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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.
All articles · Page 27
Kanji for Home: 家 vs 宅 vs うち, and Which One to Use
The everyday kanji for home and house is 家, read ie (a house) and also used for uchi (home, my place), and ka or ke in compounds such as 家族 (kazoku, family). 宅 (taku) also means home, but only inside formal words like 自宅 (jitaku, one's own home); on its own, warm home is usually うち.
11 min readKanji for Ice: 氷 (kōri), Kakigōri, Glaciers and Everyday Words
The Japanese kanji for ice is 氷, read kōri on its own and hyō in compounds such as 氷河 (hyōga, glacier). It is the kanji for water, 水, with one extra dot, and it also gives summer one of its best words: かき氷 (kakigōri, shaved ice).
11 min readKanji for Gold: 金 in お金, 金曜日, 金色 and Everyday Words
The Japanese kanji for gold is 金, read kin, as in 金メダル (kin medaru, gold medal). The same kanji also means money, read kane in お金 (okane), and Friday, 金曜日 (kin'yōbi), so context decides which meaning you see.
10 min readKanji for Earth: 地 vs 土 vs 地球, and Which One You Need
Japanese splits the English word earth into three: 地 (chi, ji) for the ground and land, 土 (tsuchi, do) for soil, and 地球 (chikyū) for the planet Earth. Which one you need depends on whether you mean the ground under your feet, the dirt in a flowerpot or the world itself.
10 min readKanji for Color: 色 (iro) in 色々, 景色, 顔色 and More
The Japanese kanji for color is 色, read iro on its own, as in 好きな色 (suki na iro, favourite colour). It also builds everyday words that are not about paint at all: 色々 (iroiro, various), 景色 (keshiki, scenery) and 顔色 (kaoiro, how healthy someone looks).
10 min readKanji for Child: 子 in 子供, 様子, 帽子 and Everyday Words
The Japanese kanji for child is 子, read ko, as in 子供 (kodomo, child) and 息子 (musuko, son). It is also a tiny suffix with no child meaning at all in words like 帽子 (bōshi, hat), 椅子 (isu, chair) and 様子 (yōsu, how things look).
11 min readKanji for Beginning: 始 vs 初, and 初めて vs 始めて Explained
Japanese has two kanji for beginning: 始 (shi, hajimeru) for starting an action, as in 始める (hajimeru, to start), and 初 (sho, hatsu, hajime) for the first time or the earliest part, as in 初めて (hajimete, for the first time). Both 初めて and 始めて are read hajimete, but they mean different things, so the kanji matters.
11 min readKanji for Blessing: 祝 vs 恵 vs 福 and How Each One Is Used
There is no single kanji for blessing in Japanese; three kanji share the idea. 祝 (shuku, iwau) is to celebrate, as in お祝い (oiwai), 恵 (megumi) is a gift you are blessed with, as in 恵まれる (megumareru, to be blessed with), and 福 (fuku) is good fortune, as in 福袋 (fukubukuro, lucky bag).
11 min readShichi-Go-San in Japan: Meaning, Customs and What to Say
Shichi-Go-San (七五三, literally seven-five-three) is a Japanese celebration on 15 November for children aged three, five and seven. Families dress the children in their best clothes, visit a shrine to give thanks for their health, buy long chitose-ame candy and take commemorative photos.
9 min readComing of Age Day in Japan (Seijin no Hi): Customs and Phrases
Coming of Age Day, Seijin no Hi (成人の日), is a Japanese public holiday on the second Monday of January, which is 11 January in 2027. Towns hold ceremonies for young people who have recently become adults, and the classic congratulation is seijin omedetō.
9 min readKotatsu and Staying Warm in a Japanese Home: Words and Tips
Many Japanese homes have thin walls, single-glazed windows and no central heating, so people heat the room they are in, or just themselves. The kotatsu, a low table with a heater underneath and a quilt on top, is the classic answer, alongside air-con heating, kerosene heaters, hot water bottles and stick-on heat packs.
9 min readJapanese Winter Vocabulary: Snow, Cold, Food and Real Phrases
The basic Japanese words for winter are fuyu (冬, winter), yuki (雪, snow), samui (寒い, cold) and kōri (氷, ice). To sound natural, learn the difference between samui, tsumetai and hieru, a few kinds of snow, and the small-talk lines Japanese people say every winter morning.
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