Rachel: Hey guys! Jun: Hey guys!
So if you've been learning Japanese or any other language probably,
You've probably realised that there are some things that you say in one language that even though
you may be able to translate it into the other language, you just don't talk like that in the other language.
And so there are some things that I've learned over the past few years that I say all the time now in Japanese
but we don't say it in English. Even though we should, because it would make our lives easier.
So, today I'm going to go over 5 Japanese words we should have in English.
Jun: Sounds interesting. So what's the first one? Rachel: Okay, the first word is "Tekitou."
Jun: Tekitou? Rachel: Tekitou.
Jun: It has 2 meaning, right? The first is "suitable," the other one is like "roughly" or "about," so even like a number too.
Rachel: Yeah, so "tekitou" in Japanese is used as a word where you don't really need something
to be done exactly, it can just be done as you see fit. Like, as you think is best.
So for example, let's say you're cooking with a friend and it's your recipe and you're having your friend
chop the vegetables, and they say "How big should I chop these?"
And it doesn't really matter, so you can just say "tekitou." Jun: I guess so.
Rachel: Which means "Do it as you see fit." Like, do it as you think is best.
Jun: Tekitou. Right. Rachel: Yeah.
Jun: You don't have a word for it? In that situation? Rachel: I guess you could say "however,"
"however you want." Like, however is fine. Whatever is fine.
You could even probably use it if you want to do something you've never done before
but you don't have a specific plan. So for example, let's say you're talking to your friend
and you're like "That girl over there, she's really cute. I'm gonna go ask her out."
And he's like "Well what are you gonna do? What's your plan?"
And you're like "I don't know. I'm just gonna go for it. Tekitou."
Jun: I guess you can say that in the situation too. I guess. Yeah.
Although this guy is an idiot of course. Rachel: He's very confident.
Jun: I don't like her saying "tekitou" when I offer to do anything for her about cooking though.
Rachel: Tekitou. Jun: Whenever I offer she said "Tekitou de. Tekitou de. Tekitou de."
Rachel: No I say "Makaseru." I'll leave it up to you. Jun: Basically means the same.
Rachel: Which is kinda like number 1 part b. I really like the word "makaseru" too.
Which means "I'll leave it up to you." It's up to you.
Makaseru. I don't care. You do it. Jun: Makasemasu. Tekitou de.
Jun: So what's the next word? Rachel: So number 2 is "natsukashii."
Jun: I guess we use that word all the time, don't we? Rachel: Yeah. Yeah it's used all the time here.
So "natsukashii" means something is nostalgic. So if you say something from your childhood that you're like
"Aww man, that brings back so many memories!" You just say "natsukashii" in Japanese.
Jun: Yeah. Natsukashii. Rachel: But we don't really have a single word for that
in English. Again, we have phrases, like you could say "Ah that brings back memories,"
or "Aww man, I remember that!" or like you could say "That's nostalgic, that's really nostalgic."
Although, not many people say like... Jun: I've never heard anyone say that.
Rachel: Yeah, not many people say that. But, "natsukashii" is used in Japan all the time.
Jun: You don't have to be old to use this word. Rachel: No, no. Like, people use it for everything.
Jun: Even teenagers can use this word. Rachel: Yeah, and it has like a positive connotation.
So it kind of has a reminiscing feeling to it. If someone says "natsukashii," they're like "Ahh natsukashii."
Jun: Now I feel like I'm old. For using this word so many times.
Rachel: But you don't have to because like even at my age, if I see like She-Ra or something,
I'm like "Oh my god I used to love that show when I was a kid. Natsukashii!"
Jun: Like if you for example say, like if you see super Nintendo...
Rachel: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Jun: Or Nintendo 64...
Rachel: That was going to be one of my examples, the super Nintendo!
Jun: Or... Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Or something like that, you say "Ah natsukashii." Rachel: Natsukashii!
Rachel: Yeah. Jun: Yeah.
So that's how we use it. Rachel: Yeah, it's just like a positive remembrance of things.
Okay so word number 3 is "mochimochi", and the reason I picked this word... Jun: Okay.
Rachel: Is because it is SO hard to define in English! Jun: Really?
Rachel: People ask all the time. It is SO hard! I still don't know how to like explain it clearly in English.
Jun: Mochimochi? I thought the translation for mochimochi is "chewy," isn't it?
Rachel: Yeah, but "chewy" can be bad in English. Jun: Really?
Rachel: Mochimochi is alway good. Jun: Ahh..
Rachel: Mochimochi is very positive. Jun: I guess so. Like when you eat meat
and then if it's chewy, then that's like bad, right? Rachel: Yeah. It can also be translated
as like "springy" or "elastic". But you don't really say those words about like food very often in a good way.
Jun: Okay. Rachel: Like, if you moisturise your skin too, and you touch your skin
and it's kind of like... It feels very, you know, like springy I guess? Jun: Springy?
Rachel: They say mochimochi for that in Japanese as well.
Jun: Yeah, "Mochi hada. Mochimochi hada."
Rachel: But you don't really say like "Ah my skin feels so springy and elastic. I love it!"
But you could say "Ah mochimochi!" Right? Jun: Yeah, right. Yeah.
Rachel: There's just... We just don't really have that word. Always positive, springy, elastic, chewy.
Jun: That specific type of like, texture. Rachel: Texture. Yeah. Mochimochi.
Jun: If you try mochi bread, then you can tell. Like, if you bite off the bread, then it bounces back.
Rachel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jun: In a good way.
Rachel: So like if you... Jun: It's really attractive. Rachel: Right.
So if you make your own bread, then right after it comes out of like the bread maker or whatever,
that's mochimochi bread. Jun: Yeah. That's pretty addictive.
Rachel: Because it's very like springy, right? Yeah. Jun: Yeah.
Rachel: That's mochimochi.
Okay, so for number 4 I'm gonna go with "mendokusai." Jun: Seriously?
Rachel: Mendokusai. Jun: Wait, you don't have a word for it?
Rachel: We have a lot of different ways you can say this. So, mendokusai means "annoying" or like "frustrating."
It's basically like a word for "Uggh!" You say "Mendokusai!" or "Mendoi" for short.
And it's not always just like "annoying," it can also mean like "troublesome." Like this is just going to be frustrating for you.
Alright let's say for example your cats got poop all over the litter box and it's like really messy.
You're just like "Ugh, mendokusai." Like "Ah, man. It's gonna take a while to clean up."
Jun: Oh, yeah. I would say that. Rachel: Yeah. There are a lot of different things
you can say in English. Like people would probably... I mean, maybe you would curse in that situation
and be like "god damn it!" Jun: Oh crap!
Rachel: Like "Fuck cat are you serious?"
Jun: Can't you just say "Oh that's annoying"?
Rachel: You could. But you know what, why not add another descriptive word of annoyance to a vocabulary?
Jun: So, what's the last one? Rachel: So the last word, and I've made a video
about this before too so some of you might have seen this coming, but "Shouganai!"
Shouganai!
Jun: You don't have a word for it really? Rachel: We have phrases again.
"Shouganai" means "Shit happens," "It can't be helped." Like "Oh well... This is just the way it goes."
Jun: Ah, okay. Rachel: "C'est la vie." It's just we have a lot of phrases.
And I guess technically this is kind of a phrase in Japanese too.
Jun: Yeah, "Shouganai." It's not one word, but it's a really short phrase I guess.
Rachel: Right. It's kind of more of a mindset here as well, rather than just being a word. Jun: That's what I was going to say. Yeah.
Rachel: It's letting go of a situation. It's letting go of your annoyances.
So this completely clashes with the "mendokusai" word we just did.
Jun: I think that's how we deal with our kitties' poop. You go like "Ugh, mendokusai!"
but like then "Ah, shouganai." Rachel: Yeah, yeah.
Yeah. I mean, I guess that just depends on your mood. Some days you're like "Aah mendokusai!"
and some days you're like "Ugh, shouganai." Jun: I always go with shouganai. I just do it. I'm the owner.
Rachel: That's not true, you say mendokusai too. It just, it makes you feel calm. Just saying "Shouganai."
Just makes you feel calmer. Doesn't it? Jun: I guess. What's done is done.
Rachel: Do we have any English words that you wish you had in Japanese?
Jun: I'm sure there are a lot. I just can't think of any. Maybe I should talk about it next?
Rachel: Yeah, you'll have to start thinking of them. Jun: Sure.
Rachel: Maybe we can do a reverse video for this. Later on. Jun: Okay, sure.
And also, tell us any convenient words you know too in the comments section.
Rachel: Yeah! Especially for your native languages. Do you have any amazing words in your language
that we don't have in English? Alright, thanks for watching! Bye! Jun: Bye!