もったいない: Learn About "Mottainai" Because It's Mottainai If You Don't
The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language
English - August 23, 2021 00:15 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MB - ★★★★★ - 470 ratingsEducation Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Previous Episode: んだ and んです — What the Heck Is the ん?!
もったいない (mottainai) is a unique Japanese word that articulates the sense of regret, guilt, and sorrow you feel for wasting all sorts of things — food, physical objects, time, opportunities, and potential.
In this episode, Kanae and Jenny (big fans of mottainai) talk about the nuances of the word, as well as Japan's cultural and religious views that have deeply influenced it or been influenced by it.
For more information about もったいない, check out Kanae's article: https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/mottainai/