blog
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Beginners Guide: How To Use “saitei demo” and “sukunaku temo”
When you want to set a minimum expectation in Japanese — "at least one hour," "at least three people" — you need either 最低なくとも. They mean the same thing, but they carry different weight and nuance. Let's break down exactly when to ... -
A Slang You Need To Know : “saiaku”
Dropped your phone. Missed your train. Stepped in something on the sidewalk. These moments all call for one word in Japanese: 最悪 — will make your Japanese sound genuinely native. Rei, I hear 最悪 all the time but I'm not sure when to u... -
How To Make A Polite Meaning of ‘____知ってる?’
At a Glance ExpressionReadingRegisterMeaning 知ってる？shitteru?CasualDo you know? 知ってますか？shitte masu ka?PoliteDo you know? ご存知ですか？gozonji desu ka?Formal (keigo)Are you aware of / Do you know? (honorific) ご存知でしょうか？... -
2 Quick Tips About いただきます and ごちそうさま
At a Glance PhraseReadingWhen to Say It いただきますitadakimasuBefore eating or drinking ごちそうさまでしたgochisousama deshitaAfter finishing a meal I saw a foreigner at lunch bow their head and say いただきます perfectly — it was so lo... -
6 Best Ways to Apologize For Beginners
At a Glance ExpressionReadingRegisterMeaning すまん / わるい / わりぃsuman / warui / wariiVery casualMy bad / Sorry (among close friends) ごめん / ごめんなさいgomen / gomennasaiCasual / neutralSorry (everyday apology) すみませんsumimasen... -
No More Mistakes About Using Both 怖い(kowai) and 恐い(kowai)
Both 怖い are read as こわい and both mean "scary" or "frightening" — so why do they exist as two separate kanji? Understanding the difference will not only improve your reading ability, but also make your Japanese more precise and natur... -
The Best Advice The Way To Use こっそり, こそこそ and ひっそり
At a Glance WordReadingMeaning こっそりkossorisecretly, without others noticing (neutral/positive) こそこそkosokososneakily, furtively (negative — suspicious behavior) ひっそりhissoriquietly, still, deserted (describes a calm or lonely s... -
Ways To Use “tsui sakki”, “saikin” and “kono goro”, “konnichi” and “sakkon”, “kono aida” and “senjitsu” Like Natives
Japanese has a surprisingly rich set of words for "recently" — and they are not interchangeable. From "just a minute ago" to "nowadays," each word points to a different window of time and carries a different level of formality. In this a... -
The Easiest Way To Use くすぐったい and かゆい
At a Glance WordReadingMeaning くすぐったいkusuguttaiticklish; embarrassingly flattering かゆいkayuiitchy Rei, stop poking my side! It's so くすぐったい! Ha! And I bet getting praised in front of everyone also feels くすぐったい to you, ... -
“kejime” vs. “merihari”：What Are Wrong Ways to Use Them?
Two of the most distinctly Japanese concepts in professional and personal life are けじめ and メリハリ. They are used constantly in Japanese workplaces and daily conversations, yet many learners misunderstand them. Let's learn exactly ho...
