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Breakdown of kanai wa atarashii shigoto o hajimemashita.
はwa
topic particle
をo
direct object particle
新しいatarashii
new
始めるhajimeru
to begin (something)
仕事shigoto
work, job
家内kanai
(your own) wife
This term is more old-fashioned and formal, and it's often used by older men when referring to their own wives, particularly in formal or public settings. It carries a more humble and traditional connotation.
Note how the kanji in this word correspond to traditional gender roles. Therefore, younger people tend to prefer using the word 妻.
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“How do verb conjugations work in Japanese?”
Japanese verbs conjugate based on tense, politeness, and mood. For example, the polite present form adds ‑ます to the verb stem, while the past tense uses ‑ました. Unlike English, Japanese verbs don't change based on the subject — the same form works for "I", "you", and "they".
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