Useful Japanese Lessons

と思います (to omoimasu) means “I think” in Japanese. It is widely used in both casual and formal situations to express opinions and predictions. It also used to make some expressions sound more polite and nicer. How to Use と思います (To Omoimasu): An Brief Introduction と思います (to omoimasu) is the polite form of と思う (to omou): … Read more

Te iku and te kuru can express: A physical movement in space; Consistency within an ongoing process; A change of state. Sounds hard? Don’t worry, we’ll break this down step by step! The Basics Iku means “to go,” and kuru means “to come.”  We use the “te form” to connect two verbs (two actions) done … Read more

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

The general way to say “wear” Japanese is 着る (kiru). However, there are actually many different ways to say “to wear” in Japanese, depending on the item you will put on your body. In this article, we’ll look at all the different ways to say to wear in Japanese. 1. 着る (Kiru): To Wear; To … Read more

At some point in your Japanese-learning journey, you’re bound to stumble on zu form verbs. Don’t worry—if you’ve learned basic Japanese verb conjugations already, this is easy to pick up! What is the Zu Form? The zu form is similar to the nai form. They mean the same thing: both are ways of creating negative … Read more

The Japanese word for girl is 女子 (joshi). As with the Japanese word for boy, there are several other words for girl in Japanese that changes depending on the girl’s age and life stage.  Let’s look at the other ways to say girl in Japanese and how and when to use them. 1. 女の子 (Onna … Read more

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

Do you know how to say Monday in Japanese? How about Tuesday? In this article, you can learn each day of the week in Japanese and the meaning of each kanji. I will also cover how to use the days of the week naturally in conversations.  Also be sure to check out our days of the … Read more

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

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

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

In English, the potential form of verbs uses the word “can” (can do, can see, etc.). How do you use the potential form in Japanese?  In this article, we will discuss the different forms and uses of the Japanese potential form and some of the nuances within them. できる (Dekiru): The Backbone of the Potential … Read more

The standard way to say “only” in Japanese is だけ (dake). However, there are many other ways to say only.   Which word you use depends on the situation. In this article, we will look at 6 natural ways to say “only” in Japanese.   1. だけ (Dake): Standard Way to Say Only  As I already mentioned, … Read more

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

The word 頑張って (ganbatte) is a common and useful word when speaking Japanese. It means “do your best” or “fight” as a form of encouragement. While many learners of Japanese pick this word up early, no matter where you are in your journey, 頑張って is an excellent word to have in your toolbelt. In this … Read more

Imagine that you’re a genius high school student who is the vice president of the school council. You have a crush on the council president, but you can’t confess your feelings because that would mean admitting that you liked them first, making you the loser in the relationship! But what do you do if you … Read more

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

Bakari (ばかり) is a word that Japanese learners usually stumble upon early in their studies. We use the bakari form mainly with the meaning of “only,” “just,” or “nothing but ~.” It can be tricky, but together we will understand its meaning, structure, and how to use it naturally. As you can see, bakari has … Read more

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

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

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

The general way to refer to yourself in Japanese is by using the word 私 (watashi).  While this is the most common way to say “I” in Japanese, there are many more words to indicate I, my, or me. It depends on your personality, your gender identity, your age, and the context in which you’re … Read more

In this article, you will learn how to tell time in Japanese. This is an essential skill in Japan, where punctuality is very important, and transportation always runs on time. Before we begin, you may wish to review the numbers from 1 to 59. Let’s start with the basic vocabulary of telling time. Time-Related Vocabulary … Read more