blog
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値段 vs 価格 vs 料金 vs 代金: Japanese Price, Cost, Fee, Charge, Payment, and Money Words Explained
You walk into a Japanese shop and want to ask how much something costs. Easy enough — except Japanese has several different words for "price," "cost," "fee," and "payment," and they are not interchangeable. Use the wrong one and you migh... -
早い vs 速い: The Difference Between Early, Fast, Quick, Speed, Timing, and 早く in Japanese
You set your alarm to wake up hayai — early. You then sprint to the station because the train is hayai — fast. At work, your boss says your replies are hayai — prompt. And somehow, a single pronunciation covers all three of those situati... -
暑い vs 熱い vs 厚い: The Three “Atsui” Words for Hot Weather, Hot Objects, Thickness, Passion, and Deep Trust
You are sitting in a sweltering Japanese summer, holding a steaming bowl of ramen, with a thick textbook open in front of you. Now try to say "hot" in Japanese. If you answered atsui, you are technically right — but which atsui? Japanese... -
悲しい vs 寂しい: The Difference Between Sad, Lonely, Empty, and Missing Someone in Japanese
Imagine your best friend moves to another city. You wave goodbye at the station, walk home alone, and sit in a quiet apartment. How do you feel? In English, you might say you feel "sad." But in Japanese, there are two very different word... -
嬉しい vs 楽しい: The Difference Between “Happy,” “Glad,” “Fun,” and “Enjoyable” in Japanese
Picture this: you just received an unexpected gift from a friend. You feel happy — but which Japanese word do you reach for? Now picture laughing at a party with everyone around you. You're happy again — but is it the same kind of happy?... -
思う vs 考える: The Difference Between “Think,” “Feel,” “Consider,” Opinions, Decisions, and Japanese Nuance
You look at a menu at a Japanese restaurant and say, "I think the ramen looks good." Your friend is trying to decide which apartment to rent and says, "I'm thinking about it." A colleague at work says, "I think the plan needs revision." ... -
勉強する vs 学ぶ vs 習う: The Difference Between Studying, Learning, and Being Taught in Japanese
勉強する習う学ぶ練習するCore meaningStudy (effort)Learn from teacherLearn broadlyPractice (repeat)Source of learningYourselfHuman instructorAny (incl. experience)Your own repetitionRegisterEverydayEverydayFormal / elevatedEverydayWith te... -
聞く vs 聴く vs 訊く: The Three “Kiku” Verbs for Hearing, Listening, Asking, Music, Questions, and Business Japanese
聞く (きく)聴く (きく)訊く (きく)PronunciationきくきくきくCore meaningHear, listen, ask (general)Listen attentivelyAsk / inquire (written)Safe for beginners?AlwaysUse for music/lecturesSkip in speechWith music○ natural◎ pre... -
見る vs 観る: How to Choose the Right “Miru” for Looking, Watching, Movies, Sports, and Active Viewing
You are texting a Japanese friend about your weekend, and you want to say you watched a film. You type 映画を見た — and it looks right. But your Japanese textbook uses 観た in the same sentence. Both read みた. Both seem to mean "watched... -
する vs やる: The Difference Between “Do,” “Play,” “Try,” and Casual Action in Japanese
You are talking to a Japanese friend and you want to say "I'm doing my homework." You know the word for homework — 宿題（しゅくだい）. And you know there is a verb for "do." But then you remember: there are actually two verbs that mean "...
