- NDL
How Sailor Moon Taught Me About Space
One of my favorite things is space. Maybe it was my obsession with Sailor Moon as a child, or maybe I just wanted to fly in a spaceship, but either way, space is really cool. Due to the use of kanji, space words are actually pretty easy in Japanese, and can be oddly beautiful. Take for example, the 9 planets.
Disclaimer: In this lesson, Pluto is still a planet. It's one of those little things I can’t let go of. I am pretty sure that even when I am old, I will be telling my grandchildren about 9 planets instead of 8. Screw you NASA and all your reasonable proof that Pluto isn’t worthy of being a planet...
水星 | すいせい | Mercury | Literally: “water + heavenly body” |
金星 | きんせい | Venus | Literally: “gold + heavenly body” |
地球 | ちきゅう | Earth | Literally: “earth + round” |
火星 | かせい | Mars | Literally: “fire + heavenly body” |
木星 | もくせい | Jupiter | Literally: “wood + heavenly body” |
土星 | どせい | Saturn | Literally: “soil + heavenly body” |
天王星 | てんのうせい | Uranus | Literally: “heavenly king + heavenly body” |
海王星 | かいおうせい | Neptune | Literally: “sea king + heavenly body” |
冥王星 | めいおうせい | Pluto | Literally: “dark king + heavenly body” |
If you ever watched Sailor Moon as a child, it will help you remember each of the characters for the nine planets, as most of the Sailor Scout’s powers correspond with the kanji used. (Also, go back and take a look at the character's last names; Sailor Mars is Hino 火野, Sailor Mercury is Mizuno 水野, etc.)
Even if you are not a fan I hope you can still appreciate how descriptive and beautiful the names of the planets are.
But space doesn’t only consist of the planets in our solar system. I compiled a list of some other cool space words and how to talk about them in Japanese.
宇宙 （うちゅう）- Space
宇宙船は宇宙に向けて飛び立った。
うちゅうせん は うちゅう に むけて とびたった。
A spaceship took off towards space.
The word for spaceship is literally “space boat,” so I guess all Japanese astronauts are actually space pirates...
太陽（たいよう） - The Sun
太陽は東から昇る。
たいよう は ひがし から のぼる。
The sun rises from the east.
星座 （せいざ）- Constellation (Literally meaning “star + position”)
北斗七星という星座
ほくとしちせい という せいざ
A constellation called the Big Dipper
銀河（ぎんが） - Galaxy (Literally meaning “silver + stream”)
最も近くに位置する銀河がアンドロメダ銀河です。
もっとも ちかく に いちする ぎんが が あんどろめだ ぎんが です。
The closest galaxy in location is the Andromeda galaxy.
天の川 （あまのがわ）- Milky Way (Literally meaning “heaven + river”)
初めて天の川を見た夜を私は覚えている。
はじめて あまのがわ を みた よる を わたし は おぼえている。
I remember the first night I saw the Milky Way.
惑星（わくせい） - Planet
太陽系の惑星は太陽の周りを回ります。
たいようけい の わくせい は たいよう の まわり を まわります。
The planets in the solar system revolve around the sun.
満月（まんげつ） - Full Moon
今夜は満月だ。
こんや は まんげつ だ。
Tonight is a full moon.
彗星（すいせい） - Comet
ハレー彗星は、２０６１年に戻ってくる。
はれー すいせい は、にせんろくじゅういちねん に もどってくる。
Halley’s comet will return in 2061.
流れ星 （ながれぼし）- Shooting Star
流れ星が空を駆けた。
ながれぼし が そら を かけた。
A shooting star dashed across the sky.
Learning this vocabulary might not have the most practical use unless you work in some kind of observatory. However, it is a great way to learn and review kanji, an easy way to remember a lot of them, and it's a good way to talk about your hobby if you enjoy space like I do.
