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Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
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Karoshi Meaning: The Word Parts, Overwork Vocabulary and How to Set Limits
Karōshi, written 過労死, means death from overwork and is built from karō, excessive labour, and shi, death; it is a serious word for a recognised social problem, and around it sits a whole vocabulary you need for talking about hours, overtime and limits at a Japanese workplace.
13 min readSalaryman Meaning: Sararīman, OL, Kaishain and Company Words in Japanese
Sararīman, from the English words salary and man, is the everyday Japanese word for a male office employee on a fixed salary, and it carries an image of suits, packed commuter trains and company loyalty that the neutral word kaishain does not.
13 min readBushido Meaning: The Word, the Seven Virtues and How Japanese Use It Today
Bushidō, written 武士道, literally means the way of the warrior, and in modern Japanese it names an idealised code of samurai conduct that people now invoke, half seriously, for sport, work and personal discipline.
13 min readFreeter and NEET Meaning: Japanese Words for Jobs, Contracts and Not Working
Furītā is a Japanese word for someone who lives on part-time or casual jobs instead of a permanent position, while nīto, from the English NEET, means a young person not in education, employment or training.
13 min readJapanese Haiku for Learners: Counting 5-7-5, Kigo, Kireji and Three Classics
A haiku is a seventeen-sound poem in three groups of 5, 7 and 5 on, usually containing a season word and a cutting word, and reading a few in the original Japanese is one of the most rewarding things a learner can do with intermediate grammar.
13 min readTsundere Meaning: The Dere Words, Where They Come From and How to Use Them
Tsundere describes a character who is prickly and cold at first (tsun tsun) but turns soft and affectionate (dere dere) once their guard drops, and it is the best known of a whole family of dere personality words.
13 min readYōkoso Meaning: How to Say Welcome in Japanese and When to Use It
Yōkoso means welcome in Japanese and is used to greet someone who has arrived at a place, as in yōkoso Nihon e, welcome to Japan, while shops and restaurants greet customers with the different word irasshaimase.
13 min readHow to Say Good Morning in Japanese: Ohayō, Ohayō Gozaimasu and When to Use Each
Good morning in Japanese is ohayō gozaimasu, shortened to ohayō with family and close friends, and the polite form is the safe choice with anyone older, senior or unfamiliar to you.
13 min readHow to Say Happy New Year in Japanese: Akemashite Omedetō, Yoi O-toshi o, Akeome
Happy New Year in Japanese is akemashite omedetō gozaimasu, said only once the year has begun, while before the year ends you wish people yoi o-toshi o, have a good new year.
13 min readHow to Say I Am Sick in Japanese: Guai ga Warui, Kaze o Hiita and Netsu ga Aru
The natural way to say I am sick in Japanese is guai ga warui or taichō ga warui, I feel unwell, and byōki desu, which textbooks offer, sounds far heavier than most people intend.
13 min readHow to Say Nice to Meet You in Japanese: Hajimemashite, Yoroshiku and Replies
Nice to meet you in Japanese is hajimemashite, said at the moment you meet, followed by your name and yoroshiku onegaishimasu, which closes the exchange and asks for a good relationship ahead.
13 min readHow to Say What Time Is It in Japanese: Ima Nanji Desu Ka and Hearing the Answer
To ask what time it is in Japanese, say ima nanji desu ka, and the answer will be a number plus ji for the hour and fun or pun for the minutes, with han for half past.
13 min readPractical guides
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