How to Write Your Name in Japanese: The Katakana Method
Your name is not translated into Japanese, it is transcribed. You write it in katakana, following its sounds rather than its letters. Here is the full method, the traps English speakers fall into, and why the kanji version you were sold is almost always wrong.
Read the article →I Love You in Japanese: 好き, 大好き and 愛してる
The textbook translation of « I love you » is 愛してる. It is accurate, and it is almost always the wrong choice: Japanese speakers say 好き or 大好き. Here are the three levels, the particle that trips everyone up, and how to answer.
Colors in Japanese: The Full List and the の Rule
Colours in Japanese hide a rule most word lists skip: only four of them are true adjectives. Every other colour needs の. Here is the full list, the rule that goes with it, and why a green traffic light is blue in Japan.
Ordering in Japanese: How to Handle a Cafe Like a Regular
Ordering in Japanese at a cafe takes only a handful of set phrases. Here is the everyday vocabulary to greet, order, pay, and leave with a smile.
Days of the Week in Japanese: The Pattern That Makes Them Stick
The days of the week in Japanese look like seven words to cram, but each one is named after a planet or an element. Once you see the pattern, they stop slipping away.
Counting in Japanese: Numbers and the Logic Behind Them
Counting in Japanese looks intimidating, but the number system is one of the most regular in the world. Learn ten words and you can say thousands of numbers.
How to Introduce Yourself in Japanese
Learn how to introduce yourself in Japanese with a simple, reliable pattern. Memorize the order once, swap a few words, and you can present yourself in any setting.
Thank You in Japanese: Every Way to Say It
There is no single way to say thank you in Japanese. The right phrase shifts with the person, the moment, and even the tense. Here is how to pick the right one every time.
Hello in Japanese: Every Greeting That Matters
Saying hello in Japanese is not one word but a small family of greetings that change with the time of day and the person in front of you. Here is how to never hesitate again.
Learn Japanese with Anime: Myth vs Reality
Can you really learn Japanese with anime? Here is what watching actually gives you, the traps in casual and battle vocabulary, and a method to make every episode count.
Duolingo Japanese: Is It Enough to Actually Learn?
Is Duolingo enough to actually learn Japanese? An honest answer: it is great for building the habit and taking the fear out of the language, but thin on its own for grammar, kanji, and the JLPT. Here is how to use it well.
The Best App to Learn Japanese: An Honest Comparison
Looking for the best app to learn Japanese? The honest answer depends on your goal. Here are the criteria that matter and a clear tour of the main options.
The Five Minute Rule: Why Small Daily Sessions Win
The five minute rule flips how most people think about learning Japanese. A tiny session every day beats a long push on the weekend, and the memory science explains why.
Spaced Repetition Explained: Learn More by Reviewing Less
Review a word just before you would forget it, then leave a bigger gap each time. That is spaced repetition, and it is far stronger than cramming.
Hiragana or Katakana First? The Clear Answer
Hiragana or katakana first? The answer is clear: hiragana. Here is why, when to pick up katakana, and how long each one really takes.
Should You Learn Kanji? Yes, but Not the Way You Think
Should you learn kanji? Yes, but not by copying character lists a hundred times. You learn them inside words, from the very first day, through exposure. Here is why avoiding them makes everything harder.
Hiragana, Katakana, Kanji: Where a Beginner Should Start
Japanese uses three writing systems at once, and that scares off a lot of beginners. Here is what hiragana, katakana, and kanji each do, and the order that makes them easy.
Japanese Word Order: Forget Thinking Backwards
People say you have to think backwards to speak Japanese. You do not. The verb closes the sentence, and thanks to particles, almost everything else can move freely.
Japanese Particles: The Essential Guide After は and が
Once you have は and が sorted, a small set of Japanese particles runs almost every sentence. Here is one clear idea per particle, with examples and the traps to skip.
JLPT N5 Grammar List: Every Point, Organized by Logic
The full JLPT N5 grammar list, grouped by how the language actually works: three sentence types, the core particles, verb forms, and both adjective families, with a real example for each.
JLPT N5 Exam Day: What to Expect and How to Prepare
Know exactly how JLPT N5 exam day runs before you walk in: the three sections, the all multiple choice format, the sectional pass mark, and how to prepare.
Anki for Japanese: The Most Powerful Tool, and the Least Welcoming
Anki is the most powerful memory tool for Japanese, and the least welcoming. Here is what it does brilliantly, where it trips beginners up, and how to tell if it is the right fit for you.
JLPT N5 Kanji: The 100 Characters, Grouped by Theme
The N5 kanji are around a hundred characters. Here they are grouped into logical themes (numbers, time, people, places, nature, verbs, adjectives), with how to learn them without panicking over the readings.
JLPT N5 Vocabulary: All 800 Words, Organized
JLPT N5 vocabulary is around 800 everyday words. Here is how they break down, sample words by big families, and why the order you learn them in matters more than the raw list.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Japanese? An Honest Answer
How long does it take to learn Japanese? The honest answer depends on your goal. Here are realistic hour ranges for each milestone, and why consistency changes everything.
だ and です: What Textbooks Don’t Tell You
です is not “the verb to be”, and だ is not its casual shortcut. だ is the base copula, です is a layer of politeness laid on top. Understanding that order makes negatives, the past, and adjectives far simpler.
Learn Katakana: A Method That Actually Sticks
Katakana is mostly for words that came from elsewhere: coffee, computer, your own name. Here is how to learn katakana, and why reading it feels like a little guessing game.
JLPT N5: The Complete Guide
The JLPT N5 is the first official milestone in Japanese. This complete guide covers what the level is worth, the exact program, the test format and scoring, how to register, and a realistic month-by-month study plan.
は vs が: Finally Understand the Difference
は or が? It is the question that haunts every beginner in Japanese. The good news: behind the confusion sits a simple logic that always ends up clicking into place.
Learn Hiragana: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
Hiragana is the first step in Japanese, and the most rewarding. Here is how to learn the full hiragana set, row by row, and remember it in one or two weeks without burning out.
How to Learn Japanese by Yourself: The Complete Guide
You can absolutely learn Japanese by yourself. With the right order, a few minutes a day, and a bit of consistency, you can build solid foundations with no teacher and no pressure.
Japanese Grammar Is Logical: You Were Taught It Backwards
Japanese grammar has a fearsome reputation. It is undeserved: the grammar is more regular than English. Here is the logic underneath it, and why everything falls into place the moment you stop reading it through an English lens.
One letter, twice a month.
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