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July 10, 2008
Word of the Day
名コンビ
（めいこんび）
ideal combination
Example usage:
あの二人は名コンビです。 Those two make an ideal pair.
July 09, 2008
Word of the Day
有効に使う
（ゆうこう に つかう）
to make the best use of; to use effectively
Technically, I suppose that I should call this the "phrase of the day"---as it really is more than one word.
This expression comes in especially handy in business, where making the optimal use of everything (time, resources, etc.) is always of top importance.
Usage examples
時間を有効に使う to make the most of one's time
お金を有効に使う to use money effectively
資産を有効に使う to use assets effectively
Supplementary vocabulary
時間 （じかん） time
お金 （おかね） money
資産 （しさん） asset; assets
July 08, 2008
Word of the Day
大胆な
（だいたん な）
bold; daring
大胆な発表 （だいたん な はっぴょう）a bold announcement
大胆な行動 （だいたん な こうどう） daring behavior
July 07, 2008
Word of the Day
卑劣な
（ひれつ な）
mean; contemptible
Usage Example:
卑劣な行動 （ひれつ な こうどう）contemptible conduct
卑劣なテロ （ひれつ な テロ） vile terrorism
July 06, 2008
Word of the Day
匹敵する
（ひってき する）
to be a match for, to be equal to
Usage Example:
上位モデルに匹敵する性能 performance that corresponds to a superior model (of product, machine, etc.)
Supplementary vocabulary:
上位（じょうい） performance; rank
性能 （せいのう） capacity; power
July 03, 2008
Word of the day
恐慌
（きょうこう）
panic; scare
Here is a word for these uncertain economic times. The following compounds may come in handy when discussing the stock and commodity markets of late:
Usage examples:
金融恐慌 （きんゆう きょうこう） a financial panic
恐慌相場 （きょうこう そうば） panic market (stocks/commodities, etc.)
恐慌状態にある （きょうこう じょうたい に ある）to be in a state of panic
July 02, 2008
Word of the Day
海外勤務者
（かいがい きんむしゃ）
overseas employee
If you work for a Japanese company outside Japan, you will almost certainly come across this term at this point. 海外勤務者 refers to an employee who has been assigned to a temporary overseas position. These are the individuals frequently called “advisors” or “coordinators” in the overseas branches of Japanese companies.
June 29, 2008
A chance to study in Japan
I have had a lot of time on the ground in Japan; but all of it has been for work purposes. I never had a chance to go to Japan as a student----partly because I didn’t start to study Japanese until near the end of my undergraduate career. By the time my Japanese was up to speed, I was about to graduate.
Nowadays, of course, many high school students have the opportunity to study Japanese, and can therefore identify their interest in the language much earlier.
Here is a story from the Philadelphia Inquirer about a recent high school graduate, Rebecca Muth, who won a Japan Foundation Language Study Program for a two-week trip to Japan. I can’t think of a more interesting experience for the summer between high school and college (if you are interested in Japan, that is.)
Rebecca Muth has apparently acquired a high degree of proficiency in the Japanese language at the age of 17. I was still three years away from my first Japanese class at that age; Ms. Muth has already had studied Japanese for three years.
