-
Do You Recognize Mistakes Of Using “sae” and “sura”?
Both さえ (sae) and すら (sura) translate as "even" in English, but Japanese learners often mix them up — especially when すら sounds more formal and さえ also works in conditional sentences. This guide explains the key difference so you... -
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, ...
