Looking for ways to improve your Japanese within a month? Coto Academy offers you a 4-week Intensive Japanese Course for Fall 2021, from August 30 to September 24. This 4-week intensive course is a great chance for you to master Japanese while having fun and engaging with other motivated students.
Depending on your learning goals and Japanese level, you will learn new kanjis, grammar, reading, vocabulary, and speaking.
2. Flexible Scheduling
You are allowed to choose whether to study in the morning or the afternoon, depending on your preference or schedule.
Morning courses start from 9:00 AM to 12:00 NN
Afternoon courses start from 14:10 PM to 17:00 PM
3. Short duration – 4 Weeks Only
Have you been busy and couldn’t have other extra time to focus on studying in Japanese? Our intensive courses only last for 4 weeks only and will help you achieve your learning goal within these 4 weeks.
By accepting maximum of 8 students only per group, you can stay engaged with other motivated students and have easier chances to practice speaking Japanese with your classmates or a professional native teacher.
Types of Intensive Courses Offered
Depending on your desired learning goals, you can choose what course to take! If you are unsure about your level, get a free consultation right here!
Designed to teach you the basics of Japanese, starting with Hiragana and Katakana and moving onto topics or situations that you can use immediately in your daily life.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
2. Beginner Level 1-2-3
12 Week Curriculum, Levels divided into 4 weeks.
Perfect for students who understand the basics of Hiragana and Katakana, and some basic kanji and vocabulary. You will start learning the basics of conversational Japanese.
Conducted in small groups with pair participation and spoken role-play. The class format is designed to encourage spoken output and quick retention.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
3. Beginner Level 4-5-6
Perfect for students who want to start broadening their conversational Japanese. If you take this course – you will learn to express yourself with more complex phrases.
By the end of this course, you will have learned roughly 150 Kanji symbols, 300 new vocabulary words, and 70 key sentences.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
4. Intermediate Level 1-2
Have natural daily conversations in Japanese. You will also broaden your vocabulary which is applicable to daily situations in Japanese life.
By the end of this course, you would have learned roughly 150 Kanji symbols, 500 new vocabulary words, and 70 key sentences.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
5. Intermediate Level 3-4-5
Develop your proficiency in the Japanese language. Practice your knowledge with real world scenarios, such as interviews, discussions, and giving speeches.
By the end of this course, you would have learned roughly 220 Kanji symbols, 600 new vocabulary words, and 80 key sentences.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
6. Advanced Level 1-2
Focus on understanding abstract content in Japanese. You will also broaden your conversation to topics of interest and specialized fields. You will become able to express and defend your point of view.
By the end of this course, you would have learned roughly 200 Kanji symbols, 300 new vocabulary words, and 70 key sentences
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
7. Advanced Level 3-4-5
Learn more abstract content that will allow you to carry on more sophisticated conversations. Your grammar and vocabulary will become proficient enough that you will be able to speak in-depth and objectively with native Japanese speakers.
By the end of this course, you would have learned roughly 500 new Kanji symbols, 750 new vocabulary words, and 180 key sentences.
Course offered at both Tokyo and Yokohama
Morning
9:30 – 12:20
Evening
14:10 – 17:00
Those were the intensive Japanese courses being offered at Coto Academy. Intensive Japanese Courses – Fall 2021 is starting from August 30, so don’t miss your chance to join!
Start taking Intensive Japanese Courses with us!
In Japanese, “どうも” (doumo) is a very versatile and frequently used word that can mean a few different things depending on the context. どうも, pronounced “Dou-mo,” is a phrase you’d come across when you eating in at an Izakaya or a restaurant. Domo is equivalent to the English version of “very much” and “very”. In many situations, the word is used to express appreciation.
In this post, we’ll break down the meanings of doumo, explain when and how to use it, and give you real-life examples to help you sound more natural when speaking Japanese.
What Does “Domo” Mean in Japanese?
In Japanese, どうも (doumo) is a flexible and commonly used word that can express gratitude, serve as a greeting, emphasize an apology, or convey uncertainty. Its meaning changes depending on context, tone, and the words it’s paired with. While often translated as “thanks” or “very,” it has a much broader range of use in real-life conversation.
1. Domo as “Thank You”
One of the most frequent uses of doumo is to express gratitude. It can be used on its own to casually say “thanks,” or combined with other expressions to show more formality. For example, どうもありがとう means “thank you very much,” while どうもありがとうございます is an even more polite and respectful version. Saying just どうも by itself is common among friends or acquaintances when you want to thank someone casually, such as when receiving a small favor or gift.
Tip: Adding doumo makes your thank-you sound warmer and more polite.
2. Domo as a Greeting
In casual situations, doumo can also be used as a brief, informal greeting, similar to saying “hi” or “hey” in English. You might hear someone say どうも〜 when they run into a coworker or friend. It’s short, friendly, and relaxed, but it’s not appropriate in formal or professional introductions.
3. Domo in Apologies
Doumo can soften the tone of an apology when paired with expressions like すみません (sumimasen) or 失礼しました (shitsurei shimashita). Phrases like どうもすみません or どうも失礼しました convey a stronger sense of sincerity—roughly translating to “I’m really sorry” or “I truly apologize.” In this context, doumo works as an intensifier, adding politeness and humility to the apology.
4. Domo to Show Uncertainty or Emphasis
Another function of doumo is to express vague feelings or emphasize a state of uncertainty. It often appears in phrases like どうも変だね (“That seems weird”) or どうも調子が悪い (“Something feels off”). In these cases, it communicates a sense of something being unclear, wrong, or difficult to explain. It’s often used when the speaker can’t quite put their finger on the issue.
If you know Japan, you have probably come across the phrase “Arigato” at some point. If you’re a foreigner traveling to Japan, “Arigato” is a phrase you cannot avoid using. On the other hand, Domo is a much shorter way of saying Arigato.
Let’s say that you’re leaving the restaurant with your friend. A conversation between you and the shopkeeper could sound like this:
You: ごちそうさまでした。 It was very delicous.
Shop-keeper:どうもありがとうございました。 Thank you for eating at our place.
What’s useful about Domo is that it can have different meanings in certain situations. It can mean “hello” when you arrive and “bye” when you leave.
The phrase also has a negative connotation. It is used when you want to sincerely apologize to someone. The direct translation of this word is “very” in the same context as “I’m very sorry”. In Japan, people often use this word towards a stranger or a superior. If you bump into someone by accident, it is appropriate to say:
In Japan, mascot characters are created to represent many companies and regions. In fact, Japan has a “Domo-kun（どーもくん）” mascot. He is an official mascot created by Japan’s public broadcast (NHK). His concept derives from the greetings in Japanese morning television.
Doumo is safe to use in casual and semi-formal situations, especially when you’re talking with people you know well. It’s great for friendly conversations, everyday gratitude, and casual greetings. However, in formal situations, such as business meetings or speaking with someone older or of higher status, you should avoid using doumo alone. Instead, use full expressions like ありがとうございます (thank you) or 失礼しました (excuse me).
Examples of Using Domo in Japanese
To help you better understand how どうも (doumo) is used in real life, here are several example sentences across different situations, each with an English translation and short explanation.
Example 1:
Japanese: A: これ、落としましたよ。 B: あ、どうも！
English: A: You dropped this. B: Oh, thanks!
Example 2:
Japanese: ご来店いただき、どうもありがとうございます。
English: Thank you very much for visiting our store.
Want to master Japanese? Start taking Japanese lessons with us!
Download our free hiragana chart & practice sheet, or explore our courses for beginner and intermediate learners. With Coto Academy, you’ll learn how to use real Japanese the way people actually speak it.
Learning Japanese for beginner is a journey that appears to be terrifying. The process of understanding the grammar structure, building up a good vocabulary based, and strengthening communication skills may seem too much of a work to do.
Let’s be honest, learning a new language is not easy. But with endurance, a motivated attitude and with a determined goal, anything is possible.
How many times have you written “to learn a new language” or “to master the Japanese language” on your new year’s resolution? It is now almost halfway through the year, and how did that progress go?
If you have not even remotely gotten close to begin, don’t worry, many others are on the same boat as you.
In this article, we will introduce a number of ways to learn Japanese consistently, without getting side-tracked.
1.Study with mobile apps
If you have experience with studying with textbooks and this did not work out for you, why not try to study with Japanese language applications on your phone?
Just set a small starting goal of 5 minutes of studying on the Japanese language app, so that your goals are more achievable.
If you are struggling with memorizing kanji, we have compiled a few Kanji apps here in the blog post, recommending different type of learners.
The apps here help beginners to practice with remembering and understanding the Hiragana and Katakana writing system. The apps have a build-in tracing system, where you can practice writing Japanese letters.
Read more about kanji app and our review of the popular study app Duolingo here!
2. Study with social media,
If you have a habit of spending more than an hour on social media all together, why not use some of the time to allocate to your Japanese studies? Here we show you some ways to learn Japanese through social media.
Instagram
It is easy to get lost within the world of Instagram with so much content and inspiration out there. One way to get your Japanese study time while going on Instagram, is to follow some of the Japanese learning Instagram accounts.
We, Coto Academy, have our own Instagram account where we post every single day on Japanese vocabularies, phrases, and current events.
IG Stories of JLPT Kanji, Grammar, Vocabularies Quizzes
Themed Japanese Vocabulary
How to use onomatopoeia
Kanji Vocabulary
Japanese Phrases
Grammar videos on IGTV
By following us, you would not have to specifically find the time in your day to study Japanese, but we provide the information for you on Instagram, where you can engage with.
YouTube
To get more accustomed to the Japanese language and to get used to native Japanese speaking in Japanese, using YouTube to study is the best method.
With a visual aid, it is easier to understand Japanese grammar particles and structures. We post weekly JLPT grammar videos, introducing new concepts. If your main source of social media is YouTube, this is the perfect method for you to squeeze in bits of studying time.
Additionally, listening to our Native teachers speak Japanese may help you to get used to the pronounciation of Japanese words.
Coto provides short educational videos, but if you would like to delve into longer videos, that thoroughly explains grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, check out our list of 50 Youtube channels here.
The YouTube channels we have compiled here varries in learning formats. Ranging from traditional formats of explaining each grammar concept to you to channels that explains through a song so that the concepts are easier to remember to many vlog channels going through their daily life in Japan.
For Japanese learners that want to learn Japanese, learning videos is one of the best methods to do so, because the educational videos are delivered as if it is a personal lesson between the teacher and the student. Learning through Japanese vlogs
Following our blog
Our blog includes a variety of content you can highly benefit from, which contributes to learning Japanese!
We write blogs on topics such as grammar blog posts, tips on how to study Japanese, and how to pass each JLPT level. We also combine Japanese culture with Japanese learning, such as our blog post on teaching Japanese learners how to maximize their learning with using phrases from Japanese anime.
We also create our own Coto Kanji practice worksheets and provide them on our blog. Our Coto blog provides a wide array of Free Kanji practice worksheets ranging from JLPT N5~N2 Kanjis. This way, learners that are starting out can have easy access to resources to study Japanese straightaway.
3. Listen to podcasts and join clubhouse
Traditional methods of studying Japanese is great, but if you want to progress to another level, listening to Japanese podcasts and joining a clubhouse group is one way to do so.
Joining clubhouse Japanese language groups encourages Japanese learners to strengthen communication skills. The groups we have compiled allows members to practice the language together.
Why you should learn by listening to podcasts or Clubhouse:
Easy to slot in time for it –
For when you often communte to work or school,
Exercise throughout the day
Strengthen listening skills
Gain communications skills for casual conversations
Become friends with like minded people to encourage each other to study
If you like to watch Japanese tv shows or anime, what better way to learn Japanese than to learn by continuously watching the shows? This way, you can learn natural phrases used for daily life, during your leisure time.
Did you also know that by adding this extention on your google chrome, you can learn Japanese on Netflix? By installing this extention, you can hover words you are unfamiliar with in the subtitles, and save the words to review for later. This extention translates the words for you, and provides romaji on top of kanji so you can practice reading the Japanese subtitiles.
5. Learn through songs
Do you like listening to J-pop? Want to learn how to sing them, or understand what the song lyrics mean without having to search it up everytime? In our previous post, we have compiled Japanese songs and artists we recommend learning Japanese from!
By practicing sing the Japanese songs, this can improve your Japanese pronounciation, which can aid you in the future when you want to improve communication skills. Trying to understand the story behind the lyrics include understand vocabulary and grammar structure.
By accomplishing this, learning throught the lyrics also can link to strengthening reading comprehension skills.
6. Sign up to Coto Academy!
There are many free and affordable resources out there on the internet. Coto Academy provides many ways for people that are interested in learning Japnese.
Sign up to Coto online classes, affordable and consistent
Coto Academy provides Japanese lessons for anyone in the world. We have online group lessons, as well in-person group lessons. The classes we have arranged are very affordable, which makes students easier for them to continue the classes.
Consistency is a very key aspect in studying languages, so that your muscle memory does not forget what you have learnt.
Among the variety of classes we offer, we highly recommed the Japanese Crash Course for beginners with zero experience with Japanese.
In this Duolingo Japanese Review, we will be breakdown the pros and cons of using Duolingo as a study application. We will look at five areas of the application and give you our insight into how it can help you learn Japanese, as well as its strengths and weaknesses as a Japanese study app.
Our Review of Duolingo Japanese
Overall verdict – a great way to learn SOME Japanese:
Duolingo is a good study solution to have fun, continually motivate yourself, and learn new vocabulary. It is a great way to dip your feet into Japanese learning and learn several key concepts that the language needs to teach you.
It is not a one-stop study solution for learning Japanese. You cannot simply use Duolingo to learn Japanese, but if you treat it like a game and use your spare time to complete the course and use it as a trainer, it can teach you new words and train your ear / understanding of certain sentence patterns in the language.
Pros:
A good mix of sound, sentence building, kanji.
Covers hiragana and katakana learning
Covers a wide range of topics
Cons:
Not comprehensive study solution for grammar or kanji.
Not leveled or suited for JLPT Study
Does not drill you / give you opportunities to speak
Does not ask you to memorize stroke order of Kanji
What does Duolingo Japanese try to teach you?
What it tries to teach you:
Listen for and understand Japanese sentences.
Be able to construct sentences in Japanese
Be able to read hiragna and katakana
Be able to understand grammar through context and comparing translations
What it avoids teaching you:
The stroke order of Kanji
The grammar usage rules of grammar points
Grammar constructions outside of example sentences
Kanji Radicals
The good. Duolingo has a very cool and fun interface. It seems more like a video game than a learning application. There are even leader boards for learners so when you practice – you gain pointson the leader board.
The leaderboards are progressive with levels that you can ascend. The top 10 of each learner level will move up the leaderboard You are also on a leaderboard competing with other winners.
The bad. Duolingo is not a comprehensive learning tool as it does not teach you specifically about verb conjugation – which is a very important part of learning Japanese and being able to create sentences for yourself.
Without verb conjugation – you will be able to learn the sentence patterns in the app through memorization – but you may have a hard time creating your own sentences in a real conversation.
Aside from this – it is still a great way to learn kanji and vocabulary, as well as many example sentences.
Types of Learning Practice in Duolingo Japanese
Duolingo has several ways in which it quizzes you and tries to teach you Japanese.
They include:
Matching the Japanese kanji meaning to the English meaning. Matching the Japanese kanji meaning to the Japanese pronunciation (audio) Translating a sentence word by word from Japanese to English and vice versa
These practices are integrated – normally when you see the reading and you select an option – you will then hear the Japanese being pronounced by the app.
With a wide range of practice types and exercises it is hard to get bored with the app. The practice modes are mixed progressively and there is a review component as well as a “smart feature” that tracks which concepts you have trouble with.
Later – you can review these problematic concepts and try to troubleshoot your Japanese sticking points.
One frustrating aspect of the sentence builder mode is that as the sentences get more complex and there are more grammar components – you cannot isolate and fix the part of the sentence that you answered incorrectly.
When the question is presented again – you have to construct the sentence from the beginning and it doesn’t show you specifically which part of the sentence you misplaced.
The duolingo practice modes are generally useful in quizzing you on Japanese in context, however – we did find one technical issue in the design.
You can hear the pronunciation simply by clicking on a choice, but before you submit it as your selected answer – which means you can kind of cheat from time to time while using the app to learn the Kanji reading.
For example – clicking on the character for き - you could hear ki pronounced before you confirm your selection and submit the answer.
So when you are matching the kanji to their pronunciation – if you select the kanji first, you can always pass with a perfect score.
Other than that, we found the practice modes to be helpful and fun.
Is Duolingo Japanese paid version worth it?
In the app version of duolingo – when you run out of hearts you can no longer practice and you either have to wait for your hearts to refill or watch an ad to get new hearts.
If you buy the paid version of the app you can have unlimited hearts – which will allow you to gain more points faster and study for longer periods.
The desktop version of the app does not have this feature, which is fully featured and free.
The paid version will allow you to access several features that are not accessible to free / regular users such as a mastery quiz and trying to unlock new skills / bypass the levels by passing skills tests.
If you primarily use the app on your phone and want to do intensive study with the app – we would recommend buying the premium version out of convenience, otherwise you will have to sit through a large amount of ads repeatedly. 🙂
But if you do not use the app version and you are only a desktop user – there is no point in buying a premium subscription. Your progress will sync from the desktop / browser version to the app based version.
Do you struggle with writing Japanese Kanji? Can’t seem to grasp how to remember the order of the strokes and positions? Many Japanese learners out there are also feeling the same pain.
With smartphones, desktops and tablets, you can study and practice Japanese kanji wherever you go! You don’t necessarily need to have a quiet environment and a desk to pull out your pen and notebook, just a simple smartphone will do.
In this blog, we have compiled some of the popular Japanese study apps that you can download to kickstart your Kanji learning
Just started learning Japanese? Head to our main article about the Japanese writing system for a more comprehensive guide on hiragana, katakana and kanji!
1. Kaizen Languages: Japanese
Kaizen Languages Japanese app has a Kanji writing section in the app that contains broad study material from JLPT N5 to N1 level. Each JLPT level has more than 10 sets of Kanjis, where you can study the kanjis, take the reading quiz and a writing quiz. When taking the kanji writing quiz, the app provides the English word: the on and kun reading of the kanji. This allows you to guess what kanji to write. If you are ever stuck on the question, you can ask for a hint that displays the dotted line of the kanji, or the individual stroke of the kanji.
The unique characteristic of this Kaizen Japanese app is that you can learn a new language through conversing with their AI robots. Through this method, you can learn Japanese in the most natural way possible, though common Japanese phrases rather than the unnatural textbook phrases not commonly used till this day.
We all know there is no shortcut to learning a language, and in order to do so vocabulary build up is as important as grammar lessons. The great thing about this app is that they make you remember how to write, read, and understanding the vocabulary through repetition. This apps offers a wide array of kanjis from JLPT N5-N1 to practice.
The order of study method with this app is, they first give you two vocabularies they want you to remember. In this case, it is the two kanjis 一(ichi) and 二(ni). Both flashcards contain the kanji, the hiragana reading and the English translation. Each flashcards also have an audio playback function. When you proceed, the app asks you to write and trace the given kanji.
After practicing, the app will test you to match the kanji with the hiragana reading. It also quizes you on the English meaning with the hiragana reading. This app uses a number of combinations to test your knowledge and memorization of the vocabulary. Within the two kanjis, the repetition of quizzing you on kanji will help you to remember the reading, as well as practice writing numerous times.
Kanji Teacher learning app separates itself from the others in the way that it absolutely does not let you pass onto the next kanji, if you did not write the kanji in the correct order of strokes. If your phone is on a buzzer, it will vibrate, letting you know you missed the right kanji order. After correcting yourself and writing the correct stroke, they will highlight the area where you have made a mistake and you can compare to the current kanji you wrote, opposed to the kanji you wrote wrongly.
Proper steps to write this kanji on the right vs How I wrongly wrote it
vs
4. Kanji GO – Learn Japanese
This app serves as a vocabulary dictionary. Users can look at N5 kanji, understand the meaning in English, as well as memorize the multiple “kun” and “on” readings of the kanji. When studying for the kanji, there is play function, where users are able to see the stroke order of the kanji. The users then can select the pen function where there is the kanji guided line for users to practice writing it themselves. Another benefits of this study app, is that while tracing the guided kanji lines, there is a green and red circle at each end, signaling where to start and end. This is very helpful in helping Japanese learners write the kanji not only for the correct stroke order, but stroke direction as well.
Screenshot
The only downsides of the app is that JLPT N4-N1 are additional paid features, and that the quizzes do not test users on kanji writing, rather the kanji definition, “kun” and “on” readings.
Imiwa? app is a superb study app that serves as a dictionary and a kanji learning application as well. You can search words that you do not know, which translates in English for you, and vice versa if you search in English. It also is an educational app for those that are aiming to ace the JLPT exams, where there is a section that seperates all the kanji within the 5 categories. When coming across the unfamiliar kanji, details of “on” and “kun” reading is shown. There is an animated demonstration of writing the kanji. The kanji is also translated in English, Chinese, Korean, French, Spanish and Portugeuse making the app very globally friendly.
Kanjis categorized in JLPT levels App used as a dictionary
This is a fun app for users to simple practice writing kanji. You can choose to practice kanji from the 1st to 6th grade elementary kanji. This app is fairly simple, you just select whatever kanji you’d like to go over. The app gives you a variety of pen colors, and you can use that to trace the guided kanji strokes.
Golden Week Intesive – Special 5 Day Japanese Conversation and Business Writing Courses
Wondering what to do for this year’s Golden Week? If so, we at Coto Academy have some exciting news for you – Our Special Golden Week Intensive Courses! When? May 3-7, 2021 (5 days) Where? Online or In-person – it’s up to you! Why? Rapidly improve your Japanese speaking. You will be able to hone specific Japanese skills in a short amount of time. Our Golden Week Intensive 5-Day Courses are designed to improve your Japanese conversation ability or business writing – conversation courses available for a variety of levels.
These Japanese skills will help you in both your social and professional life in Japan!
Scroll below to see which course is best suited for you!
This class will help students build the foundation to be able to communicate in Japanese. The goal is for you to be able to use basic conjugated forms and speak naturally. This course is best for people who are now studying with the Genki 1 textbook. Before joining, students should:
Know basic verbs and adjectives
Be able to read all hiragana and katakana fluently
While quickly reviewing basic conjugations as well as their sentence patterns, we will also train you to use these conjugations and phrases with everyday vocabulary. This course is best for people who are now studying with the Genki 2 textbook. Before joining, students should:
Know Te-forms and short forms(present and past tense)
Be able to make simple sentences using proper particles
This course focuses on core/basic sentence patterns, improving vocabulary for various daily situations, and building longer sentences using combinations. Best for people who have finished the Genki 2 textbook. Before joining, students should:
Know all the basic conjugations
Be able to carry a basic conversation only in Japanese
Business Email Writing Course (Upper-Intermediate)
For students with N3 and above who want to improve their business writing skills, this course is for you! Best for people who are N3 or above. Before joining students should:
You can choose either In-Person Group or Online Group Classes!
Dates:
May 3rd – May 7th, 2021
Time:
Morning course: 9:30 am – 12:20 pm (Tokyo Time – GMT+９） Afternoon course: 13:10 pm – 16:00 pm (Tokyo Time – GMT+９）
Tuition:
49,800 yen- in-person(inclusive of course material fee) 44,800yen-online group (inclusive of course material fee) We will save class recordings for 1 month, so it is possible to review afterwards. ＊Only for news students – Initial registration fee: After you take this course and consider taking our other classes in the future,registration fee will be 5000 yen off → What used to be 10,000 yen will now be 5000 yen
Confused about Japanese Particles? Want to know the difference between wa and ga? Check out this easy to use reference guide.
Japanese particles are an indispensable key in understanding Japanese sentences. Learn changing how a particle is used can change the entire meaning of a sentence. In this blog, we sort out 13 common Japanese particles for the JLPT N5-N4 level. This cheat sheet covers 17 common particles, the usages, meaning and example sentences.
You can get the free download of our learning cheat sheet below.
は
Noun+は
①topic
②emphasis; contrast
③at least
①わたしはケンです。
I’m Ken.
に
Noun+に
①time
②place
③target
①わたしはあさ6じにおきます。
I get up at six in the morning.
を
Noun+を
①object
②place
①わたしはまいあさ、しんぶんをよみます。
I read the newspaper every morning.
が
①Noun+が
②③Polite form +が
①object (like, be good at…)
②but
③～but～(preface)
③おなかがいたいんですが、かえってもいいですか。
My stomach hurts. May I go home?
で
Noun+で
①by～(means)
②at～(place)
③in～(time)
④make of
⑤because of
④にほんのいえはきでつくられます。
Japanese houses are made from wood.
と
Noun+と
①with
②and
③(say or write or think) that～
①わたしはともだちとあそびます。
I will play with my friends.
も
Noun+も
①also
②all
③as much as
④totality
②このスーパーのしょうひんはどれもやすいです。
Anything at this supermarket is cheap.
から
①Noun+から
②Polite form, Plain form +から
①from
②because
②きょうははこどものたんじょうびですからはやくかえります。
It’s my kid’s birthday today so I will be going home early.
まで
Noun+まで
Up to; until
わたしは5じまではたらきます。
I work until 5 PM.
しか
Noun+しか
only (used with negatives)
わたしはひらがなしかかけません。
I can only write Hiragana.
だけ
Noun+だけ
only
かいしゃにがいこくじんがひとりだけいます。
There is only one foreign employee at the company.
Start taking Japanese lessons and master Japanese particles!
Coto Academy is one of Japan’s leading language schools, with campuses in Shibuya, Yokohama, Iidabashi, Minato, and a fully online school. We offer flexible Japanese lessons, whether you’re looking for intensive, part-time, or online courses, so you can reach your language goals faster. Fill out the contact form below for a free level check and consultation!
Have you ever wanted to express that you want to try something in Japanese? Or maybe you are having a conversation about a time when you tried something for the first time. Of course you could use 初めて〜, but conversational Japanese uses the expression 〜てみる. In this blog we will review the above video and the use of the JLPT N4 Grammar point てみる (te miru) – meaning: “to try” doing something. Make sure to visit our Youtube channel and subscribe too!
How to Say “I will try…” in Japanese Using 〜てみる
Simply put, 〜てみる in Japanese means “to try” or “to try to do”. It also is used to indicate when it is the first time that someone went somewhere. This is a JLPT N4 grammar point that can be used in a number of different ways, such as:
Offering someone to try something
Expressing the want to try something or go somewhere for the first time
Talking about having tried something in the past
てみる can be used in both polite and casual form Japanese. The grammatical structure is as follows. て form verb + みる／みます (miru/mimasu) For more information on て form verbs, check out this grammar blog article! Although it sounds similar to the Japanese verb 見る – to see, 〜てみる is actually a different word. Additionally, no kanji is used for 〜てみる. It is written only in hiragana. It can, however, be used in conjuction with the verb 見る. To demonstrate its uses, let’s review some examples from the video above.
Examples of 〜てみる
Example: Offering to try something
A: このクッキー美味しいですよ。私はよく食べます！ Kono kukkii oishii desu yo. Watashi wa yoku tabemasu! These cookies are delicious. I eat them a lot! B: ええ、そのクッキー美味しいですか？ Ee, sono kukkii oishii desu ka? Eh, those cookies are good? A: はい、美味しいですよ。食べてみますか？ Hai, oishii desu yo. Tabetemimasu ka? Yes, they are delicious. Will you try one? In the above example, 〜てみる (~te miru) is used in polite form to offer some cookies. It is phrased as a question with the invitation ませんか？ (masen ka?)
Example: Wanting to go somewhere to visit
沖縄に行ったことがありますか？ Okinawa ni itta koto ga arimasu ka? Have you ever been to Okinawa? 沖縄に行ってみたいです！ Okinawa ni itte mitai desu! I want to visit Okinawa! In this example from the video above, the verb 行く (iku) is used with 〜てみる, and てみる is conjugated to 〜てみたい. Since たい is used with verbs to indicate that one wants to do something, 行ってみたい says “I want to try and go” or “I want to visit”.
Example: Volitional form
ビデオを見てみましょう！ Bideo o mite mimashou! Let’s try watching the video! As shown in this example, one can use 〜てみる with the volitional form. For casual speech, use the plain form: 〜てみよう。However, for polite speech like above, use てみましょう. That’s all for this entry! Remember to check out some of our other JLPT blogs – or our online JLPT prep courses!
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Have you ever heard the word “oishii!” in Japanese? It’s a common adjective found in Japanese media, like anime, comics, TV, as well as in everyday life in Japan. “Oishii” is an easy-to-use Japanese word. In other words, once you understand the meaning and how it’s used – you will be able to immediately add it to your daily Japanese vocabulary! In this blog article we are looking at the meaning of the Japanese word “oishii” (おいしい) – and how you can start using it right away.
What Does “Oishii” Mean in Japanese?
“Oishii” is a Japanese i-adjective which means “delicious” or “good-tasting”. It is written in either hiragana as おいしい, or in kanji as 美味しい. The kanji that make up “oishii” are: 美 which means “beautiful”, and 味 which means “taste/flavor”. These kanji can also be read 美味い (umai) which also means delicious or good tasting. 美味い (umai) is a more masculine sounding expression. Because it is an i-adjective (いー形容詞), it can be modified to describe something that looks delicious. In this case, you say 美味しそう (oishi sou). For more information on this adjective modification, check out this Youtube video! You can also use it in past tense by replacing the い ending with かった → 美味しかった (oishikatta – it was delicious). To make this polite, simply add です (desu) to the end. Additionally, if you want to learn even MORE vocabulary to talk about food, check out this blog article full of useful words to describe food!
When Can I Use “Oishii”?
The short answer is – anytime the food is おいしい! Just like in any other culture – this is a great way to compliment the chef. Like if you are doing a homestay with a Japanese family, you can tell whoever prepared the food that it is おいしい！ Japanese people enjoy food – and they like commenting on it as well. So if you are out with your friends at a restaurant or cafe, you can tell them if you think the food is delicious, and see if they agree! Can you think of any other situations where you might use “oishii”? Let us know on one of our social media outlets, like twitter!
Learn more Japanese phrases like “Oishii” with our Japanese courses! Find out more by filling out the form below!
Are you learning Japanese? Are you looking for ways to help you learn? In this blog we will share some of our tried and true strategies for helping you to learn Japanese.
Here are our 10 tips for learning Japanese:
Create goals and stick to them
Speak, Speak, Speak
Learn to Conjugate Verbs
Develop a study plan
Challenge yourself
Create goals and stick to them
Learning Japanese is a long process – and it can often seem like you’re just “stuck” in your learning. What we recommend is to think about small goals that you would like to accomplish in your learning.
Having a measurable goal will help you to see progress and keep a positive outlook.
So what should a Japanese learning Goal look like?
The best way to explain it would be to give you some examples:
Make a restaurant reservation over the phone in Japanese
Take a taxi and give the driver directions in Japanese
Express opinions in Japanese (I don’t like this – I do like that)
Read a restaurant menu
Finish coursework on a textbook
Complete an Intensive Japanese learning course
A measurable goal is something that you can verify.
Examples of bad goals (non-measurable):
Watch anime without subtitles
Watch TV without subtitles
Be fluent in Japanese
These are not really goals – they are more examples of objectives. An objective is a really large thing that you want to do – and goals are the steps that you need to take to get there.
So make sure to make your goal both achievable and fun!
Speak, Speak, Speak
The Japanese Language is beautiful – and to really enjoy and understand in grow in the language – you must experience speaking it.
If you live in Japan – this means doing things like:
Visiting meet-up groups and language exchanges
Attending Japanese language courses
Joining social clubs (Soccer Team, Book Club)
Making Japanese friends online and finding language exchange partners (Language exchange platforms)
For learners who live outside of Japan – it can be more of a challenge to find opportunities. Japan is unique among the world’s more popular languages. The majority of Japanese speakers actually live in Japan.
But with the internet – it has never been easier to find opportunities to practice speaking Japanese.
There are many websites that you can use to find language partners – as well as to take online Japanese lessons.
If you are interested in taking Japanese lessons online with Coto – we also offer private lessons check out https://online.cotoacademy.com
Learn to Conjugate Verbs
In Japanese – one of the biggest milestones is learning how to conjugate verb forms – conjugating verbs unlocks a large amount of grammar that you can use to fully express yourself in Japanese.
With Japanese – there are several rules that you will need to learn about the different verb groups and how they conjugate based on how they fall within the language.
If you would like to learn more about Japanese verbs – you can check out these articles
Another important aspect of learning Japanese is having a study plan that you can stick to. A study plan – just like a learning goal should we be well defined and easy to follow – Below is an example of what a study plan could look like:
Milestones:
1 month – learn hiragana and katakana
3 months – learn verb groups
6 months – finish Genki 1 textbook
1 Year – Pass JLPT N3
Daily Tasks:
3 Kanji per day
1 Hour of Listening Practice
10 Vocabulary words per day
With a clear plan – and daily tasks that you can accomplish – you will be able to obtain your long term goals.
Challenge Yourself
Challenge yourself with regular study exercises. Testing is an important part of learning – and a self-paced learning method can be really beneficial.
We recommend that you regularly have a way to test and challenge yourself.
Coto even creates its own challenges that you can participate in with a mobile device!
You can see our latest quizzes and challenges here:
