TCJ Blog

People not from Japan often say that Japanese is hard to understand and to learn. Is it true? Thinking about it deeply, we will realize that Japanese proper, kind minds and consideration actually make the difficulty, and more people feel Japanese is hard. This time, we will think about the ambiguous Japanese phrase with some sentences.

When receiving a gift or when someone congratulates you, expressing your feelings—such as saying, “I’m so glad” in addition to “Thank you”—can make your response even more heartfelt. Many people may find themselves wondering, “How can I express this in Japanese?” when trying to convey their emotions.

In the process of learning Japanese, learners often encounter kanji that appear familiar but are read differently, or seem to carry an entirely different meaning. In Japanese, a single kanji—or a combination of kanji—can have multiple readings and meanings. A change in reading alone may shift the reference from a concrete object to an abstract evaluation, or from a general concept to a specific description of a state or condition. In this article, we focus on four commonly confusing words—銀杏, 上手, 人気, and 流石—which learners often struggle with despite encountering them frequently in daily life. We will examine their different readings and meanings, the contexts in which each is used, and how native Japanese speakers determine the appropriate reading.

There are some words that Japanese people often use but the nuance is subtle and it is hard to use. However, if you can use them well, your friends and Japanese people will be surprised. This time, we will show you seven phrases and explain them with example sentences.

Many learners find Japanese pronunciation relatively easy, as the language does not rely on a stress accent like English or tonal distinctions like Chinese or Thai. However, Japanese has a unique feature known as pitch accent, in which words with the same pronunciation can carry different meanings depending on their accent pattern. This is a crucial element for conveying meaning accurately and being clearly understood by listeners. In this article, we explore the basics of Japanese pitch accent and key points to be aware of, along with examples of homophones, in an accessible and easy-to-understand way.