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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... -
ケチ vs. せこい vs. せつやく: Which Is Really Better?
When someone watches every penny, are they ケチ, せこい, or 節約-minded? All three words relate to money and spending, but calling the wrong person by the wrong term can be surprisingly rude — or surprisingly flattering. Let's learn the ... -
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...
