Useful Japanese Lessons

In many Japanese conversations, movies, and anime, a very common word you’ll hear is 気持ち (kimochi).  What does this word mean, and why is it so useful? Let’s see why! 気持ち (kimochi): Feeling, mood, state of mind Japanese people are often described as non-emotional people. If you board a train in Japan, especially in Tokyo, … Read more

The basic word for cat in Japanese is: 猫 (neko). As you learn more Japanese, you’ll find that there are many ways to describe cats (depending on their type). You may want to be a cat because they sleep most of the day happily. Japanese people say that cats are geniuses at finding the most … Read more

Japanese has many different words which have the same meaning but a completely different nuance. For example, Japanese uses a lot of keigo or honorific language. Knowing the right word to say for every situation can be difficult, especially if you need to apologize to someone.   If you need to say sorry to someone in … Read more

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

The word うるさい (urusai) in Japanese has a lot of meanings. It can be used to describe something that is noisy, loud, or irritating. It can also be used to describe someone’s personality. And it can be used to tell someone to “Shut Up!” Let’s look at all of its nuances and see how to … Read more

“He’s so cool!”  This kind of comment is common in many different cultures, including Japanese. But, how do you say “cool” in natural Japanese? We’re here to discuss just that; we’ll break down the word, its meanings, and uses in this article. As you may have already guessed, the word for “cool” in Japanese is … Read more

Are you finally ready to leave your 2-D waifu or husbando and enter into the 3-D dating scene in Japan? Dating in Japan is quite different compared to western standards, and if you venture into the scene unarmed, you’ll probably fail your mission.  The Japanese are conservative and generally keep to themselves. That’s why it … Read more

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

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

How do you say “maybe” in Japanese? One expression that you will use hear and often use is かもしれません (kamoshiremasen). In English, this word means “perhaps” or “might.” You can use it with verbs, adjectives, or nouns. It’s also easy to learn, so let’s get right into it! Kamoshiremasen is the polite form (also known … Read more

Tongue twisters are a fun way to get familiar with a new language. In this article, I will introduce you to 10 Japanese tongue twisters (also known as 早口言葉 (haya kuchi kotoba) in Japanese). The first two I will introduce are relatively easy tongue twisters; try saying it as fast as possible, three times in … Read more

Many of you already know that the word “sayonara” means goodbye in Japanese, but did you know that it’s unnatural to say in most situations? It’s too formal and “serious” to use casually.   So what’s the best way to say goodbye in Japanese? Let’s look at the most common (formal and informal) ways and how … Read more

The word すみません (sumimasen) is one of the first words you learn in Japanese class. It is an ULTRA useful word used every day in Japan: in business and stores, talking to people, anime…pretty much everywhere. It doesn’t take long for learners to pick up on this word, which means “excuse me” or “sorry.”  However, … Read more

失礼します (shitsurei shimasu) is a staple phrase in Japanese work and school environments. It’s used to excuse oneself for doing something rude. 失 means flawed or defective, and 礼 means etiquette or manners. Put this word 失礼 with します, or to do, and you’ve got 失礼します: “to do something rude.” A good English translation of … Read more

There are multiple ways to form conditional statements in Japanese, often known as “if” statements in English. One such method is the と (to) conditional, of which we will discuss the meaning and usage in detail in this article. While this conditional is often considered an “easy” grammar point, some things can be tricky. So … Read more

カタカナ (katakana) is one of the fundamental components of the Japanese writing system. ひらがな (hiragana) and 漢字 (kanji) are the other two Japanese writing systems. If you want to learn all of the katakana for free, this step-by-step guide with video will teach you how to pronounce, read, and write all of the katakana characters. Modern Katakana Characters Modern katakana has 46 base characters: five singular … Read more

Although there is no literal translation to it, 面倒くさい (mendokusai) means something like “burdensome” or “troublesome.”  Mendokusai is often written in just hiragana: めんどくさい (mendokusai). You may have also heard of the shorter form of the word, 面倒  (mendō). *Note:  You may find that there are two versions of this word:  The version listed above, … Read more

ちょっとまって (chotto matte) means “wait a moment,” and it’s used in a wide variety of situations, from everyday conversation to more formal scenarios.  How to Use “Chotto Matte” in Japanese ちょっと (chotto) is a very useful word you are probably already familiar with. It means “a little bit, slightly.”  ちょっと (chotto) is an informal expression, … Read more

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

The volitional form of a verb in Japanese expresses an invitation or suggestion. In English, the volitional form is often translated as “let’s ~,” suggesting an action that involves the listener in some way. The volitional form also expresses one’s will or intention when referring to an action done by the speaker (but that does … Read more

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

Beki (べき) means “should” and “to be supposed to do” and enforces the meaning that something has to be done according to moral rules and common sense. It translates to “You should ~” in English. Like, “You should study harder.” Or “You should be more polite.” Knowing its meaning and nuance can be beneficial to … Read more

ひらがな (hiragana) is the fundamental component of the Japanese writing system. カタカナ (katakana) and 漢字 (kanji) are the other two writing systems in Japanese.  If you want to learn all of the hiragana for free with step-by-step videos and descriptions, this guide is for you. In Japan, people start learning ひらがな (hiragana) at a very young age, usually in preschool or … Read more

So you’ve started learning Japanese! As you’ve gone along, I bet you’ve stumbled across the word desu. It shows up so often, but what does it mean? And, most importantly, how can you use it in your sentences?  What is Desu? です (desu) is a copula. I know, that sounds like unhelpful grammar jargon, right? … Read more