A close-up of a man’s hand giving a thumbs down. The man is wearing a button up black shirt with stripes which can be seen blurred in the background.

What Does “Dame” Mean in Japanese

Dame (written as だめ in hiragana, ダメ in katakana, or 駄目 in kanji) is one of those Japanese words you will see all the time in conversation and text. The basic definition of dame is “Not Good,” but it has many other meanings: no, bad, stop, not allowed, useless, hopeless, wasted, or ruined, based on … Read more

An Asian family having a picnic. There is a mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, and a young girl and boy in the picture.

How to Say Family in Japanese (and Family Members)

It’s no secret that Japan is a very family-oriented culture. Japanese strongly value bonding with their blood relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Common Japanese practices like going out for drinks with your boss and co-workers after work or cleaning the school with your classmates foster a similar close-knit family environment between peers.  Considering the concept … Read more