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 24
Japanese Transport Vocabulary Beyond the Station
Trains are only one mode. Buses take payment on the way out, bicycles have parking rules that catch newcomers, and a commuter pass has its own vocabulary, so the words you need spread well past the ticket gate.
15 min readJapanese School and Study Vocabulary
School Japanese is a small, closed vocabulary that repeats every single day, which makes it one of the fastest sets a learner can finish. This guide covers the words a student hears in class and the words a parent meets in a school letter.
16 min readJapanese Tech and Computer Vocabulary You Will Use
Half of Japanese tech vocabulary is English wearing a katakana coat, and the other half is a short list of kanji words that appear on every settings screen. Learn both and a Japanese phone stops fighting you.
14 min readJapanese Proverbs and What They Really Mean
Japanese proverbs are short, vivid and almost universally recognised, which makes them tempting to quote. The useful skill is knowing which ones people actually say out loud, and when saying one makes you sound thoughtful rather than odd.
17 min readJapanese Idioms Built on the Body, Animals, and Nature
Japanese conversation is full of short fixed images: the ears hurt, the horses match, the load leaves the shoulders. Learn the common ones and a whole layer of ordinary speech opens up.
18 min readYojijukugo: Four-Character Idioms Worth Knowing
Four kanji, one meaning, no grammar in between. Yojijukugo compress a whole idea into a single word-sized block, and a small set of them turns up constantly in speeches, cards, essays and everyday complaints.
17 min readWhat Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu Actually Means
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu is the phrase learners hear on day one and still cannot translate on day five hundred. This guide explains the job it performs so you can place it correctly instead of guessing.
12 min readDaijoubu: The Word That Means Yes, No, and Maybe
Daijōbu is the single most useful word in everyday Japanese and the one most likely to make you say the opposite of what you meant. The meaning lives in the situation, not in the word.
13 min readGanbatte: How to Say Good Luck in Japanese
Ganbatte is the first word most learners reach for when a friend has an exam, and it is usually right. It is also the wrong word to say to someone who is already exhausted, and knowing the difference is what makes you sound thoughtful rather than fluent.
12 min readIs Baka Rude? Japanese Insults and Their Real Strength
Baka is the first Japanese insult most learners meet, and almost every explanation of it is wrong in one direction or the other. This guide gives the honest range, and the far more common ways Japanese speakers show they are annoyed.
15 min readYabai: How One Word Covers Awful and Amazing
Yabai is one word doing the work of about eight, from this is delicious to I am in serious trouble. Tone and context carry the meaning, which is exactly why it is easy to hear and risky to use.
13 min readWhy Japanese People Say Moshi Moshi on the Phone
Moshi moshi is one of the first Japanese words most learners meet, and one of the easiest to use in the wrong place. It belongs to the telephone, and it is friendly rather than formal.
13 min readPractical guides
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