March 31, 2017　=========

☆  weather  乗り越える

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When we weather a difficult time or difficult situation, we survive it and are able to continue normally after it has passed or ended. You might hear people say that they are weathering the storm, and in this situation the storm is the “difficult situation.” Some example sentences:

Our company has weathered the recession, and gone on to make a profit this year!
Our friendship has weathered many storms, but we have a deeper relationship now because of this.
The government is weathering another political crisis.
After I lost my job, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to weather the storm, so I moved back home to liveRead more about Today’s Word: weather[…]

March 30, 2017　=========

☆  subside  おさまる

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If something such as a feeling, a noise, or a pain subsides, it becomes less strong, less loud, or less painful. Something that subsides decreases, diminishes, eases, lessens, quietens, or wanes.

As always, a great way to learn new words is to do a Mind Map of related words, or words with similar meanings, like the ones I have just listed above. Then, write out some sentences using the words. If you can make the sentences personal to your situation, as this will make them easier to remember, too.

For me, for example, I went to the gym yesterday morning, and the pain in my legs is finallyRead more about Today’s Word: subside[…]

March 29, 2017　=========

☆  emerge  現れる

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If something emerges, it means that it comes into existence, or it comes out from a space where it couldn’t be seen, so that it is now visible. In relation to farewells and new beginnings, you might also hear people talking about emerging from a difficult or bad experience. In this meaning, emerge means to come to the end of the difficult thing. Here are some examples of both uses:

He was waiting outside the door as she emerged.
My friend emerged from the train with several other commuters.
It looks like the economy is at last emerging from the recession.
She is emerging as an expert in the field.

CanRead more about Today’s Word: emerge[…]

March 28, 2017　=========

☆  counter  反論する

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You can do something or say something to counter something else. If you do something to counter an action or process, it means you do something to make it less effective or to have the opposite effect. For example, traffic jams could be countered by persuading more drivers to use public transport or even bicycles.

When you counter something that another person has said, it means that you say something shows that you disagree with them, or that proves that they are wrong. For example, I countered what my boss had told me and let her know her that the information she had was not the mostRead more about Today’s Word: counter[…]

March 27, 2017　=========

☆  grapple  取り組む

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When you grapple with a problem or difficulty, you try hard to solve it. Other words with similar meanings are: deal with, address, confront, get to grips with, struggle, tackle, and take on. So, if “grapple” seems like a word you’ll struggle to remember, you can always choose one of those words instead.

However, if you want to try and use this word, one way to remember it is to think of yourself as a wrestler grappling with a problem. When two wrestlers grapple, they grab hold of each other and fight. So imagine yourself grabbing hold of the problem you are facing, and grappling with itRead more about Today’s Word: grapple[…]

March 26, 2017　=========

☆  closure  終幕

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Closure is the feeling or action of bringing a situation to an end, so that you are able to start something new. We often talk about a “sense of closure” or being able to “achieve closure.” The most common times to use this word are after a romantic relationship or friendship breaks up. Or when you have lost a job or had a difficult situation in your life.

Finding closure means that you have let go of the past; you have let go of what once was. Closure describes the ability to let go of what has finished and move on to something new.

Performing some kind ofRead more about Today’s Word: closure[…]

March 25, 2017　=========

☆  second thought  再考

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There are three ways to use today’s word. Firstly, if you “have second thoughts” about a decision you made, it means that you begin to doubt whether it was the best thing to do. For example, “I’m having second thoughts about quitting my job.”

Secondly, if you do something “without a second thought” it means you do it without thinking about it carefully, either because you don’t have enough time, or you do not care about it that much. For example, “She didn’t give a second thought to borrowing money from her family.”

And thirdly, if you say, “On second thought” to mean that you have suddenlyRead more about Today’s Word: second thought[…]

March 24, 2017　=========

☆  comeback  復帰

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When someone famous, such as a singer or athlete makes a comeback, they return to their profession or sport after being away. An athlete might make a comeback after an injury which people thought he wouldn’t make a recovery from.

Guns and Roses made a comeback this year, with their world tour. I haven’t heard any new music from them in many, many years, but their world tour was a successful comeback it seems. Although… is this the right usage of comeback? What do you think? If GNR plan to make more music now, then yes, it would be a comeback. However, maybe their plan is justRead more about Today’s Word: comeback[…]

March 23, 2017　=========

☆  recovery  回復

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There are a few different ways to use recovery. Firstly, if someone is sick, but becomes well again, then they have made a recovery. For example, the doctor said the chance of recovery is very high.

When a country’s economy makes a recovery, it means that it improves. For example, the government thought that cutting interest rates would bring about an economic recovery, however, nothing has changed so far.

And one more way to use this word is to talk about the recovery of something, which means that you got it back after it was lost or stolen. For example, a reward is being offered for the recoveryRead more about Today’s Word: recovery[…]

March 22, 2017　=========

☆  transformation  変化

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A transformation is a change, an alteration, a metamorphosis. Here are some example of the word in use:

I’ve been making plans for the transformation of my attic into a study.
I can’t believe the transformation of the area, it looks great!
What an astonishing transformation!
In the last five years, he’s undergone a personal transformation.

I think the biggest transformation I have ever made in my life was going from a lawyer in Adelaide to an English teacher in Tokyo! That was a big transformation! How about you? Have you ever undergone a personal transformation? What did you change? Was it your weight? Your clothing style? Or maybe something bigger,Read more about Today’s Word: transformation[…]

March 21, 2017　=========

☆  exasperation 激怒

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Exasperation is a feeling of annoyance or frustration or anger. For example, “Mark clenched his fist in exasperation.” Or “I don’t know what she was angry about, but there was a hint of exasperation in her voice.” And, “There was a look of exasperation on his face.”

Usually when I Google ideas for these mini mails, I google song lyrics or books to check the content matches what I want to say. Today I googled images related to exasperation. The results were pretty funny! I got a whole page of search results of people’s faces, showing exasperation for one reason or another! If you have a moment,Read more about Today’s Word: exasperation[…]

March 20, 2017　=========

☆  moment of truth  決定的瞬間

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If you refer to a time or event as the “moment of truth” you mean that it is an important time when you must make a decision (sometimes quickly), and whatever you decide will have important consequences in the future.

For students in Japan, the moment of truth would come when they need to decide which high school they will go to, as this will most likely affect the university they can choose, right? Another time someone might face a not-so-important moment of truth, is if they are on a diet and someone offers them cake! To eat and break the diet or not toRead more about Today’s Word: moment of truth[…]

March 19, 2017　=========

☆  complicated  複雑な

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Something that is complicated has many parts or aspects, and so it is difficult to understand or deal with; it is complex.

Have you ever seen any of the New Zealand TV adverts for safe driving? They are very powerful, and often go viral around the world. One of the adverts from about 6 years ago, was about teenagers from the Maori culture, and drink driving. The main guy doesn’t want his friend to drive home because he has had too much to drink. When his friends ask him what is wrong, he says, “I’ve been internalizing a really complicated situation in my head.” Meaning that heRead more about Today’s Word: complicated[…]

March 18, 2017　=========

☆  restrained  地味な

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You can describe things or people as restrained.

When you talk about a person who is restrained, you mean that they are calm and unemotional. For example, “I don’t know why, but her greeting was a little restrained. She is usually much more friendly.”

When you talk about clothes or decorations in a house being restrained, you mean that you like them because they are simple and not too-bright. I’m not sure about in Japanese, but this is kind of a positive word, for example, “Her black suit was restrained and expensive.” In this case, the word is similar to tasteful and unpretentious. If you said it wasRead more about Today’s Word: restrained[…]

March 17, 2017　=========

☆  steep  （カーブなどが）急な

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Something that is steep rises at a sharp angle and is difficult to go up – so we talk about steep hills in the mountainside, or the steep roads of San Francisco. However, one of the most common uses of this word is in the idiom, a “steep learning curve”.

A steep learning curve means that something is difficult and takes a lot of effort to learn. This idiom comes from the idea that steep mountains are difficult to climb. The good thing about steep mountains is that the view at the top is fantastic, right? And that’s kind of the same for something with a steepRead more about Today’s Word: steep[…]

March 16, 2017　=========

☆  rash  無謀な

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If someone is rash or does rash things, they act without thinking carefully first, and therefore make mistakes or behave foolishly. This week’s useful phrase is “You shouldn’t really be so rash.” You could use this to talk to a child or teenager that you feel is acting impulsively without thinking. You could also say something like that to a coworker or subordinate if you felt that they were making hasty decisions without considering the consequences.

If you wanted to give advice to someone who is in a bad situation and feeling very emotional, you could say something like this, “Don’t do anything rash until you haveRead more about Today’s Word: rash[…]

March 15, 2017　=========

☆  susceptible   影響を受けやすい

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If you a susceptible person you are very easily influenced emotionally. We generally use “to” with this word, so if you are “susceptible to” something or someone, you are very likely to be influenced by them. For example:

Young people are the most susceptible to advertisements.
He was extremely susceptible to flattery.
She was so susceptible to the green-eyed monster! (i.e. susceptible to jealousy)
Sitting at a desk for work all day makes most people susceptible to back and shoulder pain.

Are you susceptible to anyone or anything right now?

Bye,

Chris

March 14, 2017　=========

☆  impending  切迫した

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Today’s word is a formal word to describe an event that is going to happen very soon. It is often used to describe negative events, such as having a bad dream and awaking with a feeling of “impending disaster.” In fact, people who suffer from depression or anxiety often have a sense of “impending doom” and so this is now a medical term!

However, it’s not all bad news! You could talk about the happy news such as an impending arrival of a friend from overseas, or the impending arrival of a baby that will be born soon. Or someone might be getting married soon, so youRead more about Today’s Word: impending[…]

March 13, 2017　=========

☆  grueling 厳しい

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A grueling activity is extremely difficult and tiring to do. For example, you might have a grueling schedule. Last year my kids had a grueling schedule actually. It was exhausting!! Monday after school they did school soccer. Tuesday, they did after-school study. Wednesday my older son had club soccer training. Thursday my younger son had club soccer training. Then Friday my older son had more club soccer training. As if that wasn’t grueling enough, on Saturday they had Japanese school, and on Sunday, they played in soccer matches.

My goodness! No wonder they were always so exhausted. This year, luckily our schedule is not quite so grueling,Read more about Today’s Word: grueling[…]

March 12, 2017　=========

☆  clean slate  白紙の状態

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If you start with a “clean slate”, you do not take account of previous mistakes or failures and make a fresh start. For example, if you have been negotiating a contract at work and the negotiations were not successful, you could say, “We intend to start the negotiations again next week, with a clean slate.”

A clean slate is an opportunity to start over without any prejudice to what has happened in the past. You might hear this word in the news reports about athletes. For example, a “bad boy” athlete, might get a clean slate when they change teams or change their attitude. They mightRead more about Today’s Word: clean slate[…]

March 11, 2017　=========

☆  moment  機会

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Usually we use “moment” to refer to a very short period of time, such as a few seconds. When you ask someone to help you, they might say, “Just a moment.” meaning they will help you in a few minutes.

However, it also has the meaning like today’s word, of being a moment in time when something happens. For example, the moment you decided to change jobs. Or the moment you met someone who would change your life. Or the moment when you had an Aha for a situation you are dealing with. So, in this case, moment can also be similar in meaning to chance orRead more about Today’s Word: moment[…]

March 10, 2017   　=========

☆  malice  悪意

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Malice is similar in meaning to March 7th word, animosity. It is behavior that is intended to harm people or their reputations, or cause embarrassment or upset them. When we hurt or harm someone by accident, we will often say, “There was no malice on my part.” meaning that we didn’t intend to upset them.

Since we already have two words with similar meanings, why not make a Mind Map of these and other words that are similar? Here’s a list of some words you could put on the Mind Map:
malice
animosity
ill will
hate / hatred
spite
hostility
resentment

Do you know any others?

Bye,

Chris

March 9, 2017   =========

☆  catastrophe  大失敗

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A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage. It is usually used for things like wars and environmental catastrophes, however, when you want to emphasize that something is a real disaster for you, then you could call it a catastrophe.

Right now, though, you’ll most likely be hearing this word in political news. President Trump has said that the German Chancellor Angela Merkel letting in a million refugees into Germany was a catastrophe. What do you think? Can you think of anything else happening in the world right now that could be called a catastrophe?  

Bye,

Chris

March 8, 2017      =========

☆  indication  兆候

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An indication is a sign which suggests what people are thinking or feeling, or suggests what is going on. For example, in a formal situation, such as someone in a hospital, the doctor might say that a certain symptom is an indication of an infection. But you can also use it to describe signs of feelings and thoughts. For example:

All the indications suggested that my boss was going to approve my pay rise.
He gave no indication that he wanted to end the relationship.
She showed no indication of leaving the party early.
The homestay student didn’t display any indication of homesickness.

As you can see from the exampleRead more about Today’s Word: indication[…]

March 7, 2017 =========

☆  animosity 敵意

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Animosity is a strong feeling of dislike and anger. It is a strong word to use between people. You will most often hear it to describe the hostility or hatred between two countries, in news reports, for example: “There is a long history of animosity between the two nations.” Or “The Middle East countries feel a lot of animosity toward each other.”

However, you could also use it to describe a situation between people, such as in a terrible divorce. In fact, often when the divorce is not mutual, or if there are children involved, there is a lot of animosity between the ex-couple. If youRead more about Today’s Word: animosity[…]

March 6, 2017　=========

☆  commotion  混乱

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This is one of my favorite words! I just like the sound of it, and the meaning, too. A commotion is a lot of noise, confusion, and excitement. I often ask my two boys, “What is all the commotion?!” when they are outside yelling and screaming about something. Usually it is just because they scored a soccer goal or something – it’s never anything serious!

However, a commotion could be seen as something that is a noise of something serious. For example, a disturbance in the street, or drunk people travelling home on the train after karaoke making a lot of noise could be a commotion. Although,Read more about Today’s Word: commotion[…]

March 5, 2017　=========

☆  falter  ためらう

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If you falter, it means that you lose your confidence and stop doing something or you keep doing it but start making mistakes. For example,
“He never faltered in his resolution to get his job back after being unfairly dismissed.” In other words, he kept going and trying, he never hesitated or stumbled.
Or
“As she neared her ex-boyfriend’s apartment, her steps faltered.” In other words, as she got walked and got closer to her ex-boyfriend’s apartment, she began to feel nervous and unsteady, and it was hard to walk.

You can also say that your voice falters, which means that when you are speaking, you hesitate, or pause, orRead more about Today’s Word: falter[…]

March 4, 2017　=========

☆  persevere  耐え忍ぶ

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Do you remember back in January, when we learned the word “persist” I told you that I kept spelling “persevere” wrong? It is so frustrating, because I still spell it wrong! I still try to spell it as “perseRvere” when there is no need for that extra R!

So, I guess for me, that something I (still) need to persevere through is learning to spell this word! I have to keep trying and not give up, even though it’s difficult. Which is a perfect definition for persevere: keep trying and don’t give up, even though it’s difficult.

What are you persevering with at the moment? Is there anyRead more about Today’s Word: persevere[…]

March 3, 2017 =========

☆  oppose  反対する

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If you oppose someone or oppose their plans or ideas, you disagree with what they want to do and try to prevent them from doing it. Here are some example sentences:

Many parents oppose bilingual education in schools as they are worried that it will affect the level of education.
My boss always opposes anything I suggest at meetings; it’s very frustrating!
The new boss is so aggressive that no one dare oppose him.
I’m planning to oppose the changes.

Can you use oppose in a sentence?

Bye,

Chris

March 2, 2017      =========

☆  negotiate  交渉する

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When people negotiate, they talk about a problem or situation in order to solve the problem and find a solution that everyone is happy with. When I was studying law, we had to read many textbooks on negotiating and how to do it. They were soooo boring!! Don’t get me wrong, I think negotiating and being able to negotiate are very important, but textbooks on the topic are not interesting!

However, I did read one book on negotiating which was interesting. An old book, by Robert Ringer, called, Winning Through Intimidation. The title makes it sound awful, what kind of person writes a book about intimidatingRead more about Today’s Word: negotiate[…]

March 1, 2017　    =========

☆  inform  通知する

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Welcome to March! This month’s topic is “Farewells and New Beginnings.” Although it farewells and endings are often sad, the good news is as Seneca says in this week’s quote, “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” The cycle of life, right? Beginnings, followed by endings, followed by beginnings and round it goes.

When you inform someone of something, you tell them about it. However, if you talking about what you did on the weekend, you wouldn’t inform someone about what you did, this word is too formal; you would just tell them what you did.

So, when you use “inform” it is generally becauseRead more about Today’s Word: inform[…]