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 56
Japanese for a BBQ with Friends: Riverside Barbecue Phrases
To suggest a barbecue, say bābekyū shinai? (Want to have a BBQ?). At the grill, the key words are yaketa (it's cooked), mada nama (still raw) and kogechatta (it got burnt), and at the end everyone says gomi wa mochikaeri: we take our rubbish home.
10 min readJapanese for Carrying a Mikoshi: Joining a Local Festival
To ask to join, say omikoshi o katsugitai desu (I'd like to carry the mikoshi). On the day you will chant wasshoi, follow short calls from the organisers, say kōtai shimasu when you swap out, and end with a shared meal called the naorai.
10 min readJapanese for a Day at the Beach: Umi no Ie, Swimming and Sunburn
Invite friends with umi ni ikō! (Let's go to the beach!). At the beach, the umi no ie huts rent parasols and showers, yūei kinshi means no swimming, and after too long in the sun you will hear hiyake shichatta: I got sunburnt.
9 min readJapanese at a School Festival (Bunkasai): Stalls, Shows and Chat
A bunkasai (文化祭) is a school's culture festival, where each class runs a stall, café, exhibit or show. As a visitor, nan no omise desu ka? (What's your stall?) starts a conversation, and sugoku tanoshikatta desu (It was really fun) ends it.
9 min readJapanese at a Mochitsuki: Rice-Pounding Events and Their Calls
A mochitsuki (餅つき) is a rice-pounding event where steamed sticky rice is beaten into mochi with a wooden mallet, the kine, in a mortar, the usu. The crowd calls yoisho! with each strike, and if someone asks yatte mimasu ka? (Want to try?), say yes.
10 min readJapanese for Watching Football: J-League, World Cup and Sports Bars
Football is sakkā in Japanese. Start with doko no fan? (Which team do you support?), shout gōru! for a goal and oshii! for a near miss, and when the referee gets it wrong, ima no wa fauru desho: that was a foul, surely.
10 min readJapanese for Board Game Night: Rules, Turns and Mahjong Basics
At a board game night, say rūru o oshiete (teach me the rules), ask tsugi wa dare no ban? (whose turn is it?), and end with mō ikkai yarō (let's play again). At a mahjong table, the calls are pon, chī, ron and tsumo.
10 min readGoukon Meaning: Japanese Group Dates and How to Talk at One
Gōkon (合コン), often spelled goukon, is a Japanese group blind date: a few men and a few women, usually strangers to the other side, meet over dinner and drinks. Each side has an organiser, the kanji, and the evening runs on a toast, self-introductions, small talk and, if it goes well, swapping LINE.
10 min readJapanese at an Escape Room: Teamwork Phrases for Riaru Dasshutsu
Escape rooms in Japan are called riaru dasshutsu gēmu (real escape games) or simply dasshutsu gēmu. To play with Japanese friends you need fast, short lines: kore, angō janai? (isn't this a code?), hinto kudasai (a hint, please) and, with luck, kagi ga aita! (it opened!).
9 min readJapanese for a Snow Day: Yukigassen, Snowmen and Slippery Streets
When snow settles overnight, say yuki ga tsumotta ne! (The snow has settled!). Then it is time for yukigassen (a snowball fight) and yukidaruma (a snowman), warnings like michi ga tsurutsuru da kara ki o tsukete (the road is icy, be careful), and yukikaki, shovelling snow with the neighbours.
10 min readLearn Japanese with Variety Shows: Telop, Reactions and Tsukkomi
Japanese variety shows are one of the best sources of natural, unscripted spoken Japanese, and the colourful on-screen captions called telop (テロップ) let you read along with what people say. Watch for the reactions and the boke and tsukkomi rhythm, then retell a segment aloud and react like a panellist.
11 min readLearn Japanese with Reality Shows: Real Conversations, Unscripted
Japanese reality shows, especially the share-house format, let you hear young adults talk without a script: hesitating, softening opinions, and moving from polite speech to casual speech as they get closer. Learn the phrases for feelings and opinions, then retell a scene and say what you think.
10 min readPractical guides
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