A desire to communicate heart-to-heart with people from another culture is what attracts many people to language study in the first place. But it can take a long time to make friends and feel socially comfortable in a Japanese-speaking context, and there are few textbooks that can help. This volume does just that, by collecting and discussing more than 400 phrases that are useful when talking about personal experience and nuances of feeling.

With this book you can learn to say that you like someone, love someone, respect someone, have a thing for someone, have a crush on someone, still carry a torch for someone, have no feelings either way for someone, or wouldn't give someone the time of day. You can tease a friend about their new relationship, talk about children or parents, vent anger or express sympathy. You can learn many different ways to thank a person or to respond to a compliment, and the specific attitude that each conveys.

All entries are defined and then amplified with two or three sample sentences. The naturalness of the sentences keeps the reading interesting, and makes it easier to gain not only passive understanding but the confidence to start using these phrases right away in conversation.

Impress your boss, charm your neighbor, apologize to a co-worker. This handy guide will be welcomed by anyone hoping to make Japanese friends and influence Japanese people.

Previous published in the Power Japanese series under the same title.

From the Publisher

List of Entry Words and Phrases for the Section "Love and Liking."

In the book entries also appear in Japanese script, but we give them here only in romanization (without the original macrons) for those who computers are not Japanese friendly. All entries have full-fledged sample sentences in the book, often with literal translations of the entries.

suki = like, to fond of, love (can be used in an extremely wide range of situations)

ki ga aru = to be interested in

tokimeku / mune [kokoro] o tokimekasu = to be thrilled, to be excited, to feel one's heart leap with joy or anticipation

dokidoki suru = to feel one's pulse race with anxiety, fear, anticipation, etc.

omou / omoi o yoseru = to feel something for, to have [someone] on one's mind, to be hung up on, to have feelings for

akogareru = to be infatuated with, to be attracted to, to dream of, to aspire to shitau = to long for, to idolize, to adore

kataomoi = unrequited love, one-sided love

misomeru = to feel, on first meeting, that someone is just the person you've been looking for

horeru = to fall in love

hitome-bore = love at first sight

hatsukoi = first love, puppy love

koi = love (with a least a slight sexual nuance)

koigokoro = feelings of love

koi no yokan = a sense, on first meeting, that something is going to evolve into love

koi ni ochiru = to fall in love

koi kogareru = to go crazy [with love] over, to like [someone] so much it drives you nuts

ren'ai = romantic and sexual love, a love affair

koibito = a lover, lovers

ryo-omoi = equal fondness [for each other], love that is reciprocated

ayashii / kusai = suspicious / smelly (terms used to tease or gossip about a pair who seem to be just a bit more intimate than other people, implying that they've secretly got something going)

oyasukunai = another way of teasing or gossiping about someone one suspects of romantic envolvement

oiraku no koi = a love that comes along when one is old

ai suru = to love

aijo = love, warmth, affection

ai wa oshimi naku ataeru = to love without restraint or bounds, to give everything for love

jun'ai = true love, pure, romantic love

ai ga areba toshi no sa nante = "If there's love, what's a little age difference?" (Often used to play down an age difference that one actually considers embarrassing.)

soshi-soai = to love and be loved back, to be in love [with one another]

kon'yaku suru = to become engaged [to be married]

kekkon suru = to marry, to wed

aisai-ka = a husband who really loves his wife

koi nyobo = a woman one married for love, and whom one still loves --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.