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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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Majime Meaning: Serious, Earnest and Hardworking in Japanese
Majime (真面目) means serious, earnest and conscientious: someone who takes things properly, works hard and follows through. It is usually a compliment, but between friends majime da ne can also be a gentle tease, a bit like saying you're such a good student.
8 min readYoyuu Meaning: Time, Money and Mental Room to Spare in Japanese
Yoyū (余裕) means room to spare: extra time, extra money, extra space, or the calm that comes from not being stretched. Yoyū ga aru means you have some margin; yoyū ga nai means you are stretched to the limit.
9 min readUzai Meaning: What うざい Means and Who You Can Say It To
Uzai (うざい) is casual slang for annoying, irritating or a pain. Said about rain, ads or your own hair it is just venting, but said seriously to a person's face it is one of the harshest everyday words in Japanese.
9 min readKimoi Meaning: What キモい Means and Why It Can Hurt
Kimoi (キモい) is casual slang for gross, creepy or disgusting. It is a shortened form of kimochi warui (気持ち悪い), which can also mean I feel sick. Said about bugs it is harmless, but said about a person it is deeply hurtful.
9 min readDasai Meaning: What ダサい Means in Japanese Slang
Dasai (ダサい) means uncool, tacky, dorky or lame. It describes clothes, designs and behaviour that are out of style or embarrassing, and among friends it is often playful, though it stings when meant seriously.
9 min readEmoi Meaning: What エモい Means on Japanese Social Media
Emoi (エモい) is slang for something that stirs a vague, bittersweet emotion: moving, nostalgic or atmospheric. It comes from the English word emotional and is used constantly on social media for photos, songs, sunsets and memories.
9 min readUkeru Meaning: ウケる as Slang and 受ける as a Verb
As slang, ukeru (ウケる) means that's hilarious or LOL. As a standard verb, ukeru (受ける) means to receive or take: take an exam, take a call, take a class. It also means to go down well, which is where the slang comes from.
9 min readIkemen Meaning: What イケメン Means and How to Use It
Ikemen (イケメン) means a handsome, good-looking man. It is casual, everyday Japanese, and it is also used as praise for cool, kind behaviour: a gesture can be ikemen even when it is not about looks.
9 min readZettai Meaning: How to Use 絶対 (Absolutely) in Japanese
Zettai (絶対) means absolutely, definitely or for sure. You hear it in promises (zettai iku, I'll definitely go), bans (zettai dame, absolutely not) and refusals (zettai muri, no way). With a negative verb, it means never.
9 min readSuteki Meaning: How to Use 素敵 (Lovely, Wonderful)
Suteki (素敵) means lovely, wonderful, charming or delightful. It is a warm, gentle compliment for clothes, places, people, ideas and moments, and suteki desu ne is one of the safest polite compliments in Japanese.
9 min readHima Meaning: 暇 for Free Time, Boredom and Invitations
Hima (暇) means free time, or having nothing to do. Among friends, hima? (are you free?) is the classic opener for an invitation, but with teachers or bosses it can sound rude, so you ask o-jikan arimasu ka instead.
9 min readAnata Meaning: Why Japanese Rarely Says あなた (You)
Anata (あなた) means you, and it is the first word for you in most textbooks. In real conversation, though, Japanese speakers rarely say it to someone's face. They use the person's name or title, or leave you out altogether.
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