Imo-Girl's Tiny Glossary A-K
So you want to try translating before you spend $28 to get a dictionary? Here
are some common words in anime songs. You will not be able to translate a
whole song using this -- it's just to get you started!

Notes on my romanization: I'm not using the Hepburn Romanization system, so
"today" is written here as "kyou" and not "kyoo". (The lengthened "O" sound in
Japanese is spelled with the characters "o+u", so that's how I romanize it instead
of "oo" or "oh" as in other systems.) The romanization system I use is basically
a mishmash of my own devising. For example, while I use "wa" instead of "ha"
for the subject marker, and "e" instead of "he" for "toward", I still use "wo"
instead of "o" for the direct object marker. Why? Beacause in anime songs, the
"w" of "wo" is often pronounced, even though it isn't in spoken Japanese. I also
romanize "t+i" as "chi". Basically, I've tried to make my transliterations as
simple for English speakers to pronounce as possible. WYSIWYG. Enjoy!
Afureru - to overflow
Ai - love (can refer to any type of love: romantic, mother-love, shounen-ai, etc.)
(Kimi wo aishiteru - I love you, ai suru - to love)
Aitsu - that guy (koitsu - this guy)
Akari - light
Akirameru - to give up (on something)
Akogare - longing, yearning
Ame - rain
Anata - you (usually used by female singers) Other words for "you" include
kimi, and omae. Kisama and teme are insulting and don't often appear in songs.
Arashi - storm
Asa - morning
Ashita - tomorrow (uses the same kanji as Asa)
Atashi - I, me (used by women -- or occasionally by gay men)
Atatakai - warm (temperature), warm-hearted, kind
Au - to meet (what/who is met is marked by "ni". Kimi ni aitai - I want to meet
you, anata ni au made - until I meet you)
Boku - I (used by boys and men) Other words for I include ore (used by men),
wasshi (used by older men), watashi and atashi (used by women), sessha (used
only by Himura Kenshin), oira (used only by Chichiri).
Chiisana - tiny, small
Chikara - power, strength
Daisuki - really like, really love a lot
Dakara - that's why
Dake - only, just
Dakishimeru - to hold tightly
Dare - who (dare ka - someone, dare mo - no one, dare demo - anyone)
Darou - probably is/are
Dekiru - can do/finish (dekinai - can't do/finish)
Demo - but, however, even if
Donna - what kind of (Donna ni - to what extent, Konna - this kind of, Sonna -
that kind of)
Doushite - how, why
E - toward, to, for (ashita e - toward tomorrow, Tokyo e - to Tokyo, kimi e - for
you) Actually written with the hiragana symbol "he", but pronounced "e".
Egao - smiling face
Fushigi - mystery, strangeness, marvel, wonder
Futari - two people
Hana - flower (homonym: nose)
Hanareru - to become separate, to move away, to leave (often w/ "tooku" -"far")
Hanasu - to let go, release (hanasanai - not let go) (Homonym: to talk/converse)
He - see "E" (In slang, "he" means "fart".)
Hikari - light, power, ray
Hito - person (see kata) (Homonym: one)
Hitomi - Literally the pupil of the eye. Used interchangeably with "me" (eye).
Hitori - one person, oneself alone, a single person
Hohoemu - to smile (hohoemi - smile)
Hontou ni - truly
Hoshi - star, planet
Hoshii - I want, I want you to do X (matte hoshii - I want you to wait)

Ima - now
Inochi - life
Ippai - full, a lot (Homonym: one cupful)
Itai - can mean either "want to be" ("-tai" form of iru) or "pain/ouch"
Itsu - when (itsu demo - any time/always, itsu ka - someday, itsu kara - since
when , itsu made - until when, itsu made ni - by when, itsu mo - always, itsu
made mo - forever. . . Do you want to buy the particle book now?)
Jibun - oneself
Jikan - point in time, hour
Kami - hair (homonyms: 1. spirit being/god, 2. paper)
Kami-Sama - the Great Spirit, God
Kanarazu - surely
Kanashii - sad, sorrowful
Kanjiru - to feel, to sense
Kao - face
Kare - he, boyfriend
Kata - person (more polite than hito) (homonyms: 1. shoulder, 2. pattern/form -
as in "sword kata")
Kaze - wind
Ki - heart/mind/feelings/concern (ki ga suru - feel like doing, ki ni naru - feel
troubled, ki ni iru - to be pleasant)
Kibou - hope(s)
Kikoeru - to be able to hear, to be audible, to sound
Kimi - you (used by both male and female singers, but only men when speaking)
Kimochi - feeling(s)
Kinou - yesterday
Kiseki - miracle(s)
Kisetsu - season(s)
Kitto - surely
Kodoku - loneliness, solitude
Kodomo - child/ren (kodomo-tachi - children)
Koe - voice(s)
Koi - usually means romantic love, but can be used in a pun to mean ornamental
carp (yes, the fish). (koibito - lover) Koi is also the abrupt command form of
the verb kuru (to come). When facing off, martial artists in anime tend to either
shout "Koi!" (Come!) or "Shoubu da!" (which loosely translates as "I challenge
you!") at each other.
Kokoro - heart, mind, feelings
Konna - like this, this kind of (Konna ni - this much, sonna - that kind of)
Koto - thing, matter, affair
Kotoba - words
Kuchibiru - lip(s)
Kyou - today