[YuriTokoro]

Originally Posted by sarvodaya

ゆりさん、こんばんは。

覚さん、こんばんは。

I promise I'll try ゆりさん!

It’s promise!

忍耐が重要です!

(にんたいがじゆうようです!)

Did that make sense?

Yes, but Japanese people would say 「頑張ります（がんばります）≒I will try hard.」.
「頑張ります」is a politer version of 「頑張る（がんばる）」.
“頑張る”の検索結果（72 件）：英辞郎 on the Web：スペースアルク
When you try something, you say 「頑張ります」to somebody.
When your friend is trying something, you say「頑張ってください（がんばってください）≒Good luck! Or Give it your all.」to the friend. The casual saying of this is 「頑張って」and「頑張れ」. (Women would say 「頑張ってね」)

Do you know the Japanese language has men’s way and Women’s way?
When men would say 「頑張れ」, women would say 「頑張ってね」meaning Good luck.
Many women speak like men when they speak casually, but if you(a man) say something like women, you would sound like gender identity disorder.
However, don’t worry. Polite expressions are same between men and women. Men and women say 「頑張ります」and 「頑張ってください」.

I chose training because it entails a sort of self-improvement, usually towards a specific goal. It isn't exactly the same, but I thought it was the closest single word.

Yes, training seems to be closest. I didn’t know the word entails a sort of self-improvement.

In my secondary school days I was a cadet in the RAF section of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF). This is something that we have in British schools in part to introduce us to military life should we want to join the forces and in part just as a good activity for building skills such as leadership and teamwork and things like flying in the case of the RAF. We used to go on week-long camps on RAF bases where we would mix both with servicemen and women and with cadets from other schools. On one occasion there was a boy from another school who was very enthusiastic and took everything very seriously. Apparently he wanted to join the Royal Marines as soon as he left school. His colleagues, perhaps feeling that he thought he was better than them, would tease him about how seriously he took it all. They used to say sarcsastically "He's 'in training'!" and "Are you 'in training'!". So that's not a very nice example, but I think it shows quite well how there is a dividing line between things like playing, practising or enjoying and training.

I see. Thank you for your interesting story. In training seems to mean 修行中（しゅぎょうちゅう）.

In that situation, Japanese people would say 「頑張れ～!!　頑張れ～!!」 to him teasing him.

Ok, so is 行ってらっしゃい literally something like "go well" or something? I know what you mean that it's a fixed ritual, although these are quite fragmented in western culture. The only modern one that springs to mind is the typical 50s U.S. "Honey, I'm home!" for when the husband returns from work!

I believe that 行ってらっしゃい was originally 気をつけて行ってらっしゃい。This means like Go well or Go carefully.
Nowadays some people say 「行ってらっしゃい。気をつけて。」

I’m home is 「ただいま」.
We say it every time we get home.
The literal translation is “just now”.
The original and polite expression of「ただいま」 is「只今（ただいま）戻りました（もどりました）≒I’ m back now.」
When you returned to your office (after going out), you say 只今戻りました to your co-workers and your boss.

When you get home and say 「ただいま」, your family say 「お帰りなさい（おかえりなさい）」
I know that you say “Welcome back” when someone return from a long absence, but we say 「ただいま」when I was out only for 30 min and my family say 「お帰りなさい」.
The casual version is 「お帰り（おかえり）」.

So, we say these words every day.
「行ってきます」「行ってらっしゃい」
「ただいま」「お帰りなさい」

I don't know where to start; I think we are doing well at this pace! I didn't know 「行ってきます」, but now I do! ありがとうございました。I'm at the office until 1800 most days and so I learn most at the weekend.

I will tell you some expressions you say when you start eating next time.

This is your home work.
This is a very popular Japanese song.
Almost all Japanese people know this.
When you go to Karaoke with Japanese people, sing this song!


Title:ああ人生に涙あり (ああじんせいになみだあり)

人生　楽ありゃ　苦もあるさ　（じんせい　らくありゃ 　くもあるさ）
涙のあとには　虹も出る　　（なみだのあとには　にじ もでる）
歩いてゆくんだ　しっかりと　　（あるいてゆくんだ　 しっかりと）
自分の道を　ふみしめて　　（じぶんのみちを　ふみし めて）

人生　勇気が必要だ　　（じんせい　ゆうきがひつよう だ）
くじけりゃ　誰かが先に行く　（くじけりゃ　だれかが さきにゆく）
あとから来たのに　追い越され　　（あとからきたのに 　おいこされ）
泣くのが嫌なら　さあ歩け　　（なくのがいやなら　さ ああるけ）

人生　涙と笑顔あり
そんなに悪くは　ないもんだ
なんにもしないで　生きるより
何かを求めて　生きようよ

ゆりさん, I have posted the following to your blog:

I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

覚さん、thank you very much!
I’m writing my answer, but I need a lot of time.
Please wait.

Oh, and I almost forgot, ゆりさん, I think there has been some problem in transferring over the text of your composition to blogspot, and they have published one of my editorial comments in the text of the blog.

I have posted your comment. Now you see it properly.

I will finish my answer soon! Wait, please!


Oh! I almost forgot again!
Do you have a dictionary of kanji? I don’t mean a Japanese dictionary. It’s kanji dictionary or kanwa dictionary.
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