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 29
Japanese Question Intonation: Rising Ka, Plain-Form Questions and Ne
A Japanese question rises only on its last syllable, usually ka or the final vowel of a plain verb, while everything before it stays level, and confirmations with ne and deshō use a shorter, softer rise or none at all.
12 min readHow to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese: Spoken Wishes for Every Person
Happy birthday in Japanese is tanjōbi omedetō to a friend and o-tanjōbi omedetō gozaimasu to anyone you speak to politely, and the choice between the two versions tells the listener how close you are.
13 min readHow to Say How Do You Say in Japanese: Nan to Iimasu ka and Friendlier Forms
How do you say in Japanese is X wa nihongo de nan to iimasu ka in polite speech, nan te iu no with friends, and nan te yomu no when you can see a word written but cannot read it out loud.
13 min readHow to Say I Can't Make It in Japanese: Polite Ways to Decline and Cancel
I can't make it in Japanese is ikenaku natta to a friend and ikenaku narimashita or tsugō ga waruku narimashite to a colleague, and the polite versions almost always come with an apology first and an alternative afterwards.
13 min readHow to Say See You Tomorrow in Japanese: Mata Ashita and Its Polite Forms
See you tomorrow in Japanese is mata ashita, and the phrase grows a soft ne with friends, a polite otsukaresama deshita in front of it at work, and shitsurei shimasu after it when you leave a teacher or a boss.
12 min readHow to Say What Do You Do in Japanese: Asking About Work Politely
What do you do in Japanese is o-shigoto wa nan desu ka in polite speech, and in real conversation it is usually shortened to o-shigoto wa, with a rising tone, because the unfinished question feels gentler than the full one.
12 min readHow to Say Could You in Japanese: The Request Ladder from Kudasai Upwards
Could you in Japanese is a ladder rather than a single phrase: te kudasai for plain requests, te kuremasen ka and te moraemasu ka for everyday politeness, te itadakemasu ka for customers and superiors, and te itadakenai deshō ka when the favour is large.
13 min readHow to Say Good Evening in Japanese: Konbanwa, When It Starts and Who Says It
Good evening in Japanese is konbanwa, written こんばんは, used from roughly dusk onwards when you meet or call someone you are not close to; family, close friends and colleagues you have already seen that day usually greet each other some other way.
13 min readHow to Say I Don't Understand in Japanese: Wakarimasen and Beyond
The standard way to say I don't understand in Japanese is wakarimasen, with wakaranai among friends, but the phrase that actually helps you is the one that says what you did not understand and asks the speaker to say it again more slowly or in different words.
13 min readHow to Say I Have to Go in Japanese: Mō Ikanakya, Sorosoro and O-saki ni
I have to go in Japanese is mō ikanakya with friends, sorosoro ikimasu or sorosoro shitsurei shimasu with people you address politely, and o-saki ni shitsurei shimasu when you leave the office before colleagues, usually softened with a short reason.
13 min readHow to Say I Think in Japanese: To Omoimasu, Kamoshiremasen and Softer Options
I think in Japanese is to omoimasu after a plain-form sentence, or to omou with friends, but Japanese speakers reach just as often for softer phrases such as n ja nai ka na, kamoshiremasen and ki ga suru, and choosing between them is what makes an opinion sound natural.
13 min readJapanese at a Hospital Emergency Room: 119, Night Clinics and Triage
An emergency visit in Japan follows a fixed sequence: decide between 119 and going yourself, hand over your insurance card, answer the triage nurse's short questions, fill in a form and wait, and each step has a handful of phrases you can prepare.
13 min readPractical guides
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