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 39
How to Say Hurry Up in Japanese, Politely and Otherwise
Hayaku! is easy to learn and easy to overuse. In Japanese, the way you ask someone to hurry says a lot about how you see them.
5 min readJapanese for Car Mechanics: Workshop Safety and Customer Phrases
In a Japanese workshop the first words you need are not the names of parts. They are the calls you make before a lift moves or an engine starts.
7 min readJapanese for Airport Ground Staff: Ramp Safety and Radio Calls
On the ramp you rarely get full sentences. You get short calls over engine noise, and the ones you miss are the ones that matter.
5 min readJapanese for Fishery and Aquaculture Work: Boats, Nets and Safety
On a fishing boat the most important Japanese sentence is also the shortest: someone has gone into the water.
6 min readJapanese for Railway Work: Track Safety, Pointing and Calling
Japanese railways are famous for pointing and saying things aloud. For a new worker that habit is also the fastest way into the language of the job.
5 min readJapanese for Forestry and Wood Work: Chainsaws, Slopes and Sawmills
When a tree starts to fall there is no time to translate. The calls have to be in your mouth before you need them.
5 min readJapanese for Shipbuilding Work: Welding, Cranes and Working at Height
A shipyard is cranes, heights and sparks at the same time. The Japanese you learn first is the Japanese that keeps you out from under a load.
5 min readJapanese for Electronics Manufacturing: Assembly and Inspection
On an electronics line, a part in the wrong orientation looks almost right. The Japanese that prevents it is short, precise and full of numbers.
5 min readJapanese for Bus Drivers: Announcements, Fares and Passenger Safety
A bus driver in Japan talks all day, mostly to people who never answer. The announcements are fixed, and they are the easiest place to start.
5 min readJapanese for Tour Guides: Groups, Meeting Points and Problems
A guide talks to the group in one language and runs the day in another. The Japanese side is less visible, and it is what keeps the tour on time.
6 min readJapanese for Pharmacy and Drugstore Staff: Shop Floor Phrases
The most important skill in a drugstore job is not knowing about medicine. It is knowing when a question belongs to the pharmacist.
5 min readJapanese at the Immigration Bureau: Renewing Your Residence Card
Most visits to an immigration bureau are long waits broken by two short conversations, and both go far better when you can say exactly what you came for.
8 min readPractical guides
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