• 唐 [トウ・から] – China (T’ang Dynasty)
• 揚 [ヨウ・-あげ] – deep fat fry

Interestingly, the art of Karate (空手) used to be written with the character 唐.  Because the character had Chinese implications, the Japanese decided to switch from 唐手 (Chinese hand) to 空手 (empty hand), both of which are pronounced the same way.  Also of interest (to me, anyway) is that the Korean art Tang Soo Do is written 唐手道, meaning “Way of the Chinese Hand.”  The next time your friends deny a connection between Chinese, Japanese, and Korean martial arts, point them here.

• 真 [シン・まこと] – true; reality
• 剣 [ケン・つるぎ] – sword

真剣 is a real sword.  Not a toy.  Not a replica.  Not a wooden training tool.  真剣 is a real, live, sharp blade that can maim and kill.  The notion of such a dangerous instrument gives a clear impression of something very serious.

To change this word from a noun into an adverb, simply add に: 私は日本語を真剣に勉強しました (lit – “I studied Japanese seriously” or “I made a very serious study of Japanese”).  This rules works for changing many nouns into adverbs.

One of my favorite 四字熟語 is 真剣勝負 [しんけんしょうぶ] – “a fight with real swords.”  It indicates that the effort being described is extremely serious, even to the point of life-and-death.

• 充 [ジュウ・あてる] – a lot; fill
• 実 [ジツ・シツ・み] – reality; truth

This word illustrates (among others) clearly why I cringe every time I hear someone refer to the martial art made popular by the Gracie family as “Brazilian Jujitsu.”  Sorry, but the martial art is called 柔術 [じゅうじゅつ], or Jūjutsu, in Japanese.  It’s a completely, absolutely, and totally different word.  This error isn’t the fault of the Gracies.  It has been mis-heard and repeated for probably close to a century in the U.S. alone.  Personally, I blame Bruce Tegner.