37. Basic vocabulary: Nature and environment

Chapter 37 of our Basic Japanese e-book course is devoted to basic vocabulary related to nature and the environment. Japan is a country with a rich diversity of natural landscapes, from snow-capped mountains to tropical forests and idyllic beaches. Therefore, learning about nature and the environment will not only improve your language ability, but also give you a deeper insight into Japanese culture and geography.

Let's start with some basic words related to nature. In Japanese, the word for nature is '自然' (Shizen). The environment is called '環境' (Kankyou). Both terms are quite general and can be used to refer to all types of natural environments.

To be more specific, we can learn some words for different types of landscapes. For example, mountain in Japanese is '山' (Yama), forest is '森' (Mori), river is '川' (Kawa), and ocean is '海' (Umi). Furthermore, '花' (Hana) means flower, '木' (Ki) means tree, and '草' (Kusa) means grass.

Regarding weather, we have '天気' (Tenki) for weather, '雨' (Ame) for rain, '雪' (Yuki) for snow, '晴れ' (Hare) for sunny weather, '曇り' (Kumori) for cloudy and '風' (Kaze) for wind. Furthermore, the four seasons are '春' (Haru) for spring, '夏' (Natsu) for summer, '秋' (Aki) for autumn, and '冬' (Fuyu) for winter.

Regarding animals, '動物' (Doubutsu) is the general word for animal. Some specific examples include '犬' (Inu) for dog, '猫' (Neko) for cat, '鳥' (Tori) for bird and '魚' (Sakana) for fish. Furthermore, '昆虫' (Konchuu) means insect and '爬虫類' (Hachuurui) means reptile.

Japan is also known for its natural disasters, so a few words related to that might be helpful. '地震' (Jishin) means earthquake, '津波' (Tsunami) is tsunami and '台風' (Taifuu) is typhoon.

Finally, to talk about environmental issues, '環境問題' (Kankyou Mondai) is the phrase for environmental issues. '温暖化' (Ondanka) means global warming, '環境保護' (Kankyou Hogo) is environmental protection, and 'リサイクル' (Risaikuru) is recycling.

With this vocabulary, you will be well equipped to discuss and understand many aspects of nature and the environment in Japan. Remember to practice these words regularly to help consolidate your knowledge. In the next chapter, we'll continue to build your Japanese vocabulary with another interesting topic. Until then, keep studying and practicing!

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79Basic grammar: Honorific forms

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