Start Learning Japanese– category –
New to Japanese? Start here. Beginner guides covering the learning path, kana, numbers, basic phrases, and core grammar. See /how-to-start-learning-japanese/ for a curated starting point.
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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... -
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... -
How to Simply Use “Worry about ____” in Japanese for Beginners
When something goes wrong and you just can't stop thinking about it, Japanese has a perfect word for that feeling: くよくよする. But how is it different from 心配する, the more common word for "to worry"? Understanding the difference wil... -
Simple Rule To Use “taikutsu” and “tsumaranai”
When you're bored in Japan, which word do you reach for — 退屈 or つまらない? Both are translated as "bored" or "boring" in English, but native speakers choose between them based on the reason for the boredom. Let's figure out the simple... -
Most Popular Ways To Use しつこい and くどい
At a Glance WordReadingMeaning しつこいshitsukoipersistent, clingy, annoying, relentless くどいkudoilong-winded, over-elaborate, thick/rich (food) My ex keeps texting me. It's really しつこい！ That's しつこい for sure. By the way, くど...
