Tag - nihongo

 
 

NIHONGO

Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Feb 18, 2019
Money talks: Can you understand what it's saying?
Digital currencies and smartphone apps are changing the way we do business with the yen, but some monetary habits die hard.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Feb 18, 2019
Understanding 'choshi' is a condition you should strive for
It's hard to translate the word 'choshi' into English directly, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't bother with it. Whether it's the condition of your body or your computer, choshi is rather useful.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Feb 18, 2019
Japan bolsters steps to aid non-Japanese in event of a quake
This Japanese news article introduces vocabulary that has to do with disaster preparedness, a topic we should all know a little more about.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 4, 2019
Wake up and smell Japan through new vocabulary
The world is full of smells. Good smells and bad smells, pleasant and unpleasant smells, fragrant and pungent smells. Though the nose is not our most reliable advisor in perception — eyesight is far more important, as is well known — smells clearly have a say in our view of the world. And there is...
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Feb 4, 2019
After learning how to use 'irai' properly, you'll be able to look back with confidence
The word 'irai' translates as 'since,' and it can be tacked on to both nouns and verbs.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Feb 4, 2019
Osaka comments on Nissin 'whitewashing' controversy
A Japanese news article sums up the issue of Naomi Osaka's anime avatar and its controversial color.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 28, 2019
Whether it's a bar in Shinjuku or over a dating app with someone in Osaka, words matter when talking about LGBT topics
According to a recent survey, around 1 in 11 Japanese say they identify as LGBT. Therefore, knowing the language of this diverse community can help greatly with understanding.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 28, 2019
The '-ppanashi' structure is so useful that you'll want to keep using it over and over and over
Often used in casual conversation, '-ppanashi' is added to a verb to indicate something that is done for an extended period of time. It can also have the nuance that something has been left in an improper state.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jan 28, 2019
More in Japan identify as LGBT as social awareness grows
A Dentsu survey finds that people are more aware of the LGBT acronym, giving learners of Japanese the opportunity to discover a world of new vocabulary.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 21, 2019
Emailing business connections in Japanese is simple if you remember a few handy phrases
The most important thing to remember when writing work-related emails is your manners. Polite Japanese is necessary even when dealing with someone you know, which means a lot of honorifics and thank-yous.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 21, 2019
Throw out idioms left and right using ... the Japanese words for left and right!
'Hidari' (left) and 'migi' (right) are used in several well known expressions in Japanese that indicate everything from a level of skill to a propensity for spending money.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jan 21, 2019
Online protests after monk receives traffic ticket
When reading about a group of monks protesting on social media, the collision of traditional and modern words is a treat.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jan 14, 2019
Tokyo prepares to host esports tournament
Tokyo is gearing up to host an esports tournament, read about what Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said about it in Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 14, 2019
You still need to know your ABCs if you're living in Japan
Written Japanese has three different scripts — hiragana, katakana and kanji — so you wouldn't think there'd be room for any more. But you'd be wrong.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 14, 2019
Using 'kaneru' incorrectly is something we simply cannot do
The verb u304bu306du308b is slightly complicated. It translates as “being unable to” and is often attached to a verb (X) in its masu-stem form (the masu-form with u307eu3059 removed).
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 7, 2019
Join in the chatter during film awards season
With the Golden Globes finished, the race to the Oscars is on. It's time to try out your Japanese on the topic of movies.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / WELL SAID
Jan 7, 2019
Know the circumstances of using 'shidai'
Depending on whether it's used as a noun, an idomatic expression or as an adverb, 'shidai' can mean something entirely different.
LIFE / Language / NEWS IN NIHONGO
Jan 7, 2019
'Tattoos OK' hot spring map released for Rugby World Cup
A hot spring map proves to be a hot topic in the news. Read about how the city of Beppu is making efforts to welcome tourists with tattoos.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / MORNING ENGLISH
Jan 7, 2019
Let's discuss recycling our food waste
A Nagoya-based effort to recycle food waste gets an award — and we get a lesson on composting.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY
Jan 6, 2019
It's 2019 and it's time to hit those Japanese textbooks — for real
Whether you've been here for several days or several decades, listening to fellow expats, immigrants and other non-Japanese residents groaning about their dissatisfaction with their language abilities is nothing new. The advice I've received on how to improve, however, sometimes skews toward the exasperating....

Longform

Visitors walk past Sou Fujimoto's Grand Ring, which has been recognized as the largest wooden structure in the world.
Can a World Expo still matter? Japan is about to find out.