Archive for 'Grammar'
Yes or NO – tag questions Posted by eriko1 on Oct 21, 2021
This time, I am going to talk about tag questions (付加疑問文 fuka gimonbun). I know that these are confusing to Japanese students learning English, and I bet the Japanese learners must be sharing the same confusion (混乱 konran). So what is a tag question in English? You didn’t go to see the movie last night…
Those Pesky Particles! Posted by eriko1 on Jan 14, 2021
As a non-native English speaker, my biggest foe is the article (冠詞 kanshi). Yes, those “a” and “the” devils. When you ask native English speakers, they always say – if you refer to an item the first time, use “a” and after that “the”. Well, life is not that simple especially in English that is full of exceptions (例外reigai). I…
How To Curse In Japanese Posted by Philip Gregory on Feb 23, 2020
You are planning to come to Japan, and you want to be completely and utterly prepared. You’ve learned all of the standard phrases, but what do you do when you need to curse at someone? Most people generally avoid flinging out expletives willy-nilly, but it can’t be denied that there are some situations where cursing…
5 must know difficult Japanese words Posted by keiko on Sep 23, 2018
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.” – Unknown The other day, I came across this quote above, and thought I would share with you all. This applies to all sorts of things we deal with everyday. Your work, study, and social life, etc. and obviously, learning a foreign…
8 Must Know Japanese Kanji’s related to Body Parts Posted by keiko on Aug 17, 2018
“The Limits of Your Language are the Limits of Your World.”~Ludwig Wittgenstein~ Hi everyone! Hope you are all enjoying learning Japanese on a daily basis. 🙂 When it comes to learning Kanji’s, I believe the best way is to group them in a categories where you can learn a handful of them at the…
What is Japanese Obon? Posted by keiko on Aug 13, 2018
Knowledge of Language is the Doorway to the Wisdom. ~Roger Bacon~ Hi everyone! Hope you are enjoying the month of August (Hachi gatsu, はちがつ，八月) . Hard to believe it’s already August where I feel like summer (Natsu, なつ, 夏 ) is approaching to the end, and we are about to start the fall (Aki…
8 Must Know Japanese Kanji’s related to Family Posted by keiko on Jul 14, 2018
“A different language is a different vision of life.” – Federico Fellini Hi everyone. Hope you are all enjoying the summer and longer days. Love how we can still enjoy the outdoors in later hours to go for a walk or enjoy after dinner activities. 🙂 This month, I received a request to write…