Tag - nihongo

 
 

NIHONGO

Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 21, 2020
Complaint calls over virus-related scams top 10,000 in Japan
A Kyodo news article looks at a rash of scams that are targeting those worried about the outbreak of COVID-19.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 14, 2020
Outlook uncertain for Japanese-language exams
Japanese-language exams are in an uncertain state due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus around the world. Your Japanese study doesn't need to stop, though.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Apr 14, 2020
Expressing a sense of degree with 'kurai'
The particle 'kurai' is very helpful in trying to illustrate the degree of something happening, though translating it isn't as straightforward as you'd think.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 14, 2020
Japan post suspends delivery of international mail due to pandemic
According to a Kyodo story that outlines vocabulary related to postal services, Japan Post can't guarantee the delivery of international mail due to a disruption in airline travel.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / MEDIA MIX
Apr 11, 2020
COVID-19 spurs debate over loanwords
During her March 25 news conference, which was held to address a sudden increase in COVID-19 cases in the capital, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike used visual aids and a script filled with foreign loanwords to convince residents that they should stay at home so as to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Koike’s...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Apr 7, 2020
What to do when a Japanese word shows signs of needing 'meku' attached to it
Attaching the verb 'meku' to certain Japanese words can emphasize the idea of showing signs of something or appearing to look like something.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Apr 7, 2020
Virus outbreak boosts convenience store sales in February
Let's look at some business terms via a Japanese news article about a rise in sales at convenience stores during the early days of the new coronavirus outbreak.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 6, 2020
Cancellations, postponements, suspensions — words that define the times
March was a month of cancelled classes, postponed planes and sudden suspensions. Let's take a deeper look at the ways we express delays.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 31, 2020
The Japanese words used to encourage self-restraint
As concern over the new coronavirus increases so does a Japanese learner's vocabulary. Get to know the words that are most commonly being used in news stories about the outbreak.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 31, 2020
The 'ni ataranai' structure is actually a grammar point that's worth learning
The terms 'ni(wa) ataranai' and 'made mo nai/naku' point out things that aren't worth doing, but they have slightly different nuances.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Mar 31, 2020
Local governments short on volunteer interpreters in emergencies
A Kyodo story looks at the lack of multilingual volunteers that would be able to help Southeast Asian communities in Japan in an emergency.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Mar 24, 2020
Entrance fee to Mount Fuji to become mandatory
An expert committee that advises the “Mount Fuji World Cultural Heritage Council” working group comprised of prefectures such as Yamanashi and Shizuoka, had confirmed a discussion as of (Feb.) 18th for an entrance fee for Mount Fuji.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 24, 2020
Pointing out the family with 'ni ataru'
Mari-chan wa Nana no obasan ni ataru. (Mari is Nana’s aunt.)
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 24, 2020
Can’t find tissues? Get some towels, it’s moving time
It’s a bad time to run out of toilet paper and tissues. March is a month of big life changes in Japan such as 入学 (nyūgaku, entering university), 入社 (nyūsha, entering a company) and 転勤 (tenkin, company transfers), and those will often require your moving to a new apartment. A 空っぽな...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 17, 2020
Looking for luck in Japanese amid a pandemic
It's St. Patrick's Day and with the spread of coronavirus taking place it's a good time to talk about lucky charms.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 17, 2020
Celebrating special occasions with 'ni atatte' and 'ni saishite'
A more formal construction, 'ni atatte' is used when you are marking the occasion. 'Ni saishite' has a similar nuance, think of both as a fancy way to say 'when.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Mar 17, 2020
Will the coronavirus wreck Tokyo's cherry blossom season?
Tradition has come down with the flu this year as the virus known as COVID-19 has people rethinking their party plans.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Mar 11, 2020
'Masaka,' it's good to know this expression in a pinch
The adverb 'masaka' can be used to express the level of an emergency or a certain level of disbelief.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Mar 10, 2020
School closures begin as Japan steps up coronavirus fight
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a 'request' to close schools, not an 'order.' Let's look at the language of a Kyodo News piece on the subject.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 7, 2020
Your Japanese vocabulary can expand as the new coronavirus spreads
When news of a virus began to surface we took the opportunity to review the Japanese for things like 'symptoms' and 'cough.' Now we're learning terms like 'pandemic' and 'state of emergency.'

Longform

Traditional folk rituals like Mizudome-no-mai (dance to stop the rain) provide a sense of agency to a population that feels largely powerless in the face of the climate crisis.
As climate extremes intensify, Japan embraces ancient weather rituals