And Japan’s Buzzword of 2016 is kamitteru!

Every year, Jiyukokuminsha publishing house, known for its annual book of slang, hold a buzzwords competition capturing social, political and entertainment trends of the year. The winning word or phrase is chosen by a selection jury from the shortlist drawn up by the publisher. And 2016’s grand prize word, kamitteru, was inspired by a great baseball performance! 神(かみ)ってる Kamitteru […]

Reading the Atmosphere in Japan – 空気読める (Kuuki Yomeru) “to Read the Air”

Have you ever heard the expression “yuuki yomeru” (空気読める – “to read the air”) in Japanese? Ever stumbled across the expression “Kuuki Yomenai”? This Japanese slang is literally translated as “cannot read the air” and jokingly applies to people who struggle to read social situations. Reading The AtmosphereKuuki Yomenai and Social AwkwardnessHow NOT to be KY? Reading […]

Japanese for Love: How to express your feelings

  Having many loan words, Japanese for love sometimes might sound familiar to our ears. That’s why it’s not that difficult to learn these useful words and phrases Love-Love…?Origins of Love-Love (ラブラブ)Other Loan words related to LoveTraditional Japanese words related to Love Love-Love…? – They are so love-love!– What are you saying?!– ラブラブだって!– Ah! You […]

Japanese Slang: Moto Kare (元カレ) and Moto Kano (元カノ)

When you are learning a foreign language, studying slangs is a nice and fun way to widen your vocabulary. Not only will you speak more fluently but you will sound more like a native speaker. Moreover, slang gives you an interesting point of view on society. Let’s learn more about the expression “moto kare“【元カレ】 and “moto […]

Japanese slang tame

When you are learning a foreign language, studying slangs is a nice and fun way to widen your vocabulary. Not only will you speak more fluently but you will also sound more like a native speaker and surprise your Japanese friends! It also provides an insight into the Japanese culture. Let’s learn the expression “tame”. […]

Japanese Slang: ダメもと (Damemoto)

What’s ダメもと (Damemoto)? Conversational Uses… When you are learning a foreign language, studying slangs is a nice and fun way to widen your vocabulary. Not only will you speak more fluently but you will sound more like a native speaker. Moreover, slang gives you an interesting point of view on society. Let’s learn more about the […]