Archive for March, 2014
Why is Japanese so hard to learn? Posted by keiko on Mar 31, 2014
Many foreigners say that Japanese is one of the hardest languages to learn. Everyone has their own opinion as to why it is a challenge to learn Japanese. Perhaps, the way the words are pronounced? or maybe the 3 writing styles (hiragana, katakana, kanji) that they use? Well, below, I have summarized the key points…
How to write business emails in Japanese Posted by keiko on Mar 27, 2014
Have you ever thought of writing emails in Japanese? Well, for those who are interested in writing emails in Japanese, I will show you some of the key vocabularies and examples below. First, let’s become familiar with some vocabularies for main words below. Dear – Haikei (拝啓、はいけい) Subject – Kenmei (件名、けんめい) Sender – Sashidashi nin…
Words of Praise in Japanese Posted by keiko on Mar 25, 2014
How would you say, “Good job!” in Japanese? Would like to know more about the expressions to use when you want to praise someone? Below, I have compiled the list of common praising expressions. よくやったね！(Yoku yattane!) or よくがんばったね！(Yoku Ganbattane!) – Good Job! Way to go! たいへん よくできました。(Taihen yoku dekimashita.)- You did a great job! *This…
How to express your feelings in Japanese….Part 2 Posted by keiko on Mar 21, 2014
Hi everyone. I thought I would do another version of “How to express your feelings in Japanese” since the first one was popular. (You can read it here if you would like.) In my first article on emotional expressions, I covered some examples to use when you are not feeling so happy or rather feeling…
WHAT are the common Japanese words for Spring? Posted by keiko on Mar 18, 2014
It is getting warmer here in the Northwest these days. I love it how we are having more and more sunny days recently. Spring is almost here. In this article, I would like to introduce you to some of the common Japanese words that are used for Spring. Kanji Hiragana pronunciation English Translation 春 はる…
What is “White Day” in Japan? Posted by keiko on Mar 14, 2014
Today is March 14th, which means it is “White Day (ホワイトデー)” in Japan. Along with Valentine’s Day, White Day is a special day for many people. As I wrote in my article the other day, Valentine’s Day in Japan is the day when many women give chocolates to men, including someone very special, casual friends…
How is it like to live in Japan? Posted by keiko on Mar 11, 2014
This article is based on the Youtube video I found recently. This video was made by one of the Universities in Japan, Keio University, promoting foreign students to come and study in Japan. Video summarizes many aspects of Japan in less then 2 and half minutes. It is amazing how packed this video is with…