What follows is a glossary of Japanese, Korean, and Chinese words and phrases that occur in Risuko and Bright Eyes. (There’s even some Portuguese and a bit of Sanskrit!) If you have questions about any of these translations or about any words you’ve encountered in the books, please let us know either in the comments below or by email!
The straight line over some vowels (for example, ō or ā) is called a macron. It indicates that the vowel should be given a longer sound.
-chan—child
-ko—ending meaning that the word is a girl’s name or nickname
–sama—my lady or lord (honorific)
–san—sir or ma’am (honorific)
–senpai—senior student (honorific)
Ai, minha cabeca! (Portuguese)—Oh, my head!
Amor é um fogo que arde sem se ver, é ferida que doi, e não se sente.
(Portuguese)—“Love is a fire that burns unseen, a wound that aches yet isn’t felt.”—Luis de Camõesbaesinja (Korean)—traitor
baka, baka yarō—idiot, complete idiot (offensive)
baka ama—stupid woman (offensive)
bakufu—the military government headed by the shōgun
Benten—Buddhist deity of beauty and art (also known as Benzaiten)
Bishamon—Buddhist deity of strength and war
busu—ugly person, usually used for women (offensive)
byeong-shin (Korean)—idiot (offensive)
che—interjection (not particularly offensive)
daikon—a large, white, mild radish
daimyo—lord (roughly equivalent to an English duke or earl)
dōmo arigatō—thank you very much
genmaicha—green tea flavored with toasted rice
go—a Chinese game of strategy
gō—actions (in Buddhism, karma: the spiritual weight of your actions or karma determines your next life)
hai—yes
hanyak (Korean)—herbal medicine
hiragana—phonetic script used for Japanese words for which there are no kanji
ichi—the number one
jinmaku—circular, curtained enclosure used in military camps
Jizō-bosatsu—the Buddhist saint (boddhisatva) of lost children; he is often portrayed with a blank face and large sleeves in which he protects the children
kami—spirit or god; Shintō tradition says there are eight million, but that figure is meant simply to suggest “beyond number”
kanji—Chinese ideograms; over three thousand of these non-phonetic characters are widely used in Japanese writing
karma—In Buddhism and Hinduism, the sum or weight of one’s actions, which determines one’s next life
katakana—rounded phonetic script used for most foreign words and for emphasis (similar to italics in English)
katana—a samurai’s long, curved sword
kimchee (Korean)—pickled cabbage, often spicy
kudzu—Arrowroot, a fast-growing vine
kitsune—a mischievous nine-tailed fox spirit
koshukin—gold coin, worth fifty silver monme or about 1000lbs
(450 kg) of rice, enough to feed four people for a yearkoto—a long, plucked, stringed musical instrument, like a zither
ku or kyu—the number nine
kumiho (Korean)—mischievous fox spirit (similar to a kitsune)
kunoichi—“nine in one”; a special kind of woman trained as an assassin, bodyguard, or spy
Kwan-um (Korean)—the Buddhist saint (boddhisatva) of mercy and beauty; called Kwan-yin in China and Kannon in Japan
Mãe de Deus (Portuguese)—interjection meaning “Mother of God”
miko—shrine maidens; young women who assist at Shintō festivals and ceremonies
mizutaki—a hot-pot dish made with fish, chicken, or some other meat
Mochizuki—“Full Moon”; the clan of Lady Chiyome’s late husband
mogusa—mugwort; formed into pellets and burned (with the lit end away from the flesh) as a stimulant and as a way to celebrate children’s aging during the New Year festival
mon—the emblem of a noble house (like the European coat of arms)
monme—silver coin worth approximately twenty pounds (9 kg) of rice
Mukashi, mukashi—“Long, long ago” (traditional beginning to Japanese folktales, similar to “Once upon a time”)
nattō—fermented beans
no—preposition meaning of, in, or from
oni—ogre, monster
Okā-san—Mother
opa (Portuguese)—oops
Otō-san—Father
Risuko—Squirrel (a girl’s name or nickname)
samisen—a long-necked, five-stringed instrument, similar to a guitar or banjo
senhora (Portuguese)—my lady, ma’am
sensei or -sensei—teacher (honorific)
seppuku—ritual suicide (also called hara-kiri)
shi-de—Paper streamers, usually cut in a zigzag shape, for use in Shintō rituals
Shi-ne—Die! Drop dead!
Shintō—the native religion of Japan; Shintō believes that there are many gods or spirits (kami) inhabiting different parts of the natural world and is frequently practiced side by side with Buddhism
shakuhachi—a long flute carved from bamboo
shōgun—the emperor’s warlord
shoyu—soy sauce
soondae (Korean)—blood sausages
tatami—a straw mat that is traditionally used to cover floors in Japan
torī—a large arch or gateway usually found at Shintō shrines or temples
wakizashi—a samurai’s short sword; traditionally used for defense and for committing ritual suicide (hara-kiri or seppuku)
Wihayeo (Korean)—Cheers!
yang (Chinese)—the male force
yin (Chinese)—the female force