禁止する

kinshi-suru, "to prohibit".

This is a very common concept, and in a social life one has be face many and various prohibitions. Today I saw a sign on a toilet door to remind customers not bring a merchandise into there. However, the expression comes with this one was rather extraordinary. In stead of using "する", this sign says "禁止させていただいております". I started to think how shall I explain this one to my young students, and in fact, whether or not it is possible.

I guess one may want to argue that this is a Japanese honorific expression. However, does a customer indeed received a respect through this expression?

一本締め

ippon-jime, "to clap hands once to close (an event)".

After a cheerful party with a large number of local students, the organizer asked every one to stand in a circle and to do "一本締め". It is a new experience to many of those Japanese learners. A few asked me in a true interest, some worried whether or not it is a sort of ritual, and a few have already opened their electronic dictionaries. Certainly they found out the answer very soon.

On the way back to my accommodation, I saw another group of students to practice this one outdoor. It is a scene of student life in a spring night. However I was rather surprised to be ware that many dictionaries do not have an entry for this word.

かりれます

kariremasu, "(one) can borrow".
On Thursday, I had a chance to visit an elementary school and was treated by Grade 6 students very warmly. At the school lunch, I was able to ask a few questions to a group of 6 students. Before that, I saw a sign with "かりれます" on a door of a reading room. According to the current language rule, this is a colloquial expression and the proper writing form should be "かりられます". I then asked the students if they were aware that language rule. To my surprise, not only they did not agree with me, most of them replied to me with a great confidence: "かりられます" is not the expression for that, but it is an honorific expression(!).

I am not sure if this only dues to the fact that a child in early 10th does not know all the language rules, or it is another sign that Japanese honorific expression becomes to play less importance in the real life.

デビュー

debyu-, "a debut".

I learned this word back to the time while I was a graduate student, when I was going to publish my first journal article. It was not only a new word to me, much more, it was a new concept which I never had before.

Although this word has the same meaning to its use in English, however a few combination further generated are rather very much Japanese. Examples include 公園デビュー, a new mother with her baby joins her neighbors in a park, 高校デビュー, a youth changes his/her personal character after enter into a high school. I have to say that I know these words only by knowledge but have little real experience.

新顔

shin-gao, "a new face".

Many students told me that one fascinating thing about an intensive study abroad experience is to meet many new faces day after a day. It certainly due to the hospitality of the host organizer and kind young local students. There, this word came to my mind. 新顔 means "a new face". However it just can not be used in a situation described above. An underline understanding with this word is to refer a new one who is expected to grow into a regular member, but not some one who is new and may well disappear easily. Further more, this word is often used in a metaphorical manner, such as to refer a new type of product.

Thus the opposite word here is not "old-face", rather it is 常連 (jou-ren) which means a regular member.

ルーピー

ruupii, "loopy".

Needless to say, in English this is an unrefined expression. In fact I rarely had a chance to hear any one used this word in the real life. However, this now may newly join into Japanese. At this moment, it has a very limited usage, that is to criticize the Prime Minister. It first appeared on an American news column, and somehow it matches the frustration that many people feel about this political leader, and two days ago, a member of the Diet even shouted it while the Prime Minister was making a speech in the Diet.

New katakana words are created all the time. Here, we are observing one unique moment.

マンガ

manga, "a harrow".

I had a chance to visit a local museum related to traditional folk houses. Among various displays, I found this word on a information sign. I was quite sure that this has very little to do with a cartoon which heavely atrracts young Japanese learners, but I did not know what does it mean. With a help by the guide, I was able to locate the real item, as on the right picture. Back to home, with a further search, now I know that it is acctually the word 馬鍬 ("horse-harrow"), which is originally read as まぐわ.

In this case, writing in kanji may be a much better help. Although writing in katakana emphasize the way of pronunciation, it obvious lacks for carrying out essential information.