Japanese Slang: Hamaru

Who has never gone crazy over a new video game, an anime or a new phone? Like children, we can easily be absorbed by an exciting new item or activity. We unknowingly let time pass by when doing this activity, oblivious to our surroundings. Japanese people are no exception to that phenomenon and they too are attracted to […]

Japanese Slang: Mattari (Suru) for Chilling Out!

When you are learning a foreign language, studying slangs is a funny way to deepen 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 Japanese slang mattari (suru)! DefinitionOrigins of MattariConversation Examples Definition Japanese […]

Japanese Crash Course – Survival Japanese

Welcome to Japan! Along with your first steps in your new life in Tokyo, begin to learn Japanese with Coto’s Japanese Crash Course and feel immediately your improvement. In 4 weeks, your will learn the fundamental of Japanese, directly useful for your daily life, including an introduction to hiragana and katakana. Japanese Crash Course Contents You will […]

Japanese Slang : Dekikon

One of the many ways to become more fluent in a foreign language is to study its slangs. Not only will you speak more fluently but you will sound more like a native speaker.  Let’s see today, how you would say “shotgun wedding” in Japanese. Well, with the expression: “dekikon” 「できこん」「でき婚」! This expression describes a wedding that is or was […]

What Does Chotto Mean in Japanese?

Some frequently used words convey different meanings according to context, and among them, the Japanese word chotto 「ちょっと」is quite a challenge to master. If you are learning Japanese, you have probably heard this word before. But what is the meaning of chotto? How and when should you use it? 教師:新(あたら)しいうち、見(み)つかった?学生:いいえ、まだです。昨日(きのう)見(み)に行ったけど、家賃(やちん)が9万円だった。教師:ああ、そうか。それはちょっと高(たか)いね。学生:いいえ、ちょっとじゃないです。すごく高(たか)いです。 Teacher: Have you found your new flat?Student: No, not yet. […]

Coto’s events in September 2015

This is an older post – to see our upcoming monthly events – click here Monthly Events at Coto Join Local festival and Omikoshi experience in Iidabashi 夏祭り・おみこし体験をしよう! Friday, September 11th 17:00-21:00 in Iidabashi Are you up for the Omikoshi challenge with the locals? The Tsukudo-jinja Shrine Festival is held mid-September in Iidabashi Chiyoda Ward. […]

One Week Special Nail Art Course

Learning Japanese is quite captivating isn’t it? Step by step, being able to communicate in a foreign language is really rewarding. We hope you are enjoying your classes! Have you been studying other aspects of Japanese culture besides the language? Discovering Japanese culture is a nice way to deepen your knowledge of the language. That is why Coto Japanese […]

Japanese Slang: Nanpa Suru and Gyakunan Suru

Picking People up?Where did the Word come from?Usage Examples When you are learning a foreign language, studying slang is a funny way to deepen 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 see how Japanese people […]

Common Japanese Mistakes: Pronouns 彼 (Kare) and 彼女 (Kanojo)

「彼」Kare and「彼女」Kanojo「私」Watashi   Japanese Personal Pronouns are really hard to get for Japanese learners. In truth, we rarely use them. Not only “I” 「私・watashi」and “you”「あなた・anata」are hard to get, but third person pronouns are also problematic. These include “he”「彼・kare」 and “she” 「彼女・kanojyo」which can typically lead to common Japanese mistakes.   「彼」Kare and「彼女」Kanojo Generally speaking, in the […]