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April 7, 2025

Nihongo no Tane 169: 父のお葬式 My father’s funeral | Japanese Immersion Podcast

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父(ちち)のお葬式(そうしき)

My father’s funeral

New episode of Nihongo no Tane. Yumi returns to Japan for her father’s funeral and shares her experience—family reunions, unfamiliar customs, and memories of a full life lived in a small town. A heartfelt story about loss, connection, and Japanese traditions. 🎙️🌸 #LearnJapanese

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Key Vocabulary

私(わたくし)ごと — "A personal matter." 私 is read here as わたくし, a formal and humble reading of "I" or "private," and ごと (事) means "matter" or "thing." A humble expression to refer to one's personal affairs, often used in formal or respectful speech.
お葬式(そうしき) — "Funeral." 葬 means "to bury" and 式 means "ceremony." The prefix お adds politeness to the word.
およそ — "About; approximately." A formal adverb used to express an estimated quantity or duration.
脳梗塞(のうこうそく) — "Stroke; cerebral infarction." 脳 means "brain," 梗 means "blockage," and 塞 means "obstruction," referring to a blocked blood vessel in the brain.
麻痺(まひ) — "Paralysis; numbness." 麻 means "numb" or "hemp," and 痺 means "numbness" or "paralysis," used for loss of movement or sensation.
車椅子(くるまいす) — "Wheelchair." 車(くるま) means "vehicle," and 椅子(いす) means "chair," literally describing a wheeled chair.
癌(がん)になり — "Developed cancer." 癌 means "cancer," and 〜になる ("to become") is used here in its ます-stem form なり, which connects to the next verb (手術(しゅじゅつ)をしまして); this is common in narrative style to maintain flow.
手術(しゅじゅつ) — "Surgery; operation." 手 means "hand," and 術 means "technique" or "skill," referring to a medical procedure.
老人(ろうじん)ホーム — "Nursing home." 老人(ろうじん) means "elderly person" (老 = "old," 人 = "person"), and ホーム is "home" in katakana, meaning care facility.
出(で)ることもできず — "Could not go out." 出(で)る means "to go out," こと turns the verb into a noun, できる means "can," and 〜ず is the classical negative of 〜ない, so できず = "could not (and...)"—implying an ongoing state or sequence.
そろって — "All together; as a group." From 揃(そろ)う ("to be gathered/complete"), in て-form to connect actions or indicate simultaneous action.
浸(ひた)っている — "To be immersed (in something)." 浸る means "to soak or immerse," and the 〜ている form indicates a continuous state—here, emotionally immersed.
葬儀屋(そうぎや)さん — "Funeral director." 葬儀(そうぎ) means "funeral service" (葬 = "to bury," 儀 = "ceremony"), 屋 means "shop/person in charge," and さん adds respect.
ああだこうだ — "This and that; back and forth." A colloquial expression representing indecision or a flurry of decisions, often used when things are hectic.
お坊(ぼう)さん — "Buddhist monk." 坊 refers to a Buddhist monk (originally meaning “boy” or “temple person”), and さん adds politeness.
お布施(ふせ) — "Offering to a monk or temple." 布 means "to distribute" or "cloth," 施 means "to give" or "bestow," and together refer to a monetary offering.
年老(としお)いた母(はは) — "Elderly mother." 年老(としお)いた is the past form of 年老(としお)いる ("to grow old," 年 = "year," 老 = "old"), and 母 means "mother"—a respectful phrase for one’s aging mother.
費用(ひよう) — "Cost; expense." 費 means "expense," and 用 means "use" or "purpose"—together meaning "cost required for something."
祭壇(さいだん) — "Altar." 祭 means "ritual" or "festival," and 壇 means "platform"—a ceremonial platform often decorated in religious events.
豪華(ごうか) — "Luxurious; splendid." 豪 means "magnificent" or "extravagant," and 華 means "splendor" or "flower," together describing something rich or ornate.
昭和(しょうわ) — "Showa era." 昭 means "bright" and 和 means "peace," referring to the Japanese era from 1926 to 1989 (Showa 12 = 1937).
末(すえ)っ子(こ) — "Youngest child." 末 means "end," and 子 means "child." The small っ adds emphasis to show it's the last-born.
高齢(こうれい) — "Old age; elderly." 高 means "high," and 齢 means "age," a respectful and formal term for advanced age.
故郷(ふるさと) — "Hometown." 故 means "former" or "deceased," and 郷 means "village"—a nostalgic or sentimental term for one's birthplace.
囲(かこ)まれた人生(じんせい) — "A life surrounded (by something)." 囲(かこ)まれた is the passive past form of 囲(かこ)む ("to surround"), and 人生(じんせい) means "life"—used here to describe a life surrounded by friends.)

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Nihongo no Tane 169: 父のお葬式 My father’s funeral | Japanese Immersion Podcast

Key Vocabulary

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