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 30
Japanese at a Tea Ceremony: What the Host Says and How You Reply
At a Japanese tea ceremony you need only a few fixed phrases: o-saki ni to the guest beside you, o-temae chōdai itashimasu when you lift the bowl, and taihen kekkō de gozaimashita when the host asks how the tea was.
13 min readJapanese at a Playground with Other Parents: Greetings, Ages and Mama-tomo
At a Japanese playground, the conversation between parents follows a friendly, predictable script: a greeting, a question about the child's age, a few shared safety phrases and a polite goodbye, and once you know that script you can join in on your first visit.
13 min readJapanese at a Share House: Viewings, House Rules, Kitchen Etiquette and More
A Japanese share house runs on a short list of house rules and a lot of small daily courtesies, and the phrases you need most are for the viewing, the shared kitchen and bath, the cleaning rota and the moment you have to raise a problem politely.
13 min readJapanese Bathing Customs at Home: Ofuro Rules, Bath Order and Phrases
In a Japanese home you wash and rinse completely on the stool outside the tub, then soak in bath water that the whole family shares in turn, leave the water in for the next person, and use a separate toilet room with its own slippers.
13 min readJapanese Birthday Customs: Who Pays, Cake, Milestone Ages and Phrases
Japanese birthdays are celebrated warmly but quietly: a cake and presents at home for children, a dinner where friends treat the birthday person for adults, very little at work, and big family ceremonies only at milestone ages such as three, twenty and sixty.
13 min readJapanese Name Order and How to Address People: Surname First, Titles and San
Japanese names are given surname first, and you address people by surname plus san unless a title such as sensei or buchō applies, keeping first names for children, close friends and family, and using your own name in the order your listener expects.
13 min readJapanese Tipping and Service Culture: Why There Is No Tip and What to Say
You do not tip in Japan: good service is part of the price, a tip left on the table is treated as forgotten money, and the way to show appreciation is a clear thank you, a return visit, and in a few specific settings a small gift or a sealed envelope.
13 min readJapanese Train Etiquette: Queuing, Priority Seats, Phones and Rush Hour
On Japanese trains you queue at the painted marks, let people off first, keep your phone silent and your voice low, hold your rucksack in front of you, avoid eating on commuter lines, and give up priority seats without being asked.
13 min readHow to Say See You Later in Japanese: Mata Ne, Jā Ne and Mata Ato De
Japanese has no single word for "see you later". Instead, you choose a parting line that fits who you are leaving and when you expect to see them again.
10 min readHow to Say I Understand in Japanese: Wakarimashita, Shōchi and More
Saying "I understand" in Japanese is not one phrase but a small ladder, from a casual wakatta with friends to kashikomarimashita for a customer.
10 min readHow to Say No Problem in Japanese: Daijōbu, Mondai Nai and Ii Yo
"No problem" in English covers a request, a thank-you and an apology. Japanese uses a different phrase for each, and picking the right one is what makes you sound natural.
9 min readHow to Say I'm Excited in Japanese: Wakuwaku, Tanoshimi and Kōfun
"I'm so excited" is one of the first feelings learners want to express, and the dictionary word, kōfun, is exactly the one that can make people smile for the wrong reason.
9 min readPractical guides
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