Thea Ongchua

In Japan, whether you’re sightseeing, trying on a kimono, or shopping for household decor, you’re bound to find something beautiful.  The most common words for ‘beautiful’ in Japanese are kirei (綺麗 / きれい), and utsukushii (美しい / うつくしい). However, the degree of beauty being described by each word is different. While kirei can be used … Read more

Every spring, two cute and romantic events are celebrated in Japan: Valentine’s Day (February 14) and White Day (March 14). On Valentine’s Day, the ladies express their love and admiration for the significant males in their life, usually by gifting them chocolate! Men are expected to respond a month later on White Day. After this … Read more

Among Japan’s unique unofficial holidays is White Day. Held exactly one month after Valentine’s Day – March 14, this is the day on which men express their appreciation for the women in their lives –  friends, coworkers, and especially lovers. Boyfriends treat this holiday as a special time to give their significant others chocolates, candy, … Read more

Parents usually address their children by their given name when speaking to them. In Japanese, there are certain nuances to consider when talking about your son or somebody else’s son. Musuko (息子 / むすこ) is the standard Japanese word for ‘son’. Depending on whose son is being talked about, other words such as musuko-san (息子さん) … Read more

Musume (娘 / むすめ) is the standard word for daughter in Japanese. However, there are differences in the ways it can be used. It depends on whose daughter you are speaking about, or speaking to.  Not a lot of Japanese words for daughter exist, compared to ones for mother, father, sister, or brother. Because of … Read more

Saying ‘wife’ in Japanese may not be as easy as 123. The most common Japanese word for ‘wife’ is okusan (奥さん / おくさん). But hang on, there’s also tsuma (妻 / つま), kamisan (上さん / かみさん), and many more! Husbands typically address their wives by their given name when talking to each other. But some … Read more

Family is no doubt one of the most important things in any culture. For people who are getting married soon or already are (congratulations!), you might be curious about Japanese words for family members. There are many ways to say husband in Japanese: otto (夫 / おっと) is the general term, but shujin (主人 / … Read more

Among the first few vocabulary we learn in any language is how to call our family members. A standard word for father in Japanese is otousan (お父さん / おとうさん). But did you know that there are many other ways to refer to your father in Japanese? Depending on who you are speaking to or talking … Read more