Vocabulary and phrases
Practical guides on speaking, grammar, pronunciation, listening, and study planning, written for learners who want to use Japanese in real life.
Vocabulary and phrases
Japanese Cat Names: Tama, Mike, Kuro and the Words for Every Coat
Classic Japanese cat names include Tama (タマ), Mike (ミケ, calico), Kuro (クロ, black), Shiro (シロ, white) and Tora (トラ, tiger, for tabbies). Many cats are simply named after their coat, and Japanese has charming words for coats such as hachiware (tuxedo) and kijitora (brown tabby).
10 min readJapanese Dog Names: Pochi, Hachi, Kotarō and Lucky Names for Shiba
Classic Japanese dog names include Pochi (ポチ), Hachi (ハチ, eight), Kotarō (コタロウ, little Tarō) and Maru (マル, round). Owners of Japanese breeds like the Shiba often pick lucky or old-style names such as Daikichi or Fuku, and Japanese dogs learn commands like osuwari (sit) and ote (paw).
10 min readJapanese Pet Names From Food: Mochi, Kinako, Azuki, Goma and More
Food names are among the most loved pet names in Japan: Mochi (rice cake) for a soft white pet, Kinako (roasted soybean flour) for a light-brown one, Azuki (red bean) for a reddish-brown coat and Goma (sesame) for a speckled one. Owners usually match the food to the coat colour, which makes these names easy to understand.
10 min readYoi Otoshi o Meaning: Saying Have a Good New Year in Japanese
Yoi otoshi o (良いお年を) means have a good New Year, and Japanese people say it as a goodbye in the last weeks of December. It is short for yoi otoshi o omukae kudasai, please welcome a good new year, so it is only used before the year changes, never after 1 January.
11 min readOkagesama de Meaning: The Japanese Thank You for Good News
Okagesama de (おかげさまで) means roughly thanks to you and everyone, and Japanese people say it when sharing good news about themselves: that they are well, that something went smoothly, that a business is doing fine. It is a modest, polite way of crediting the people around you rather than taking all the credit yourself.
11 min readYukidaruma and Snow Play Words in Japanese: Snowmen to Sledding
A snowman in Japanese is yukidaruma (雪だるま), a snowball fight is yukigassen (雪合戦) and sledding is sori asobi (そり遊び). To suggest building one, say yukidaruma tsukurō!, let's make a snowman, and the rest of a snow day's play follows the same easy pattern.
10 min readAkogare Meaning: Longing, Admiration and Dream Goals in Japanese
Akogare (憧れ) means longing or admiration for someone or something you see as an ideal and do not have yet: a senior you look up to, a city you dream of living in, a job you hope to do one day. The verb is akogareru, and it always takes the particle ni.
10 min readNakayoshi Meaning: Close Friends and Getting Along in Japanese
Nakayoshi (仲良し) means close friends or people who get along well, literally good relationship. You can call two classmates, a couple, siblings or even a cat and a dog nakayoshi, and the related phrases naka ga ii and nakayoku naru cover getting along and becoming friends.
9 min readKuchisabishii Meaning: When Your Mouth Feels Lonely in Japanese
Kuchisabishii (口寂しい) literally means my mouth is lonely, and it describes the urge to put something in your mouth when you are not really hungry: a sweet while studying, gum on a long drive, a snack in front of a film. It is an everyday, slightly humorous i-adjective.
9 min readBoketto Meaning: Zoning Out, Spacing Out and Doing Nothing
Boketto (ぼけっと) describes being vacant or absent-minded: staring into space, zoning out, standing around doing nothing. It is often used with suru, as in boketto suru, and it can be gentle or critical depending on who says it and why.
9 min readHara Hachi Bu Meaning: Eating Until 80 Percent Full in Japanese
Hara hachi bu (腹八分, usually said hara hachibunme, 腹八分目) means eating until you are about 80 percent full. It is a familiar Japanese saying about moderation, often quoted in the proverb hara hachibunme ni isha irazu: eat to eight tenths and you won't need a doctor.
8 min readMoe Meaning: From Budding Leaves to Anime Fan Slang
Moe (萌え) is anime and fan slang for a warm, protective, heart-melting affection towards a character, usually a cute one. It comes from the ordinary verb moeru, 萌える, which means to sprout or bud, and the original meaning is still used for spring leaves.
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