The word すごい (sugoi) is very popular, even among people who don’t know a lot of Japanese. Sugoi has two major definitions: amazing and terrible. That’s pretty sugoi itself, right? Not only does sugoi have two very different meanings, but it’s also quite flexible within a sentence. Sugoi can be an adverb, adjective, or just an exclamation of delight. You can use it with your friends and your … Read more
This complete guide to learning Japanese will go into detail of how and what to study. Most traditional ways to learn Japanese are not efficient and is just a waste of your time. I’ve always wanted to know how to study and master Japanese. After years of studying Japanese, getting advice from native speakers, and … Read more
If you’ve watched anime or other Japanese media, you’ve probably heard the phrases いただきます(itadakimasu) and ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita). But what do they mean? When eating food is involved, Itadakimasu is translated as, “I receive this meal.” Gochisousama deshita means “thank you for the meal.” However, there are deeper meanings to both of these humble Japanese phrases. In this article, we’ll be … Read more
Adjectives are words that are used to describe things. They play a vital role in increasing your language fluency. Japanese adjectives are broadly divided into two categories: i-adjectives and na-adjectives. I-adjectives end in -i and are conjugated similarly to verbs. Na-adjectives end in -na when they come before a noun and are conjugated using the … Read more
Keigo is considered one of the more challenging aspects of studying Japanese. Its three-tier system of honorific levels is a challenge to native and foreign students alike. In this article, we’ll explore the three major categories of Japanese keigo, how and when to use them, and why Japan uses this polite language in the first … Read more
Colors add detail and texture to your words and paint an image in your listeners’ minds. Learning the colors in Japanese will add more vibrancy to your language. Be sure to check out our learning Japanese page for more lessons to improve your skills! Let’s begin by taking a look at the two different adjective … Read more
Say you’re watching the sun setting behind Mt. Fuji. How do you tell your Japanese friend that the scene is beautiful? Or perhaps your partner just walked in wearing a new dress. How would you compliment them? Let’s look at how to say beautiful in Japanese. Beautiful in Japanese: Utukushii (美しい) or Kirei (綺麗)? … Read more
Japanese speakers often use the word Naruhodo(なるほど) in everyday conversation. Learning how to use naruhodo correctly can make your Japanese sound very natural. However, you need to be careful in certain situations, as misusing the word can lead to awkward conversations. So let’s take a detailed look into the naruhodo, as well as similar expressions … Read more
Japanese drugstores, or yakkyoku, can be daunting. Even if you feel pretty good about your Japanese ability, names and descriptions of medicine can be highly technical and heavy on the kanji. With shelves bursting with more products than you ever knew existed, finding the right medicine might seem like an impossible task. And kampo-yaku, … Read more
Along with kanji and onomatopoeia, counting is an element of Japanese that seems daunting due to the sheer amount of words involved. There seems to be a counter for everything—in fact, the Japanese language has about 500 – 600 counters! (reference page is in Japanese only) Even native speakers will confess they don’t know all of them. … Read more
Learning Japanese can be daunting. It is a language with three levels of formality depending on social standing and the situation the speaker is in. There are easy and fun ways to learn Japanese though. “ありがとう” (Arigatou), or thank you, is one of the first textbook Japanese phrases we are taught. But if you are the one … Read more
Japanese particles are among the most fascinating and important to your understanding of the language. Particles are suffixes – they attach themselves right after words (nouns, verbs, and adjectives) and phrases in the sentence. Think of a Japanese sentence as being built out of separate blocks of information. Particles work as the glue and the … Read more
Te-Form, Part I: Putting It All Together How do you go from the short, choppy sentences found in your first-year Japanese textbook to longer, more complex statements? If I had to name the single element of Japanese grammar that is most important to moving past the beginner level, it would have to be the te-form. … Read more
Wa and Ga: A Tale of Two Particles When I started learning Japanese way back in 2002, my white-haired professor shared a daunting, darkly hilarious fact: by the end of our first semester, we would have a good idea how to use wa and ga correctly, but it would take us until we were his … Read more
Communication is the backbone of any office environment. This is no different in Japan. Language is important for communicating, but it’s more than just saying the right words. It’s usually much more nuanced. Your delivery of a statement can impact its meaning. Your body language can also affect how your words are interpreted. These subtle … Read more
Mastering Japanese verbs is probably one of the most important skills you need to become fluent in Japanese. Knowing how to conjugate Japanese verbs will allow you to describe actions, desires, situations and a lot more. Most people think that learning Japanese verbs is very difficult. This is NOT true! Learning Japanese verbs is easy. … Read more
Planning a trip to Japan? Interested in learning Japanese? Then you have come to the right place. Although a lot of people are already familiar with the word arigatou, there are more ways to say thank you in Japanese. I will be sharing different ways to say thank you, as well as explaining the meaning … Read more
How to Learn Japanese for Beginners In this guide, you’ll find all of the resources you need to go from a beginner to a low-intermediate level of Japanese. While this guide is for beginners, it assumes you already know the basic fundamentals of Japanese. If this is your first time learning Japanese, check out our … Read more
Useful Japanese Phrases for When You Go to the Doctor Going to the doctor in Japan can be a mixed experience, especially if you don’t speak much Japanese. Japan has a “hybrid” healthcare system, meaning that the government pays for 70% of costs (or more if you’re a low-income elderly resident) and the remaining 30% … Read more
Why Can’t I Learn Japanese? Have you been studying Japanese for months or years and feel like you’re not improving at all? Or do you feel like studying is pointless because you don’t really learn anything useful? If this is you (and I’m sure most of us have felt this way studying Japanese), there is … Read more
There is never truly an end to learning a language, and to me, that is precisely what makes it so exciting. You’re never done. There is always something new to learn, and you will always play the role of the student. I was always that kid in class who loved coming back to school in … Read more
Visiting Japan and don’t have time to learn 2,000 kanji? That’s the number of kanji that are commonly used in Japan in everyday life.These days, if you stick to the larger cities like Tokyo or Osaka, you can probably get by without knowing any at all. But in the smaller cities and towns, you’ll be … Read more
When you’re learning to speak Japanese, it can sometimes feel like you’re learning more than just one language. That’s because you use different words and grammar depending on who you’re talking to. It’s expected that you acknowledge a person’s social status in the language that you use. If you’re going to interact with Japanese people … Read more
What is the best way to learn Japanese? If you want to know how to learn Japanese fast and efficiently, this list of 15 tips will show you exactly how to do that. The methods covered in this guide are a collection of advice from Japanese teachers, people who have gained fluency in a second … Read more
Chapter II: Where to Start Learning Japanese In this chapter, we’ll show you what you should study for each level. If you don’t know where to start learning Japanese, this guide will help you. Absolute Beginners If you have never studied Japanese before, you’re in for a treat. The beginning of your journey to learn … Read more
Chapter III: 5 Steps to Mastering Japanese (Or Any Language) In Chapter I, you learned the basic formula and tips that will put you on the path of becoming fluent in Japanese. In chapter II, we gave you an outline of all the material you should learn and master at each level. In chapter III, … Read more
How to Practice Speaking Japanese if You’re Shy What if I’m too afraid or shy to speak Japanese with anyone? This is an issue that many people have. It can be difficult speaking to someone in a totally different language, especially if you’re a beginner. You don’t know many words and grammar patterns, so you … Read more
Chapter IV: Common Questions and Frustrations About Studying Japanese You’ll probably have lots of questions about learning Japanese. How long does it take to learn Japanese? Can I become fluent in Japanese in 3 months? What if I’m too shy to speak to anyone? In chapter 4 of the best way to learn Japanese guide, … Read more
5 Ways to Practice Speaking Japanese on Your Own If you have already read our “best way to learn Japanese” guide, then you know that I highly recommend you practice speaking Japanese with a teacher or tutor. There are so many great Japanese teachers online now that it’s easy to find someone who you can … Read more
How to Learn Kanji in Record Time Kanji. Just hearing that word brings fear and intimidation to many people. Learning kanji takes time, patience, and a lot of effort. The number of jouyou characters (common-use kanji) is 2,136. On top of that, most kanji have multiple readings, and some contain many strokes that you have … Read more