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 111
Wabi-Sabi Meaning: What the Word Really Means in Japanese
Ask a Japanese friend to define wabi-sabi and the most common answer is a pause, a smile and something like: it is hard to explain, but you know it when you see it.
10 min readKaizen Meaning: Everyday Japanese Word vs Business Method
In a Japanese doctor's office you might hear that your sleep habits need kaizen, and nobody means a continuous improvement programme.
9 min readKintsugi Meaning: The Craft, the Words and the Metaphor
Kintsugi is a repair: a broken bowl is joined with lacquer and the seams are finished in gold, so the history of the break becomes part of the object.
9 min readKomorebi Meaning: Sunlight Through Leaves and Other Light Words
Komorebi is the light that slips between leaves on a sunny day, and Japanese has a single, everyday word for it.
9 min readTsundoku Meaning: The Pile of Unread Books, and How to Read It
If you own Japanese books you bought with good intentions and never opened, Japanese has a word for your shelf: tsundoku.
9 min readHow to Say See You Later in Japanese: Mata Ne, Jā Ne and Mata Ato De
Japanese has no single word for "see you later". Instead, you choose a parting line that fits who you are leaving and when you expect to see them again.
10 min readHow to Say I Understand in Japanese: Wakarimashita, Shōchi and More
Saying "I understand" in Japanese is not one phrase but a small ladder, from a casual wakatta with friends to kashikomarimashita for a customer.
10 min readHow to Say No Problem in Japanese: Daijōbu, Mondai Nai and Ii Yo
"No problem" in English covers a request, a thank-you and an apology. Japanese uses a different phrase for each, and picking the right one is what makes you sound natural.
9 min readHow to Say I'm Excited in Japanese: Wakuwaku, Tanoshimi and Kōfun
"I'm so excited" is one of the first feelings learners want to express, and the dictionary word, kōfun, is exactly the one that can make people smile for the wrong reason.
9 min readHow to Say I'm Lost in Japanese: Michi ni Mayotta and Asking for Help
Japanese streets rarely have names, so getting lost is a normal part of life in Japan, and so is asking a stranger for help.
10 min readHow to Say I'm Full in Japanese: Onaka Ippai, Kekkō Desu and More
Saying you are full in Japanese is easy; saying it at someone's dinner table without sounding ungrateful takes a few more words.
10 min readHow to Say I'm Sleepy in Japanese: Nemui, Nemutai and Uto Uto
Sleepy after lunch, nodding off on the train, groggy after an alarm: Japanese has a precise word for each, and most of them start with nemu.
9 min readPractical guides
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