Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Today's kanji : 泡

Today's kanji is .

The blue part describes "water".
The red part describes "body".
The green part describes "unborn baby".

Water swell like the body with unborn baby.

Can you guess the meaning?

See the comments page for the answer!

10 comments:

  1. "Water swell like body with unborn baby."

    泡 means "bubble, foam".

    For example...
    泡 (awa) : bubble, foam
    泡風呂 (awaburo) : bubble bath
    発泡酒 (happooshu) : Low-malt beer

    About 発泡酒 (happooshu), 発泡 (happoo) means "sparkle".
    Happooshu is not beer, but it tastes like beer.
    But it's not beer, so the price is much lower than beer.
    We have to pay expensive tax for beer.
    So the beverage companies developed new type of drinks!

    Do you have same system in your contry, too?

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  2. That's a kanji I can definately say I didn't know! It makes sense now, when you explain it like that. My teacher tried to use another way of explaining, but it was too complicated and even now I don't remember how he explained it, I just remember that it was long and boring.

    What's kind of neat is that awa sounds alot like the spanish word "aqua" (pronounced the same way) which means "water".

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  3. oh i forgot to mention, as for the beer thing, I'm not too sure since I'm not of legal age in the states (i'm 20) so I'm not so sure. But I know there was a time where no alcohol was consumed on US soil back in the 1920's.

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  4. >Life in the superStructure

    Yes, "Sapporo One" is one of happooshu!
    (^ ^)
    The price is very different, so I usually drink happooshu, too.

    My favorite happooshu is 円熟 (enjuku) from KIRIN.
    You should try! (^o^)

    http://www.kirin.co.jp/company/news/01/d/051221_1.html


    >idlejikan

    >'soup' is the same kanji as 'yu' used for onsen,

    Do you mean 湯 ?
    So, 泡湯 descirbes something bad in Chinese?
    I cannot imagine any bad meaning with these kanji! w(゜O゜) w

    By the way, I've drunk Tiger Beer!
    I think I drank it in Malaysia.
    I like that beer very much! (^ ^)
    Have you drunk Japanese beer, too?


    >Jair, Life in the superStructure

    In the U.S., from how old can you drink alcohol?
    21 year old? w(゜O゜) w
    Is it same for smoking and election, too?

    I didn't know that there was time that all alcohol was illegal in the U.S. for 13 years!

    This is different, but now it's very strict for smoking in the U.S., right?
    I don't smoke, so I envy that.
    In Japan, it's changing to be strict, but there are still too many ill-mannered smokers!

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  5. >In the U.S., from how old can you drink alcohol?
    21 year old? w(゜O゜) w
    Is it same for smoking and election, too?

    Its really weird in the US. the first step is turning 16, when you (in most states, sometimes its earlier, sometimes its older, in my state anyway its 16) can get your driver's license. The next major milestone is 18, when you're considered an "adult" by the courts, and can you can vote/buy cigarrettes/go to jury duty/etc. The only thing it you can't do is buy alcohol. They save that for 21.

    There are certain things that don't require an age limit, but require a credit card in your name to do. For instance, to rent a card you need to have a credit card.

    I don't know the significance of being 21 is in the US, but i don't think its the same as being 20 in Japan.

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  6. I often have a hard time
    remembering 漢字、so this is very
    helpful! ありがとうございます!
    And the mnemonic of "aqua" (similar
    to "awa") helps too! I won't forget
    泡 now.

    About smoking--Oh my gosh! I am so
    glad I live in California. Smoking
    is illegal almost everywhere here.
    (yeah!) In Japan, I'm always
    改めて (aratamete) shocked by all
    the smoking. It's getting better,
    I think.

    発泡酒飲んでみよう~。 I usually drink
    Sapporo.

    Oh, we have two different "成人"
    ages in the US. One is 18. At 18,
    you can vote, marry, and go fight
    wars. At 21, you can drink. 少し
    変ですね。。 I can get married, have
    kids, vote, and die in a war... But
    no drinking til 21!

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  7. I talked with a military friend i know, and there is an bit of a loophole for those in the service and under 21.

    You can drink beer under 21 if you're in the military, but only on base.

    Oh and thanks for reminding me about the draft, life in the superstructure, since you can't get financial aid for college without first having signed up for "selective service".

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  8. >Jair, Life in the superStructure

    What is "Selective Service"!?
    I tried to find out with my dictionary, but I couldn't find it.

    >You can drink beer under 21 if you're in the military, but only on base.

    Really?
    Interesting... in the military, there are sometimes "special law" or something...!?

    In Japan after 18 year old, you can get driver's license.
    But do you know that it takes about 300,000yen for getting the license in Japan?
    Too expensive! (*_*)

    >smoke as their eating diner in a restaurant.

    I really agree with your idea!
    Recently, there is a new law that all of the restaurants, bars and coffee shops have to make "non-smoking area".
    But actually the law hasn't worked well.


    >idlejikan

    I was glad to hear that you sometimes drink Japanese beer, Sapporo! (^ ^)

    > I cannot drive afterwards even though my alcohol level remains in legal level.

    I've heard, maybe in Australia, you can drink alcohol a little before driving, maybe 1 or 2 glass of beer?
    Is that same as your country!?
    In Japan you cannot drink at all before driving.
    The fine for driving drunk is very stirict now.

    >Is it common for Japanese to drink warm sake in winter time?

    Yes, that's true. (^ ^)
    I drink sake so much, but I know it's very popular in winter time.


    >Brian

    Thank you for your comments. (^o^)
    I'm glad you remember the kanji 泡 with my blog♪

    >I am so glad I live in California. Smoking
    is illegal almost everywhere here.

    I read in newspaper about that.
    Some smokers are upset because the law is too strict now in California, right?
    I wish Tokyo had same law as California!!
    (I know it must take more than 100 years
    to change this situation though...)

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  9. >Really?
    Interesting... in the military, there are sometimes "special law" or something...!?

    Sometimes. There are certain things you can do as part of the military, but only on base. You can't do those things when you're in a city or town, for example. The police have similiar special laws (like they can ignore traffic warnings and such as long as they have their lights flashing and siren going or park in red zones).

    >In Japan after 18 year old, you can get driver's license.
    But do you know that it takes about 300,000yen for getting the license in Japan?
    Too expensive! (*_*)

    True, but my friend Chiho said you don't have to pay a monthly insurance fee, is that correct? Sure its 300,000 yen, but over time we pay alot more than that. (for example, if you pay 100 dollars a month in 1 year you will pay 1200 dollars, in three years its 3,600 , more than in Japan! Imagine if you've been driving for 20 years o.O; )

    I'm thinking of visiting Japan again this coming winter, I think maybe Tokyo, I hope I get to go ^.^

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  10. >Life in the superStructure

    >if you don't sign up you can be fined and you can't get any loans or grants from the U.S. government for college.

    Wow... that's quite strict...
    How about women?
    Do they get loans without any "sign up"?

    We don't have same system in Japan, SO FAR.
    But nobody knows what's happened in the future.
    Some people are trying to make that kind of system... scary... (>_<)


    >Jair

    >you don't have to pay a monthly insurance fee, is that correct?

    Yes and No.
    We don't have to pay for insurance, I mean it's not law, but most of people (I guess 99.9% of people who drive or/and car are buying insurance.)
    Actually I don't drive (I have a license though...), so I'm not sure, but I think Japanese insurance doesn't so expensive compare to American one!
    1200 dollars a year?
    Wow! That's quite expensive! (*_*)


    >idlejikan

    >Do you get the license after only one attempt for the driving test?

    Yes, but we have to attend "training course" when we update the license cards.
    And of course we have to pay some money for updating! :(

    >Do you have choice between manual or automatic geared driving test in Japan?

    Yes.
    Most of guys get manual and lots of girls get automatic license.
    For me, even manual was very tough though...

    >I came across some cars in which driving wheels are on the left side of the automobile in Japan. Why is that so?

    In Japan, if you want to have a car with wheels are on the left side, it's no problem.
    Some super expensive foregin cars with wheels are on the left side are very fashionable in Japan.
    (^o^)
    Do you have rule about the position of wheels in your country?

    >have you ever been to Singpore before?

    No, I haven't.
    But my friends who have been to Singpore told me it's a very nice place! :)
    I should try near future!
    Do you like Singpore? (^ ^)

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