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The original was posted on /r/learnjapanese by /u/Ok-Front-4501 on 2025-07-04 04:54:52+00:00.

For me, I have two favorites. And they kind of reflect two different sides of me.

The first one is 木漏れ日 (komorebi), soft sunlight that shines through the leaves of trees.

Every time I hear it, I’m reminded of walking past quiet classrooms in the late afternoon, listening to city pop through my headphones. The rooms might be empty, the garden outside glowing with that golden light slipping through the trees.

That light, somehow, became a little lamp I can always turn on in my memory, whenever I need a bit of warmth.

My second favorite word is 一生懸命 (isshoukenmei). We all know the meaning: to do something with all your heart, to give it your everything.

But what really gets me is the literal breakdown of the word:

一生 – one’s whole life.

懸 – to hang, like you’re dangling from a wire or clinging to a cliff.

命 – your life, your very being.

It paints this picture in my head of someone walking a tightrope with everything they’ve got, using their entire life’s strength to stay balanced, not to fall.

Anyway — just wanted to share that :)