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Today, Yumi talks a little about Japanese names. To her, it is natural that 渡部 is "Watanabe" but Japanese names aren't quite as easy for the learner of Japanese. Understanding Japanese names is critical for improving understanding of movies, novels, and conversational Japanese

KEY VOCABULARY:

名前(なまえ)の読(よ)み方(かた) how to pronounce a name

苗字(みょうじ) family name; last name

変(か)わった名字(みょうじ) a strange name; an unusual name

珍(めずら)しい unusual

ラジオ局(きょく) radio station

全国的(ぜんこくてき)に nationally; the nation as a whole

地元(じもと)で local; locally

旧姓(きゅうせい) maiden name

世代(せだい)を遡(さかのぼ)ります going back generations [遡(さかのぼ)る (to go back (in time); to date back to; to trace back to)]

For upper beginners to intermediates. Listen to the short podcast and then answer the comprehension questions on the website: https://thejapanesepage.com/nihongonotane-index/

Take a quiz on this episode here:

https://thejapanesepage.com/podcast-nihongonotane-77

If you are a Makoto+ member, you can find the transcript, English translation, key vocabulary, and a downloadable PDF for printing:

https://MakotoPlus.com/podcast-nihongonotane-77-m

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