If you go to Japan, hopefully you will experience a lot of happy times during your visit! But how would you express this happiness in Japanese conversations? The two most common ways to say ‘happy’ in Japanese are ureshii (嬉しい / うれしい) and shiawase (幸せ / しあわせ). Generally, ureshii describes that temporary feeling of joy … Read more
Seeing as our earth revolves around the sun, it is safe to say that it is a central entity in our lives, whether it be culturally, religiously or otherwise. For many cultures, including Japanese culture, the sun represents light and energy. Japan is even known as the Land of the Rising Sun! So, let’s get … Read more
The moon is considered one of the most beautiful sights to behold from our earth. That is why it is a common depiction in various stories, artworks, songs and more. If you look to Japan, you will also find that the moon is referenced in abundance throughout its culture and mythology. The word for moon … Read more
If you are thinking of visiting Japan, it’s important to familiarise yourself with the Japanese currency, yen. Not only that, but you should also know a bit about the social norms surrounding money in Japan. Let’s start off with how to say ‘money’ in Japanese, and then we will discuss other money-related terms and tips … Read more
Legends of a great beast known as the dragon have been recorded from all corners of the world. Humans seem to be predisposed to the idea of dragons, as you will find stories about them from pretty much any ancient society, such as the Fáfnir from Scandinavian mythology, the Ninki Nanka from West Africa and the … Read more
As you may already know, sayonara (さよなら) is the Japanese word for ‘goodbye’. However, if you want to say ‘see you later’, sayonara would not be the most suitable term. Instead, a more natural way to say ‘see you later’ in Japanese would be mata ne (またね)! Even in English, you can feel the difference … Read more
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