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 123
Japanese Masu Stem Uses: One Verb Form Behind Ni Iku, Nagara, Tai, Kata and More
The masu stem, the part of a polite verb left when you remove masu (tabe, nomi, hanashi), is the base for purpose with ni iku, nagara, yasui and nikui, sugiru, hajimeru and owaru, kata, tai, compound verbs, nouns and formal clause joining.
13 min readHanasu, Iu, Shaberu: Choosing the Right Japanese Verb for Speak
Hanasu is to talk or converse, iu is to say specific words, shaberu is to chat casually, kataru is to tell a story, noberu is to state formally and tsutaeru is to pass a message on: six verbs, six different jobs.
13 min readOshieru, Narau, Manabu: Japanese Verbs for Teaching and Learning
Oshieru means to teach and also to tell someone information, narau is to learn from a teacher, manabu is to learn in a broad sense, benkyō suru is to study, oboeru is to memorise and minitsukeru is to make a skill your own.
13 min readSuru vs Yaru: When to Use Each Japanese Verb for Do
Suru and yaru both mean to do, but suru is the neutral, all-purpose verb that also builds hundreds of compounds, while yaru is casual, physical and personal, and it doubles as the verb for giving to juniors, pets and plants.
13 min readKakaru Meanings: Time, Cost, Hanging, Locks, Calls and Doctors
Kakaru is an intransitive verb whose core image is something coming to rest on or against something else, which is why it covers time and money being spent, a picture hanging, a lock being on, an engine catching, a call arriving and even seeing a doctor.
13 min readMotsu Meanings: Hold, Own, Last, Pay and Motte Iku in Japanese
Motsu means to hold something in your hand, but the same verb also covers owning, lasting, taking responsibility, paying the bill and, joined with iku or kuru, carrying things away or bringing them along.
13 min readAgaru, Ageru, Sagaru and Sageru: Rise, Raise, Fall and Lower in Japanese
Agaru means something rises by itself, ageru means you raise it, sagaru means something falls or steps back, and sageru means you lower it, and the same four verbs cover prices, temperature, grades, speed, stepping into a house and going on stage.
13 min readAku, Akeru, Shimaru and Shimeru: The Japanese Open and Close Verbs
Aku and shimaru describe something opening or closing by itself, akeru and shimeru describe a person opening or closing it, and the pair you choose changes the particle, the tense and the whole feeling of the sentence.
14 min readHataraku vs Tsutomeru: How to Say Work in Japanese Without Mistakes
Hataraku means to work as an activity and takes de for the place, while tsutomeru means to be employed by an organisation and takes ni, so a self-introduction uses tsutomete imasu for your employer and hataraite imasu for where or how you work.
13 min readNomu Meanings: Drink, Take Medicine, Swallow and Accept in Japanese
Nomu means to drink, but Japanese also uses it for taking medicine, swallowing anything without chewing, smoking in older speech and accepting a demand, so kusuri o nomu and yōkyū o nomu are normal sentences even though nothing is being drunk.
13 min readTsukuru Meanings: Make Food, Friends, Time and Money in Japanese
Tsukuru means to make, and Japanese uses it far more widely than English does: you make dinner, make friends, make time, make money, make a company, make rules and make a document, all with the same everyday verb.
13 min readJapanese at a Campsite: Booking, Check-in, Firewood and Camp Rules
Japanese campsites are well organised and rule-driven: you book a specific type of site, check in at a reception hut, buy firewood there, sort your rubbish before you leave and keep quiet after a set hour, and a small vocabulary covers all of it.
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