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You already know 午前 (shinya — midnight/late night). Getting these right makes your Japanese sound much more native. 今日か。 (Shall we have lunch at noon today?) いいよ。夕方でね。 (Sure. I can be back by evening, so don't stay ou...

When scheduling an appointment or making a plan in Japanese, mixing up AM and PM is a disaster waiting to happen. The two core words — 午前 (gogo) for PM — are easy enough to remember, but native speakers layer in several other time-of-d...

You probably know 学生 (shakaijin). Literally meaning "a person of society," it describes someone who has left school and joined the working world — and in Japan that transition carries real weight. Understanding this word helps you gras...

If you have ever tried to follow a Japanese conversation about school life, you may have noticed that people rarely say "seventh grade" the way textbooks do. Instead they say 中1 — compact, casual shortforms that every native speaker use...

At a Glance ExpressionReadingMeaning 趣味は〜ですshumi wa ~ desuMy hobby is ~ 〜にハマっている~ ni hamatte iruI'm into ~ / hooked on ~ 〜が好きです~ ga suki desuI like ~ 〜に興味があります~ ni kyoumi ga arimasuI'm interested in ~ One of ...

One of the most natural conversation topics when meeting new people in Japan is where you are from. Whether you are at a language exchange, a work orientation, or just chatting with a new acquaintance, knowing how to talk about your home...

When you try to describe a conversation in Japanese, you quickly run into a problem: there are three common verbs that all seem to mean "to talk" or "to say." Native speakers choose between 話す (iu) based on subtle but important differe...

At a Glance WordReadingMeaning 週末shuumatsuweekend 土日donichiSaturday and Sunday (casual) 休日kyuujitsuday off / holiday 連休renkyuuconsecutive days off "週末、何してた？" — "What did you do on the weekend?" This is one of the most com...

When you need to say something was changed, modified, or corrected in Japanese, you have three main options: 変更する. Dictionaries often list them as synonyms, but native speakers use them in distinct situations. Getting them right will...

One of the first things you will be asked to do in Japan — whether filling in a form, checking into a hotel, or introducing yourself in class — is write your name. But your name in Japanese is not just a translation: it follows a specifi...