Archive for 'Culture'
Japanese Honorific Suffixes Part 1 Posted by keiko on Mar 19, 2015
Have you heard of Japanese people call someone, “~ san(さん)”, or “~ chan(ちゃん)”? Or if you are a baseball fan, you might have heard, “Ma-kun (マー君)” in the news. Ma-kun (マー君) is referring to Masahiro Tanaka who is a pitcher for NY Yankees. In Japanese, we use many honorific suffixes depending on the situation. In the…
Hinamaturi – Japanese Doll Festival for Girls Posted by keiko on Feb 28, 2015
Many of the young girls in Japan are now looking forward to celebrate the Doll Festival (Hinamatsuri, ひなまつり、雛祭り)coming up next week, on March 3rd. Every year, on this day, parents along with their daughters celebrate their daughter’s happiness and health. It is a special day for a family with daughters, as they prepare for this…
All About Japanese Names Posted by keiko on Feb 27, 2015
What are some typical Japanese names you can think of? Many of you might say, many of the Japanese names for girls and women end with “ko(こ、子, meaning “child”).” This is true, especially for girls who were born in 1960’s and 1970’s. Today, let me introduce you to interesting facts about Japanese names, how they…
How to Say Happy Birthday in Japanese? Posted by keiko on Feb 25, 2015
Today’s post is all about the “Birthday”. How would you say, “Happy Birthday!” in Japanese? Well, “Birthday” is “Tanjo-bi (たんじょうび、誕生日)” or “O-tanjo-bi (おたんじょうび、お誕生日)” in Japanese. By adding, “o” at the beginning, it sounds more softer; therefore, many women use it that way. Also, smaller children use in that form. Below is the list of some…
Japanese Word Bank of Romantic words. Posted by keiko on Feb 10, 2015
Japanese Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Typically in Japan, Valentine’s Day is the day for girls or women to give out chocolates to men to express their love. Tradition is, all about the “chocolates”. Sometimes, cookies are also popular, but most likely, they are not just the cookies, but cookies with chocolate!…
Must Watch Funny Japanese Commercial Posted by keiko on Jan 30, 2015
I would like to end this month with something funny and humorous. This is one of the TV commercials from home delivery sushi place. You might not need to understand the details of the Japanese language to get an idea on what’s happening, but it sure gives you more reason to laugh if you understand the…
Back to Basics 2 – Six Must Know Japanese Expressions Posted by keiko on Jan 29, 2015
Here is another round of back to basics in Japanese. These expressions are often used and good to know as you interact with your friends and acquaintances. ごくろうさまです。 （ご苦労様です）(gokuro sama desu) You often say this to a person who worked hard all day or did something for you. In English, it is more like…