Japanese learning blog
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
All articles · Page 107
How to Say I Don't Understand in Japanese: Wakarimasen and Beyond
The standard way to say I don't understand in Japanese is wakarimasen, with wakaranai among friends, but the phrase that actually helps you is the one that says what you did not understand and asks the speaker to say it again more slowly or in different words.
13 min readHow to Say I Have to Go in Japanese: Mō Ikanakya, Sorosoro and O-saki ni
I have to go in Japanese is mō ikanakya with friends, sorosoro ikimasu or sorosoro shitsurei shimasu with people you address politely, and o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu when you leave the office before colleagues, usually softened with a short reason.
13 min readHow to Say I Think in Japanese: To Omoimasu, Kamoshiremasen and Softer Options
I think in Japanese is to omoimasu after a plain-form sentence, or to omou with friends, but Japanese speakers reach just as often for softer phrases such as n ja nai ka na, kamoshiremasen and ki ga suru, and choosing between them is what makes an opinion sound natural.
13 min readJapanese at a Cooking Class: Booking, Allergies and Following the Instructor
A Japanese cooking class runs on a small set of instructor verbs and a few polite questions from you: kitte, mazete and itamete tell you what to do, dore kurai asks how much, and ajimi shite mite kudasai invites you to taste.
13 min readJapanese at a Hospital Emergency Room: 119, Night Clinics and Triage
An emergency visit in Japan follows a fixed sequence: decide between 119 and going yourself, hand over your insurance card, answer the triage nurse's short questions, fill in a form and wait, and each step has a handful of phrases you can prepare.
13 min readJapanese at a Japanese Garden and Castle: Tickets, Signs and the Tea House
At a Japanese castle or garden you buy a nyūjōken at the gate, follow signs for the tenshu or the main pond, and a handful of words such as honmaru, ishigaki and karesansui unlock nearly every explanation board and guide's sentence.
13 min readJapanese at a Shrine for Omikuji and Omamori: Charms, Fortunes and Goshuin
At the shrine office window you ask for a charm with the purpose in front of omamori, draw a fortune with omikuji o hiitemo ii desu ka, and the result level printed at the top, from daikichi to kyō, tells you whether to keep it or tie it up.
13 min readJapanese at a Tea Ceremony: What the Host Says and How You Reply
At a Japanese tea ceremony you need only a few fixed phrases: o-saki ni to the guest beside you, o-temae chōdai itashimasu when you lift the bowl, and taihen kekkō de gozaimashita when the host asks how the tea was.
13 min readJapanese at a Playground with Other Parents: Greetings, Ages and Mama-tomo
At a Japanese playground, the conversation between parents follows a friendly, predictable script: a greeting, a question about the child's age, a few shared safety phrases and a polite goodbye, and once you know that script you can join in on your first visit.
13 min readJapanese at a Pottery or Craft Workshop: Booking a Taiken, Instructor Phrases
A craft taiken in Japan is a short hands-on lesson in pottery, indigo dyeing, calligraphy or paper making, and you will get far more from it if you can book politely, follow the instructor's simple spoken instructions and ask for help when your hands do not do what you expected.
13 min readJapanese at a Sake Brewery Tour: Kura Words, Tasting Talk and Buying Bottles
A sake brewery tour in Japan is a guided walk through the kura followed by a tasting, and the whole visit runs smoothly if you can book politely, follow a few key words from the guide and describe what you taste.
13 min readJapanese at a Share House: Viewings, House Rules, Kitchen Etiquette and More
A Japanese share house runs on a short list of house rules and a lot of small daily courtesies, and the phrases you need most are for the viewing, the shared kitchen and bath, the cleaning rota and the moment you have to raise a problem politely.
13 min readPractical guides
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