► 副助詞
は [わ] meaning: object direct rank: 1
☆ そうは言ってもこのまま放っておく訳にもいかないだろう ⇨ We can just leave it like this, even if you say so
☆ そんな事は誰も言っていない ⇨ Nobody’s saying things like that
☆ もうそのことを心配するのは止めた ⇨ I stopped worrying about that anymore
☆ 何とかなる等とは言っていられない状況だ ⇨ This is a situation where you can’t just say it will somehow work out
☆ 未だかなり残っているから牛乳は買わなくてもいい ⇨ There is still enough left so I don’t have to buy milk
☆ 未だ最終結果は聞いていない ⇨ I still haven’t heard the final result
☆ 私はスポーツが好きだが、野球は好きではない ⇨ I like sports but don’t like baseball
☆ お酒は好きですか？いえ、私はお酒は飲みません ⇨ Do you like alcohol? No, I don’t drink alcohol (☛ は is used in the reply because alcohol is the topic of the conversation. を cannot be used in this context)
は [わ] meaning: qualifying rank: 1
☆ その値段は理不尽に高くはない ⇨ That price is not unreasonably high (if not low)
☆ その考えは正しくはあっても人には受け入れられないだろう ⇨ That idea won’t be accepted by people, even though it is correct
☆ その考え方は間違ってはいない ⇨ That way of thinking is not exactly wrong
は [わ] meaning: subject rank: 1
☆ お母さんは？ ⇨ Where is mom? What about mom?
☆ それは私は決められない ⇨ I cannot decide that. (Somebody else should)
☆ 彼はイタリア人だ ⇨ He is an Italian
☆ 彼女の目は青い ⇨ Her eyes are blue
☆ 彼女の脚は長い ⇨ Her legs are long
☆ 彼女はパーティーに来なかった ⇨ She didn’t come to the party (unlike others)
☆ 彼女は三児の母親だ ⇨ She is a mother of three children
☆ 熱は有るが、お腹は痛くない ⇨ I have a fever, but my stomach doesn’t hurt
☆ 私の家は小さい ⇨ My house is small
☆ 私はそうは思わない ⇨ I don’t think so (unlike others)
☆ 君は間違っている ⇨ You are wrong (☛ Note the difference with “君が間違っている” which emphasizes “it is you who is wrong”)
は [わ] meaning: then rank: 3
☆ あいつ、毎日やって来ては文句を言う ⇨ He comes here every day and just bitch and moan
► 終助詞
わ [わ] [coll] [peer] [女] meaning: declare rank: 1
☆ 私は嫌だわ ⇨ I don’t like it. I don’t want to
☆ 私は知らないわ ⇨ I don’t know
わ [わ] [coll] [peer] meaning: surprise rank: 1
☆ あ、こりゃ駄目だわ ⇨ Oh, this ain’t working (☛ Especially in the western dialects “わ” is used by both men and women in casual conversations)
☆ これは美味しいわ ⇨ This is delicious (☛ Especially in the western dialects “わ” is used by both men and women in casual conversations)
► 成句
輪 [わ] [輪を掛ける] meaning: increase rank: 4
☆ 彼は年をとって短気が輪をかけてひどくなった ⇨ His short-temperedness has gotten even worse as he has gotten older (☛ Literally means “put a ring over”. Something to increase in size, intensity, etc. one more notch)
► 名詞
和 [わ] [liter] meaning: harmony rank: 2
☆ 和を大切にする ⇨
輪 [わ] meaning: circle rank: 2
☆ 友情の輪を広げよう ⇨ Let’s spread the circle, network, of friendship
☆ 皆、輪になって！ ⇨ Everybody, form a circle!
☆ 輪ゴム ⇨ A (circular) rubber band
輪 [わ] meaning: ring rank: 2
☆ 土星の輪 ⇨ The rings of Saturn
► 感嘆詞
わ [(1)わ] [coll] meaning: surprise rank: 2
☆ わ～、何これ？ ⇨ Woah, what is this?
☆ わっ！ ⇨ Boo! (☛ To surprise, scare someone)
► 接頭辞
和 [わ] [liter] meaning: japanese rank: 2
☆ 和菓子 ⇨ Traditional Japanese sweets
More examples:
- 凄く安かったので思わず買ってしまった ⇨ It was so cheap I couldn’t help buying it
- 彼は会議が終わる前に退席した ⇨ He had left (his seat) before the meeting ended
- 彼女の見事なお尻に思わず欲情してしまった ⇨ I was uncontrollably aroused by her shapely bottom
- 皆規則に従わなくてはいけない ⇨ Everybody has to follow the rules
- 彼女には言わないほうが良い ⇨ It is better you don’t tell her (if not others)
- 彼は鬼に食われた ⇨ He was eaten by an demon ogre
- 私はハリーポッターの全巻を読み終わった ⇨ I’ve finished reading all Harry Potter books
- 私には構わず進めて下さい ⇨ Please go ahead without me
- 彼は教師の物真似をして皆を笑わせた ⇨ He impersonated his teacher and made everybody laugh
- 世界は目まぐるしく変わり続けている ⇨ The world keeps changing very quickly
- 駅まで走ったんだけど電車に間に合わなかった ⇨ I ran to the station but couldn’t catch the train
- 彼はプロでは全く奮わなかった ⇨ He flopped at the professional level
- わざとやったなどと言われるのは甚だ心外だ ⇨ I very much resent being accused of having done it deliberately
- 小国は常に大国の顔色を窺わなくていけない ⇨ Small countries always have to watch out for big countries’ moods
- 彼は見知らぬ男に襲われた ⇨ He was assaulted by a stranger