Top 7 Books for Low-Advanced Students of Japanese Pictures

Top 7 Books for Low-Advanced Learners of Japanese

  If you made it to this level of Japanese, congratulations!  It only gets better from here! At this level, you should be able to: Read a minimum of 800 kanji characters Are comfortable reading simple books, blogs, and/or flyers in Japanese Hold conversations in Japan about a wide range of topics Can improvise (ex. … Read more

A group of three young people (two women, one man) is standing in a circle, all of them holding a stack of books in the center of them. The background is bright, but books on bookshelves can been seen.

Top 9 Japanese Books for Low-Intermediate Level Students

  Low-intermediate students of Japanese are just beginning to master the basics, and are ready to dive head first into more complex skills.  This is where you’ll spend a lot of time adding to your foundation in all areas of Japanese.  There’s a lot to learn, but the material at this level is very useful.  … Read more

A young Asian woman sitting down studying, with a lot of books scattered all over the table top.

The 10 Best Japanese Books for High-Intermediate Students

  Your goals as a high-intermediate student should be to increase your skill in all areas of Japanese, but put an emphasis on reading and speaking more naturally. A high-intermediate level means that you have:  An excellent foundation in all areas of Japanese (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) Can read at least 300 kanji characters … Read more

The Himeji Castle seen from afar, with the surrounding landscape and sky visible all around. There is text in it that reads, "The Sou Form in Japanese: It Looks Like ~ I Hear That ~"

Using the Sou Form in Japanese: It Seems/Looks Like ~/ I Hear That ~

The 〜そう (~sou) suffix expresses two different things:  It seems/looks (like)  I hear (that).  Let’s take a look at how it’s used. Sou Meaning #1: It Seems/Looks (Like) ~ “It looks/seems (like)” using 〜そう expresses the speaker’s impression or opinion based on visual cues. For this usage, 〜そう can be attached to verbs and adjectives.  … Read more

A young, Japanese girl explaining the Japanese word, "Yabai" with Japanese and English text displayed on the screen.

JapanesePod101 Review – Is It Worth It?

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. This means that if you click and purchase something, I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you) to help support this site. Learn more Learning Japanese is both fun and frustrating. It’s fun to learn new words and grammar, but it’s frustrating when you get “stuck.” Sometimes … Read more

A bunch of Post-It sticky notes of different colors on a board. Each has resolutions written on it like lose weight, find love, quit smoking, save money, etc. This is to illustration the meaning of the Tsumori form in Japanese.

The Tsumori Form in Japanese

Tsumori is a “must-know” grammar point when we want to talk about our plans and intentions. Let’s see how to use it properly and sound natural in everyday conversation!  つもり(Tsumori): Plan (To Do), Intention Tsumori is used to express strong intentions and plans, and it is widely used in daily conversations. It can be used … 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 group of business people (4 men and 2 women) talking to each other. The two women are talking in one group, and the 4 men are talking in their own group.

Sou in Japanese: One Of the Most Useful Words You’ll Learn

We use そうです (sou desu) and its variations to confirm or ask about the way things are. Related to the demonstrative pronouns これ (kore)、それ (sore)、あれ (are)、and どれ (dore)、the word そう (sou) means “that.”  The various forms of そうです (sou desu = (things are/in) that way) are used in many ways, in formal and casual registers, … Read more

A young woman in a kimono sitting down on a rock in front of a pond in a Japanese garden. The text on it reads, "ある (Aru) Vs. いる (Iru) What's the Difference?"

How to Use ある (Aru) and いる (Iru) in Japanese

How do you say ‘is’ in Japanese? It’s just one tiny word in English, but it has several equivalents in Japanese! We’ll go over two of these here: ある (aru) and いる (iru). What Are ある (Aru) and いる (Iru)? ある (aru) and いる (iru) are what we call ‘verbs of existence.’ In English, you’d … Read more

An office with glass windows that can see through to the outside. People are talking to each other, with two men in the center, facing each other and bowing.

The Complete Guide to Japanese Honorific Titles: San, Sama, Chan, Kun, & More

What are honorifics? Honorifics are words used to imply high status, politeness, or respect. The Japanese language has many different honorifics. One of the challenges Japanese language learners face is how to differentiate between the various honorifics depending on gender, social hierarchy, age, and other factors.  This article will explore common Japanese honorifics: san, sama, … Read more

Someone's two hands holding a white bowl over a grey/blackish table as if asking for food.

How To Say I’m Hungry in Japanese

Let’s have a look at the three common ways to say “I’m hungry” in Japanese: お腹が空いた。 (Onaka ga suita.) 腹が減った。  (Hara ga hetta.) お腹がぺこぺこ。   (Onaka ga peko peko.) We’ll also talk about the sound your stomach makes when you are hungry: お腹がぐーぐー鳴る。(Onaka ga guu guu naru.) Be sure to check out our “Learning Japanese … 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 Zen sand garden with smooth, curved lines running through it, with three stones stacked on top of each other in the middle. The text on the images says, "10 Useful Japanese Proverbs to Sound Like a Native Speaker."

10 Useful Japanese Proverbs to Make You Sound Like a Pro

Proverbs are used a lot in Japanese conversations. There are approximately 43,000 Japanese proverbs, according to the Great Dictionary of Tradition and Proverbs. Many of them are deeply rooted in traditional Japanese culture. Using common Japanese proverbs in conversations will surprise your friends with your knowledge and make conversations effective and exciting. This article will … Read more

A woman wearing a traditional Japanese outfit (kimono) holding a Japanese style umbrella walking on a street towards a temple in the background. The text on this images says, "Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in Japanese: A Step-By-Step Guide."

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in Japanese

If you’re speaking English, you probably don’t think much about whether your verbs are transitive or intransitive. In Japanese, though, the difference matters a lot. You might have to use a different sentence structure or even a different word!  First, you might be wondering… What Are Transitive and Intransitive Verbs? A transitive verb is a … Read more

A young, Asian woman in a pink-ish dress holding her first finger to her lips as if to say "shhh" to be quiet.

How to Say Shut Up in Japanese

Have you ever wanted to say “shut up” in Japanese? Even though Japan is a polite society, there may be times when you just want to tell someone to “shut up!” As a Japanese person, I don’t think we say “shut up” directly compared to other countries. However, that doesn’t mean we don’t have powerful … Read more

A young, Asian woman with her arms crossed in front of her face to form an "X" shape.

How to Say No in Japanese: 9 Natural Ways

When you live in Japan, you’ll encounter times when you’d like to say “no.”  There are many phrases you can use, which change according to the situation you find yourself in. Knowing these will help to make life easier. So let’s check out all of the different ways to say no in Japanese!  1. いいえ … Read more