できる
They can do it

　こうきんけい
「拘禁刑」ができる
They’ll make a “custody sentence”

• が follows the subject.
• The が particle points out what can be done.
• できる has many meanings. The article is talking about creating a new type of prison sentence so できる would take on the meaning “to build” or “to make”.

たいせつ
大切にする「拘禁刑」ができる
Making “custody sentence” that looks after it

• Attaching にする to a な-adjective or noun means you are making something more or turning something into the adjective or noun.
• In this case, 大切 means “important”. So, something is being treated with importance or given more value.

きょういく
 教育を大切にする「拘禁刑」ができる
Making “custody sentence” that looks after their education

The particle を marks what is being valued or looked after (with care).

はい　　　　ひと
入った人の教育を大切にする「拘禁刑」ができる
Making “custody sentence” that looks after the education of the people entering

• の indicates that it’s the education of 人.
• The casual past tense form of はいる is created by replacing る with った.
• A casual verb (phrase) in front of a noun gives more details about the noun.

けい  む  しょ
刑務所に入った人の教育を大切にする「拘禁刑」ができる
Making “custody sentence” that looks after education of people who are in jail

• To understand why に is used here, remember that in the previous translation, はいる was translated as “to enter”.
• に is used when the verb has someone/something moving from one place to another.

We can simplify this to
Making “custody sentence” that looks after education of people in jail.

 

Fewer side effects is definitely a plus.

ノババックス
Novavax

　　　　　　　ひく
ノババックス　低い
Novavax is low

• Spaces in Japanese are often used for emphasis.
• The space has replaced は in this sentence.
• The verb comes from the implied copula です, which stands for ‘is/am/are’.
• We know this because です is always last in a sentence or clause after a noun or adjective.

ノババックス　ワクチンより低い
Novavax is lower than vaccines

• より marks what the topic (ノババックス) is being compared to (ワクチン).
• This means that the thing being followed by より is less or has less of something.

ノババックス　ほかのワクチンより低い
Novavax is lower than other vaccines

• The particle の here is used to tell us what kind of vaccines.
• の goes between two nouns or between nouns and adjectives that are kind-of nouns.

　　　　　　　わりあい
ノババックス　割合がほかのワクチンより低い
Novavax‘s rate is lower than other vaccines

• が marks what is being described.
• In this type of sentence with the structure __は__がadjective, the noun followed by が is something about or belonging to the noun in front of は.

　　　　　　　わる
ノババックス　悪くなる割合がほかのワクチンより低い
Worsening rate of Novavax is lower than other vaccines

• なる is ‘to become.’
• When attached to an い-adjective, the last い in the adjective changes to く. This means the original adjective is 悪い => ‘bad.’
• Whenever you see a plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase is giving more details about that noun!

　　　　　　　 ぐ  あい
ノババックス　具合が悪くなる割合がほかのワクチンより低い
Percentage of people feeling worse with Novavax is lower than other vaccines

• 具合 refers to the state or condition of something.
• It’s not limited to living things but since Novavax is administered to people, we should include that to make the sentence clearer.

 

The tone of the words . . . the court really slapped them. (I’ve been slowly catching up! Recovering from the dental operation put me behind.)

してはいけない
Do not do it

• Whenever you change a verb to て-form and tack on はいけない, you are saying that action (verb) is something that is not allowed.
• Note that the は before いけない is a topic marker here for emphasis.
• If you can’t wrap your head around it, remember that いけない is the formal version of だめ.
• You can also translate this to “You cannot do it.”

　うんてん
「運転してはいけない」
“Do not operate“

　　　　　　　　　　　　 い
「運転してはいけない」と言う
They say, “Do not operate.”

The と in front of 言う conveys that the phrase before is exactly what was said.

さいばんしょ
裁判所が「運転してはいけない」と言う
The court says, “Do not operate.”

The が particle marks who does the action.

とまりげんぱつ
 泊原発　裁判所が「運転してはいけない」と言う
Court says, “Do not operate” Tomari Nuclear Power Plant

• In this sentence, を was replaced by the space.
• Since it’s a news headline, the order of things is for quick reading.

ほっかいどう
北海道の泊原発　裁判所が「運転してはいけない」と言う
Court says, “Do not operate” the Hokkaido Tomari Nuclear Power Plant

• The particle の here is used to tell us something about the power plant.
• の goes between two nouns.

 

It’s been getting hotter and hotter! Throw humidity into the mix and it’s just hard to breathe, period.

しんぱい
心配
a worry

ねっちゅうしょう
 熱中症が心配
Heatstroke is a worry

• が follows the subject.
• The が particle points out what the worry is.
• The verb comes from the implied copula です, which stands for ‘is/am/are’.
• We know this because です is always last in a sentence or clause.

あつ
暑くなると熱中症が心配
Heatstroke is a worry with it getting hotter

• なる is ‘to become.’
• When attached to an い-adjective, the last い in the adjective changes to く. This means the original adjective is 暑い => ‘hot.’
• When the particle と follows the plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb, the phrase it marks is conditional.
• So, I can just as easily say, “If it gets hotter, . . .”
• The use of と means that the possibility of 熱中症 is real: if this happens, this other thing will happen.

暑くなると熱中症が心配　いいか
Heatstroke is a worry with it getting hotter so is it good?

• The space after 心配 separates the front half as the reason for the back half.
• Spaces in Japanese are often used for emphasis.
• In this sentence, で was replaced by the space.
• で means ‘and’ when used to connect two separate sentences where the last word of the first sentence is です.
• Sometimes those sentences don’t directly affect each other but if the first half is the reason for the second half then で acts like ‘because’, ‘since’ or ‘due to’ as it does in this sentence.

暑くなると熱中症が心配　したほうがいいか
Heatstroke is a worry with it getting hotter so should we do it?

• 〜ほうがいい is a set phrase that means “it’s better ~” or “you should ~”.
• ほう literally means “way” so you can think of it as leaning one way or the other.
• All together, it’s the good way to lean => the better way to go.
• When you put a verb before this phrase it has to be in past tense plain/casual form even though you’re talking about the present.

暑くなると熱中症が心配　マスクをしたほうがいいか
Heatstroke is a worry with it getting hotter so should we wear masks?

• Many items that you put on with つける can also be used with する to mean the same thing.
• する is slightly more casual and only spoken.

 

Hmmm . . . this is nice but kind of scary at the same time.

できる
You can do it

おく
送ることができる
You can send it

• You would never hear or see a sentence that starts with just こと, which is ‘thing’ as in ‘event’ or ‘act’.
• So, if we want use a verb on another verb, we have to turn that other verb into a noun.
• In this case, it becomes the ‘act of sending’.
• が follows the subject.
• The が particle points out what can be done.

プレゼントを送ることができる
You can send presents

• The particle を marks the noun that is being acted on by the subject/topic.
• Someone is doing something (the verb) to something (the noun).

ともだち
友達などにプレゼントを送ることができる
You can send presents to friends and others

• The particle など can only follow nouns.
• など is used when you’re providing an example from an item category, which can be left out.
• The particle に stands for ‘in,’ ‘at,’ ‘on’ or ‘to.’
• In the context of this sentence, ‘to’ makes the most sense.

 し
知らない友達などにプレゼントを送ることができる
You can send presents to friends and others you don’t know

• Whenever you see a plain/casual negative form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase is giving more details about that noun.
• You can think of it as answering the question: what kind of friends and others?

じゅうしょ
住所を知らない友達などにプレゼントを送ることができる
You can send presents to friends and others whose addresses you don’t know

 

This guy made that record after he turned a 100!

やめる
They quit

りくじょうきょうぎ
 陸上競技をやめる
They quit track-and-field contest

• The particle を marks the noun that is being acted on by the subject/topic.
• Someone is doing something (the verb) to something (the noun).

だんせい
男性が陸上競技をやめる
Man quits track-and-field contest

• The が particle puts emphasis on the subject.
• It answers the question: Who quits the track-and-field contest?

　  さい
105歳の男性が陸上競技をやめる
105-year-old man quits track-and-field contest

• The particle の here is used to tell us something the man.
• の goes between two nouns.
• 105歳 is in number+counter format.
• It’s uncommon to hear a number without a counter if you’re specifying a number of something.

 き  ろく　　も
記録を持つ105歳の男性が陸上競技をやめる
105-year-old man holding the record quits track-and-field contest

• Whenever you see a plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase modifies that noun. In other words, it’s giving more details!
• It answers the question: what kind of 105-year-old man?

　　　    はや
いちばん速い記録を持つ105歳の男性が陸上競技をやめる
105-year-old man holding fastest record quits track-and-field contest

• いちばん literally means ‘number 1,’ which translates to ‘most’ or ‘est’.
• It amplifies the adjective.

にっぽん
日本でいちばん速い記録を持つ105歳の男性が陸上競技をやめる
105-year-old man holding fastest record in Japan quits track-and-field contest

• にっぽん is the patriotic way to say the country’s name.
• The use of で here means ‘among’ or ‘(with)in’.

 

Haha, I made this one rhyme. 😆

センサー
sensor

あたら
 新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor

• だ・です ending is implied.
• です, which stands for ‘is/am/are’, is the polite ending for a sentence.
• だ, which stands for ‘is/am/are’, is the casual ending for a sentence.

そう  さ
操作できる新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor that can operate the machine

• できる is the potential (‘can’) form of the verb する, to do.
• Whenever you see a plain/casual/dictionary form of a verb in front of a noun, the verb or verb phrase modifies that noun. In other words, it’s giving more details!
• You can think of it as answering the question: what kind of new sensor?

さわ
触らなくても操作できる新しいセンサー
It’s a new sensor that can operate the machine even if you don’t touch it

• The grammar point, verb て-form + も, means ‘even though/if’ verb.
• When used with the casual negative of a verb like in this sentence, the last い changes to く. (We’ve seen this rule apply in many different places; remember い-adjectives with なる?)
• So, 触らない is the casual negative form of 触る, to touch or feel.

 が  めん
画面に触らなくても操作できる新しいセンサー
New use-the machine-without-touching-the-screen sensor

• The particle に stands for ‘in,’ ‘at,’ ‘on’ or ‘to.’
• If you are asking, “Why に and not を?”
  1. The screen is the goal of the action (you’re putting your hand ‘on’ it).
  2. We’re not thinking of doing anything else beyond touching the screen.
• Your hand or some other part of you moves, so that is what would get marked with を.

* I could translate this more directly as “It’s a new sensor with which you can use the machine even if you don’t touch the screen.” but it’s really long for a headline.

 

Molesters are a big problem in Japan. They’re a problem here too—it happened to me on the bus. This app would definitely help you react when you’re too surprised or scared to say anything.

たい  ほ
逮捕
They arrest them

You must be wondering where the verb is in the Japanese sentence and it’s actually 逮捕する. There are many nouns that become verbs when する is attached.

おとこ
 男を逮捕
They arrest a man

• The particle を marks the noun that is being acted on by the subject/topic.
• Someone is doing something (the verb) to something/someone (the noun).

つか
使って男を逮捕
They use it and arrest a man

The て-form for a verb means ‘and’ when there are two or more verbs/clauses in a sentence.

アプリを使って男を逮捕
They arrest man using app

アプリ is short for アプリケーション.

    たす
「助けてください」アプリを使って男を逮捕
They arrest man using “Please help me.” app

• て-form of a verb is telling someone to do something.
• Attaching ください to a verb’s て-form is asking someone to do something for you.

     ち  かん
「痴漢です　助けてください」アプリを使って男を逮捕
They arrest man using “It’s a pervert. Please help me.” app

• です, which stands for ‘is/am/are’, is the polite ending for a sentence.
• です is usually followed by the Japanese period but leaving it out is a typographical choice as the sentence is standing alone (see cover image in the original article).

 

She will be missed. It’s sad but what an amazing life!

Would you want to live that long? If you did live that long, would you do everything you’ve ever wanted to do?

 な
亡くなる
She dies

 た  なか  か   ね
田中カ子さんが亡くなる
Kane Tanaka dies

• Full names are always presented with last name (the family name) first and then your given name.
• 田中 is a pretty common Japanese last name.
• さん is an honorific equivalent to Mr/Mrs/Miss.
• Use さん to politely address strangers and people you respect such as colleagues and neighbors.

　 さい
119歳の田中カ子さんが亡くなる
119-year-old Kane Tanaka dies

• The particle の here is used to tell us something about Kane Tanaka.
• の goes between two nouns.

    なが  い
「長生き」119歳の田中カ子さんが亡くなる
“The long living” 119-year-old Kane Tanaka dies

Noun meaning long life or longevity.

「いちばん長生き」119歳の田中カ子さんが亡くなる
“The longest living” 119-year-old Kane Tanaka dies

• いちばん literally means ‘number 1,’ which translates to ‘most’ or ‘est’.
• It amplifies the noun.

     せ かい
「世界でいちばん長生き」119歳の田中カ子さんが亡くなる
“World’s longest-living” 119-year-old Kane Tanaka dies

The use of で here means ‘among’ or ‘(with)in’.

 

Can you get back up if you fall? I guess if you tumble in one of these, at least you won’t have a skinned knee. 🤣

きょうそう
競争した
They competed

The casual past tense form of the irregular verb する is created by replacing する with した. Another way to think of it is: conjugate from the す in する.

おおぜい
大勢で競争した
There were a great number and they competed

で means ‘and’ when used to connect two separate sentences where the last word of the first sentence is です.

ひと
人たちが大勢で競争した
A great number of people competed

• たち implies there is a group of the word that is right in front of たち.
• The が particle puts emphasis on the subject.
• It answers the question: A huge crowd of what?

 き
着た人たちが大勢で競争した
A large number of dressed-up people competed

• The casual past tense form of きる is created by dropping る and adding た.
• Words with い-sound characters before る are often る-verbs aka いちだん verbs—so-called because the る gets dropped to make way for the appropriate ending and no vowel shifts happen.
• I say ‘often’ because there are some verbs that have this combo but are actually う-verbs aka ごだん verbs. There is a pattern for telling which is which but it’s not useful here since 着る is a two-character word.

ぬいぐるみを着た人たちが大勢で競争した
A large number of people wearing stuffed animal suits competed

• The particle を marks the noun that is being acted on by the subject/topic.
• Someone is doing something (the verb) to something (the noun).

きょうりゅう
  恐竜のぬいぐるみを着た人たちが大勢で競争した
A large number of people wearing dinosaur suits competed

• The particle の here is used to tell us what kind of stuffed animal suit.
• の goes between two nouns.