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 · Page 22
Tsumaranai Meaning: Boring, Dull and a Gift Formula
Tsumaranai is the word a bored child says about homework, and also, surprisingly, the word an adult uses when handing over a carefully chosen gift.
5 min readJapanese Tea Vocabulary: Sencha, Matcha, Hōjicha and More
In Japan, ocha usually means green tea, and knowing a handful of tea names makes menus, cafés and home visits far easier.
5 min readSumo Vocabulary: Ranks, Techniques and Watching a Tournament
Sumo commentary sounds dense until you know about thirty words, and after that a bout lasting a few seconds becomes easy to follow and talk about.
6 min readIrasshaimase Meaning: What Shop Staff Are Saying
Every shop door in Japan opens onto the same word, and the first thing most visitors want to know is what they are supposed to say back. The answer is: almost nothing.
6 min readIttekimasu and Tadaima: Leaving and Coming Home
Japanese homes run on four short phrases said at the front door, and once you know them you will hear them everywhere: in offices, dorms, share houses and anime.
6 min readNaruhodo Meaning: I See, and When Not to Say It
Naruhodo is one of the most useful listening words in Japanese and one of the easiest to use in the wrong direction.
6 min readSou Desu Ne Meaning: Agreeing, Thinking and Tone
Sō desu ne may be the phrase you hear most in Japanese conversation, and it rarely means exactly the same thing twice.
6 min readYappari Meaning: As Expected, After All, and Changing Your Mind
Yappari is the word Japanese speakers reach for when reality matches what they thought, or when they change their mind back to what they thought first.
5 min readKimochi Meaning: Feelings, Kimochi Ii and Kimochi Warui
Kimochi covers the breeze on your face, the nausea on a bus, the thought behind a gift and the hurt behind a careless remark. One word, and all of it is feeling.
6 min readIkigai Meaning: How Japanese Speakers Actually Use the Word
Ask a Japanese grandmother about her ikigai and she is more likely to mention her grandchildren or her morning walk than a career aligned with the world's needs.
6 min readOmotenashi Meaning: Japanese Hospitality Beyond Service
The towel appears before you realise your hands are wet, and the umbrella bag is waiting before you reach the door. That is the idea omotenashi describes.
5 min readKanpai Meaning: How to Toast in Japanese
At a Japanese table nobody drinks until someone says kanpai, and learning when that moment comes matters more than learning the word.
5 min readPractical guides
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