One thing I really love about Japanese snacks is all the unique flavours. Anko (red bean paste), kinako (roasted soybean flour), umeboshi (sour pickled plums), ramune soda and more. Most of these tastes are hard to come by in the UK where I live now. Taste is a very powerful sense, so when I do … Read more
It is no surprise that Japanese is a language containing a lexicon of words with deep, profound meanings. So much so, that we may find we don’t even have the words to express such ideas quite the same in English! Many Japanese words are written in kanji characters. Kanji are logographic characters which originally come … Read more
Don’t worry – this post will teach you all the most common and useful ways to say ‘don’t worry’ in Japanese! The basic way to say ‘don’t worry’ in Japanese is shinpai shinai de (心配しないで / しんぱいしないで). But of course, as in English, there are a few different ways to communicate this expression. In this … Read more
In this post, we will learn how to express our tiredness in Japanese! It is a feeling we all experience from time to time, whether we are working or studying hard, hitting the gym or just feeling mentally worn out. The standard Japanese word for ‘tired’ is tsukareta (疲れた / つかれた). But of course, there … Read more
In previous posts, we have explored how to introduce ourselves and make basic conversation in Japanese. After these introductions you will hopefully make acquaintances with whom you can meet up with again and practice your Japanese even more! One of the phrases you will hear a lot when meeting up with old friends is hisashiburi … Read more
‘Congratulations’ is one of those basic phrases that is really useful to know in Japanese! It’s quick and easy to learn, and can be used in a variety of different situations. The basic way to say ‘congratulations’ in Japanese is omedetou (おめでとう). Now, depending on the situation, omedetou can be modified to sound more (or … Read more
If you already know how to count from numbers 1-12 in Japanese, then learning the months of the year will be a breeze for you! If you don’t, not to worry, as you sure will after getting familiar with the months of the year in Japanese. Talk about a great two-for-one lesson! Essentially, the names … Read more
In this post we are going to learn about shiki (四季 / しき) or the ‘four seasons’ in Japanese. So if you’re looking to expand your Japanese vocabulary, or are interested in learning a bit about the different times of the year in Japan, then this is just the post for you! How to say … Read more