TCJ Blog

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.

The JLPT N3 is an important level, as it marks the transition from beginner to intermediate Japanese. This article explains how N3 differs from previous levels by organizing its difficulty and exam structure, while also reviewing sample grammar questions. At this level, learners are required to understand context and the speaker’s intentions, rather than simply memorizing grammar rules. The article also introduces effective study perspectives and learning strategies, with a focus on review, and explains how preparation for the JLPT N3 at TCJ can help learners succeed.

This time, we will introduce some simple Japanese phrases that can be used when asking for directions, when shopping, and when eating out.

Explore the three different types of characters in Japanese: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. This article explains why these three writing systems exist, how they are used differently, and how they function together. How many kanji exist, and how many are commonly used in daily life by Japanese people? As a foreign learner, how many kanji should you know? Is it true that each kanji has two different types of readings? This article answers all your questions about the Japanese writing system.

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.