Welcome to Episode 64 of Real Japanese Talk with Haruka & Saki! 🗼🐙

⚡ "I was praised for being 'high tension' - but tension means nervousness, right?" Saki's foreign friend spotted a real trap: in Japanese, テンション (tension) means your mood or energy, but in English "tension" means nervousness and strain. They're almost opposite! Today Haruka explains this classic wasei-eigo mix-up. 🎯

You'll learn three words:

• テンション (tension) - wasei-eigo for mood/energy; it goes 上がる (up) and 下がる (down)

• 盛り上がる (moriagaru) - to liven up; when tension is high, the scene 盛り上がる

• 落ち込む (ochikomu) - to feel down; when tension is low, you're 落ち込んでいる

💡 Inside: why "high tension" sounds alarming in real English, how テンション expresses BOTH highs and lows, and what to say instead - excited when you're up, depressed or feeling down when you're low.

Perfect for N3-N2 learners who want to dodge wasei-eigo traps and sound natural. Tokyo & Kansai dialogue, fully shadowable. Full transcript & study notes on Patreon. 🎧

【Today's Vocabulary / 今日の言葉】

・テンション (てんしょん) - In Japanese, テンション is wasei-eigo meaning your mood, energy, or spirits - how excited or up you feel. It rises and falls: 「テンションが上がる」 (mood goes up / get excited), 「テンションが下がる」 (mood goes down). Crucially, this is NOT the English "tension," which means nervousness, strain, or a tense atmosphere - so 「ハイテンション」 sounds alarming to English speakers. Say excited or hyper for the high end instead. Related words: 「気分」 (kibun, mood), 「ノリ」 (nori, vibe/energy), 「盛り上がる」 (to liven up).

・盛り上がる (もりあがる) - For a mood, gathering, or scene to liven up, get exciting, or reach a peak of energy. Equivalent to English "to liven up," "to get excited/hyped," or "to reach a climax." Used like 「パーティーが盛り上がる」 (the party livens up), 「話が盛り上がる」 (a conversation gets lively). When テンション is high, things 盛り上がる. The transitive partner is 「盛り上げる」 (moriageru, to liven something up / hype it up). Related words: 「活気」 (kakki, liveliness) and 「賑わう」 (nigiwau, to be bustling).

・落ち込む (おちこむ) - To feel down, depressed, or low; for one's mood to sink. Equivalent to English "to feel down" or "to get depressed." Used like 「失敗して落ち込む」 (feel down after failing), 「落ち込んでいる」 (be feeling low). It's the mood-opposite of 盛り上がる, and describes low テンション. It can also literally mean to fall/sink into (「穴に落ち込む」), but the emotional sense is far more common. Related words: 「へこむ」 (hekomu, casual "feel down") and 「元気がない」 (genki ga nai, lacking energy).

📄 Get the Full Transcript with Furigana & Study Guide on our Patreon!シャドーイングに便利な「ふりがな付き台本」はこちら：👉 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/posts/155837588⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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