Spring in Japan is known for the beautiful pink foliage, but also winds of yellow mists dispersing pollen and causing nationwide hay fever, or 花粉症 (kafunshou). Enjoying the sakura viewing in Tokyo, let alone living comfortably, during Japan’s peak pollen season, is close to impossible when you are being plagued by incessant sneezes, itchy eyes, […]
The JLPT N5 grammar 〜方がいい (~hou ga ii) is often used to give advice to someone, usually expressing what they should do. It is similar to saying “you should do…” or “it’d be better…” in English. This phrase is great for giving general recommendations or your opinion of what or how to do something. Let’s […]
Have you heard of yoji jukugo? Piece of cake, break the ice, and cut corners – these are all short idioms we use all the time, and in Japan, they have something similar called 四字熟語 (yojijukugo). A yojijukugo is a Japanese phrase consisting of four kanji. Just like in English, yojijukugo are very popular since […]
One of the most essential Japanese particles, で, is commonly used to indicate the location where an action takes place—similar to the English prepositions “at,” “in,” or “on.” However, many learners struggle to distinguish between で and に, since both can relate to place. Beyond marking the location of an action, で also has several […]
If you need to provide a reason or explanation for an action, you can use the JLPT N5 grammar, 〜ので (~node). It is similar to saying “because…” in English. It is often used to make a cause-and-effect statement, such as “since A, then B.” Essentially, you can use 〜ので to logically connect 2 statements, similar […]
To ask someone not to do something in Japanese, you typically use the JLPT N5 grammar pattern 〜ないでください (naide kudasai). It is similar to saying “please do not do (something)” in English and is a polite way to request that someone refrain from an action, though it can also be framed as an instruction, advice, […]
Out of all Japanese particles that exist, the particle を (pronounced “o”) might be one of the most straightforward. The を particle is used to make a word the direct object of the sentence or the thing that is acted upon by the verb. There is no direct equivalent in English since the language doesn’t […]
It’s overwhelming to think about all the unique kanji you have to remember; however, there’s a little secret to making kanji much easier to remember called radicals. Let’s say it’s our radical solution to remembering kanji — no pun intended. Radicals are basically the building blocks of kanji; while there are seemingly endless amounts of […]
