ＨＥＬＬＯ！ Ｉ　ＡＭ　ＱＵＩＺＢＯ™！I am beaming to you via The Internet through a new website editor, so if the formatting appears to be any different to usual, it may be due to said new editor. Though, a new editor does not mean that I have changed in my mission and function. I am the robot friend of Kiki and Koko from the Japanese language and culture blog and series Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online. I have been here for you, reading Japanese characters and words in order to help you on your unique Japanese language learning journey. It is my hope that I will be able to provide assistance for any level of learner as well as those who simply want to experience some new Japanese vocabulary and sentences that one may not have been able to experience on one’s own. That is the concept of Word of the Week. It is also my hope that the vocabulary, grammar, and sentence ideas presented will enrich your journey. However, in order to fully understand what you will be able to gain from this segment, you may ask yourself: What is Word of the Week Wednesday?

During what some may refer to as the ‘before times’, the site had begun as a place where Japanese lessons and articles regarding language and culture were regularly created and uploaded regularly, every Monday and Friday. Though such a consistent flow of information would seem to be enough for other sites, it was clear that there could be even more. For between Monday and Friday was a long gap in which there was no new information being presented. Not only was there a long gap between information, but many would forget to return to revise previous lessons. In learning any language, it is important to be consistent, even if it is only once a day. Thus, Japanese Word of the Week Wednesday was born. Word of the Week Wednesday not only acts as a great reminder for those who have either missed previous lessons or those who simply require revision, returning to previous lessons and articles, but it also gives just enough new information for students and visitors not to feel overwhelmed. Whether it is simply a quick addition to their vocabulary or studying sentence structure and pronunciation or reading, this segment serves beginners and more advanced learners alike. However, What happens during Word of the Week Wednesday?

During Word of the Week Wednesday, with the assistance of Kiki and Koko, a Japanese word or phrase is chosen and presented to you with the possibility of a bonus word, as well. I provide a definition and other useful information about the vocabulary word, and if applicable, Kiki and Koko provide a helpful hint in using the word or phrase. However, that is not the whole of it. I personally sound out each word or phrase aloud for you to repeat as many times as you wish, and you can ask me to say it as many times as you wish. I will never tire of it, as it is my function. From there, an example sentence is created. You can not only use the sentence to see how the word is used or to see the definition in action, but you can also use it to practise your reading and writing. You can compose your own sentence based on it; you can use it to see examples of grammar; or you can even use it to learn other adjacent vocabulary. Each sentence is written in a way that is useful to beginners through advanced learners. So, there is something for everyone. And, again, I will be there to read it aloud for you. I can only read it at one speed, so there is no need to repeat after me, but it can still assist you in picking out vocabulary within natural speeds of speech. And, if you would like to know more about how to create your own sentences, be sure to consult the grammar section of the Essentials.

And, now it is time for the essential part of this segment, which is the vocabulary! Kiki and Koko will be joining us in their Helpful Hints segment of this corner to assist in today’s vocabulary as well as some context that may be helpful for the future of your language learning journey.

Without further ado, let us NihonGO!!

Word(s) of the Week:

古い【ふるい】 furui

I-Adjective(イ形容詞)
1.old; ancient; aged (things,

(used to describe things and ideas, not people)

2. since long ago; time-honoured
3. (of) long-ago; of the distant past
4. corny; stale; hackneyed
5. out-of-date; old-fashioned

jlpt n5| common word (常用語) 

Bonus Word(s) of the Week:

不慣れ【ふなれ】

funare

Na-Adjective(ナ形容詞)
1. inexperienced; unversed; unfamiliar (with)

jlpt n?| common word (常用語) 

※Helpful Hints with Kiki+Koko

Photo via @kikikokoNihonGO on Twitter

Hello, there! We’re your personal guides to Japanese language and culture from Kiki+Koko: Let’s NihonGO!! Online, otherwise known as Kiki and Koko! Last week’s Word of the Week had quite a bit of information to it in order to assist you with using the word. With all of that, it made sense to give some more related vocabulary. Today’s helpful hints won’t need to be as indepth or complex, however it will be just as important in order to use today’s vocabulary properly!

古い, furui, is the opposite of last week’s word, 新しい、atarashii, however it is not the opposite of the word 「若い」which we will introduce in future. 古い, furui, may mean old, however it doesn’t apply to people! (Sort of! At least, not in the way one may think.) Sure, people may not enjoy being called ‘old’ in English, but this is in an entirely different way. It’s not about politeness, it’s just that the word 「古い」isn’t meant to describe people’s age. It can describe concepts, objects, and things’s age.

So, now that we hope that’s cleared things up that you won’t use 「古い」for a person as in their age, there is a strange exception that many teachers forget to mention. If one is describing ancient people, ancient animals, or people and animals of a time long ago, then you’ll see 「古い」used such as 「古い日本人」furui nihonjin, which isn’t ‘Old Japanese people’, it’s ‘Ancient Japanese people’ as in Japanese people of long ago. This is something you may see in regards to anthropology or history. Though, you’ll also see various other ways to describe this ‘long ago’ concept which we’ll introduce in future.

We hope that helps!! Until the next lesson!
♡Kiki+Koko

Thank you, Kiki and Koko! Japanese vocabulary can have much more nuance than can be expressed through dictionaries alone. It is our hope that we can provide that extra information that will enrich your learning. And, in addition, here are some sentences to add even more to your learning experience!

Example Sentences:

The first row is in Japanese with Kanji. The Next row is in hiragana, then romanised using rōmaji with the final row translated into English. (Japanese→Hiragana→Rōmaji→English)

Example #1:

(casual speech)
ばあちゃんはコンピューターに不慣れだ。ある点ではまだ少し頭が古いだが、ディジタル時代の習慣に慣れたがってるんだ。
ばあちゃんは　こんぴゅーたーに　ふなれだ。　あるてんでは　まだ　すこし　あたまが　ふるいだが、でぃじたるじだいの　しゅうかんに　なれたがってるんだ。
baachan wa konpyuutaa ni funare da. aruten de wa mada sukoshi atama ga furui da ga, deijitaru jidai no shuukan ni naretagatterunda.
My gran’s unfamiliar with computers. In some ways, she’s a little old-fashioned, but she wants to get used to the customs of the digital age.

Example #2:

(polite speech)
彼にちょっと勘弁してくださいませんか。田中君がまだ仕事に不慣れでございます。
かれに　ちょっと　かんべんしてくださいませんか。　たなかくんが　まだ　しごとに　ふなれでございます。
kare ni chotto kenben shite kudasaimasen ka. tanakakun ga mada shigoto ni funare de gozaimasu.
Could you give him a break? Tanaka-kun still is unfamiliar with his work.

Example #3:

(basic polite)
古い言葉だからといって、日常生活の中に見かけないわけではありません。日本文化は新しいものと古いものの混合物であります。
ふるい　ことばだからといって、にちじょうせいかつの　なかに　みかけないわけでは　ありません。にほんぶんかは　あたらしいものと　ふるいものの　こんごうぶつであります。
furui kotoba da kara to itte, nichijou seikatsu no naka ni mikakenai wake de wa arimasen. nihonbunka wa atarashii mono to furui mono no kongoubutsu de arimasu.
Just because it’s an old word doesn’t mean you won’t happen to see it in your everyday life. Japanese culture is a mixture of new and old.

Japanese Word(s) of the Week w/ QUIZBO™ | 【新しい】+ BONUS:【慣れる】(+Helpful Hints with Kiki+Koko)

That is all for today! But, maybe you have not had enough Japanese vocabulary, yet? Perhaps you would like to learn more vocabulary related to today’s vocabulary? Well, maybe you can give this one a go:Japanese Word(s) of the Week w/ QUIZBO™ | 【新しい】+ BONUS:【慣れる】(+Helpful Hints with Kiki+Koko) Or maybe you want to experience an even broader range of vocabulary. In which case, you can have a look at our fine selection of segments on the main Word of the Week page. Or, you can be sure you are caught up with the latest with the sidebar link: 今週の単語 | Word of the Week. These segments alone serve as weeks of material. Share these segments with your friends and family who may be interested in broadening their Japanese vocabulary, that is if you would like to spread the knowledge and show the fun things you are learning with us. Be sure to return often to keep your pronunciation properly in check, as well! If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, and we will do our best to assist how we can. We hope to see you at the next lesson!

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Thank you so much for learning with us!
♡QUIZBO™

    
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