Although some young lovers nowadays may use such words of endearment as Aishite-iru yo (men’s speech) and Aishite-iru wa (women’s speech) to mean “I love you,” such sentences still sound stilted because the verb aisuru is rarely used in speech. Kimi ga suki da (men’s speech) and Anata ga suki yo (women’s speech) also mean “I love you.” The versions containing suki (see suki) are more conversational and are perhaps more frequently used in speech than the versions with aisuru. As Donald Keene (p. 156) wisely points out, however, the most typically Japanese expression of love has been silence (although, in the rapidly changing society of contemporary Japan, this tradition too may be on its way out).
Akachan is normally a word for someone else’s baby
(1) Otaku no akachan wa hontoo ni ogenki soo desu nee.
Your baby really looks healthy, doesn’t he/she!
Although some Japanese, especially women, use the word to refer to their own babies, the practice, in my opinion, is in poor taste. The word to be used in that case is akanboo.
(2) Kyoo wa uchi no akanboo no tanjoobi na n desu.
Today is my baby’s birthday.
When a New Year draws near, English speakers still new in Japan often ask their Japanese friends how to say “Happy New Year!” in Japanese. The answer is almost always Akemashite omedetoo gozaimasu (or its equivalent Shinnen omedetoo gozaimasu). Having received this answer, these English speakers practice hard to memorize this long salutation and, after finally learning it, they try it on their Japanese associates—most likely toward the end of December. Unfortunately this Japanese greeting may not be used until New Year’s Day since it literally means “[The New Year] having begun, this is indeed a happy occasion.” This contrasts with the English salutation “Happy New Year!” which is an abbreviation of “I wish you a happy New Year” and may therefore be used before the arrival of the New Year. The expression to be used before the old year expires is Yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai “May you see in a good year!” However, this is a rather formal salutation and is rarely used among close friends. There is regrettably no informal equivalent, except for the shorter form Yoi otoshi o, which is sometimes used.
In America, New Year’s wishes are exchanged with vigor at 12 midnight among those present at New Year’s Eve parties. After that, however, “Happy New Year!” is, as it were, put away in mothballs. In Japan, Akemashite omedetoo gozaimasu is heard at least through the first week of January, and sometimes as late as the middle of the month.
AMAI 甘い sweet
Amai primarily means “sweet in taste.”
(1) amai keeki (chokoreeto, kyandee, etc.)
sweet cake (chocolate, candy, etc.)
Used figuratively, amai can mean “indulgent, lenient” or “overly optimistic.”
(2) amai oya
indulgent parents
(3) amai ten
lenient grades (or marks)
(4) amai kangae
an overly optimistic view
Unlike English “sweet,” amai cannot mean “amiable” or “kind.” In English, calling someone a sweet person would be complimentary. In Japanese, on the other hand, amai hito, if it means anything at all, can only be interpreted as either “an indulgent person” or “an overly optimistic person.’
AMARI あまり too, excessively
Amari means “too” in the sense of “excessively.” The word mainly appears in negative sentences.
(1) Kyoo wa amari samuku nai.
It is not too cold today.
(2) Koko wa amari shizuka ja nai.
It is not too quiet here.
(3) Watashi wa amari nomimasen.
I don’t drink too much.
Amari may be used in the affirmative if it appears in a dependent clause.
(4) Amari nomu to byooki ni narimasu yo.
If you drink too much, you’ll get sick.
(5) Kami[noke] ga amari nagai kara, katte-moratta hoo ga ii yo.
Your hair is too long; you should get a haircut.
(6) Koko wa amari shizuka de sabishli-gurai desu.
It’s so quiet here that it almost makes one feel lonely.
The following sentences, which are independent affirmative sentences, are ungrammatical.
(7) *Anata wa amari nomimasu.
You drink too much.
(8) *Kaminoke ga amari nagai.
Your hair is too long.
(9) *Koko wa amari shizuka desu.
It’s too quiet here.
To express the ideas of the English translations of sentences (7) through (9) above, use -sugiru.
(10) Anata wa nomi-sugimasu.
You drink too much.
(11) Kaminoke ga naga-sugiru.
Your hair is too long.
(12) Koko wa shizuka-sugimasu.
It’s too quiet here.
Amari may be used in combination with -sugiru words also, without changing the meaning.
(13) Anata wa amari nomi-sugimasu.
You drink too much. (same as 10 above)
(14) Kaminoke ga amari naga-sugiru.
Your hair is too long. (same as 11)
(15) Koko wa amari shizuka-sugimasu.
It’s too quiet here. (same as 12)
Anmari is a more colloquial version of amari. There is no difference in meaning between the two.
Anata “you (singular)” has a very limited use. In fact, long conversations between two people may be carried on without anata being used even once. In contexts where
