We’ll learn about the polite copula, desu, which in Japanese approximates the English verb “to be.” We’ll also introduce the Japanese topic marking particle, wa.

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Have Fun Learning Japanese at JapanesePod101.com! We’re continuing to take a look at asking and giving directions in Japanese. Yasumi has started his journey and is going to change trains at Ikebukuro station (one of the 3 busiest train stations in the world!). There are a lot of different types of trains, including local and express. So he’ll have to ask which is the right train to take. Our grammar point is nara, a conditional form of the copula. After listening, stop by JapanesePod101.com and be sure to leave us a post!

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Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com! The shopkeepers in Japan are often very polite and generous to customers. Sometimes that might lead to problems. It’s not a good idea to give away your friend’s or your colleague’s favorite 28,000 yen umbrella. But come to think of it, how do you know an umbrella costs 28,000 yen? How can you tell it from any other umbrella in Japan? Maybe the handle is made of gold? Or maybe the struts are silver? The covering might be silk brocade? In any case, be sure to keep an eye out for the fancy possessions of your friends, colleagues, and even yourself in Japan. You probably don’t want to sit idly by in Japan while anyone gives away your friend’s 28,000 yen umbrella!

Learning Japanese with JapanesePod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn Japanese! This Japanese Newbie lesson will help you over the rough spots. You know, those situations when you’ve made a mistake or insulted someone or stepped on someone’s foot in Japan. You must know how to apologize in Japanese. Just as in English, Japanese has a number of ways to say, “I’m sorry.” You’ll learn several in this lesson as well as when to use them. Some are extremely informal and others are extremely  formal You’ll learn a lot about apologizing in Japanese in this lesson. Visit us at JapanesePod101.com where you will find many more fantastic Japanese lessons and learning resources! Leave us a message while you are there!

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We’ve been missing an opening theme for the past 5 lessons, but that all changed today! Our latest hero, Kazushi Takada, cut a new opening intro for us, using Sakura’s vocals. We’ll be using this one for a while, so we take the time to break it down for you and explain the Japanese as this will be daily practice for you. So be sure to iTune in!

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