Hannah Stafford

If you have ever been exposed to Japanese culture, whether it be spending time with Japanese friends or enjoying an anime or drama, you will have likely heard the phrases itadakimasu and gochisousama. If you pay particular attention, you will notice that these terms are always reserved for meal time! This is a really beautiful … Read more

Making new friends? One of the first questions that comes up in conversation when meeting someone is ‘where are you from?’ – especially when we meet people in an international environment, such as travelling, at university or language school! And if you’re lucky enough to visit Japan, it’s a question you’re likely to hear from … Read more

When we make a new friend, it’s natural to want to ask ‘how old are you?’ But age can be a bit of a touchy subject, so it is important that we approach this topic in the most appropriate way! ‘Age’ in Japanese is nen rei (年齢 / ねんれい). Although it is grammatically correct to … Read more

Just as in English, the question ‘how much’ can be posed with a few different meanings in Japanese! You may want to ask how much something costs, how much time someone has, or ask about a quantity of something. For example, if you want to ask how much something costs in Japanese, the word is … Read more

Questions are essential building blocks of language. Whether you are trying to navigate a new country or want to create an engaging conversation and keep it flowing, knowing how to ask the right questions in Japanese will get you there!  Let’s start with what is sometimes called the ‘5 W’s’ in English: who, what, where, … Read more

Water is one of the most essential elements of life – and it shows up in many parts of the Japanese language too! The everyday word for water in Japanese is mizu (水). But did you know there are separate words for hot and cold water in Japanese? There are also several interesting kanji compounds … Read more

Fire is a force of nature in every culture, and Japan is no exception! The main word for fire in Japanese is hi (火 / ひ). You will also come across the word kaji (火事 / かじ), which is used for a destructive blaze such as a house fire. In Japanese, there are several words … Read more

Conversing about the weather is essential when it comes to making small-talk in Japan! Whether it be by the water cooler in the workplace, or a one-liner at the beginning of an email, some form of acknowledgment of the current weather is a great way to break the ice and get a conversation flowing.  Below … Read more