Nihongo Lesson 03/24/17

We've got learning Japanese down to a science!

By John Bae March 24, 2017

Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson will focus on some more terms from the JUMP START Dr. Stone! If you’re enjoying the new JUMP START series, be sure to fill out the survey and make your voice heard!

WAKARANAI (わからない)

WAKARANAI means “don’t understand,” as in “I don’t understand this!” Dr. Stone presents the reader with numerous complicated scientific principles, but it does a great job of explaining them in an easy-to-understand way. Who knew making wine would be so easy?! Or that all you need to do to get some acid is to collect some poop! Okay, maybe it’s a bit more complicated than that… But after reading Dr. Stone, you can’t say "WAKARANAI!" anymore.

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KANTAN (かんたん)

KANTAN means “easy” or “simple.” Now, I won’t say that Taiju and Senku are making life after an apocalypse look easy, but they sure are doing well. So far, they’ve built a home, made clothes and even procured salt to flavor their food. Having scientific knowledge sure comes in handy. Hopefully some of the know-how will rub off on Taiju and he’ll stop picking poisonous mushrooms for dinner!

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