
士 shi (not to be confused with 土 – “ground”, where the upper horizontal line is shorter than the bottom). This simple hieroglyph, consisting of only three features is, at the same time, very important. It includes words such as 武士 (bushi) - bushi warrior, 武士道 (bushido:) - the way of the bushi warrior.
In this kanji, the upper horizontal line is first drawn, then the vertical line, and the bottom horizontal line completes the hieroglyph. It can also be translated as “noble husband” and takes on this meaning in the words 博士 (hakase) – professor, doctor of sciences; 学士(gakushi) – graduate; 名士 (meishi) - celebrity. And the third meaning is not a meaning at all, but a suffix denoting a person -
同士 (do:shi) – comrade; 力士 (rikishi) – sumo wrestler; 弁護士 (bengoshi) – lawyer; 飛行士(hiko:shi) – pilot.
Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo. Hieroglyph "samurai"
侍 samurai. The very concept of “samurai” comes from the word “to serve” and indeed, samurai, in addition to guarding their master, also served as his servants. Samurai are sometimes called 武士, but bushi is a broader concept.
The character for “samurai” consists of three elements: the simplified element for “man” 人 hito, “earth” 土tsuchi and “to protect” 守るmamoru. In essence, it turns out that a samurai is “a person who protects the earth.”
Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo. Hieroglyph "strength"
力chikara. (not to be confused with 刀 - katana, Japanese sword) This character, although simple and consisting of only two strokes, is part of many important words in Japanese and means strength both literally and figuratively. The proper reading for this kanji is ryoku, riki.
The meaning of "strength" in the literal sense:
体力 (tairyoku) - physical strength
圧力 (atsuryoku) - pressure
人力車 (jinrikishya) - rickshaw
力士 (rikishi) sumo wrestler
強力 (kyou:ryoku) strength, power
The meaning of the kanji for "strength" in the meaning of "ability" is:
能力 (no:ryoku) – ability, skill
There is also the meaning of “effort, effort”:
協力 (kyou:ryoku) - cooperation
努力 (doryoku) – effort, effort
Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo. Hieroglyph "dragon"
It would seem, what does the kanji “dragon” do in our list of “warlike” hieroglyphs? Everything is explained very simply - the dragon symbolizes strength and masculinity. On-reading ryu:. This hieroglyph has no additional meanings.
Try to draw one of the Japanese “warlike” hieroglyphs yourself and write in the comments if you succeeded.
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