indicates sentence topic; indicates contrast with another option (stated or unstated); adds emphasis
police officer; policeman; constable
murder; killing; murderer
indicates possessive; nominalizes verbs and adjectives; substitutes for "ga" in subordinate phrases; indicates a confident conclusion; indicates emotional emphasis; indicates question
crime; sin; penalty; sentence; fault; responsibility
at; in; at; when; by; with; so
Kyūshū (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
north; the North; northern territories; North Korea; (arch.) north wind
prison; jail; gaol; penitentiary
at; in; to; toward; to; for; because of
penal servitude; serving time in prison; military service; forced labor; compulsory service
daughter; girl (i.e. a young, unmarried woman)
indicates the subject of a sentence; indicates possession; but; however; and; used after an introductory remark or explanation; regardless of ...
heart disease; heart trouble; cardiopathy
behind; rear; after; later; remainder; the rest; more (e.g. five more minutes)
life; life force; lifetime; lifespan; most important thing; foundation
if; when; and; as well as; with; together with; used for quoting (thoughts, speech, etc.)
to know; to be aware (of); to sense; to feel; to understand; to comprehend; to remember
companion; fellow; group; company; member of the same category (family, class)
together with; as X, then Y (e.g. as we age we gain wisdom, as wine matures it becomes more valuable, etc.)
escaping from prison; breaking out of prison; jailbreak; jailbreaking (a smartphone, video game console, etc.)
flight; desertion; escape
medium (size); average (grade, level, etc.); in; within; during; while; currently (doing)
to meet (by chance); to come across; to meet (e.g. of rivers, highways, etc.); to emerge and engage (an enemy)
girl (usu. between 7 and 17); young lady; (arch.) female between 17 and 20 years old (ritsuryō period)
cherry tree; cherry blossom; light pink; fake buyer; paid audience; hired applauder
indicates direct object of action; indicates subject of causative expression; indicates an area traversed; indicates time (period) over which action takes place; indicates point of departure or separation of action; indicates object of desire, like, hate, etc.
to add to one's circle of friends (or colleagues, etc.); to take in; to accept
pluralizing suffix (esp. for people and animals; formerly honorific)
Okayama (city, prefecture)
to bury (e.g. in the ground); to fill up (e.g. audience fills a hall); to cause to be packed; to plug (a gap); to stop (a gap); to make up for (a loss, shortage, etc.); to make amends
hundred million; 100,000,000; 10^8
yen (currency of Japan); circle
to obtain; to get; to procure; to win; to secure
good; advantage; sake; purpose; consequence; result
Shikoku (smallest of the four main islands of Japan)
from; since; through (e.g. a window, door); via; because; as; from (as in "made from")
Okayama Prefecture (Chūgoku area)
Kurashiki (city); storage charges
to aim at (for, to do, to become); to try for; to have an eye on; to go toward; to head for