How do you say, “I got flu” in Japanese? Posted by keiko on Feb 26, 2018
“We should learn languages because language is the only thing worth knowing even poorly.” ― Kató Lomb, Hi everyone, hope you are all healthy and doing well. My family just got over the nasty flu, which started off with one of my kids, and spread to the entire family. It was my fault that…
Types of Chocolates You Want to Know for Valentine’s Day in Japan Posted by keiko on Feb 12, 2018
“If we spoke a different language, we would perceive a somewhat different world.” ‒ Ludwig Wittgenstein Valentine’s Day is coming up soon! Are you excited? Do you already have a special gift picked for your loved ones? After living in U.S. for a while, I noticed that the way people celebrate Valentine’s Day here…
What does “Kibun tenkan” mean? Posted by keiko on Jan 31, 2018
“One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.” Frank Smith Hi everyone. Hope everyone is having a great day! It’s been raining here in Pacific Northwest for the past few weeks or so. Unfortunately, this is not my favorite time of the year as the…
Goals for 2018 in Learning Japanese Posted by keiko on Jan 25, 2018
“A different language is a different vision of life.” – Federico Fellini It is almost the end of January now, and going into February soon. What are some of your goals for this year in terms of learning Japanese? I have received some comments from readers where they want to focus on reading basic Hiragana’s…
What is Jyuunishi (Twelve Branches, Japanese Zodiac Animals)? Posted by keiko on Jan 19, 2018
“Change your language and you change your thoughts.” ‒ Karl Albrecht Hi everyone! Have you heard of the Jyuunishi (十二支、じゅううにし), the Twelve Branches or Earthly Branches? In Japan, people often refer each year as “Year of the Dog” or ” Year of the Monkey” etc.. based on the Zodiac system. There are twelve animals…
Happy New Year! Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu Posted by keiko on Jan 8, 2018
“A man who knows two languages is worth two men.” ‒French Proverb Happy New Year, everyone! Hope everyone had a great winter break. Some of you are already back to work and others might be still on long vacation. 2018 has just began, and this is the time of the year to reset…
End of Year Greeting in Japanese Posted by keiko on Dec 30, 2017
❝Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can; there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.❞ ‒Sarah Caldwell With just another day left in December, I can’t believe it’s almost 2018. This year has gone by too fast for me. How about you? How did…