Ever heard a Japanese friend say いっしょに食べませんか？ (issho ni tabe masenka) and wanted to respond, or say the same thing yourself? ～ませんか (masen ka) is one of the most natural and polite ways to make suggestions and invitations in Japanese. In this context, 食べませんか (tabemasenka) literally translates as “Won’t you eat?” but naturally means “Would […]

See how you will do on the real JLPT N5. This is the closest thing to the real exam available on the internet.

The bee buzzes. The cat meows. Think pow! Or bam! Those are onomatopoeia. In Japanese, there are 4,500 of them.

Learn how many hours of study it will take you to pass each level of the JLPT. This illustrated guide compares how many hours of Japanese study per JLPT level. Did you know that it takes just as long to pass the N2 as it does to become a certified public accountant in the US?

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 […]

Learn all the basic Japanese adjectives, ranging from na (な) to i (い) adjectives. Ready to express your thoughts with these common Japanese vocabulary?

Vernal Equinox Day, also known as Shunbun no Hi (春分の日), is one of two Japanese public holidays that mark the times of the year when day and night are approximately equal in length. Shunbun no Hi is the first of two and typically falls between March 19 and March 22, hence it is often referred […]

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 […]