let's learn about Japanese Language and Culture
Homophones in Japanese can be confusing because you have to make the correct decision on which kanji to use, depending on the meaning! If you’re unfamiliar with what homophone means, it is a word that is pronounced the same way but has different meanings. In …
Have you heard of romaji? Romaji is a system which converts traditional written Japanese into a format using Latin letters. If you’re struggling with learning the Japanese writing system, this can be an easy way to get into Japanese. It is especially useful if you …
Shiritori or しりとり is a traditional Japanese word game that is popular among young children in Japan. The game requires no materials so it’s a great way to pass the time when there’s nothing else to do. For Japanese learners, it’s effective for learning and …
Ever wondered what a dog’s bark is in Japanese? It’s not “woof woof” but “wan wan”. There are a whole set of words that represent animal sounds or onomatopoeia in Japanese. Because these sounds are usually tied to common animals in Japan, you might notice …
Japanese prepositions are incredibly useful for describing where things are and pointing them out! In a previous article, I went over how to ask for directions in Japanese which you can check out here. This time, I wanted to specifically go over the prepositions. If you …
Have you ever wondered what kinds of Japanese slang phrases young people are using these days? Here are 10 phrases that are trending in 2021! Note that these phrases come and go, so they could fall out of style quickly. If no one around you …
Japan is beautiful in all of its seasons but Autumn in Japan can be a particularly colorful time of the year. There are all sorts of seasonal foods, traditions, and sayings that celebrate Autumn. In Japanese, Autumn is called 秋(aki). Climate of Autumn in Japan: In …
Summer is a time full of unique traditions in Japan. In western countries we might associate the summer with ice cream, beaches, and barbecues. In Japan, there are all sorts of traditions from food, festivals, and keeping cool during the hot summer months. If you …
Knowing “This”, “That”, and “Which” in Japanese is really useful when you want to point things out or ask about a certain object. Some situations where you might need to use it are in a store or a restaurant. There are different words you’ll need …
Did you know that some Japanese words sound like English but don’t really translate? These are called 和製英語わせいえいご (wasei eigo) and are distinct Japanese words. In fact, many Japanese people don’t realize that they are using wasei-eigo. This means that they will sometimes try to …