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August 15, 2024
 

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GRAMMAR

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 7, 2020
Divining fortunes and reading blood types in the Year of the Rat
It's the Year of the Rat and writer Haruka Murayama dips into the language of the zodiac.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 7, 2020
Despite the fact 'noni' is difficult for some, it's still a particle you should learn early
Whether it's used to connect sentences or simply to add emphasis, 'noni' is important to convey the idea of 'even though.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 24, 2019
You've got nothing to lose if you start studying the meanings of 'motomoto'
The word 'motomoto' conveys a sense of 'originally,' but it can also be used to express that you have nothing to lose in a given situation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 17, 2019
The structure 'to itta' is a great example of the ways Japanese give examples
Not to be confused with 'to iu,' the structure that uses 'to itta' can help when you're providing examples for things in a designated category.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Dec 10, 2019
The grammar point known as 'to iu'
When you're trying to describe what something is in Japanese, the structure 'to iu' can come in very handy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 26, 2019
Work toward mastery of 'ni mukete' and 'o mezashite'
The structures 'ni mukete' and 'o mezashite' help express your working toward a goal, with the latter being the more concrete option.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 19, 2019
Reuniting with old Japanese friends of all different kinds
Whether they're your 'shin'yu016b,' your 'tomodachi' or your 'nakama,' reuniting with Japanese friends is always a blast.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Nov 12, 2019
Here's some advice. If you want to help a friend out, stick to -tara ii desu
With your friends, giving and asking for advice in Japanese can be done in several ways. Just make sure you don't accidentally use these structures with your boss!
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 4, 2019
How to express the ups and downs of a tax hike
Describing the rise in a tax hike and a rise in prices means using two different words in Japanese. In either case, things aren't looking up.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Oct 28, 2019
By the way, do you know how to use 'hanashi wa kawaru kedo' in a sentence?
Changing the topic in a Japanese conversation is easier than you think and two terms in particular can help. 'Tokorode,' have you been studying Japanese long?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Oct 21, 2019
Expressing what you've been thinking about doing with 'to omotte-iru' and '-tai to omotte iru'
Using the 'tai' verb ending expresses desire in Japanese, but adding 'omotte-iru' can help convey the idea that your wants are not spontaneous.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Oct 7, 2019
Speak Japanese with certainty by using 'zettai'
The word 'zettai' has a feeling of absoluteness and certainty that can emphasize the confidence you have in what you're saying.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Sep 23, 2019
Vary your way of emphasis with 'totemo' and its cousins
The word 'totemo' is a very handy word as it means 'very.' But it's not the only word that can help you emphasize what you're talking about.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 16, 2019
Listening for the subtle sounds of autumn
Everyone's talking about the weather. While it's great to know the vocabulary needed to express seasons and temperature, there are also a few adverbs that will come in handy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Sep 16, 2019
Just once I'd like to use 'ichido' correctly
The word 'ichido' can mean 'one time,' but the nuance changes depending on the particle you pair it with.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 22, 2019
Japanese features a lot of ways to complain about the heat in summer
As we make the shift from u6885u96e8 (tsuyu, rainy season) to u590fu672cu756a (natsu honban, summertime in earnest), you'll find that the weather will take center stage in many Japanese conversations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jul 22, 2019
Breakdancing likely added to 2024 Olympics in Paris
t the general meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on the 25th, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) effectively decided to include breakdancing, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing as additional events for the 2024 Paris Olympics just as the organizing committee proposed.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jul 8, 2019
The Japanese verb 'kuru' comes in many forms
The irregular verb 'kuru' (to come) changes sound and structure depending on the context. And once you learn the rules of using it, prepare to break them.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jul 1, 2019
'Kireru' is a cut above other Japanese verbs
When you're out of breath, losing your temper or can't stand the tension in the room, the verb 'kireru' can help describe the situation.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jun 24, 2019
The Japanese words 'mono' and 'koto' can make things tricky
Both 'mono' and 'koto' mean 'thing' in Japanese, but they're used in different ways. And the thing is, nuance matters.
Japan to revise consumption tax exemption for overseas tourists
Tourists walk through Nakamise shopping street near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo in April
Japan's tourism industry hit by cancellations after megaquake alert
A beach closed due to a megaquake alert in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, from Friday to Thursday.
Focus shifts to incoming typhoon as Tropical Storm Maria dissipates
Newly formed Tropical Storm Ampil, which is forecast to approach eastern Japan this weekend, is seen on the left side of this satellite image.
Kishida to step down in September in bid to show ‘LDP has changed’
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida speaks during a news conference Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo.
Publisher finds surprise audience after translating history textbooks
Yamakawa Shuppansha president Takeshi Nozawa holds the publisher's textbook on Japanese history — used in high schools across Japan — alongside the new English version in Tokyo on May 23.
Economic security is about strengthening and sustaining growth, former minister says
Former economic security minister Takayuki Kobayashi says changes in the international balance of power, along with deepening economic interdependence, have led some countries to attempt to use their economic power to impose their will on others.
Ice bandanas, convenience store breaks: Running under Japan’s summer sun
Blistering heat is becoming a fixture of summer in Japan, but a few tweaks to your routine can make your outdoor runs bearable — if not enjoyable — until cooler temperatures return.
Japan issued its first-ever megaquake alert. What does that mean?
Naoshi Hirata (center), chairman of a committee tasked with evaluating the risk of a Nankai Trough earthquake, speaks at a news conference in Tokyo on Friday.
France brings down the curtain on its Olympic party with Tom Cruise and Leon Marchand
Fireworks are set off during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics at Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Sunday.
Japan fuels U.S. LNG boom even as climate targets and impacts loom
Flaring at the Cameron LNG export terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana. Flaring, a common sight at LNG plants, is a controlled burning of gas for reasons ranging from depressurizing equipment to disposing of gas that can’t be used. The practice is a "waste of money" and negatively impacts climate change and human health, says the International Energy Agency.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Sociologist Gracia Liu-Farrer argues that even though immigration doesn't figure into Japan's autobiography, it is more of a self-perception than a reality.
In search of the ‘Japanese dream’
By Thu-Huong Ha

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