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 […]

Learn the JLPT N5 grammar という (to iu), used to connect nouns and introduce something by name, meaning “called” or “known as.”

Downloading and using Anki decks can be one of the most effective and easiest ways to learn Japanese. Anki is a free, open-source flashcard program that uses a spaced repetition system (SRS), allowing you to revisit new vocabulary repeatedly but in a programmed time frame. Through this, you can spend more time on words you […]

Japanese honorifics are suffixes or prefixes used to show respect or familiarity when addressing other people. How do you use them?

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 […]