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  • Rachel: Hey guys! Jun: Hey guys!

  • So if you've been learning Japanese or any other language probably,

  • You've probably realised that there are some things that you say in one language that even though

  • you may be able to translate it into the other language, you just don't talk like that in the other language.

  • And so there are some things that I've learned over the past few years that I say all the time now in Japanese

  • but we don't say it in English. Even though we should, because it would make our lives easier.

  • So, today I'm going to go over 5 Japanese words we should have in English.

  • Jun: Sounds interesting. So what's the first one? Rachel: Okay, the first word is "Tekitou."

  • Jun: Tekitou? Rachel: Tekitou.

  • Jun: It has 2 meaning, right? The first is "suitable," the other one is like "roughly" or "about," so even like a number two.

  • Rachel: Yeah, so "tekitou" in Japanese is used as a word where you don't really need something

  • to be done exactly, it can just be done as you see fit. Like, as you think is best.

  • So for example, let's say you're cooking with a friend and it's your recipe and you're having your friend

  • chop the vegetables, and they say "How big should I chop these?"

  • And it doesn't really matter, so you can just say "tekitou." Jun: I guess so.

  • Rachel: Which means "Do it as you see fit." Like, do it as you think is best.

  • Jun: Tekitou. Right. Rachel: Yeah.

  • Jun: You don't have a word for it? In that situation? Rachel: I guess you could say "however,"

  • "however you want." Like, however is fine. Whatever is fine.

  • You could even probably use it if you want to do something you've never done before

  • but you don't have a specific plan. So for example, let's say you're talking to your friend

  • and you're like "That girl over there, she's really cute. I'm gonna go ask her out."

  • And he's like "Well what are you gonna do? What's your plan?"

  • And you're like "I don't know. I'm just gonna go for it. Tekitou."

  • Jun: I guess you can say that in the situation too. I guess. Yeah.

  • Although this guy is an idiot of course. Rachel: He's very confident.

  • Jun: I don't like her saying "tekitou" when I offer to do anything for her about cooking though.

  • Rachel: Tekitou. Jun: Whenever I offer she said "Tekitou de. Tekitou de. Tekitou de."

  • Rachel: No I say "Makaseru." I'll leave it up to you. Jun: Basically means the same.

  • Rachel: Which is kinda like number 1 part b. I really like the word "makaseru" too.

  • Which means "I'll leave it up to you." It's up to you.

  • Makaseru. I don't care. You do it. Jun: Makasemasu. Tekitou de.

  • Jun: So what's the next word? Rachel: So number 2 is "natsukashii."

  • Jun: I guess we use that word all the time, don't we? Rachel: Yeah. Yeah it's used all the time here.

  • So "natsukashii" means something is nostalgic. So if you say something from your childhood that you're like

  • "Aww man, that brings back so many memories!" You just say "natsukashii" in Japanese.

  • Jun: Yeah. Natsukashii. Rachel: But we don't really have a single word for that

  • in English. Again, we have phrases, like you could say "Ah that brings back memories,"

  • or "Aww man, I remember that!" or like you could say "That's nostalgic, that's really nostalgic."

  • Although, not many people say like... Jun: I've never heard anyone say that.

  • Rachel: Yeah, not many people say that. But, "natsukashii" is used in Japan all the time.

  • Jun: You don't have to be old to use this word. Rachel: No, no. Like, people use it for everything.

  • Jun: Even teenagers can use this word. Rachel: Yeah, and it has like a positive connotation.

  • So it kind of has a reminiscing feeling to it. If someone says "natsukashii," they're like "Ahh natsukashii."

  • Jun: Now I feel like I'm old. For using this word so many times.

  • Rachel: But you don't have to because like even at my age, if I see like She-Ra or something,

  • I'm like "Oh my god I used to love that show when I was a kid. Natsukashii!"

  • Jun: Like if you for example say, like if you see super Nintendo...

  • Rachel: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Jun: Or Nintendo 64...

  • Rachel: That was going to be one of my examples, the super Nintendo!

  • Jun: Or... Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Or something like that, you say "Ah natsukashii." Rachel: Natsukashii!

  • Rachel: Yeah. Jun: Yeah.

  • So that's how we use it. Rachel: Yeah, it's just like a positive remembrance of things.

  • Okay so word number 3 is "mochimochi", and the reason I picked this word... Jun: Okay.

  • Rachel: Is because it is SO hard to define in English! Jun: Really?

  • Rachel: People ask all the time. It is SO hard! I still don't know how to like explain it clearly in English.

  • Jun: Mochimochi? I thought the translation for mochimochi is "chewy," isn't it?

  • Rachel: Yeah, but "chewy" can be bad in English. Jun: Really?

  • Rachel: Mochimochi is alway good. Jun: Ahh..

  • Rachel: Mochimochi is very positive. Jun: I guess so. Like when you eat meat

  • and then if it's chewy, then that's like bad, right? Rachel: Yeah. It can also be translated

  • as like "springy" or "elastic". But you don't really say those words about like food very often in a good way.

  • Jun: Okay. Rachel: Like, if you moisturise your skin too, and you touch your skin

  • and it's kind of like... It feels very, you know, like springy I guess? Jun: Springy?

  • Rachel: They say mochimochi for that in Japanese as well.

  • Jun: Yeah, "Mochi hada. Mochimochi hada."

  • Rachel: But you don't really say like "Ah my skin feels so springy and elastic. I love it!"

  • But you could say "Ah mochimochi!" Right? Jun: Yeah, right. Yeah.

  • Rachel: There's just... We just don't really have that word. Always positive, springy, elastic, chewy.

  • Jun: That specific type of like, texture. Rachel: Texture. Yeah. Mochimochi.

  • Jun: If you try mochi bread, then you can tell. Like, if you bite off the bread, then it bounces back.

  • Rachel: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jun: In a good way.

  • Rachel: So like if you... Jun: It's really attractive. Rachel: Right.

  • So if you make your own bread, then right after it comes out of like the bread maker or whatever,

  • that's mochimochi bread. Jun: Yeah. That's pretty addictive.

  • Rachel: Because it's very like springy, right? Yeah. Jun: Yeah.

  • Rachel: That's mochimochi.

  • Okay, so for number 4 I'm gonna go with "mendokusai." Jun: Seriously?

  • Rachel: Mendokusai. Jun: Wait, you don't have a word for it?

  • Rachel: We have a lot of different ways you can say this. So, mendokusai means "annoying" or like "frustrating."

  • It's basically like a word for "Uggh!" You say "Mendokusai!" or "Mendoi" for short.

  • And it's not always just like "annoying," it can also mean like "troublesome." Like this is just going to be frustrating for you.

  • Alright let's say for example your cats got poop all over the litter box and it's like really messy.

  • You're just like "Ugh, mendokusai." Like "Ah, man. It's gonna take a while to clean up."

  • Jun: Oh, yeah. I would say that. Rachel: Yeah. There are a lot of different things

  • you can say in English. Like people would probably... I mean, maybe you would curse in that situation

  • and be like "god damn it!" Jun: Oh crap!

  • Rachel: Like "Fuck cat are you serious?"

  • Jun: Can't you just say "Oh that's annoying"?

  • Rachel: You could. But you know what, why not add another descriptive word of annoyance to a vocabulary?

  • Jun: So, what's the last one? Rachel: So the last word, and I've made a video

  • about this before too so some of you might have seen this coming, but "Shouganai!"

  • Shouganai!

  • Jun: You don't have a word for it really? Rachel: We have phrases again.

  • "Shouganai" means "Shit happens," "It can't be helped." Like "Oh well... This is just the way it goes."

  • Jun: Ah, okay. Rachel: "C'est la vie." It's just we have a lot of phrases.

  • And I guess technically this is kind of a phrase in Japanese too.

  • Jun: Yeah, "Shouganai." It's not one word, but it's a really short phrase I guess.

  • Rachel: Right. It's kind of more of a mindset here as well, rather than just being a word. Jun: That's what I was going to say. Yeah.

  • Rachel: It's letting go of a situation. It's letting go of your annoyances.

  • So this completely clashes with the "mendokusai" word we just did.

  • Jun: I think that's how we deal with our kitties' poop. You go like "Ugh, mendokusai!"

  • but like then "Ah, shouganai." Rachel: Yeah, yeah.

  • Yeah. I mean, I guess that just depends on your mood. Some days you're like "Aah mendokusai!"

  • and some days you're like "Ugh, shouganai." Jun: I always go with shouganai. I just do it. I'm the owner.

  • Rachel: That's not true, you say mendokusai too. It just, it makes you feel calm. Just saying "Shouganai."

  • Just makes you feel calmer. Doesn't it? Jun: I guess. What's done is done.

  • Rachel: Do we have any English words that you wish you had in Japanese?

  • Jun: I'm sure there are a lot. I just can't think of any. Maybe I should talk about it next?

  • Rachel: Yeah, you'll have to start thinking of them. Jun: Sure.

  • Rachel: Maybe we can do a reverse video for this. Later on. Jun: Okay, sure.

  • And also, tell us any convenient words you know too in the comments section.

  • Rachel: Yeah! Especially for your native languages. Do you have any amazing words in your language

  • that we don't have in English? Alright, thanks for watching! Bye! Jun: Bye!

Rachel: Hey guys! Jun: Hey guys!

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