Do you want to learn Japanese? Start by reading through these posts for a fun introduction to the Japanese language, including useful Japanese words, basic Japanese grammar and other Japanese lessons for beginners!
The Japanese greeting hajimemashite (はじめまして) is a commonly used term in Japanese daily life that you may very well have come across before. It is often translated as ‘nice to meet you’, or ‘how do you do’ – and that’s not exactly wrong, as it is used in this way. However, hajimemashite is one of … Read more
Once you’ve got the basic greetings covered in Japanese you are ready to engage in conversations and make new friends! When meeting someone for the first time they may ask you: anata no namae wa nan desu ka? (あなたの名前はなんですか / あなたのなまえはなんですか) meaning ‘what is your name?’. In this post, you will learn just how to … Read more
One of the most useful phrases to learn when speaking any language is ‘how are you?’. After learning how to say ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ or ‘thank you’, showing that you can say ‘how are you’ brings you one step further in impressing others with your language skills. It also allows for a conversation to grow where … Read more
Did you know that your pet cat won’t go ‘meow’ in Japanese? Instead, a cat’s meow would be nyaa-nyaa (ニャーニャー)! In Japanese, animal sounds are replicated through onomatopoeia. Each sound differs from the biggest and baddest, to the smallest and fluffiest animals. Some don’t even have an English equivalent, making them very unique to Japan. … Read more
There’s no doubt that the word ‘Japan’ conjures up the image of cherry blossoms or sakura! Each spring, people flock to hanami or cherry blossom viewing spots to witness the blooming curtains of pink and white, making this the most popular flower in Japan! But did you know that although the cherry blossoms are iconic, … Read more
Besides being known for technology and sprawling urban spaces, Japan is also very famous for its lush nature spots! Surely, you’ve seen photos of snow-capped Mount Fuji, huge Lake Biwa, or bamboo forests (or been there in the flesh!). Here are 70 Japanese words for nature to color your vocabulary green (or any color depending … Read more
There are a variety of ways to say ‘okay’ in Japanese. Even in the English language, ‘ok’ can mean different things. For example, one way to say ok as in ‘I understand’ in Japanese is wakarimashita (分かりました). Alternatively, ok meaning ‘it’s alright’ can be daijoubu (大丈夫). Here, you’ll learn the many types of ‘okay’ in … Read more
Ah-choo! Hang on… am I being gossiped about? Is it true that if you sneeze, someone else is talking about you? We’ll never know. That’s only one of the many Japanese superstitions that you might encounter during your stay or in popular culture. There’s a ton of famous superstitions, but a few unknown ones can … Read more