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 117
How to Say It's Expensive in Japanese: Takai, Discounts and Cheaper Options
Takai means expensive, but how you say it in a Japanese shop decides whether you sound like a thoughtful customer or a rude one.
9 min readHow to Say One More Time in Japanese: Mō Ichido and Mō Ikkai
Asking someone to say it again is the most useful survival phrase a learner can have, and Japanese gives you polite, casual and very formal ways to do it.
9 min readHow to Say I'm Worried in Japanese: Shinpai, Ki Ni Naru and Fuan
Shinpai is the word most learners know for worry, but Japanese separates worrying about someone, feeling uneasy and something simply bothering you.
8 min readThe Tte Particle in Japanese: Quoting, Hearsay and Casual Topics
Tte is the small word that makes spoken Japanese sound spoken: it quotes, reports what you heard, introduces a topic and adds insistence, all in one syllable.
12 min readWake ni wa Ikanai in Japanese: Can't Very Well and Have To
Wake ni wa ikanai says you cannot do something, not because it is impossible, but because it would be wrong, awkward or unacceptable in the situation.
11 min readNi Tsurete and Ni Shitagatte in Japanese: As X Changes, So Does Y
Ni tsurete and ni shitagatte both mean as, in the sense of one change bringing another with it: as it gets colder, the leaves turn red.
11 min readBakari ka and Dokoro ka in Japanese: Not Only... and Far From
Bakari ka means not only... but even, and dokoro ka means far from it or let alone; both take a sentence further than you might expect.
10 min readDake Atte and Dake ni in Japanese: As Expected and All the More
Dake atte praises a result that matches someone's status or effort, and dake ni explains why a feeling is all the stronger, and both are used a great deal in written and spoken Japanese.
11 min readKiri in Japanese: Only, Ever Since, and Kiri ga Nai Explained
Kiri is a small word with a strong sense of closure: just the two of us, the one and only time, left and never came back, and there is no end to it.
12 min readAgeku and Sue ni in Japanese: After All That, In the End
Ageku and sue ni both mean after a long process, in the end, but ageku usually ends in something bad, while sue ni can end anywhere.
11 min readNi Kakawarazu and Ni mo Kakawarazu: Regardless of vs Despite
One small mo turns regardless of into despite: ni kakawarazu says something does not matter, while ni mo kakawarazu says something happened in spite of it.
10 min readMono no and Mono nara in Japanese: Although, and If Only I Could
Mono no says I did it, but it didn't turn out as expected; mono nara says if I could, I would, or warns what happens if you dare.
10 min readPractical guides
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