Articles

Many are well familiar with the kanji 電 (den) — electricity. It appears in words such as:🔹 電気 (denki, electricity, light),🔹 電話 (denwa, telephone),🔹 電車 (densha, train),🔹 電子 (denshi, electronic), and many others.… Read more: 🐒 How is electricity connected to monkeys, and what does the calendar have to do with it? ⚡️🗓️

I recently discovered this genius Japanese saving method and instantly started my own experiment! つもり預金　tsumori yokin literally means “intended-deposit” → You save the money you were planning to spend on something. The grammar… Read more: Tsumori Yokin つもり預金: Japanese “I-was-going-to-spend-it” saving trick! 💸✨

Japan is the absolute world champion of gorgeous manhole covers! In almost every city and town the humble sewer lid is turned into a tiny piece of public art: They’re so pretty that… Read more: Japanese Manhole Covers: the most beautiful sewers in the world 🚰🖼️

Every Japanese learner sooner or later asks: What’s the difference between いえ and うち? Both mean “home/house” and both can be written as 家… so which one do I use?! Let’s settle it… Read more: How to say “home” in Japanese? いえ vs うち – the eternal question 🏠

We all know the super-famous word 大丈夫　だいじょうぶ　daijōbu → “It’s okay / No problem / All good!” But have you ever looked at the kanji? Wait a second: So… “a huge 3-metre-tall guy” =… Read more: “Daijoubu” = Everything’s fine… because there’s a big strong man nearby?! 😂

Recently in class we ran into this cute word: オルゴール (orugōru). At first glance it looks like a loanword… but definitely NOT from English! So where did it come from? → From the… Read more: How do you say “music box” in Japanese? 🎶🎁

Beginners (and even intermediate learners) always get stuck on these three words: They all mean “mood / feelings”… but not really! Let’s clear it up once and for all. 1️⃣ 気持ち (kimochi) →… Read more: 気持ち？気分？機嫌？ How to talk about feelings & mood in Japanese 🌈

Not long ago, young Japanese animator Kei Kanamori took home the gold at the Student Academy Awards (yes, the Student Oscars are a real thing!) for his breathtaking short film “Origami”🌸🎬 Fun fact:… Read more: The beauty of Origami

Beginners usually learn two words first: But the further you go… the more fun it gets! Here are more advanced words you’ll hear everywhere: 🎎 祭日　さいじつ　saijitsu Originally it was a purely Shinto term:… Read more: How to say “holiday / festival / day off” in Japanese? 🎌⛩️

Here is a Japanese motivational quote I’d like to share: 何も咲かない寒い日は、下へ下へと根を伸ばせ。やがて大きな花が咲く。(なにもさかないさむいひは、したへしたへねをのばせ。やがておおきなはながさく) “On cold days when nothing blooms, extend your roots deeper and deeper. Eventually, a big flower will bloom.” This quote comes from… Read more: Extend your roots!

Welcome to My New Website! It has been a long time since I wanted to have my own website, and here it is! I’m so excited to finally have a space where I… Read more: New Website