Recently I’ve been asked about the spelling of Konnichiwa in Hiragana. Is it こんにちは or こんにちわ? Which is correct and why? The answer is こんにちは with は (Hiragana HA) at the end instead of わ (Hiragana WA) although the phrase is pronounced “KonnichiWA.” Why? Because the WA in this particular phrase is a particle (Topic […]
Blog
What is TE Form ? – This is How You Use It
What is TE form? TE form is one conjugation form of Japanese verb. People use TE form to create various expressions in Japanese. Once you master TE form, it will greatly expand your Japanese communication skills. How Do I Use TE Form? What do I mean that TE form is used to create expressions? […]
Common Japanese Phrases – Download the List (PDF)
Let’s learn some common Japanese phrases in this lesson! Before I introduce those phrases, let me talk about speech styles. We Japanese differentiate speech styles depending on who we are talking to. We have Formal speech and Informal speech. Native Japanese people, when they are little, first learn the Informal speech because this is […]
Japanese Romaji – Sensē, Sensei or Sensee?
Japanese Romaji is a writing system to spell Japanese syllables in Roman (Latin) characters. Do people in Japan use Romaji? The answer is Yes and No. Romaji system was invented for non-Japanese people who cannot read Japanese characters (Hiragana, Katakana, & Kanji). In Japan, you may see things spelled in Romaji at airports, train stations or […]
Katakana shi シ & tsu ツ – How to Remember Easily
Do you get confused between Japanese Katakana シ(shi) and ツ(tsu)? They look pretty much the same, don’t they? In this lesson, I share tips to differentiate between the two letters. Also, let’s learn how to write シ(shi) and ツ(tsu) correctly! Katakana shi シ & tsu ツ are Similar First, let’s learn how to write Katakana shi […]
“Where” in Japanese – Doko DE or Doko NI?
Let’s learn how to say WHERE in Japanese and how to use it with a verb in your question. “Where?” in Japanese is どこ DOKO, so to simply ask where is it? you can just add ですか desu ka after DOKO. For example, to ask “Where is the restroom?” we phrase it “As for the […]