Ever wondered why it takes longer for you, a native English speaker, to learn Japanese compared to your other foreign friends? In our previous article, we discussed how while Japanese is already a challenging language to learn, it’s even more difficult if you grow up speaking English. Why is that?

The answer lies in the vast differences between the English and Japanese languages. From the writing systems and grammar structures to the contextual basis of communication, there are a few similarities that can speed up the learning process. Unlike Chinese and Korean speakers, who can draw upon some similarities in their own language, English speakers face additional hurdles. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons why Japanese is more difficult for English speakers to learn and provide insights on how to navigate these challenges!

Are there any similarities between English and Japanese?

While the differences between English and Japanese outweigh the similarities, there are some non-obvious traits that both language share. Hopefully, these similarities give you a piece of mind when you start learning Japanese. 

Japanese and English languages borrow words from each other

Loan words in Japanese, or gairaigo (外来語), are words borrowed from foreign countries other than China. While there are some loanwords that come from Europe like Dutch and Portuguese — but most of them come from English. In fact, 10% of the vocabulary of modern Japanese comes from English.

For example, besides arigatou gozaimasu, a lot of friends would say a Japan-ized “thank you” to each other casually. The Japanese alphabet doesn’t recognize the consonant “th, so instead,the “s” is used.

サンキュー
Sankyuu.
Thank you. 

Nowadays, a lot of Japanese people tend to prefer using English loanwords over their Japanese equivalents. Some people might even have a hard time identifying the pure Japanese word because they’re so used to using its loanword equivalent! For example:

English	Loanword	Japanese
Copy machine	コピー機 (kopiiki)	写真機 (shashinki)
Knife	ナイフ (naifu)	包丁 (houchou)
Table	テーブル (teeburu)	机 (tsukue)
Hotel	ホテル (hoteru)	客舎 (kyakusha)

Likewise, while the Japanese language has borrowed a lot of English words, we can say the same thing the other way around. Let’s take tsunamis, for instance. There’s no English word to describe huge tidal waves, so it was borrowed from the Japanese. Other examples include sushi, katsu, skosh (as in “just a skosh”) and tycoon. Read more loanwords that come from Japanese here!

Japanese and English Languages Start with a Subject 

This is a fundamental aspect of both Japanese and English. In English, we know that the subject of a sentence will always come first, followed by a verb, and then the object — this is the simplest grammar structure.

For example, in the word, “The dog is playing a ball”, “the dog” is the subject”, “is playing” is the verb, and “the ball” is the object.

While Japanese has a different structure (more of that later!), the subject is usually placed at the beginning of the sentence. Simple, right? Take a look at the sentence below.

私は犬を愛しています。
Watashi wa inu o aishite imasu.
I love dogs. 

Here, “Watashi” is the subject, “neko” is the object, and “aishiteimasu” is the verb.

Although there are some exceptions to these rules in both languages, such as in questions or certain types of emphasis, the general tendency is for sentences to follow this structure. 

Like Japanese, English Has Honorifics

If you have heard  -kun (くん), -chan (ちゃん), -san (さん), and -sama (さま) before, then you know that in Japan, you just simply do not call people by their names. To address someone or speak about someone, you need to use honorifics — a suffix that goes after the person’s name. For example:

佐藤さん
Satou san

田中様
Tanaka sama (sama indicates more respect) 

English also has its own list of honorifics, like Mr., Mrs., and Ms. They’re used to address people politely, and in formal situations. The only difference is that Japanese honorifics can also be used to address someone younger or socially lower than you — such as -kun (くん), used on friendly terms for male friends, and chan, used for children. Another thing is that English doesn’t use honorifics as regularly as Japanese. In fact, you won’t find someone calling you Mister or Miss on a casual meeting.

Differences Between Japanese and English

Different Writing Systems

While the English language only has 26 letters based on the Latin alphabet, the Japanese has not one, not two, but three writing systems. The first two, katakana and hiragana, are phonetic systems that share the same sounds. Katakana is usually used for foreign words while hiragana is used for everything else including particles.  

Hiragana and katakana are similar to the alphabet; these characters represent a syllable that when combined with other characters, makes up a Japanese word. 

The trickiest part that most foreigners have a hard time with is kanji — the third writing system in the Japanese language. Unlike hiragana and katakana, a kanji must be memorized separately as one character does not represent one “sound”, but one “meaning”. In other words, kanji are closer to ideograms that represent words and concepts instead of a writing system.

This is why there are thousands of kanjis there are thousands of them — approximately 4,400 kanji characters. Just as a reference, to pass JLPT N3, you’ll need to learn 650 kanji. 

Japanese has a different sentence structure

I want a cat. I read a book. You are drinking a cup of coffee. The English language follows the basic grammar pattern that we all use unconsciously: the subject-verb-object (SVO) pattern.

In Japanese, the basic sentence structure follows a subject-object-verb (SOV) pattern. For example:

私 Watashi	は wa	寿司 sushi	を食べます o tabemasu
Subject		Object	Verb

On the other hand, it will look like this in English.

I	am eating	sushi
Subject	Verb	Object

This means when you’re deciphering a Japanese sentence too literally, the translation can go awry. Take a look at another example below.

Subject	Subject Particle	Location	Location particle	Object	Object Particle	Verb
田中さん	は	喫茶店	で	コーヒー	を	飲んでいます。
Tanaka-san	wa	kissaten	de	koohii	o	nondeimasu
Tanaka		cafe	at	coffee		is drinking

Doesn’t make sense, right? If you’re used to speaking in a language that adopts the basic SVO pattern, you might need some time before getting used to the Japanese sentence pattern. 

The Japanese Language Likes to Omit Subjects

As you learn to speak Japanese in real situations or listen to conversations, you might notice that a lot of Japanese people like to omit subjects, especially when it indicates the first person.

In English, removing a subject from a sentence is grammatically incorrect. You can’t just say “want eat” to someone, as this is technically an incomplete sentence. Who wants to eat?

In Japanese, however, when the subject is obvious and heavily implied in the context of the conversation, a sentence would not require one. For example, imagine a scenario where you just got home from the convenience store. Your mom was there waiting for you at the entrance, and she asks:

Mom
何を買ったの？
Nani o katta no?
What did (you) buy?

You
ファミチキを買った。
Famichiki okatta.
(I) bought a Famichiki. 

Noticed how even the mom omits “you” in her question? The right sentence would be, あなたが何を買ったの (anata ga nani o katta no). However, when spoken, it will sound unnatural because, at this point, we know that your mom is directly asking a question to you. 

The same goes for your answer. You can say, 私はファミチキを買った (watashi wa famichiki o katta), but it’s clear that you’re referring to yourself. 

Another example will be when you are feeling a headache. In English, this will simply be, “I have a headache.”

In Japanese, the literal translation will be

私は頭がいたい。
Watashi wa atama ga itai. 

However, as you study more advanced Japanese, you realize that “ha” is used to put emphasis on the subject. Therefore, when you say, “私は頭がいたい,” you are claiming, “I am having a headache.”

Of course, the meaning doesn’t change, and it’s not dramatically incorrect. However, it’ll affect. the overall nuance of your statement.

Keep in mind that the use of subject omission in the Japanese language is a complex cultural and linguistic phenomenon that has developed over time due to various social and linguistic factors. Japanese is a language that places a high value on brevity and efficiency in communication, and omitting the subject can help to make sentences shorter and more concise. If a sentence contains a lot of obvious possessive determinators and subjects, we can clean it up. For example:

私は私のカバンを忘れてしまいました。
Watashi wa watashi no kaban o wasurete shimaimashita.
I lost my bag. 

Here, if you are declaring that you are losing your own bag, you can simply say:

カバンを忘れてしまいました。
Kaban o wasurete shimaimashita.
(I) lost (my) bag. 

There are also other ways in which the Japanese language can help indicate if someone is performing the action for someone else — without explicitly mentioning the subjects. These are done through conjugations like 〜てあげる, 〜てくれる, and 〜てもら. If you want to read more about that, head here. 

The Japanese language has different levels of formality

English has its own system of formal language, but it’s generally less complex than Japanese. To put it into perspective, English ‘formal’ language relies more on vocabulary and syntax rather than specific verb forms and grammar rules. 

In the Japanese language, there is a special way of speaking called keigo which is used to show respect to people of higher social status. There are three main levels of keigo: sonkeigo (respectful language), kenjougo (humble language), and teineigo (polite language). Each keigo with its own set of verb forms, vocabulary, and grammar rules.

Which level of keigo to use depends on the relationship between the speaker and the listener. For example, if you are talking to your boss, you should use sonkeigo (尊敬語) to show the utmost respect.

On the other hand, when talking to a client, your boss becomes part of your in-group or uchi (内), and the client is perceived to be of higher social status. In this case, you would use kenjougo (謙譲語) to show humility towards the client. Complicated, right? 

In essence, keigo is used to show respect and maintain social harmony, but it can be hard to navigate as it depends on various social hierarchies and relationships.

English has more vowels than Japanese

Despite its intricate writing system, we can bet that Japanese is more simple in one thing: its pronunciation. The Japanese language has significantly fewer vowels sounds than English. 

Japanese has only five vowel sounds: /a/, /i/, /u/, /e/, and /o/ (あ, い, う, え, and お). These sounds are more consistent than in English because they are pronounced based on how they are written. For example, the word haha (母) is pronounced as it is: ha-ha.

This isn’t necessarily true for English. English has fifteen vowel sounds represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u. This means that even when a word has the same vowel, it can be pronounced differently. For example, words like “able” (ay-ble) or “salt” are pronounced differently, even when it contains the vowel “a”.

Different Pronunciation

Now that we’ve gotten over the vowels, we can dive into how Japanese pronunciation differs from English. Japanese uses double consonants and long vowels more than English, which can be a bit of a tricky gap to overcome if you speak English all the time. 

For example, the grandpa and uncle are pronounced almost similar if not for the fact that grandpa, or ojii–san, in Japanese, has a long vowel.

おじいさん
Oji-i-san
Grandfather

おじさん
Oji-san
Uncle

This is another tricky part that foreigners have trouble with. English also has more consonant sounds in Japanese; 24 compared to 14 consonants. While this makes it seem like Japanese people will have a harder time learning English, native English speakers have found it tricky to nail pronouncing “R” in Japanese. The “r” in Japanese sounds like a middle point between the English “r” and “l”.

Japanese is a highly contextual language compared to English

お疲れ様です (otsukare sama desu). よろしく音がいします (yoroshiku onegaishimasu). We all have probably learned these basic phrases and started using the regularly. Intepreting their nuance and meaning, however, is another thing.

Both otsukare sama desu and yoroshiku onegaishimasu are one of the many phrases with multiple meanings. This is because Japanese is considered a high-context language. This means that in Japanese, a lot of meaning is conveyed through context, nonverbal cues, and implicit communication. What does this mean?

In Japanese, it’s common to use vague language and rely on context to convey the intended meaning. For example, if you’re asking someone on a date tomorrow, they might say:

明日は厳しいけど…
Ashita wa kibishii kedo…
Tomorrow is (a bit hard).

Here, we might be inclined to press further: what about the next day? Or the weekend? This is where you will need to read between the lines and realize that that person is indirectly saying no.

On the other hand, Englsih is a more direct language, and meaning is often conveyed through explicit and precise language. Nonverbal cues are less relied upon than in Japanese. English sentences usually include the subject and verb, and context is less important for understanding the meaning of a sentence.

Let’s Learn Japanese with Coto Academy!

Overall, there are a lot of differences between Japanese and English that can make studying the language hard. If you’d like to study Japanese with professional teachers, why not join Coto Academy? We have a range of courses ranging from beginner crash courses to business Japanese!

We also have an online lesson portal, where you can easily browse lessons and book a class.

If you’re ready to get started, fill out the inquiry form below for a free level check and course consultation!

Learning Japanese has never been easy. From memorizing vocabulary and new alphabets to studying different grammar structures, it’s like a long and difficult journey where there are so many struggles and challenges that we all have to face and have to figure out the best approach to tackle the obstacles by ourselves. 

It’s perfectly fine to make mistakes when learning Japanese or any new language because that is how we learn and improve our skills.

However, there are some common pitfalls in your study routine that can be avoided. Here are 10 common Japanese learning mistakes to be careful of.

Don’t have a goal or set the goal too high

Sometimes we want to learn a new language just because it looks interesting or cool. On the other hand, a lot of people have their own reasons to study Japanese, for example, they might want to understand their favorite anime completely without subtitles.

Either way, having no clear goal or setting a goal way too high can affect your learning experience. Japanese is not an easy language and you can feel like giving up when it gets to the point where it’s getting too hard or it’s not reaching where you aim to be.

Tip: It’s good to set a goal as a motivation to keep learning Japanese. When it comes to a goal, it doesn’t have to be something big like passing JLPT N1.

A goal should be something enjoyable and achievable. When I started learning Japanese, my goal was to be able to communicate in the restaurant. I wanted to order food, request any utensils and ask for the bill completely in Japanese by myself.

After you reach your goal, you can set a harder goal and so on to keep going with Japanese learning.

Read more: How long does it take to learn Japanese?

Learning Japanese too much and too fast

It’s always good when you set up your mind to learn the language and decide you will be fluent in Japanese as fast as you can. You study every day and try to learn as much as you can.

However, doing something in extreme can lead to the point where you become stressed and unmotivated especially when you don’t get the good result you expected.

Tip: The best way to avoid being overwhelmed in learning Japanese is to take things in a moderate way. It’s good to make a study plan to balance the study.

You can study one chapter a day or focus on different skills on each day. In this case, you don’t have to memorize too much vocabulary or kanji in one day and become stressed when you immediately forget the next day.

Me, I only study a chapter of a grammar book or a set of vocabulary or kanji per day. I also don’t study every day and set some cheat days to recharge myself.

Not being consistent in learning Japanese

Contrary to the previous point, you don’t have to study too hard but you shouldn’t study too little as well. Learning only a few hours a week won’t help much because you will completely forget what you have studied many days ago because you don’t really review it regularly enough.

If you find an excuse not to study today, you will find one tomorrow, and so on. When the motivation is gone, it’s really hard to get your head back into studying.

Tip: If you really don’t have time to study, just try your best to at least learn something. You can learn Japanese on a mobile app when you are on a train or listen to a podcast while cleaning the house. It’s better to study only 5 minutes a day and keep your motivation rolling than study nothing at all! 

Putting your eggs in one basket

There are so many resources to learn Japanese out there and it can be overwhelming. It’s good to read some reviews and decide which book series to study or what app to use. However, sticking with one resource or following what other people say might not be ideal. Some resources only focus on a particular skill and don’t teach much about others.

For example, apps like WaniKani are good to memorize vocabulary and kanji, but it doesn’t help with speaking or reading. You might be an auditory learner and like to listen to podcasts, but you’ll lack in reading skills if you only rely on audio learning.

It can be disheartening when you know so many kanji but can’t really speak well. On the other hand, some resources match someone’s learning style but not yours and you can easily lose interest because the book looks boring to read or too complicated to understand.

Tip: The best resources are the ones you pick by yourself! It’s always good to read any reviews to see how the books or the apps are. However, it’s better to check them by yourself.

You can go to the bookstore, check the online version or download the app to see whether they suit your style. It will be extremely discouraging if you have to give up on a book after a few pages because you can’t really stand it.

Learning from anime

Anime is fun and it can be a good inspiration to learn Japanese. You can also learn so many interesting words you don’t find in any textbook.

Why? Because you don’t really use those kinds of words in real life! As Japanese have a level of politeness, most Japanese in anime are quite casual and full of slang so it might not be suitable to use as a sole resource, especially for beginners.

Tip: It’s absolutely okay to use your favorite anime as one of the resources to learn Japanese. It makes learning Japanese fun, but don’t completely rely on it.

There are so many ways you can learn from anime such as watching it with subtitles to learn new kanji, then rewatching it without subtitles to practice listening or writing down some unknown vocabulary.

It’s also safe to check if the language used in the anime is appropriate for daily life, or how people actually use these words in real life before actually using them.

Focusing only on particular skills

Many people think that because they don’t really use Japanese in a professional environment, it’s okay to focus on speaking in daily life but don’t put any effort into reading or writing.

On the other hand, some people rely so much on textbooks and know so much grammar and kanji but don’t really go out there and actually speak it.

Learning a new language is all about balancing all the skills. You can be very good at one particular skill but if you don’t know the rest, it’s hard to say that you are actually able to communicate in every aspect.

Tip: It’s perfectly fine if you aren’t good at everything, no one is! Instead of focusing only on particular skills, you can find your weak point and put a little more effort into it so this skill becomes at a similar level as others.

Try using different resources that focus on different skills so you can practice and enjoy them at the same time. For example, you can read textbooks for grammar, use an app for kanji and vocabulary and follow some YouTubers for listening skills.

Don’t care about the pronunciation

A lot of people don’t care much about pronunciation because they are more worried about the other aspects of the language such as kanji reading, grammar structure, or a level of politeness.

You shouldn’t worry about it too much because it’s not the most important thing but it shouldn’t be completely neglected as well. There are things like long vowels and double consonants that are important in communiction.

A wrong pronunciation can create a misunderstanding as Japanese has many words with the same sound but different intonations as well as words with very similar sounds.

I had an experience when I said “there are a lot of houses (uchi) in this area.” However, I couldn’t pronounce “ch” and “sh” correctly so everyone ended up confused why there are so many cows (ushi) instead. (We have more wacky Japanese language mistakes here)!

Tip: It’s actually hard to learn the pronunciation by ourselves. However you can try to practice by yourself by listening to podcasts, videos or even talking to the native speakers to understand and be familiar with Japanese pronunciation.

There is also another learning technique called shadowing which you can listen to someone speaking and you repeat it back out loud at the same time.

Moreover, if you have a chance to learn a new vocabulary, you can take note of the different intonation such as HAshi means chopsticks and haSHI means bridge.

Translating everything into your native language

When you speak, read or listen to your second (or third) language, it’s normal that you want to compare it with your native language to make it easier to memorize or understand.

However, every language has different word choices, grammar structures or even how to form the sentences.

For example, in my native language, we use “eat” medicine, while “take” and “drink” are used in English and Japanese respectively so it can become unnatural or even completely wrong if you try to make sentences in Japanese while thinking from your native language’s perspective. 

Tip: Try to understand the language as it is. It’s good to learn vocabulary or grammar and how to use them by memorizing examples in Japanese, rather than comparing and memorizing them with your native language.

There are many examples that are hard to translate into other languages such as 雨が降られた (ame ga furareta)。It might sound weird in English to say “you have been rained on” but it’s just a Japanese way to state the negative nuance.

Don’t really use Japanese

The best way to learn any language is by using it in real life. If you know grammar and vocabulary by heart but you don’t really use it, it’s really hard to become fluent in the language.

Many people are afraid to speak because they feel embarrassed to make mistakes. However, making mistakes is how we learn and improve our skills.

Tip: Find a chance to use Japanese! You can try to meet Japanese people in language exchange, use some apps or join Japanese classes.

Even though you aren’t in an environment where you have to speak Japanese everyday, it’s still great to speak whenever you have a chance like in a conbini, restaurant or train station.

Besides speaking, you can practice other skills like reading easy news, listening to podcasts or writing diaries in Japanese. 

Read more: 10 Best Apps for Japanese Language Exchange

Compare yourself with others

Everyone learns in a different way, style and pace. Someone can learn a new language really fast while others might not be able to do so.

Sometimes you meet other foreigners and notice that they are better. However, you don’t really know their learning process because they might have been learning it for a long time or they have more time to study than you.

Comparing yourself to others can be very disencouraging and make you want to stop learning because you feel like you can’t keep up or you aren’t good or smart enough to learn a new language.

Tip: Don’t compare yourself with others! It’s easier said than done because it’s what we normally do. If you want to compare yourself with anyone, compare your current self with your previous self.

Everytime you feel disheartened, try to look back and see how far you have been from the day you started learning Japanese. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, it’s not easy to learn Japanese or any new language and we are prone to make mistakes along the way. However it’s best to avoid some common mistakes that will make your learning experience even harder than it should be.

The most important thing, however, it’s never giving up! If somehow you become stressed or unmotivated, just give yourself a little break and come back whenever you are ready again.

You might also want to consider guidance from a qualified teacher and learn Japanese in a structured and supportive environment. With Coto Academy’s immersive approach, you’ll not only learn the language but also gain valuable insights into the culture and society of Japan.

If you’re ready to start a new language journey, enroll in a course at Coto Academy today and take the first step towards mastering Japanese!

By offering intensive, part-time, JLPT-focused, and online classes, you are sure to find the option that fits you the best!

Start learning Japanese at Coto Academy today! Contact us for free level check and consultation.

What are the common mistakes people make when learning Japanese?

Some common Japanese learning mistakes people make when learning Japanese include not practicing speaking and listening enough, relying too heavily on textbooks and grammar rules, and neglecting to learn Kanji characters. To avoid these mistakes, it’s important to immerse yourself in the language as much as possible, practice regularly with native speakers, and focus on building a well-rounded set of language skills.

How can I avoid relying too heavily on Romaji when learning Japanese?

To avoid relying too heavily on Romaji (the Romanized version of Japanese), it’s important to start learning Hiragana and Katakana characters as soon as possible. These characters represent the basic sounds of Japanese and are used in combination with Kanji characters to write Japanese words and phrases

What are some common errors to avoid when using Japanese particles?

Common errors to avoid when using Japanese particles include using the wrong particle, using particles incorrectly in sentences, and failing to use particles at all when necessary.

How important is proper pronunciation in Japanese, and what are some common errors to avoid?

Proper pronunciation is essential for effective communication in Japanese. Common errors to avoid include failing to distinguish between similar sounds like “shi” and “chi,” mispronouncing long vowels, and pronouncing words too distinctly.

Like lol and jk, Japanese people have their own version of Japanese internet slang and texting lingo — also known as ネットスラング (netto surangu). Have you ever tried using social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter in Japanese? Things are going fairly well! That is until you reach that one word. You’ve never encountered it before; it doesn’t even seem vaguely familiar. What on earth does it mean? Perplexed, you go to look up the word and, in the definition, you see the reason for your confusion: slang.

Japanese internet slang is confusing at the best of times. Words can change based on a speaker’s age, gender, accent, background, interests – and whether or not the conversation is in real-life or online. Worse, because Japanese internet slang terms aren’t official Jgapanese language, you can’t find them in textbooks. 

As confusing as they may be, Japanese internet slang terms are important to know if you want to be able to speak or text informally — or even make new Japanese friends. Plus, with so many places to practice Japanese online, knowing internet slang terms is especially important. While we’ve already covered some useful slang terms for in-person conversations here, take a look at the internet-based words below to start slinging slang like a native online! 

Jump to:

• About Japanese Internet Slang
• Popular Japanese Internet Slang Terms Used on Social Media
• Japanese Text Faces: Kaomoji

About Japanese Internet Slang

スラング (surangu) is a loanword from English that means “slang”. As with any language, you’ll come across numerous words, expressions, and abbreviations that are exclusively used on the internet or in text messages. Japanese internet slang terms can be difficult to understand because it doesn’t follow the same rule as the normal Japanese language. If you have Japanese friends on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, you may find it challenging to comprehend what they are saying. 

Like the regular Japanese writing system, which uses hiragana, katakana, and kanji, Japanese internet and texting slang uses romaji (ローマ字), or the roman alphabet. They are often shorter and more casual, incorporating English words and expressions. Additionally, they can change rapidly over time, making it essential to stay updated with the latest trends.

Furthermore, Japanese slang often uses wordplay, abbreviations, acronyms, and puns that may be difficult to decipher without an understanding of Japanese culture and context. For example, a common Japanese slang term “JK” refers to “joshi kousei,” which means high school girl, but the abbreviation itself doesn’t necessarily indicate its meaning to non-native speakers.

Take a look at the example below.

どこかから DQN が 現れて わりこんでいったよ！ムカつく！
Doko ka kara DQN ga arawarete warikonde itta yo! Mukatsuku!
A DQN appeared from somewhere and cut in the line! Annoying!

See the word DQN that sticks out among Japanese characters? Pronounced ‘Dokyun’, it’s used to describe someone who is stupid and acts without thinking. Because it’s technically written in romaji, we might quickly assume that the other text had made a typo — it’s actually not!

Popular Japanese Internet Slang Terms Used on Social Media

Using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube is super fun, but it’s important to know the text slang terms that are everywhere. This is especially true for Twitter, where brevity is key and phrases need to be shortened, or in text messages where speed-texting is more important. So let’s check out some awesome Japanese text slang terms that are frequently used on the internet!

1. 飯テロ

Reading: meshi tero
Meaning: food terror

Do you ever see a photo of really delicious food and get upset that you can’t eat it? This is exactly what 飯テロ is talking about! 飯 (meshi) means food, and テロ (tero) means terror or terrorist; combined, they refer to when someone uploads such pictures on social media and makes people hungry (especially late at night)⁴! The more appetizing the food, the more テロ (tero) is unleashed!

彼はパスタの写真をあげて、飯テロした。
Kare wa pasuta no shashin o agete, meshi tero shita.
When he uploaded those photos of pasta, he did “food terror.”

2. リア充

Reading: riajuu
Meaning: Someone who has a fulfilling life offline

We all know it’s not good to spend too much time on the internet. But, for many of us, the internet is key to countless hobbies and interests. However, for リア充, they tend to find most of their happiness in the real world. Taken from the phrase リアルが充実している (riaru ga juujitsu site iru), which means one’s real-world life is fulfilling, リア充 are usually characterized by having significant others, many irl friends, non-internet based hobbies, and active lifestyles³.  In other words, they have a satisfying life away from the internet!

彼女はピアノを弾いたり、絵を描くのが好きです。リア充です！
Kanojo wa piano o hiitari, e o kakitari suru noga suki desu. Riajuu desu!
She likes to play piano and paint; she is a riajuu!

3. w or 笑

Reading: wara
Meaning: laughing

This is the Japanese version of LOL! The “w” or 笑 is taken from the beginning part of the verb 笑う (warau), which means “to laugh.” Just like LOL, it’s usually used at the end of a sentence, and the more w’s you add, the harder you are laughing! 笑 is usually seen as the more “mature” way to write this, but many men just use “w” instead.

うちの猫、私の枕で寝てるwwww
Uchi no neko, watashi no makura de neteru wara
My cat is sleeping on my pillow lolll

4. 888

Reading: pachi-pachi-pachi
Meaning: clapping sound effects

What? This isn’t a word! It’s just numbers! Well, remember that the Japanese love to use onomatopoeias. The onomatopoeia for “clapping” is pachi-pachi-pachi, and 8 can be read as either hachi or patchi. So, if you put a bunch of 8’s next to each other, you get the clapping sound when you read it! Most of the time, you will use this to denote congratulations. Just like with “w”, the more 8’s you write, the more clapping you are doing!

言語学の学位をとったんですね! 888
Gengogaku no gakui o tottan desune! Pachi pachi pachi
You got your degree in Linguistics! (clap, clap, clap)

5. フロリダする

Reading: furorida suru
Meaning: to leave a conversation to have a bath

Usage: Yes, this does sound like Florida. No, it does not have anything to do with that state. Instead, this very specific verb is actually a combination of the words furo (bath) and ridatsu (to withdrawal), and refers to leaving a conversation (either online or through text) to hop in the bath or shower. A lot of Japanese people soak in the bath before bed, so this word probably came about because so many people need to take a break from the conversation!

彼女は、8:45にフロリダした。
Kanojo wa 8:45 ni furorida shita.
She left the conversation to shower at 8:45.

6. KY

Reading: keiwai
Meaning: A person who cannot read the room

It may be strange to see the Roman alphabet here, but it will make sense in a little bit! KY comes from the expression 空気読めない (kuuki yomenai); this literally means to be unable to read the air. Instead of typing all this out, however, many Japanese people just take the “k” from kuuki and the “y” from yomenai to make this abbreviation! People who are KY tend to have behaviors inappropriate to the situation at hand or are simply oblivious to what is happening around them. This is definitely not something you would want to be called!

彼氏と別れたばかりの友だちの前で、自分の彼氏自慢とか、あの子、KYすぎ。
Kareshi to wakareta bakari no tomodachi no mae de, jibun no kareshi jiman toka, ano ko, KY-sugi.
In front of a friend who just broke up with her boyfriend, she boasts about her boyfriend, and that girl (can’t read the room).

7. なう or ナウ

Reading:  nau
Meaning: Doing something right now, at a place right now

A lot of people like to use social media to show people what they’re up to. Sometimes, this means letting people know what they’re doing as they’re doing it! If you want to say what you’re doing now, you can just use the word なう (nau)… which sounds almost like now. This makes it pretty easy to remember!

京都なう/ たこ焼きナウ
Kyouto nau / takoyaki nau
I’m in Kyoto now / I’m eating takoyaki right now

8. 乙

Reading: otsu
Meaning: Good job! Well done!

Ever want to congratulate someone online, maybe for a good round in a game or in a video comment? 乙 is perfect for this! 乙 stands in for the Japanese phrase お疲れ様でした (otsukare sama deshita), which means thank you for your hard work. Many times, this is said at the end of a work day or after a big task. The kanji 乙 doesn’t have any relation to this phrase, by the way; it’s just used for its reading!

9. 炎上

Reading: enjou
Meaning: to be roasted on social media

Social media can be a wonderful place, but it can also be a harmful one as well; we’ve all seen how common it is for someone to be heavily criticized, or “roasted” online. Leaning into the fire analogy, Japanese netizens started using the word 炎上, which actually means flaming, to describe when this happens. Things can get pretty hot using this word!

彼はそのパンツを履いて炎上した。
Kare wa sono pantsu o haite, enjou shita.
When he wore those pants, he got roasted.

10. オワコン

Reading: owakon
Meaning: Dated content, no-longer-current media

Usage: With new content and trends being created every minute, things can get dated on the internet pretty quickly. To talk about content that has already passed its prime, オワコン is the perfect word. It’s formed from a combination of 終わった (owatta, meaning finished) and コンテンツ (kontentsu, contents)⁴. So, it’s content that’s finished being relevant! Now, I wonder how long it will take before this word goes out of date.

ゾンビ映画はオワコンになってしまった。
Zonbi eiga wa owakon ni natteshimatta.
Zombie movies became dated content.

11. △

Reading: sankakkei
Meaning: Mr./Mrs.___ is cool.

Alright. We’ve already had both the Roman alphabet and letters appear in this list. Now, what on earth is a shape doing here? Well, it’s a little complicated. The Japanese word for a triangle is sankakukei, but most people pronounce it as sankakkei as it’s easier. The san- in the beginning is pronounced the same as さん, or the honorific title meaning Mr. / Mrs. Then, –kakkei is a short form ofかっこいい (kakkoii), which means cool or attractive. So, put them together, and you get a reading of a triangle that can also mean so-and-so is cool. It’s a play on words that also saves time typing! (FYI: Many Japanese netizens will use this for celebrities or anime characters!)

みどりや△ 。
Midoriya san-kakkee.
Mr. Midoriya is cool.

12. ずっ友

Reading:  zuttomo
Meaning: friends for life

We all know the abbreviation for BFF – Best Friends Forever. But what if you want to say this in Japanese? Turns out you can just call your closest friends ずっ友! Like a lot of words on this list, ずっ友 is a combination of two words: ずっと (zutto), meaning forever, and 友達 (tomodachi), meaning friends³. It was first used by young girls taking pictures together, but now it’s expanded so anyone can use it³; sounds like the perfect word to say instead of “cheese”!

旅行の後、ずっ友になりました。
Ryokou no ato, zuttomo ni narimashita.
After their trip, they became BFFs.

13. Wkwk

Reading: wakuwaku
Meaning: to be excited

If you’re a fan of the series SPYxFAMILY, one of the popular anime series available on Netflix, you might already be familiar with ワクワク (wakuwaku). The adorable main character Anya says a lot! ワクワク is an onomatopoeic word meant to imitate excitement³; and if you’re excited about something, you may not want to spend too much time typing it out! Many Japanese internet users just type wkwk instead as a result, taking each letter from the beginning of each kana used. You can use wkwk in a myriad of situations, such as starting a new school or finding out your adoptive dad is really a spy in disguise!

アニャはピーナッツを食べたがっています wkwk。
Anya wa piinattsu wo tabetagatteimas wakuwaku.
Anya wants to eat peanuts!

Kaomojis (*^_^*)

Finally, we can’t finish an article about Japanese internet and texting slang without touching on kaomoji. Kaomojis, or literally face characters, are faces created using different elements and symbols found on your keyboard. You can almost think of them as old-school emojis! Just like emojis, kaomojis help to make the meaning of your words clear and to emphasize certain feelings. There’s a lot of focus placed on the kaomoji eyes, which makes them very expressive and particularly appealing to Japanese netizen^s. Many users place them at the end of a sentence or idea, or even just by themselves!

A lot of kaomojis are clear as to what they mean, such as (^_^;) being embarrassment or (-_-)zzz being sleeping. Some are a little harder, such as m(_ _)m being apologetic (bowing) or (＃`Д´) being anger. However, the more you see kaomojis and get used to them, the more you will be able to pick up on their meaning! To learn more about kaomoji usage and see a huge list of faces, try checking out this webpage!

Conclusion

Whether it’s on social media, online games, or just chatting with friends, slang is bound to pop up everywhere you go. Hopefully, now that you have this list of Japanese internet and texting slang, navigating the Japanese web will be a bit easier! The next time you reach that one word, you’ll already know what it means. For more useful tips about life in Japan and the Japanese language, keep following the Coto Academy blog!

Want to talk more like a Japanese native and get more practice in speaking Japanese? Why not check out some of our classes at Coto Academy? We focus on fun, practical lessons. We also have online courses, which would be the perfect place to practice what you’ve just learned! Fill out the form below for a free level check and course consultation.

What are some popular Japanese internet slang terms and expressions used on social media platforms?

Some popular Japanese internet slang terms and expressions used on social media platforms include “w” (short for “warai” meaning laugh), “www” (representing laughter).

Why is it important to know Japanese internet and text slang terms when communicating online with Japanese speakers?

Knowing Japanese internet and text slang terms is important when communicating online with Japanese speakers because it helps to improve understanding and connection with others. These terms are often used in social media, messaging apps, and other forms of digital communication.

How do Japanese internet and text slang terms differ from traditional Japanese language?

Japanese internet and text slang terms differ from the traditional Japanese language in various ways. They are often shorter and more casual, incorporating English words and expressions. Additionally, they can change rapidly over time, making it essential to stay updated with the latest trends.

Can Japanese internet and text slang terms be offensive or inappropriate to use in certain situations?

Yes, some Japanese internet and text slang terms can be offensive or inappropriate to use in certain situations. It is crucial to understand the context and appropriateness of these terms to avoid offending others or using them inappropriately. It’s always best to err on the side of caution when using internet slang in any language.

Out of many Japanese learning resources, you’ve probably heard of WaniKani before. It’s a website that uses mnemonics and an SRS system — specifically, to teach kanji. As one of the most dreaded Japanese language elements, kanji demands serious study hours and, most of the time, quality resources.

If you’re serious about learning Japanese, you might want to find the right to help you read kanji. And with so much buzz and reviews on WaniKani (and other great learning apps), you might ask: is WaniKani actually worth the money? And is it the most effective kanji app? 

We’ve made a WaniKani review and gathered all the information you need to know about this learning tool.

What is WaniKani?

WaniKani is a website that uses the spaced repetition system (SRS) and mnemonic methods to teach Japanese radical, kanji and vocabulary. The website is divided into 60 levels, and it claims that you can learn around 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabularies in just over a year. 

Specifically, WaniKani teaches 2,136 Jouyou kanji  (常用漢字), which literally means “daily kanji”. This is a set of kanji characters frequently used, and s usually ordered based on how often you’ll come across it day to day. 

The one-year claim has been confirmed by a lot of users, but keep in mind that there is no magic route to achieving Japanese fluency. Learning Japanese takes time and dedication, so if you’re not committing to your study routine and achieving your daily (or weekly target), you’ll fall back from the desired time. 

The first 3 levels are free. However, you need to pay for the subscription plan ($9/month, $89/year or $299 lifetime) later on. There is no official app, so you have to learn either on your computer or on the browser on your phone. However, you can use third-party options such as Flaming Durtles, Jakeipuu, or Tsurukame on iOS and Android phones.

How Does WaniKani Teach Japanese?

There are two parts on the dashboard — Lessons and Reviews. As the names suggest, the “lessons” page is where you learn radicals, kanji characters, and vocabulary, and the “reviews” page is where you review what you have studied so far. Once you start learning, each level will teach you radicals, kanji that use these radicals, then vocabulary that uses these kanji. You learn all of this in a mnemonic method as the explanation, example comes with short and (sometimes) funny sentences so you can remember easier and faster.

After you finish the lessons, you will move to the review stage where you have to answer what is the meaning of these radicals, how to read these kanji and vocabulary (in hiragana) and what they mean (in English). 

The review phase uses the spaced repetition system similar to Anki, which means you will have to repeatedly review them like using a flashcard. However, the time between each review and how often you see the same words is entirely customized to match how well you answered before. If you get the answer wrong, it will come up more frequently and the items you answer correctly will eventually come up right before you forget them. Hence, the method is enhancing long-term memory.

WaniKani’s Features

Every radical, kanji and vocabulary start from the “apprentice” stage. When you answer them correctly, the boxes underneath will be filled. Once they are full, you will pass and move them to the next stage called “guru”. When the radicals reach the guru stage, the kanji using these radicals will be unlocked. In the same manner, when the kanji reaches the guru, the vocabulary using these kanji will be unlocked as well.

Even though you level up, this doesn’t mean you won’t see these words ever again. The review continues as there are 5 stages in WaniKani’s spaced repetition system—apprentice, guru, master, enlightened, and burned. 

Once you reach the “burned” stage, this means you have memorized them in your brain and the word will be removed from the review session. However, there is an option to “unburned” the items and put them back in the apprentice stage.

The same system also applies to their vocabulary section, which utilizes the kanji you have learned. Additionally, it includes high-quality audio recordings of both male and female speakers.

Besides the regular lessons and reviews, WaniKani also offers a new “extra study” option which has been recently added to the website. You can answer all the recent reviews as well as recent mistakes. However, these won’t count as the regular review and don’t affect the overall spaced repetition cycle. 

The Levels at WaniKani

WaniKani divides the kanji into 60 levels, with each level consisting of approximately 30-33 kanji. These levels don’t directly correspond to JLPT levels, but they’re extra useful because they help split the kanji characters into digestible chunks, rather than compiling them into one, giant list. 

To advance to the next level, you must first reach the “Guru” level by answering the majority of the kanji in that level in the review sessions that occur at 4, 8, 24, and 48-hour intervals. 

Once you attain this level, the corresponding vocabulary items for those kanji will be unlocked, but they do not affect your level-up time.

All of these effectively timed levels prevent you from burning out and help you retain the kanji in the long term. 

How does WaniKani teach kanji and vocabulary through mnemonics?

WaniKani is also known for its use of mnemonics. These mnemonics, combined with the SRS (Spaced Repetition System), are considered the best feature as they help reinforce the information in the learner’s memory. 

Mnemonics are basically very short poems or special words used to help a person remember something. Ever wondered why your brain can remember the full lyrics to a Japanese karaoke song, but not when you’re learning a new set of vocabulary? This is a great, simple example. Think  ABCs music to memorize the alphabet and catchy rhymes.

Additionally, the examples often add a touch of humor to the mnemonic and uses the same characters to maintain consistency. 

Pros and Cons of Wanikani

So does WaniKani help with Japanese study? Here are the pros and cons of this website:

Advantages of WaniKani

1. You memorize kanji and vocabulary faster

Since WaniKani uses mnemonics methods so you can remember radicals, kanji, and vocabulary with the story in explanation and example sentences, this makes it easier to memorize everything. Most of the story is quite short, straightforward, and easy to memorize. However, there are some stories that are a bit hard to understand. In that case, I will use the same technique and come up with a story that I think I will easily remember and use instead.

2. WaniKani helps you stay consistent

Due to the spaced repetition system, you will have new reviews in a timely manner so you have to study regularly. This method helps you to build a good study habits so that you don’t have many reviews piling up. There was a time when I was busy and left WaniKani for weeks. I ended up having more than 2,000 reviews. From that moment, it has encouraged me to study a little bit every day in order to avoid the situation again. Even though I recently discovered a vacation mode where you can stop all the reviews, I tend to use it only when I’m actually away for a long time.

3. WaniKani has a big, active community

Besides the study itself, WaniKani also has a community where users discuss Japanese learning and other fun stuff such as reading everyday challenges or Japanese book club. The forum is very active as you can see people post something every day. Moreover, there is also a blog called Tofugu which is the creator of WaniKani. In the blog, you can read various things about Japanese culture and language learning as well as listen to podcasts to practice your listening skill. 

Check out: Our Review on Duolingo for Learning Japanese

Disadvantages of WaniKani

1. You can’t go as fast as you want

A spaced repetition system has its own time management. You need to wait until a certain time to get another review so you can’t really rush into the next level. In the first few levels when I still didn’t have a lot of radicals, kanji and vocabulary, sometimes I had to wait for a whole day to get new reviews. Even though I was in the mood for studying, I just couldn’t do it and had to wait, which was a bit frustrating. 

2. You don’t really learn how to write kanji

Even though WaniKani focuses on kanji, the website doesn’t really teach you how to write. You know the radical of the kanji, how to pronounce and the meaning in vocabulary. However, you don’t really know how many strokes the kanji have or what the stroke order is. If you rely only on WaniKani, you probably can read many kanji without knowing how to write any. As the JLPT test doesn’t require you to write so this won’t be a problem. However, as I want to know how to write, I usually check how to write each kanji and write it in my notebook. Check here for our 5 recommended apps for kanji writing.

3. It’s not for advanced learners

WaniKani is a great resource to learn kanji and vocabulary for beginners because you will start learning from the most basic kanji such as 一, 二, 三. The more you learn, the more you know kanji and reach the harder (and hardest) kanji. 

However, it has a fixed system, which means there is no way to skip the level. Hence, you have to start learning from scratch. If you have already known some kanji, it will probably take some levels before you reach kanji you don’t really know and you might learn something you don’t know before along the way. However, if you are an advanced learner and know hundreds of kanji already, WaniKani might not be suitable for you. 

4. It teaches kanji and vocabulary

WaniKani’s strongest point in being an effective Japanese kanji and vocab trainer is also its weakest: it just teaches you that, and nothing else. Much like many learning resources, you’re not supposed to rely on WaniKani alone to be fluent in Japanese. WaniKani doesn’t incorporate other essential skills, like reading, listening or talking. It just focuses on what it’s intended for.

Is it worth paying for WaniKani?

There are many free learning applications out there so you might be less thrilled to pay for WaniKani. As I have mentioned earlier, the first 3 levels are free and after that, you have to pay for a monthly, yearly or lifetime subscription. 

However, around New Year’s every year, there is a big discount for a lifetime subscription so you pay only around $199 and save around $100. I paid a monthly subscription in the first year and switched to life later on. I have been studying for 4 years so if I still paid monthly, it would cost me $432. It is worth paying for a lifetime subscription if you decide to use it for a long time.

WaniKani Alternatives

If you think WaniKani might not be for you. There are other alternatives that teach kanji and vocabulary in similar manners.

1. Anki

Anki is a free (except for iOS) flashcard app using the spaced repetition system. You can either create your own card decks or download pre-made decks to learn Japanese. In this case, you can pick what content you want to learn by yourself. Beginner learners can learn how to read each hiragana and katakana alphabet while advanced learners can learn kanji and vocabulary. Moreover, you can also set a daily limit for new cards and maximum reviews so you can choose your own pace and don’t feel too overwhelmed when studying. 

2. Renshuu

Renshuu is a Japanese learning app that is suitable for learners of any level. In the beginning, you can pick which level you are, what JLPT you aim to take or which book you are studying in order to use the app at an appropriate level. You can learn vocabulary, kanji, and grammar using various methods such as mnemonics, examples, writing, or listening. You can also learn by playing fun and easy games such as crossword and shiritori. The app has both free and paid versions.

If you want an in-depth review of Renshuu, head to this insightful article!

3. Memrise

Memrise is a language learning app that has both free and paid versions. There are 2 types of courses—official ones curated by staff and user-generated content (some might contain mistakes). Each course consists of many levels and topics you can choose from, however, it focuses more on vocabulary. Memrise also uses spaced repetition and mnemonics systems where learners can use flashcards with audio and video to learn new words. You can also review and learn how to pronounce and listen to native speakers. 

WaniKani: Final Review

If you are looking for a place to learn kanji and vocabulary, WaniKani is probably one of the best applications as it helps you learn faster with spaced repetition and mnemonics methods. As the reviews pile up every day, it also encourages you to study regularly and have good learning habits. However, it is more suitable for Japanese learners in the beginning levels who still don’t know many kanji as you can’t skip to the harder levels. If you aren’t sure yet, I recommend you try the first 3 levels which are free to see whether it suits your learning style before actually paying for it.

Ultimately, when you’re learning Japanese alone, we don’t recommend putting your eggs in one basket, as a lot of resources are not created equal. While self-studies can be effective, it’s also helpful to get support from a native instructor. If you’re looking to study in a small group to help you practice your speaking skills (in a fun and engaging way), check out the courses at Coto Academy! We offer classes from beginner to advanced levels and provide students with comprehensive language training that includes reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Head to WaniKani’s homepage.

Is WaniKani a great resource to learn Japanese?

As WaniKani focuses on kanji learning, it is one of the best places to learn the alphabet because you can really memorize them due to the spaced repetition and mnemonics methods. However, you might need other resources to learn how to write kanji. WaniKani also teaches vocabulary but it is based on the kanji you have learned, not how often you can see these words in daily life. WaniKani doesn’t offer other Japanese skills such as grammar, reading or listening.

What JLPT level does WaniKani teach?

According to the WaniKani statistics page, you can learn all N5 kanji when you finish level 16, all N4 kanji after finishing level 27 and all N3 and N2 kanji after finishing level 51. When you reach level 60 which is the last level, you will learn around 80% of N1 kanji. When I started to prepare for JLPT N2, I was at level 35 and most of the kanji was really in N2 levels so it actually helped me a lot during the exam preparation.

Knowing how to use time markers such as before, after, and during in Japanese, can give you a strong foundation for communicating. When you’re a Japanese beginner learner, you might find yourself confronted with the different ways to use these time markers. 

These Japanese grammar points are covered at the JLPT N4 for good reason. Understanding them is essential for making your interactions in Japanese smoother. In this lesson, we’ll explain how to use 前に (mae ni, before), ～てから (te kara, and then/after/since), 後で (ato de, after),  とき (toki, when) and 間に (aida ni, while) when talking about time.

Contents

• Expressing ‘after in Japanese using 後で (あとで)
• Expressing ‘after’ in Japanese using てから
• Expressing before using 前に (まえに)
• Expressing ‘when’ using とき
• How to say ‘during’ or ‘while’ using 間に (あいだに)

Expressing After in Japanese using 後 (あと)

In the Japanese language, using 後で (ato de), alongside its other variations, is very common to express one action that takes place after another action. It’s simply a conjunction to express, “After X occurs, Y occurs.”  To express something that has happened after something, we use the past verb tense (~ta form) or a noun, followed by あとに (ato ni), あとで (ato de) or あと (ato). 

How do you know which one should you use? あとに (ato ni) refers to a specific point in time, while あとで (ato de) refers to a time after an event in general.  In casual speech, で may drop after あと.

Keep in mind that while あとで indicates a second action after the first is completely finished,  does not necessarily imply that one event immediately follows the other. You will want to use 後で (ato de) when the second action is not under your (or the subject’s) control.

Verb past form + あとで

Noun + の + あとで

Example sentences with verbs　

友達と会ったあと、昼ごはんを食べました。
Tomodachi to atta ato, gohan o tabemashita.
I saw my friend, and then I had lunch.

In the example above, 友達と会った後昼ごはんを食べました, the actions are seeing the friend and eating lunch. Seeing the friend takes place, and is completely finished before lunch. 

宿題が終わったあと、テレビを見ます。
Shukudai ga owattaato terebi o mimasu.
I’ll watch TV after I’m done with my homework. 

Example sentences using 後 (あと) with nouns　

仕事のあと、同僚と飲みに行きます。
Shigoto no ato douryou to nomi ni ikimasu.
After work, I’ll go drinking with my colleagues.

Now let’s break it down a bit. The た form of verbs is usually made by dropping the ます (masu) and adding た. For example:

Dictionary Form	Masu (polite) form	た form
食べる	食べます	食べますた→食べた
終わる	終わります	終わりますた→終わった
見る	見ます	見ますた→見た

The た form of verbs is overwhelmingly used to express the past tense. Check out this guide to making the past tense in Japanese to refresh your memory. 

Place the た-form of a verb before 後で to indicate that the action before is completely finished before the action that comes after. This pattern always references two or more actions, split before and after the grammar point itself. 

To use 後で with nouns, don’t forget the の.

会議の後, お客様に電話します。
Kaigi no ato de, okyaku sama ni denwa shimasu.
After the meeting, I will call the guest. 

In this case, also, action A is completely finished before action B is started. Contacting the customer will take place after the meeting is finished. 

Expressing ‘After’ in Japanese using てから

This grammar point is also used when talking about something that takes place after another action. It is quite similar to 後で and can sometimes be used in its place, but not always. Understanding the nuances of each point will help you decide when to use which.

The key point about grammar てから (te kara) is that it emphasizes the order in which actions occur. In other words, action A is necessary in order for action B to take place. 

Be careful not to confuse あとで with てから. てから implies that an action will take place immediately after, while あとで implies any span of time following some action, and therefore has less immediacy. 

準備をしてから寝ます。
Junbi wo shitekara nemasu.
After getting everything ready, I’ll go to bed.

In this case, you’re trying to express that you will sleep immediately after you study. Thus, てから is appropriate and あとで is not.

Unlike 後で, this can only be used with verbs.  We also want to avoid てから when the event that occurs after is not under your control. To better understand it, let’s take a look at another example. 

うちへ帰ったあとで雨あめが降った。
Uchi e kaetta ato de ame ga futta.
After I got home, it rained.

In this case, てから is unacceptable because rain isn’t something we can control. 

Let’s look at some example sentences.

日本に来てから日本語の勉強を始めました
Nihon ni kitekara nihongo no benkyou wo hajimemashita.
I started studying Japanese after coming to Japan. 

ここをよく読んでから、サインをして下さい。
Koko wo yoku yondekara, sain wo shite kudasai.
Read this carefully, then sign it. 

友達と会って、昼ごはんを食べます。
Tomodachi to atte, hirugohan wo tabemasu. 
I’ll meet up with my friend, then we’ll have lunch. 

This Japanese grammar point is formed by adding から to the て form of verbs: Verb て-form + から. In Japanese, the て form is used in many ways, including linking actions and in sentences giving an order or instruction. Refer to this te-form conjugation guide for some detailed help. Here’s a quick look at making the te-form for some commonly used verbs. Note, some of these verbs are irregular. 

Dictionary Form	Masu Form- polite form	Te Form
食べる	食べます	食べます→食べて
来る	来ます	来ます→来て
会う	会います	会います→会って
読む	読みます	読みます→読んで

To use てから, remember that in order for B to take place, A is necessary. 

Expressing “Before” in Japanese Using 前に (Mae Ni)

前に (まえに) is used to say something occurs before something else. One of the great things about this grammar point is that no fancy conjugation is required. You can use this with verbs (dictionary form) and nouns. It can also be used to indicate the physical location (in front of)

Example sentences:

寝る前に準備します。
Neru mae ni junbi shimasu
I’ll get things ready before going to bed. 

昼ごはんの前に、友達と会います。
Hirugohan wo taberu mae ni tomodachi to aimasu.
I’ll meet my friend before lunch. 

日本に来る前に日本語を勉強しませんでした。
Nihon ni kuru mae ni nihongo wo benkyoushimasen deshita. 
I didn’t study Japanese before coming to Japan. 

Verb dictionary form + 前に

Noun + の + 前に

The dictionary form of verbs is the plain form before any endings are added. All groups of verbs can be used as is with 前に. There is no tense change to the verb before 前に. The tense at the end of the sentence should indicate when the action takes place. 

Using の前に to indicate location or place

This grammar point can also be used to indicate that something is located in front of something else. As this is usually used with nouns, の comes before 前に.

家の前にお寺があります。
Ie no mae ni otera ga arimasu.
There is a temple in front of my house. 

目の前に美味しそうなケーキが置いてあります。
Me no mae ni oishisou na keiki ga oite arimasu.
There is a yummy-looking cake right in front of me. 

Expressing ‘When’ in Japanese Using とき (Toki)

This handy grammar point is often written in hiragana, but sometimes the kanji 時 is used. In a sentence with parts, とき shows a relationship between them: When A (happens), then B. とき (toki) shows a relationship between two parts of the sentence and can be used with nouns, verbs, and な and い adjectives

Let’s look at some examples.

レストランを決めるとき、いつもレビューを見ます。
Restoran wo kimeru toki, itsumo rebyuu o mimasu.
When deciding on restaurants, I always read reviews. 

私はいつも寝るとき、電気を消します。
Watashi wa itsumo neru toki, denki o keshimasu. 
I always turn off the lights when going to bed. 

眠いとき、コーヒーをのみます。
Nemui toki koohii o nomimasu.
When I’m sleepy, I drink coffee. 

暇なとき、ネットフリックスを見ます。
Hima na toki netofuriksu wo mimasu. 
When I have free time, I watch Netflix. 

田中さんは30歳のとき、結婚しました。
Tanaka san ha san ju sai no toki, kekkon shimashita.
Ms Tanaka got married at 30. 

Verbs	Dictionary Form + とき	決めるとき
い adjectives	Adjective +  とき	眠いとき
な adjectives	Adjective + な+とき	暇な
Nouns	Adjective + の+とき	30歳のとき

とき can be used with the past tense form of verbs. In such cases, it is added to the た form of verbs. For example:

行ったとき、だれもいなかった。
Ittat toki, daremo inakatta.
There was no one there when I went. 

結婚したとき、30歳でした。
Kekkon shita toki sanjusai dehita.
I was 30 when I got married. 

とき can be used with the negative or ない form of verbs. 

日本語が分からないとき、翻訳翻訳アプリを使います。
Nihongo ga wakaranai toki, jisho apuri wo tsukaimasu.
When I don’t know something in Japanese, I use a translation app. 

お金がないとき、納豆を食べます。
Okane ga nai toki, nattou wo tabemasu.
When I don’t have any money, I eat natto. 

How to say ‘During’ or ‘While’ in Japanese Using 間に

間に (あいだに) references something that takes place within a set space of time, or at the same time something else was going on. It is close in meaning to ‘while’ or ‘during’. This grammar point can be used with verbs, nouns and adjectives. Rather than just simply describing an action in fixed time, it 間に sometimes carries the nuance that doing that action means taking advantage of that fixed time

We’ve covered the grammar point of aida ni in greater detail in another article! Check them out here. 

日本にいる間に富士山に登りたい。
Nihon ni iru aida ni Fuji san ni noboritai.
I want to climb Mt Fuji while I’m in Japan. (Taking advantage of this time, as I might soon leave.)

先生がいない間にお菓子を食べます。
Sensei ga inai aida ni okashi o tabemasu. 
I’m gonna eat a snack while the teacher is still out. (Taking advantage of the absence.)

食事中にインターホンがなりました。
shokuji chuu ni intahone ga narimashita.
The doorbell rang while we were eating. 

明るいうちに散歩しましょう。
Akarui uchi ni sanpo shimasu.
While it’s still bright outside, let’s go for a walk. (Taking advantage of the light.)

元気なうちに色々な国に行ってみたいです。
Genki na uchi ni iroirona kuni ni itte mitai desu. 
I want to visit many countries while I’m still in good health. 

Verbs	Dictionary Form + + 間に	いる間に
い adjectives	Adjective +  間に	ご飯の間に
な adjectives	Adjective + な+間に	明るい間に
Nouns	Adjective + の + 間に	元気な間に

間に can be used with the negative form of adjectives as well. For example:

暗くならないうちに、遊びましょう。
Kurakunaranai uchi ni asobimashou.
Let’s play before it gets dark.

安いうちに、苺をたくさん買いたい。
Yasui uchi ni ichigo takusan kaitai. 
I want to buy a lot of strawberries before they get expensive. 

Conclusion

Ubiquitous time markers あとで、てから、まえに、とき and あいだに are indispensable for your journey toward fluency in Japanese. Use あとで to describe an action that takes place after another. Use てから to emphasize the order in which actions occur. Use まえに to say ‘before’, ときに to say ‘when’, and あいだに to say ‘while’.

To learn grammar points covered on the N4 Exam, you can check out the below articles on basic Japanese Grammar for free:

• Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part I – Basic Sentence Patterns
• Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part II – Particles (wa, ga, o, ni, de)
• Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part III – Particles (no, to, mo, kara, made, ga)
• Basic Japanese Grammar Guide Part IV – Verbs
• 20 Must-Know Grammar Points for the JLPT N4

In addition to the resources mentioned above, Coto Academy offers offline and online classes to help you through your studies. Offline classes are offered at our schools in Tokyo and Yokohama.

To sign up for and enroll in classes, visit this page and you will be directed to schedule a free interview!

How can I know when to use てから or あとで?

Be careful not to confuse あとで with てから. てから implies that an action will take place immediately after, while あとで implies any span of time following some action, and therefore has less immediacy. 

What does aida ni, 間に (あいだに), mean in Japanese?

間に (あいだに) references something that takes place within a set space of time, or at the same time something else was going on. It is close in meaning to ‘while’ or ‘during’.

How do you use とき (toki) in Japanese?

In a sentence with parts, とき shows a relationship between them: When A (happens), then B.