One of the first words we learn in Japanese is onna / 女 meaning ‘woman/female’, but it can also be one of the least polite ways to refer to women. When referring to people in Japanese, it’s good to be conscious of the feeling that different words may give to the listener. More appropriate words … 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
I am a huge fan of using podcasts to learn Japanese! You can listen to them anywhere, anytime: while walking, doing housework, in the bath, falling asleep… you can sit down to study with a dictionary and notepad in hand, or you can listen to them passively as you go about your day to increase … 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
Otoko no ko or danshi? Depending on age and stage of life, there are a few ways to say ‘boy’ in Japanese. Words for describing people in Japanese have different uses and nuances. Here we will go over the different words for ‘boy’ in Japanese and how to use them in the right context. … Read more
You probably recognize the kanji for woman/female, 女, but how do you say ‘girl’ in Japanese? There are several words for ‘girl’ in Japanese and many of you know that this is because Japanese has formal and informal ways of describing people. For example, even though the kanji just mentioned for ‘woman’ is onna / … Read more