Japanese vocabulary

understanding you had to work for

suitable, or slapdash — the same word both ways

the trouble somebody went to, and what became of it

lonely, and the places that feel it too

nothing to be done — resignation as a full sentence

too much effort, said about the effort itself

holding back on purpose, and when not to

trouble, and always somebody else's

boring — about the thing, never about you

the things you stopped noticing

embarrassed, or embarrassing — it points both ways

the polite way to say it was bad

one word for danger and for delight

nostalgia said about the thing, not about you

honest, obedient, and not quite either

leaning on someone because you can

putting up with it, as a virtue

the sting of losing when you nearly had it

an ache with something tender still in it

unfair — half accusation, half envy

praise that says you expected nothing less

technically yes, with the hedge built in

for now — the word that starts every order

going out of your way, gratefully or not

just right, or half-hearted — same two kanji

cheeky, and about who you said it to

one spelling, two readings, two different words

sweet on the tongue, soft on the standards

tight, harsh, gruelling — you pick from context

it hurts, and lately it also means cringe

noisy, nagging, or particular about coffee

what nags at you, versus what you let nag

yes, no, and how to tell which

kind — and a different word from easy

good for you, or the person upstairs

not boring — worthless, which is worse

a checkbox, and a dial you can turn further

the ending is decided, so why bother

a feeling with no reason you can name

the thing you'd already ruled out

plain vs flashy — and 地味 isn't an insult

refreshed, light, or not a clue

outrageous — and 'don't mention it'

the far side of 遠慮

what people say instead of 疲れた

two different ways of not meaning to

the regret that something still had use left in it

both thank you for the work; only one is safe to say upward

three apologies that differ by what they do, not by how sorry you are

not “good luck” — holding on under strain, and when not to say it

amazing, awful, or just enormous — the noun decides

wider than “cute,” and one syllable from “pitiful”

a relationship, not a rank — whoever came through the door first

from a stiff pronoun to an insult to a half-reclaimed badge

cold outside, devoted underneath — a word built from two sound effects

なに or なん — the sound after it decides

an adjective, not a verb — which is why it takes が

what Japanese says where English says love

the heavy one, and it takes を

energy, not health — and お元気ですか isn't a daily greeting

the feeling, in the body and the heart at once

delicious — and the past tense does the real work

dry the cup, and nobody expects you to

not a grace — a verb, in its humble polite form

phone only, and not on a business call

I'm home — and the same word on every shop sign

welcome back, and the なさい is not an order

half a sentence, ending on the particle that was holding it up

an adjective meaning hard to exist — therefore rare, therefore thank you

if that is how it is — and the rest was never said

病む ＋ デレ — the love is the illness

born before you — a title, and never 先生さん

it says the hour is early, which is why studios say it at night

fond or vicious, and it swaps weight with アホ at the Kansai line