Understanding Shitsurei Shimasu: Essential Japanese Etiquette
失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) is a staple phrase in Japanese work and school environments. It’s used to excuse oneself …
Erin Himeno Archive
How to Say Girl in Japanese Naturally: 5 Different Ways
The Japanese word for girl is 女子 (joshi). As with the Japanese word for boy, there are several …
How to Say Boy in Japanese Naturally
The Japanese word for “boy” is 男子(danshi). There are several other words for boy that depend on the …
How to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese
Happy birthday in Japanese is 誕生日おめでとう (tanjoubi omedetou). Birthday celebrations in Japan are quieter and more personal than …
How to Say You in Japanese Naturally
While the standard textbook definition for you in Japanese is あなた (anata), this pronoun is highly nuanced and …
iKnow Japanese Review: Is It Worth Paying For?
You need to learn thousands of core vocabulary words to be fluent in Japanese. This is a daunting task; …
The Best FREE Resources for Learning Japanese
Did you know that it’s possible to learn Japanese for free? All you need is an internet connection, …
How to Say Please in Japanese
There are two ways to say “please” in Japanese: ください（Kudasai）– often used when requesting an action or a …
How to Say Friend in Japanese: 12 Natural Ways
The generic word for friend in Japanese is 友人 (yuujin). Japanese people have many different ways to say …
How to Say Sister in Japanese: 7 Different Ways
The Japanese for older sister is 姉 (ane), while the word for younger sister is 妹 (imouto). Unlike …
How to Say Brother in Japanese
The word for brother in Japanese depends on whether they are older or younger than you. Your older …
How to Say Husband in Japanese
The “standard” word for husband in Japanese is 夫 (otto). Whereas there are many nuanced words for wife …
18 Ways to Say Yes in Japanese
In Japanese, yes is often translated as はい (hai). However, there are more meanings to the word hai …
10 Ways to Say Father in Japanese
The general word for father in Japanese is お父さん (otousan). However, there is more than one way to …
How to Say Wife in Japanese
The “standard” word for wife in Japanese is 奥さん (okusan). However, there are actually many different ways to …
How Do You Say Mother in Japanese?
The “general” Japanese word for mother is お母さん (okaasan). However, there are many different ways to say mother …
What Does Daijoubu Mean in Japanese?
The word 大丈夫 (daijoubu) means certainly, undoubtedly, alright, okay, problem-free. If you want learn how to speak Japanese quickly, …
Tai Form: Expressing Desire in Japanese
In Japanese, the ～たい（-tai）form is used to express desire. When a verb is conjugated using the -tai form, …
Natural Japanese Expressions: Ittekimasu, Itterasshai, Tadaima and Okaerinasai
Whether you’re settling into your Japanese homestay, trying to fit in better at the office, or just wanting to make some …
What Does Sugoi Mean in Japanese?
The word すごい (sugoi) is very popular, even among people who don’t know a lot of Japanese. Sugoi has two …
Itadakimasu and Gochisousama Deshita: Being Polite in Japan
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). …
13 Amazingly Useful Japanese Words
If you’re studying Japanese, then you know it can be a tricky language. However, it can also be …
The Many Meanings of Yabai in Japanese
The word ヤバい (yabai) is used so often by young Japanese people that many of them might struggle …
Understanding Japanese Keigo: The Honorific Language of Japan
Keigo is considered one of the more challenging aspects of studying Japanese. Its three-tier system of honorific levels …
21 Cool Japanese Words That Are Hauntingly Beautiful
Some Japanese words are so succinct and deeply ingrained in Japan’s culture that they can’t be easily translated. …
How to Say Beautiful in Japanese Naturally
Say you’re watching the sun setting behind Mt. Fuji. How do you tell your Japanese friend that the …
The Most Useful Japanese Counters You Need to Know
Along with kanji and onomatopoeia, counting is an element of Japanese that seems daunting due to the sheer …
10 Ways to Say You’re Welcome in Japanese
Learning Japanese can be daunting. It is a language with three levels of formality depending on social standing …
