50+ Introductory Phrases in Japanese
In this post I give over 50 introductory phrases, with translations. that can be used as starting blocks to build Japanese sentences.
Category Archives: Japanese Study: Intermediate
A surprising meaning of the Japanese word その(“sono”).
You probably know that the Japanese word “sono” means “that”, but in this article I will talk about an alternate way it can be used.
Japanese expression highlight: 「もっと早く知りたかった」 (“motto hayaku shiritakatta”)
In many ways Japanese grammar is simpler than English grammar, especially in terms of fewer tenses to deal with and the omission of unnecessary words. However, sometimes thinking in terms of English can make it difficult to understand seemingly simple Japanese sentences. In this post I’d like to talk about the expression 「もっと早く知りたかった」 (“motto hayaku… Read More »
“Urusai” doesn’t always mean “Shut up!” –– Literal vs. interpretive meanings in Japanese
In this post I talk about literal vs. interpretative meanings in Japanese, and talk about how to properly interpret the word “urusai”. I also go over two examples using the phrase “~koto nai”.
Japanese phrase: 〜ことから (~koto kara)
In this post I go over the Japanese phrase “〜ことから” (~koto kara) and give a few examples of its usage.
Japanese Literature Release: “The Masquerade Ball” by Edogawa Rampo (Bilingual Edition)
I’ve released an ebook of “The Masquerade Ball” in bilingual Japanese/English format. It’s written by Edogawa Rampo, master of classic Japanese mystery.
Japanese Writing Lab #7: A fun event or trip
Having trouble finding opportunities to practice writing in Japanese? In this post I wrote in Japanese about a fun experience I had. I ask you to try doing the same, and in exchange I’ll give my feedback on your writing. Japanese learners of any level are invited, and there is no length requirements on the result.
The Compound Verb 着替える (kigaeru) and a Question of Particles
Japanese is rife with compound verbs, which are generally composed by taking the verb stem (what I like to call the ‘pre-masu form’) of one verb and attaching it to a second verb. For example 食べ終わる (“tabeowaru”) which is comprised of the verb stem of 食べる (“taberu”, meaning “to eat”) and 終わる (“owaru”, meaning “to… Read More »
Japanese expression: だけあって (dake atte)
In this article I’d like to go over the Japanese expression “dake atte” (だけあって), particularly because the meaning is not quite what you expect given the words comprising it. But first let’s look at those words as a starting point. だけ (dake) is probably a word you’ve come across before, and many times it is… Read More »
10 Japanese Expressions Involving Cats
I put together a list of 10 expressions in Japanese that involve our favorite furry friend––the cat.