Kutsu goes on your foot-su!

Cute shoes --> ku tsu

靴 (くつ) = shoes, 靴下 (くつした) = under your shoes, the socks

Imagine くつ is a drawing 👟⛸️👠👞🥿👡 {く} the heel and {つ } the toe box.

{くつ} take off your shoes before entering the 和室 わしつ ?

"Ku-tsu": the sound of hard shoes on a squeaky floor

Kutsu - butsu - boots

"Kutsu" sounds like "cutesy."

Imagine you’re putting on a pair of brand-new, super cutesy shoes that everyone compliments. Every time you think of cute shoes, you’ll remember kutsu—shoes!

The counter for footwear is 足 (そく). Commonly used for shoes, socks, slippers etc.
*You only use it to count PAIRS. Not a single shoe/sock!

都合 refers to circumstances, convenience, or timing and is commonly used when discussing whether something is feasible, suitable, or manageable.

都合がいい and 都合が悪い mean “convenient” and “inconvenient” respectively, but they often refer to broader circumstances rather than mere timing. Using 都合が悪い can sometimes be a polite way to decline an invitation without specifying details, implying “something came up” without needing to elaborate.

都合がつく means that the circumstances or availability can be arranged to make something possible. It often implies that things have worked out conveniently or that the person is free to accommodate something.

都合をつける implies actively making time or arranging circumstances to make something possible, meaning that the person goes out of their way to adjust their schedule or commitments.

Can also be used to mean “to arrange” when used as 都合する

If *circumstances* are ideal, it's time *to go* (つごう)

If the people of the (metropolis)都 (fit)合 together, circumstances will be good.

すごいつごう - amazing circumstances.

The conditions are met, let's go! (Mario voice)

If the circumstance I arranged becomes inconvenient it's time TSUGOU/to go.

Sorry I thought I could stay, but under the circumstances, I have to go つごう

I kept "arranging" things until everything 都 fits 合 at which point I was in good "condition" for my next project.

When two (tsu/つ) people go along with each other (go/ごう), they do it at their best CONVENIENCE!

generic term for reply or response

They call him Stone HENGE-Y because it’s like talking to a brick wall - he never replies.

My decision hinges (henji -s) on your response!

Sorry, there's no REPLY from the hen and Ji-sus.

Benji got a HENJI from anna

Don't leave me "hanging", へんじ!

Visualize a hen named G, renowned for being a tough gangster in the barnyard.
Despite her formidable reputation, she doesn't speak much; instead, she only replies to questions by nodding slightly.

This quirky behavior makes her stand out and links directly to the meaning of 返事 (へんじ, henji), which means "reply" or "answer."

If you’re texting a girl you might feel anxious and ask yourself “wHEN will SHE reply?” (Henji)

I got a strange (変) character (字) as a response!

After the rooster crowed COCK A DOODLE DOO in the morning, the HEN REPLIED "GEE, can you pipe down? It's too early for this"

I always get on edge (henji) when I have to wait for a reply

表 and 裏 are two Japanese concepts that refer respectively to the visible and hidden side of things. While their meanings can overlap with 建前 and 本音, they have a broader and also more neutral meaning.

This is the opposite of Ura 裏, which aside from their literal meanings both refer to a cultural phenomenon in Japan where people, and their surroundings, are expected to hide their least desirable characteristics behind a more desirable countenance.

omote{おもて} is what you emote on the (surface) 表

OMOTE, O my MOTtO is always to look on the birght side of life. No matter what's bubbling underneath the surface.

"OH MO! Look at the surface of this TEa"

OH, MOAT, EH (おもて)? On the SURFACE!?

Literally: to publish/disclose 発 diagrams 表

So think of a powerpoint presentation:
HAve u got a PowerPIOUnt

I’m so HAPPYOU (happy), I need to make an announcement!

Breaking news is rarely HAPPY {はっぴょう} news. 😟

(Disclaimer: Crude language)

"I have an ANNOUNCEMENT to make, I finally graduated! To all those who said I wouldn't make it, UP YOURS (はっぴょう)!"

I have already made this announcement (はっぴょう) 800 (はっぴゃく) times, but hey, what’s one more?

Favorite side dish announcement dragon (Suki na Souzai Happyou Dragon) sings this as an opening line:
「 好きな 惣菜 発表 ドラゴン が」
{すきな そうざい はっぴょう ドラゴン が}
You may need to hear the song for it to stick.

I'm making an accouncement: What's happening yo! (はっぴょう)

* Announcement * * Announcement * It's Happy Hour! はっぴょう

This announcement will help you (はっぴょう)

Make sure to TOUCH the CAMEra’s icon to take pictures of people throwing stones at the crane 確.

Are you sure ( 確か ／たしか) this med 💊 is put under ( 下 ／した) the tongue ( 舌 ／した)?
Let me CONFIRM （ 確かめる ／たしかめる） with the doctor.🧑‍⚕️

確かめる and 確認する have the same meaning.

遺る and 遺す are the literal/formal versions of 残る and 残す. Especially used for bequeathing something to posterity.

NO CORpses were left at the crime scene

If sea temperatures continue to rise, there will be NO CORAL (nokoru) LEFT in the Great Barrier Reef.

NO one COuld Remain friends with U after what you did.

There was NO CORE left intact after the explosion.

no color/NOKORU remained/was left

I keep on KNOCKING (noko) at the door, but no one REMAINED at home to open it.

I received NO CALL (のこる), so I REMAINED and WAS LEFT behind :(

Was not called

Intransitive form of 残す / のこす

Some of my family (家族・かぞく) members still can't count. They just have to acquire (得る・える) this skill someday.

He casually かぞえる counted his dollar bills in front of me...

わかい means ‘young’ and is usually used for teenagers or adults, but not for children.
(Source:Nakama1)

like kawaii in the i-less form, with the first 2 kana reversed.

Why cry? This is why I hate young children

Tsamina mina, eh, eh
Waka waka (わかわか), eh, eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa (Shakira)

the young are (は) KInd (かい）

Young people today have some Wack-y ideas

Wakai children are kawaii

Young (わかい) people think they know (わかる) everything.

Wow! Kai! You're so young!

If you've played Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Ichiban often refers to Masato Arakawa as Young Master (Waka)

Immature 若い (わかい) people are often the most childish 可愛い (かわいい) people.

If you’re young enough, a walrus will carry you. But only if you’re young.

That cute(かわい) kid is young(わかい).

Young people wakai understand things well wakarimasu

心 (heart, mind) + 配 (distribute)

心配 is the onyomi reading of 心配り which has multiple meanings but one of them just mean "distributing your mind on many task", ie: "overexerting yourself". And from that meaning, you get worry, anxiety, etc. A bit like in English, it's possible to say "having too many things on your mind". Japanese use a similar image here but, instead of having to many things "on" your mind, it's the image of distributing, allocating pieces of mind "to" multiple tasks.

You can use that same image, with a more positive meaning, for the first meaning of 心配り (care, attention, etc). "Distributing your mind", ie: "exerting yourself" in the sense of care, attention, thoughtfulness, etc.
Both had the same meanings and they just diverged later as you can see with the 2nd definition of 心配 which is now "dated" (it's the same for 心配り, it's just not displayed on renshuu and even on some Japanese dictionary)

心配 is everyday, personal, emotional worry. 懸念 is a more formal expression of concern based on judgment or assessment.

＂心配です＂ (lit: it's a worry) can be used to say "it's worrying", or "it's worrying me".

Ex: 私は天気が心配です。
>The weather worries me.

Shinpai senpai = Worry senpai

I would be worried if someone served me shin pie o_o;;

My mind 心 is distributed 配 thinly because of my *worry*.

Too many kanpai (drinks/cheers) should cause shinpai (concern)

I'm concerned (しんぱい) that I make a mistake / fail(ure) (しっぱい)

Tamaki-senpai from Ouran Host Club is always feeling shinpai for Haruhi.

Whenever I am in a group of chimpanzees (SHINPAI) I am ANXIOUS and WORRY about them not hurting me.

We worry (しんぱい) about judgement (しんぱん)

❤️+ 🎁 = 心 +配

picture: someone so worried they're trying to hand out their heart to feel better

say: Shirley is a simple person when she gets worried she goes to find her senpai

Sharing what you have on your heart

Shin:die, pai:pain
If you will continue to be worry, you will shin because of your pain

The right Kanji looks like a bottle of poison and a snake ☠️ 🐍. Two things to worry or be anxious about. The snake might bite your shin and there may be poison in your pie.

You find yourself drunk with a bottle of sake next to yourself (酉 + 己 = 配), because your heart (心) is full of *worries*.

If you've played Judgment (Judge Eyes) before, you'd know SHINPEI Okubo was a big source of anxiety (shinpai) in Yagami's life

Other meanings include below (e.g. standard); under (e.g. a level) and the below-mentioned; the following; the rest

以下: inclusive limit (equal or below)
未満: exclusive limit (strictly below)

18歳以下 18 year old or under
18歳未満 under 18 year old

以上 and 以下 include the number preceeding them.

18歳以上 = 18 yrs and above (greater than or equal)
18歳以下 = 18 yrs and below (less than or equal)

If you want to exclude the number preceeding, you can use 未満 instead of 以下 to express "less than, but not including".

18歳未満 = below 18 yrs (less than, not including 18, aka 0-17 yrs)

For "more than, not including" you can use 超える
18歳を超える
18歳超え = above 18 yrs (19+ yrs)

It’s LESS THAN zero out there today?! EEK-Ah!

(いか)n't stand having not more than 100sq ft (~9m²) in my micro-apartment!

The amount of squid (いか) here is NOT MORE THAN (いか) average.

Pitch accent: ぼうね＼んかい (the recording's pitch accent seems to be flat though).

My friend and I *CAME TOGETHER* (def 2) to *FIT* some *MATCHING* (def 1) outfits.

This mail made a long trip from the other side of the world, only to land in my bin

During the flight, the airplane's ca.bin びん had no convenience facility... 便 Oh boy it was a long flight....