to prepare oneself; to be mentally ready

falsetto / when singing with shamisen accompaniment, a singing voice that is lower than the shamisen / a voice that sounds off-kilter

crushed ice / shaved ice, usually topped with ingredients such as honey, syrup, etc.

language family

Kyūjitai form of 外来語, a foreign loanword transliterated into Japanese, usually written in katakana.

(history) Saigon (a city in Vietnam), the former name of modern Ho Chi Minh City

polite language

(rare) favorable progress / (rare) meeting a deadline, being on time

(rare) to make favorable progress, to proceed as expected / (rare) to meet a deadline, to be on time

onomatopoeia (word that sounds like what it represents)