practice words/kanji

[邪悪歌]

I've noticed that as I go along with my Japanese studies, I usually end up learning new words by encountering them over and over again and eventually I get used to them enough that I can remember them after a while.  While this is true of other languages, Japanese has the unique challenge that although you may remember what a kanji means, you may not always remember how to pronounce it and vice versa.  So I thought this would be a good place to put words that you are currently in the process of studying and your version of their meaning.  Then others can answer either by commenting on your definitions or by adding their own words.

My words of the moment:
送る（おくる） - to send, to escort somebody
common onyomi ソウ

比べる　（くらべる） - to compare
alternate spellings 較べる、　競べる

調べる　（しらべる） - to examine, to investigate, to study, to inspect, to search

解決　（かいけつ） - solution, resolution

決める　（きめる） - to decide

決定　（けってい） - decision, determination

接続　（せつぞく） - connection, link

[hashi]

I've noticed that as I go along with my Japanese studies, I usually end up learning new words by encountering them over and over again and eventually I get used to them enough that I can remember them after a while.  While this is true of other languages, Japanese has the unique challenge that although you may remember what a kanji means, you may not always remember how to pronounce it and vice versa.  So I thought this would be a good place to put words that you are currently in the process of studying and your version of their meaning.  Then others can answer either by commenting on your definitions or by adding their own words.

My words of the moment:
送る（おくる） - to send, to escort somebody
common onyomi ソウ

比べる　（くらべる） - to compare
alternate spellings 較べる、　競べる

調べる　（しらべる） - to examine, to investigate, to study, to inspect, to search

解決　（かいけつ） - solution, resolution

決める　（きめる） - to decide

決定　（けってい） - decision, determination

接続　（せつぞく） - connection, link

A good structure you can learn from 比べる is "compared to/with".

For example:
東京に比べると、加古川市はとても小さいです。
Kakogawa city is small when compared to Tokyo.

ニュージーランドに比べたら、日本の人口のほうが多いです。
Compared to New Zealand, Japans population is much bigger.

[邪悪歌]

speaking of comparisons, I was thinking of some words that seem similar but seem to have a slightly different meaning I was curious about...

手伝う　助ける　救う （てつだう　たすける　すくう）

選ぶ/択ぶ　選択する　（えらぶ　せんたく）

使う　使用する　利用する　（つかう　しよう　りよう）

働く　努める　バイトする　（はたらく　つとめる）

試験　テスト　（しけん）

知らせ　警告　注意　（しらせ　けいこく　ちゅうい）

禁止　厳禁　（きんし　げんきん）

自分　自身　自分自身　自己　（じぶん　じしん　じこ）

事件　場合　（じけん　ばあい）

these are just a couple that come to mind... any ones you can help clarify would be great

[hashi]

speaking of comparisons, I was thinking of some words that seem similar but seem to have a slightly different meaning I was curious about...

手伝う　助ける　救う （てつだう　たすける　すくう）

The first is more "to assist" someone with something. That is, you and them are both doing it, while the second is more like "help" or "save" me. Where they take over and do it for you, or it can mean to save someone. I've never seen the third.

選ぶ/択ぶ　選択する　（えらぶ　せんたく）

使う　使用する　利用する　（つかう　しよう　りよう）

働く　努める　バイトする　（はたらく　つとめる）

Don't know the first two, but hataraku is to work regardless of work place, tsutomeru is not used when you're self employed, it means working for someone and the third is usually not a full time job.

試験　テスト　（しけん）

simple. shiken is an exam (usually something serious) while tesuto is more of an on the spot quiz or test. Nothing serious.

知らせ　警告　注意　（しらせ　けいこく　ちゅうい）

The first is more to inform or let someone know something (literally "cause to know") while the last is more of a warning or a "take particular attention to the fact that...". Dunno about the middle one.

禁止　厳禁　（きんし　げんきん）

自分　自身　自分自身　自己　（じぶん　じしん　じこ）

事件　場合　（じけん　ばあい）

these are just a couple that come to mind... any ones you can help clarify would be great

Sorry, but I can't really help on the rest :S

[Covered]

使う　使用する　利用する　（つかう　しよう　りよう）

使う is more general or something. I knew the difference of the other 2 but I don't remember it anymore

事件　場合　（じけん　ばあい）

if I ain't wrong, 場合 is like "case", "situation". Eg.: 地震の場合は窓を開けておいてください。 In (the?) case of an earthquake, leave the windows opened.
場合 definition by english wiktionary:

場合 (hiragana  ばあい, romaji  baai)

   1. case (as in in that case)


事件 is like "incident". 事件 definition by japanese wikipedia:
事件（じけん）とは、

   1. 人々の関心をひく出来事。世間が話題にし、問題となる出来事。 Trying to translate with my bad english:"It's an event that attracts the concern of people. It's an event that becomes a world topic."

[邪悪歌]

I have a few new ones I'm wondering about, I probably asked about them before a little bit, but I can't remember exactly what was said and I think it'd be nice to have a place where the info was stored so others could read it... so:

習う　学ぶ　覚える　（ならう）（まなぶ）（おぼえる）
覚える　憶える
但（ただし）併し（しかし）でも
或は　（あるいは）
又は　（または）そして
に依る・に因る（による）に就いて（について）に関係（にかんけい）
既に　未だ（まだ・いまだ）もう
又（また）再び（ふたたび）
に似る（ににる）に倣う（にならう）の様に（のように）みたいに
放　発　出
姿（すがた）型（かた）形（かた）象　像
上がる　挙がる（あがる）
昇る　登る　上る　（のぼる）

sorry if that's a little much for now, but I think these things would be good to know... 

[Covered]

You can check IME's explanations and examples:
山に登る
朝日が昇る
屋根に上る、川を上る