to catch (someone's words); to make out; to follow; to ask about (a situation, circumstances, etc.); to inquire
black; dark; blackish; suspicious; criminal; darkened and dirty; sooty
box; case; car (of a train, etc.); shamisen case; shamisen; public building; community building
consciousness; becoming aware (of); awareness; mano-vijnana (mental consciousness, cognizer of sensory information)
fusuma; Japanese sliding screen
to partition; to divide; to direct; to manage; to settle accounts; to assume a crouching posture (at the start of a bout)
very; considerably; by no means; not readily; middle; half-way point
tone (of voice); manner of talking
to let out; to utter; to issue; to send; to leave; to depart
no; you're welcome; not at all; don't mention it
to go uninvited; to call on without an invitation; to barge in on; to throng to; to crowd into; to converge upon
effort; exertion; endeavour; endeavor; hard work; striving
meeting (face-to-face); seeing; visit; interview
headmaster; principal; dean; provost; rector
on the water; aquatic; waterside; water's edge
commonplace (of people or animals); ordinary; typical; ubiquitous; run-of-the-mill; found around every corner
to succeed (someone); to take over from; to pick up the torch
unexpected; unforeseen; strange
to struggle in the water; to be drowning; to sink below the surface and become unable to breathe; to indulge in; to lose one's head over something; to be addicted
to speak with restraint; to understate; to downplay; to put it mildly; to say the least
ill feeling; ill will; animosity; bad impression
scenery; scene; landscape
corridor; hallway; passageway
to make way for; to make room for; to get out of the way; to pave the way for; to open up opportunity
accompanying (someone); going with; travelling together; the same bank; the said bank
to go; to come; to lose; to be defeated; to be stumped (by); to be at a loss; to visit (a shrine, grave, etc.)
to taste; to eat; to drink; to speak (of); to put into words; to refer (to)
low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.); low (position); close to the ground; short (height); deep (voice); in a low key
cold (to the touch); chilly; icy; (emotionally) cold; coldhearted; unfeeling
front; frontage; facade; main
zabuton; flat floor cushion used when sitting or kneeling; usu. rectangular
seiza; kneeling with the tops of the feet flat on the floor, and sitting on the soles
retainer; attendant; escort
grasp (of the situation, meaning, etc.); understanding; control; hold; grip
bear (any mammal of family Ursidae)
muscular; lean (of a company's operations, etc.)
build; physique; frame; constitution
(something) has never occurred; to have never done (something); such a thing has not happened; never happens; there is never a time when
beforehand; in advance; ahead of time; previously