世界の約束

なみだ

tear; tears; crying; sympathy

Watching the sad movie, I couldn't stop my tears.

Refers to the liquid secreted by the eyes, but also figuratively to the act of crying or feeling sympathy.

possessive particle indicating belonging, attribution, or relationship

Mother's cooking is the most delicious.

Connects two nouns to show possession or attribution. The modifying noun comes before の, and the modified noun comes after. Can also connect clauses when nominalizing.

おく

interior; inner part; back (of a room, shelf, etc.)

He found an old photo from the back of the shelf.

Refers to the area deep inside or far from the entrance of a space.

particle indicating time, location, target, or indirect object

I plan to meet friends on the weekend.

Multiple uses: marks specific time (when), location of existence (where something is), target/recipient of action (to whom/what), or purpose. Context determines meaning.

ゆらぐ

to sway; to waver; to be shaken (faith, status)

His determination did not waver.

Literally describes a physical object swaying or being unstable. Figuratively used for a person's faith, resolution, or a system's foundation being shaken.

ほほえみ

smile

She gave a gentle smile and gazed at me.

Refers to a soft, often silent smile. Frequently used with the verb 'ukaberu' (to show/float).

topic marker particle

This year, the cherry blossoms bloomed early.

Marks the topic of a sentence - what the sentence is about. Often implies contrast with other possible topics. Written as は but pronounced 'wa'. Differs from が which marks the grammatical subject.

とき

time, when, occasion

Memories from childhood are precious.

Indicates a specific time period or moment. Often used with の before or after to mean 'when' or 'the time of'. Can mark both past periods and hypothetical situations.