理解することはまあまあできるけど、話すのは難しい！ Understanding is alright, but speaking is hard! Hi, my name is Noemi and this is what I have been saying for over a year whenever someone asks me about my level in Japanese. I have tons of learning books, and I think they are all good but just too heavy to carry. My Japanese friends are helping me, but it is impossible to remember everything they are teaching me, especially in a more casual context. I also took Japanese classes for 2 years, and those are generally a great option, but not so much for my wallet. In other words: I was stuck at my let’s say lower intermediate level and this needs to change. I am in Japan now, so it’s time to learn. Basically, what I need is something light and... Show more

As you learn more about Japanese culture, we are sure that you will want to learn even more Japanese words and phrases! The way to experience Japan at its fullest is being able to communicate and make the best of your stay in this fascinating country. But sometimes we feel that time is short! However, did you know that you can use Japanese to learn more Japanese?  of course, you can ask for help, in Japanese! Remember to be polite at all times and use: すみません。 (  Sumimasen  ) "excuse me." We often use it to try to politely get someone's attention if we are about to say something or ask a question. 「 word 」 は日本語で何ですか。 (  wa Nihon-go de nan desu ka? ) "How do you say (word) in Japanese?" You can use this phrase... Show more

You may have noticed that Japanese sentences' word order are different from English. Yet, although it may sound odd to say "I Marge am", don't be discouraged about it, it is just a matter of learning Japanese sentence structure and soon it will become second nature. Remember that to Nihon-jin our word order for "My name is Marge" must be strange too! What is Nihon-jin? Nihon-jin is the way to say "Japanese person". in Japanese, to express nationality, you add the word for person, jin （ 人 ）to the name of a country. Let's take a look at some examples. 日本 (Nihon)  +  人 (jin )= 日本人  "Japanese person" in the same way: ア メリカ (Amerika) +  人 (jin )=  アメリカ人 (Amerika-jin)  "American person" イギリス (Igirisu)  + 人 (jin )= ... Show more