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 42
How to Say Good Job in Japanese Without Sounding Condescending
Tell your manager yoku dekimashita after their presentation and you have spoken like a teacher marking homework. Praise in Japanese has a direction.
6 min readHow to Say Let's Go in Japanese: Ikō, Ikimashō and Iku Zo
Ikimashō is correct, ikō is friendly, ikō ka is a suggestion and iku zo is a battle cry. They all mean let's go, and they are not interchangeable.
6 min readHow to Say Cool in Japanese: Kakkoii, Suzushii and Reisei
In English one word covers a great jacket, a pleasant breeze and staying calm under pressure. Japanese needs a different word for each, and mixing them up changes the meaning completely.
6 min readHow to Say Wait in Japanese: From Chotto Matte to Shōshō Omachi Kudasai
Chotto matte kudasai is correct Japanese, but say it to a customer on the phone and you have sounded curt. Asking someone to wait is one of the places politeness shows most.
6 min readHow to Say Don't Worry in Japanese: Ki ni Shinaide and More
When a friend apologises, shinpai shinaide sounds slightly off. They are not anxious about the future; they feel bad about the past. Japanese has separate words for those two worries.
6 min readHow to Say I Am Learning Japanese, and Keep the Conversation Going
Say you are learning Japanese and the other person will ask how long, why and whether it is hard. Having those answers ready turns one sentence into a real conversation.
7 min readJapanese Tongue Twisters (Hayakuchi Kotoba) for Pronunciation
Japanese announcers and actors warm up with tongue twisters. For learners, they are a precise, fun way to train the exact sounds that make an accent hard to follow.
7 min readCan You Live in Japan Without Speaking Japanese? An Honest Answer
Yes, many people live in Japan with very little Japanese. The honest part of the answer is what it costs them, and where it stops working.
6 min readWhy You Understand Japanese but Can't Speak It (and How to Fix It)
You can follow a show, read a message and understand your teacher, but when it is your turn to talk, the words will not come. That gap is normal, and it has specific causes.
6 min readInside and Outside Groups in Japanese
The reason you drop the honorific from your own manager's name in front of a client is not politeness; it is which group you are both standing in.
6 min readHonne and Tatemae: What People Say and Mean
Tatemae is not a lie, and treating it as one is the fastest way to misread a Japanese conversation.
6 min readWhere to Sit: Seating Order in Japanese Rooms
There is a correct seat, you are probably standing next to it, and everyone in the room knows which one it is.
6 min readPractical guides
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