Loek van Kooten, MANo single English word captures 義理 (giri).
Dictionaries try "duty" or "obligation. " But 義理 (giri) lives in the space between what you want to do and what you know you should do. 義理 (giri) is the invisible thread holding Japanese society together. It's why your neighbor brings you vacation souvenirs. Why a salaryman attends his boss's mother's funeral. Why millions of people hand out 義理チョコ (giri choko) on Valentine's Day: chocolate for colleagues, bosses, and acquaintances, not out of love, but out of 義理 (giri).
The kanji tell the story. 義 (gi) places a sheep (羊), symbol of virtue and sacrifice, above a serrated blade (我): the idea of what is proper and just. 理 (ri) shows the natural grain lines on polished jade (玉): the logic, the underlying pattern of things. Together: doing what's right because there's an order to how people should treat each other. 義理を通す (giri o tōsu) - "to see your duty through, even at your own expense. " This is one of 32,500+ words on learn.japanology.nl.
When you hit 義理 (giri) in our quiz, you don't just get a one-word translation. You get the full kanji etymology, the cultural weight, and Kiko tells you when you mess up. What's a concept in your culture that no dictionary can capture? We start with the easy stuff on https://learn.japanology.nl - try the quiz and see if you remember 義理 (giri) tomorrow. #Japanese #LearnJapanese #Kanji #JLPT #WordOfTheDay #Japanology #義理 #JapaneseCulture #Giri
