Thursday, September 12, 2013

責男一歩前で

 Here's a handwritten sign in the restroom where I work in front of the urinals. 



私 - I
は- Main subject particle
 汚しません(よごしません)- Don't make dirty/pollute
責男(せめおとこ)- Responsible man
も - Particle that means 'also'
一歩(いっぽ)- One step
前(まえ)- Forward/Closer
で - Particle that can be used with place and sometimes can end a sentence

Translation: I don't make it dirty, so the responsible man also take one step forward.

Honestly, I had a lot of trouble with these two Kanji:
The style in which it is handwritten doesn't read very well for my untrained eye in handwritten Kanji. I'm so use to seeing Kanji in books and on computer screens in their digital format that sometimes the hand written version looks alien to me. Especially . The line on the left doesn't connect to the rest of the square so I was convinced it was something else but after using all my resources I've concluded that it has to be 男.

If you agree or disagree please let me know. Also, if you have any hand written Kanji sign pictures please share them here at death by kanji. 

以上です。

ジョシュア 

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Wednesday, September 4, 2013

暴力団を恐れない

This sign is in front of a Pachinko parlor in Nishinomiya. Pachinko is type of pinball gambling except you don't actually get to hit the ball to earn points. You shoot the ball and then watch it bounce around with the hope of winning. Some machines have plasma screens that unfold stories with the more points you win. Popular games are usually anime based but I've seen machines with the television show 24 and the movie Ghost.




暴力団(ぼうりょくだん)- Gang/Thugs (a violent group)
等(など)- Usually used as 'etc.' but also used to state an example with 'such as'
反社会的(はんしゃかいてき)- antisocial
勢力(せいりょく)- power/force/influence
から - Particle for from or because
の - Particle used in possessives
不当(ふとう)- unjust/unfair
要求(ようきゅう)- demand
は - Main subject particle marker
断固(だんこ)- decisive/adamant
拒否(きょひ)- denial/refusal

Translation:  Unfair demands from violent groups, such as antisocial forces, refuse adamantly.

Down at the bottom:
暴力団を恐れない - I don't fear the gangs
暴力団に金をださない - I don't give money to gangs
暴力団を利用しない - I don't use gangs

恐れない(おそれない) - Not afraid

Grammar Note
―団,When used at the end of a noun indicates that it involves a 'Group' or 'Team'.
反―, When used in front of a noun indicates that it is 'anti(noun)'.

If you have any questions, comments, corrections or observations please leave a comment in the comment's box below or send us an email at deathbykanji@gmail.com.

以上です。
ジョシュア

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