The words "WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? HOW?" written in white on a grey background. In the middle is a crumpled up ball of yellow paper, with white lines drawn around it and under it to look like a light bulb.

Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How in Japanese: A Complete Guide

You may remember studying the “5ws” (and how) in English class at some point. These words are essential communication tools in Japanese.  In this guide, we’ll break each word down and explain it in full detail. Some of these question words have multiple forms (for polite/formal conversations). Take time to read each explanation carefully and … Read more

An illustration of a woman to the left and a man on the right, both wearing white shirts (woman is wearing a grey skirt and the man is wearing grey pants). They are facing each other and bowing to each other.

What Does よろしくお願いします (Yoroshiku Onegai Shimasu) Mean?

One of the most famous phrases in Japanese is the greeting よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu). よろしくお願いします is commonly used in a variety of situations and can be translated into many different English phrases depending on the context. よろしくお願いします means “I ask for your favor,” but in reality, it’s a far more versatile phrase than that … Read more

A wooden "house-shaped" Japanese style sign with black text on it that reads, "The Ba Form in Japanese A step-by-step guide."

An in-Depth Look at the ば (Ba) Form in Japanese

For students of Japanese who have progressed to an intermediate level in their studies, one of the best tools in their grammatical toolbelt is the ability to form conditional sentences. Conditional sentences in English use the conjunction “if,” but Japanese has multiple grammar points for creating conditional sentences. The one we will look at in … Read more

An Asian groom lifting up the bridal veil of the young Asian bride.

How to Say Congratulations in Japanese

In any language, the ability to offer congratulations is a valuable tool and a great way to make people happy. Let’s learn how to say congratulations in Japanese and some examples of its use in practice. The Casual Way to Say Congratulations in Japanese The word for congratulations in Japanese is おめでとう (omedetō).  This is … Read more

A picture of a calendar with a pink piece of notepaper stuck in the middle of it with a red pushpin. On the note it reads, "The Days of the Month in Japanese."

The Days of the Month in Japanese

When making plans or discussing future events in Japanese, the ability to say the days of the month is a necessity. These days of the month can be tricky, but we’ll break it down step-by-step so you can learn them as easily as possible.  Before we break all of the days down, let’s look at all … Read more

A picture of tree going through the four seasons; on the left, the pink flowers are in bloom. Next, to the right of it, is green leaves. To the right of that, yellow leaves. And last, to the far right, a bare tree with no leaves.

How to Say the Seasons in Japanese

Japan takes great pride in its seasons, each with its own characteristics. If you plan to visit Japan for travel, knowing how to say the names of the seasons in Japanese may be very useful. Let’s take a look at the four seasons in Japanese and their characteristics. The Seasons in Japanese Spring: 春 (Haru) … Read more

A Japanese Torii Gate looking outside into nature, with the title of the article on a black rectangle that says, "How to Use the たり (-Tari) Form in Japanese.

Japanese Tari Form: Listing Actions Or Qualities

There are multiple ways to string verb phrases together in Japanese, one of which is by using the て (te)-form. The て-form is used to comprehensively list the actions of someone or something like: 夜ご飯を食べて寝た。(Yoru gohan o tabete neta.)  I ate dinner and slept. Another grammar point can also be used to make a list: … Read more