Study Japanese Through Light Novels – Chapter One

Let’s continue studying Japanese through light novels! In this post, I share all of the new-to-me vocabulary that I encountered in chapter one of the light novel I’m currently reading.

My thoughts on this chapter

I really enjoyed this chapter! As the two main character’s personalities and positions are well established in the prologue, we get to see them shine here. We’re also introduced to some rather interesting side characters in this chapter, but the focus stays on our main couple.

I’m enjoying watching Oriana slowly but surely break down Vincent’s walls. It’s clear that while their relationship is much different during this second time loop, romantic feelings are still present for both characters. Vincent’s feelings toward Oriana are written subtly enough that if you don’t pay careful attention, you may mistakenly believe that he truly dislikes her. This careful writing had me slowly reading every page carefully, just so I wouldn’t accidentally skip over any important context clues.

I wasn’t expecting such a large time jump to happen just in between the prologue and chapter one, so I am curious to see where the story goes from here. As Oriana’s main quest is to save Vincent from being murdered again, and his death anniversary is coming up quickly… I can only wonder what will happen.

I’m hoping we can also see more of our side couple (they’re not actually a couple yet, but I can have hope). I found their dynamic to be very refreshing—a princess and her bodyguard. He clearly has feelings for her, and she either chooses to ignore them or is ignorant of them. Either way, I’m rooting for the two of them to get together. As the princesses storyline will most likely continue following her along her quest for a strong husband, I hope the bodyguard doesn’t get too injured in the process. Or… Maybe he’ll get injured, and she’ll be forced to realize just how much she cares for him? I could get behind that.

My rules for myself when studying

When I study using light novels, I set a few rules for myself:

If it takes me more than 3 seconds to read a word, write it down.
If I have any doubts about a words meaning, write it down.
If I second guess a Kanji’s reading, write it down.

I then finish the chapter, and look into the meanings and readings for all of the words I wrote down. I then make a little Quizlet for these vocabulary words so I can review them easily. I spend a few days reviewing them, and then read the chapter one more time. If I find any new words that give me grief, I add them to my Quizlet, and continue on reviewing. Once I’m comfortable, I move onto the next chapter.

Here are all of the words I wrote down for this chapter:

The light novel I’m currently reading is called: 死に戻りの魔法学校生活を、元恋人とプロローグから / Re-Living My Life with a Boyfriend Who Doesn’t Remember Me.

If you want to read along with me, you can check out this light novel for yourself here!

Let’s look at the vocabulary

I will be listing everything in the following format:

Kanji・reading in hiragana・English translation

Check out my Quizlet set for yourself here!

Ready? Let’s go!

負荷・ふか・burden, load
離す・はなす・to release
骨盤・こつばん・pelvis
肩甲骨・けんこうこつ・shoulderblade
言及・げんきゅう・reference
垂らす・たらす・to dangle, slouch
怠ける・なまける・to neglect
確固・かっこ・firm, resolute
地位・ちい・rank
築く・きずく・to build up
褐色・かっしょく・tanned skin colour
藤色・ふじいろ・light purple, wisteria purple
幼子・おさなご・little child
嗜める・たしなめる・to chide
雌鹿・めじか・doe
凝る・こる・to become stiff ; to become absorbed in
朝晩・あさばん・morning and night
建設・けんせつ・construction
金銭的・きんせんてき・monetary
植え替え・うえかえ・transplanting
貴賤・きせん・high and low status
等しい・ひとしい・equal
嗜む・たしなむ・to enjoy ; to be modest
惜しむ・おしむ・to be frugal
挟む・はさむ・across / on the other side
敷地・しきち・site
厩舎・きゅうしゃ・cowshed
施設・しせつ・establishment
陸に・ろくに・not well
額・ひたい・forehead
青筋・青筋・vein
縛る・しばる・to tie (hair)
不遜・ふそん・haughty
嫡男・ちゃくなん・heir
当たり障りない・あたりさわりない・harmless
言語道断・ごんごどうだん・preposterous

謙虚・けんきょ・modest, humble
遂げる・とげる・to accomplish
悪戦苦闘・あくせんくとう・a hard fight
遮る・さえぎる・to obstruct
唖然・あぜん・dumbfounded
懲りない・こりない・someone who doesn’t learn their lesson
八重歯・やえば・canine teeth
叱責・しっせき・scolding
淡い・あわい・pale, fleeting
脅迫・きょうはく・threat
潮時・しおどき・opportunity
耕す・たがやす・to till, to plow
株・かぶ・stump of a tree
無精髭・ぶしょうひげ・stubble of a beard
威厳・いげん・dignity
炎天下・えんてんか・under the scorching sun
屈強・くっきょう・strong
感嘆・かんたん・admiration
俯瞰・ふかん・birds eye view
年相応・としそうおう・age-appropriate
努める・つとめる・to endeaver
遺憾・いかん・regrettable
怯む・ひるむ・to flinch
傾げる・かしげる・to tilt one’s head
指摘・してき・to point out
眉根・まゆね・middle of one’s eyebrows
踵を返す・きびすをかえす・to turn on one’s heel
悶絶・もんぜつ・to faint
称号・しょうごう・title
由緒正しい・ゆいしょただしい・a long and honourable lineage
森林・しんりん・forest
徹底的・てっていてき・thorough
吸収・きゅうしゅう・absorption
埃・ほこり・dust

頻繁・ひんぱん・frequency
熟知・じゅくち・well-informed
柑橘類・かんきつるい・citrus fruits
融通が効く・ゆうずうがきく・to be flexible
物騒・ぶっそう・dangerous
移植・いしょく・transplanting
発揮・はっき・display of power
人望・じんぼう・popularity
探偵・てんてい・detective
申請・しんせい・application
背筋・せすじ・spine
頬杖・ほおづえ・to rest one’s jaw in their hands
背もたれ・せもたれ・the back of a chair
雨足・あまあし・streaks of rain
稲光・いなびかり・flash of lightning
轟く・とどろく・roar of thunder
踊り場・おどりば・stair landing
備える・そなえる・to furnish
雑多・ざった・misc.
形骸化・けいがいか・to be reduced to a formality
挑戦者・ちょうせんしゃ・challenger
決闘・けっとう・duel
徒党・ととう・conspirator
思惑・おもわく・expectation
荒事・あらごと・a fighting scene
果報者・かほうもの・a lucky person
巧妙・こうみょう・clever

This time around there were quite a few more words that I was unfamiliar with, but that just means I was able to benefit more from reading!

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