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 7
Flu Season in Japan: Japanese Phrases for Infuru, Clinics and Work
In Japan, influenza is usually called infuru (インフル), and winter is flu season. If you have a fever, phone the clinic before you go, describe your symptoms, and tell your school or workplace; they will tell you their rules for staying home.
9 min readJapanese for Snow Days and Winter Commutes: Delays and Messages
When snow hits a Japanese city, trains run late or stop, roads freeze and everyone messages work. The key words are chien (遅延, delay), unten miawase (運転見合わせ, suspended service), tsurutsuru (icy and slippery) and yukikaki (雪かき, shovelling snow).
9 min readKakizome and New Year Goals in Japanese: How to Talk About Them
Kakizome (書き初め) is the first calligraphy of the New Year, traditionally done on 2 January: you write a word or short phrase that expresses your hopes for the year. To talk about New Year goals, use kotoshi no hōfu (今年の抱負) and three patterns: ~ tai, ~ yō to omotte iru and ~ koto ni shita.
9 min readŌmisoka: New Year's Eve in Japan and What People Say That Night
Ōmisoka (大晦日) is New Year's Eve in Japan, 31 December. Many families finish the big clean, eat toshikoshi soba (year-crossing noodles), watch a long year-end music show on TV, and listen to temple bells ring out the old year. Until midnight, people say yoi otoshi o, have a good New Year.
9 min readJapanese for New Year with a Japanese Family: Greetings and Manners
When you spend New Year with a Japanese family, greet everyone with akemashite omedetō gozaimasu, kotoshi mo yoroshiku onegai shimasu. Bring a small gift, say ojama shimasu as you enter, offer to help, praise the food, and when you leave, say ojama shimashita and thank them for the meal.
9 min readHow to Say I Agree in Japanese: Sō Desu Ne, Tashika Ni, Sansei Desu
The everyday way to say I agree in Japanese is sō desu ne, that's right, or watashi mo sō omoimasu, I think so too. Tashika ni agrees with a good point, and sansei desu means you are in favour of a proposal.
10 min readOjamashimasu Meaning: What to Say When You Enter Someone's Home
Ojamashimasu (お邪魔します) is what you say as you step into someone else's home. Literally it means I am going to be in your way, a polite apology for intruding, and it works like excuse me for coming in. When you leave, you switch to the past tense: ojamashimashita.
9 min readOsaki ni Shitsurei Shimasu Meaning: Leaving Work Before Others
Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu (お先に失礼します) means excuse me for leaving before you. It is what you say to colleagues who are still working when you go home, and the usual reply is otsukaresama deshita, thank you for your hard work.
9 min readOmoiyari Meaning: Japanese Consideration for Others, Explained
Omoiyari (思いやり) means consideration for others: imagining how another person feels and acting kindly because of it. It is one of the qualities Japanese parents and teachers praise most, and you will hear it in phrases like omoiyari ga aru hito, a considerate person.
9 min readSontaku Meaning: Acting on What the Boss Never Said
Sontaku (忖度) means guessing what someone else wants without being told, and acting on that guess. It began as a neutral, even admirable word, but since 2017 it is most often used for subordinates quietly bending the rules to please someone powerful.
9 min readIchigo Ichie Meaning: Treasure Each Meeting as Once in a Lifetime
Ichigo ichie (一期一会) means one time, one meeting: treat every encounter as if it will never happen again, because in a sense it will not. It comes from the world of the tea ceremony and is now used for hospitality, travel encounters and farewells.
9 min readJapanese at a Barber Shop: How to Ask for the Haircut You Want
At a Japanese barber, give your clipper length in millimetres (san miri de onegai shimasu, three millimetres, please) and describe the sides, back and top separately. If you want it short and neat, the magic word is sukkiri: sukkiri sasete kudasai.
9 min readPractical guides
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