Speaking and pronunciation
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Speaking and pronunciation · Page 23
Japanese for Hotel Front Desk Staff: Check-In, Requests and Problems
A hotel worker who serves Japanese-speaking guests or wants a hospitality role in Japan often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to guide a guest through check-in and respond calmly when a request changes, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readJapanese Speaking Practice for Beginners: A First-Month Routine
A beginner who has learned kana and a few phrases but has not had a conversation often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to answer simple personal questions and build a short exchange without translating every word, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readIntermediate Japanese Speaking Practice: Move Beyond Short Answers
An intermediate learner who can manage daily tasks but struggles to sustain a conversation often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to explain an opinion, add a supporting example and respond to another person's point, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readJapanese Pronunciation Practice: Shadowing, Recording and Useful Feedback
A learner whose Japanese is understood but still sounds hesitant or hard to follow often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to make mora timing, long vowels and phrase rhythm easier for listeners to understand, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readHow to Practice Japanese Conversation Alone: 7 Active Speaking Drills
A learner with no regular Japanese conversation partner often needs more than another list of phrases. This guide shows how to build faster spoken recall and become ready to respond when a partner is available, with a repeatable practice method and a concrete way to measure progress.
6 min readJapanese Yokai Names and Meanings: Kappa, Tengu, Oni and More
Yōkai (妖怪) are the supernatural creatures of Japanese folklore, and most of their names describe them plainly: kappa (河童) is "river child", tengu (天狗) is "heavenly dog", and yuki-onna (雪女) is "snow woman".
8 min readRude Japanese Pronouns in Anime: Omae, Kisama, Temee Explained
Omae (お前), kisama (貴様), temē (てめえ), anta (あんた) and onore (おのれ) all mean you, and all are rough. Omae is common among close male friends, anta is blunt, and kisama, temē and onore are fighting words that survive mainly in fiction. Learners should use the person's name plus san, or no pronoun at all.
8 min readHalloween in Japan: How It Is Celebrated and Words to Know
Halloween in Japan, Harowin (ハロウィン), is mostly a costume and shopping season for young adults and families, not a night of door-to-door trick-or-treating. People dress up, called kasō (仮装), visit theme parks and parties, and buy limited-edition pumpkin sweets.
8 min readJanken: How to Play Rock Paper Scissors in Japanese
Rock paper scissors in Japanese is janken (じゃんけん): gū is rock, choki is scissors and pā is paper. You chant saisho wa gū, janken pon, show your hand on pon, and call aiko de sho if it is a tie.
8 min readHardest Japanese Words to Pronounce and How to Fix Them
The hardest Japanese words to pronounce are rarely long: they are words like tsuzuku, ryokō, byōin, kitte, fun'iki and atatakakatta, where one beat too many or too few changes the word. Each has a quick fix once you count the beats.
8 min readJapanese Nicknames (Adana): How They Are Made and Used
Japanese nicknames, adana (あだ名), are usually made by clipping a name to one or two beats and adding a suffix such as chan, kun or tchi, by doubling a syllable, or by blending the family and given names, as in Kimutaku for Kimura Takuya.
8 min readYuru-kyara: Japan's Mascots From Kumamon to Funassyi
Yuru-kyara (ゆるキャラ) are Japan's laid-back mascot characters, most of them created to promote a town, region or organisation. The name shortens yurui kyarakutā, loose or relaxed character, and the best-known examples are Kumamon, Funassyi and Hikonyan.
7 min readPractical guides
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