One of the things that makes English such a great language is how versatile it is. As an example, it’s possible to turn many nouns or verbs into adjectives by adding a -y on the end. Things get complicated when the word ends in an “e,” though. As an example of which, people often ask […] More
In this article we’re going to do a deep, deep dive into the Japanese education system. We’ll cover how the system is structured from pre-school to post-grad, what the classes are like, what exams there are, as well as hitting on all the major points in the history of Japanese education. For convenience sake, I’ll […] More
Anyone who has lived through 2020 knows that it’s sometimes hard to keep going. Indeed, occasional feelings of pessimism and negativity are a universal across all cultures. Because of this, it’s a good way to know how to encourage people when learning a new language. Let’s take a look at five ways to say “don’t […] More
“You can do it!” is a useful sentence to know in any language. It’s also often linguistically simple, meaning it’s an easy expression to add to your vocabulary. In this article, we’ll take a look at five ways you can encourage people with this or a similar expression in Japanese. How do you say […] More
We’re covering a really fun expression in Japanese in this article: kakatte koi. Anyone who enjoys Japanese media has probably heard this more than a few times, and you might even have a rough idea of what it means, just from the context and emphatic nature of the expression. But in the next few hundred […] More
Deciding where to place commas often takes its toll on anyone trying to write a sensible text. Comma-decisions oftentimes are a cause of writing mishaps such as meaning ambiguity or unnecessary complexity. Although accidental comma mistakes sound amusing and entertaining in many cases, it is still recommended to correctly position this punctuation to prevent misinformation. […] More
Some words are more common than others. Others just sound cool. No matter whether a word is as typical as “and” or as unusual as schadenfreude, however, one thing that doesn’t change is commas. That’s because, contrary to popular belief, what determines the rules for comma usage is not the word itself but the part […] More
Translation is an art, rather than a science, and in some cases there isn’t an exact duplicate of a word or phrase in other languages. This is especially true for Japanese and English, two languages with very different origins and two very different approaches to grammar and meaning. As an example, let’s consider the English […] More
Japanese people have a reputation for being unfailingly polite, pragmatic, honorable, and so on. That reputation is partially based in Japan’s guest culture. However, it also has to do with racist stereotypes of Japan and Japanese people that have been given free reign in newspapers, movies and other cultural institutions in Europe and America for […] More
No matter how many times you use the word now and commas together, you might still get confused about whether you are doing the right thing. You are not the only one experiencing this. English can be a complicated language with complex punctuation rules, especially when it concerns comma usage. In this article, we are […] More
Some people would say that oral speech is more difficult than writing; however, others also think the other way around. In writing, punctuation rules are one of the most vexatious concerns. Punctuations, such as commas, provide further meaning to the reader because of their ability to alert the initiation of pauses. Pauses are then essential […] More
Commas can be tricky. On top of that, “thus” can be a tricky word. “Thus” can mean “in this way” or “like this.” It can also have the same meaning as the words “consequently,” “therefore,” and “as a result of.” Knowing when a comma is needed with the word “thus” depends in part on which […] More
Despite popular belief, the rules for using commas in a sentence don’t depend on what comes before or after a specific word. Another common misconception is that you need a comma any time you would pause when speaking. The truth is that the purpose of a comma is to provide clarity to a sentence by […] More
The internet is a fascinating place. It brings people from all walks of life together and gives them an opportunity to connect and interact with one another. It fosters communities, giving everyone the chance to feel like they belong. However, an interesting side effect of the rise of diverse communities is the morphing and amalgamation […] More
One useful trick for language-learning is to make a point of figuring out how to ask for help early on. If you’re visiting a traditional Japanese inn and the front desk staff just asked you a question, your trip is going to go a lot more smoothly if you can clue them in to the […] More
There are plenty of expressions that we take for granted in English. We say them to others without thinking twice, and we expect others to know what we mean and to respond in kind. For example, we say “good morning” as a greeting to others. When you think about it, the expression in full should […] More
One way to improve writing intricacy is to efficiently make use of punctuations in sentences. Another highly recommended skill is the ability to employ lexical alternatives whenever applicable. The combination of both will substantially increase our linguistic control over any language that we are trying to acquire. Since language control entails cognitive flexibility, it can […] More
If it’s later than afternoon, but not night yet, what time is it? No, that’s not the start of a terrible dad joke. The answer is, of course, “evening.” But when is evening, exactly? Let’s take a look at the complicated nuance, and long history, of this seemingly simple word. What time is “evening”? […] More
Today’s topic is a uniquely challenging one: prepositions in Japanese. We’re going to have to get familiar with flipping concepts around from how we generally understand them in English. I won’t lie: It’s a huge challenge at first, but after a handful of practice, without even noticing it, this new way of engaging with language […] More
The use of commas in written English may already seem as clear as mud. Similarly, cohesive devices such as pronominal adverbs may also make a learner feel like twisting a knife. Despite being intimidating in nature, the function of commas and pronominal adverbs remains hugely the same which is to logically bind words, phrases, or […] More
Japanese thrives on context. Although it has a reputation for being unusual in that regard, in fact context is important in nearly all languages. In addition to the linguistic context of a specific sentence, many languages also have special rules for specific social or cultural contexts. In English, for example, the way you speak to […] More
When it comes to punctuation, the comma is probably the most used punctuation next to the period. However, unlike the period, using commas can be tricky which can lead to committing errors in their use. These mistakes can make your writing less effective, especially when readers have a harder time understanding due to the improper […] More
Words like yes, no and maybe are important parts of the English language despite how small they are. While you’re not likely to use these words in a written context very often, there are some situations where they can save you a lot of time and significantly aid in clarity. To use them properly, however, […] More
English has a few different words that can mean “have,” like possess, own or keep. Japanese is the same way, with a few different words that can mean slightly different things in different contexts. In this article, we’ll look at Japanese words you can use to mean “have.” How do you say “have” in […] More
Of all the children of the internet, memes have to be one of the most exciting ones to come about. They have become a form of communication onto themselves, and there are entire sites dedicated only to the production of memes. Moreover, memes have actually impacted the English language, from creating new words such as […] More
It’s, a bit, annoying, when people, put unnecessary commas, in sentences. Let’s eat Tracy! Commas are generally used to signal the reader in taking quick breaks to breathe before proceeding to the next part of the sentence. While commas are essential in separating word series, phrases, or clauses, their unnecessary usage makes sentences awkward and […] More
Sometimes, a phrase may look simple and have one meaning that is straightforward, but there might also be a cultural association behind it that gives it an additional weight and meaning. You probably already know that a “test” is an examination of what you know about a given topic. However, it is also used when […] More
Formal, written English has some odd expressions in it. What’s especially interesting about these expressions is that they can take on nearly opposite meanings depending on the tone of the communication around them. Here we’ll look at one such example. What does “thank you for the reminder” mean? In short, this “thank you for […] More
If you read any style guide, one piece of advice you will come across time and again is to avoid using the same word over and over and over again. The reason behind this advice is that repetitive writing is boring, monotonic, and plain drab. You want to be none of those. In fact, […] More
Language is full of nuance. That’s part of what makes it so interesting to learn. In this post, we’ll examine the many possibilities for “everything” in Japanese and explore some of the subtle differences between them. How do you say “everything” in Japanese? The best translation for “everything” in most contexts is likely to […] More