Click here to listen to the audio pronunciation! Golden week is almost here! In few days it will be the beginning of the Golden week, the longest public holiday in Japan. It’s an exciting moment for a lot of people as it’s the period for some time off and to fully enjoy Spring. Here is the list of Top Words you need to know for your holidays! 1. Traffic jam 渋滞 (じゅうたい) 2. Warm 暖かい (あたたかい) 3. Golden Week holidays ゴールデンウィーク 4. Chimaki ちまき 5. Constitution Day 憲法記念日 (Constitution Day) 6. Kashiwamochi 柏餅 (かしわもち) 7. Greenery Day みどりの日 (みどりのひ) 8. Children's Day 子供の日 (こどものひ) 9. Trip abroad 海外旅行 (かいがいりょこう) 10. Doll for the Boys' Festival in May 五月人形 (ごがつ にんぎょう) ... Show more

Click here to start learning Japanese for FREE! Japan is a country rich in pop culture, which has spread all around the world and had a big influence. Popular culture changes quickly and drastically, but who are the biggest icons from Japanese Pop Culture in recent years? Here is our Top 5! 1. ハローキティ - Hello Kitty Hello Kitty, also known as Kitī-chan in Japanese, is one of the major characters in Japan, and a symbol of “Cute” culture. Hardcore fans of Kitty are called kitirā (キティラー). Hello Kitty is popular overseas as well. For example, celebrities like Paris Hilton, Katy Perry and Lady Gaga are known to be enthusiastic Kitty fans. 2. AKB48 AKB48 is currently the most popular idol group in Japan, and known for... Show more

Click here to start learning Japanese for Free! Thanks to Japanese, we realize we miss a lot of words and expressions in our own languages. If you’re looking for Japanese words we should have in our dictionary, this list is for you! You can hear these commonly used words in anime or dramas. They are pretty easy to understand, but when it comes to translating them or to explaining the meaning, it’s a different story! However, we tried to find the best definition for you, so arigatou for your understanding! 1. 先生 (Sensei) "Professor” This word can be used for all the people that teach you something. A teacher, a doctor, a philosopher… everybody can be a sensei for somebody else. 2. お疲れ様 (Otsukaresama) “Good work today ... Show more

Hello Listener, You're definitely learning new Japanese words and phrases with these lists, the Word of the Day and weekly JapanesePod101 Audio and Video lessons. But here’s a geography question for you: Do you know the Major Japanese Cities? And do you know how to properly pronounce them in Japanese? You’re about to learn it all with this post. 1. Tokyo Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the largest city in the country. Tokyo is also one of Japan's forty-seven prefectures, but it is referred to as a to ("a metropolis") instead of a ken ("a prefecture"). 2. Kyoto Kyoto, one of the oldest cities in Japan, was formerly the capital of Japan until 1868, when Tokyo became the capital. Now it is a major city in the... Show more

どのくらい (dono kurai):how long, how many, how much Here is how to ask how long someone has been studying Japanese: どのくらい日本語を勉強していますか。How long have you been studying Japanese? Here are some ways to answer this question. 一か月間です。 For 1 month. 二年間です。For 2 years. 半年間です。For half a year. How long have you been studying Japanese? Click here and leave your answer! P.S. Get Your Daily Dose of Japanese with 1-Minute Mini-Lessons The Daily Dose of Japanese is a Calendar that gives you new, 1-minute lessons every day. Why? Because learning a little every day is easy, strengthens your habits and motivation and you improve your Japanese over time. Lessons range from culture and holidays to grammar, slang, phrases and more. Find it in... Show more

1. おはよう。 - Good morning. Click here to learn more basic Japanese greetings: 2. すごい - cool, amazing, great, wonderful Click here to learn how to introduce yourself in Japanese: 3. お名前は？ - What’s your name? Click here to learn how to ask What’s Your Name? In Japanese: 4. じゃ、また。 - See you soon. Click here to learn basic Japanese greetings: 5. どこに住んでいますか？ - Where do you live? Click here to learn how to ask and answer this question: 6. 笑う - To laugh Check out the Top 25 Must-Know Japanese verbs: 7. きれい - beautiful Click here to learn the secret of making a good first impression in Japan: 8. 駅はどこですか? - Where’s the station? Want more common Japanese... Show more

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

I was always interested in traveling to Japan. The culture, people, and natural beauty of the country were what drew me in. I knew that it was definitely a place that I wanted to visit in the future and something that would be on my bucket list. But for one reason or another, I had never really had the opportunity to travel across the Pacific. I was either too broke or too busy. That changed last summer when I decided to put an end to my procrastination and fulfill my dream. I purchased my ticket to Japan online and celebrated with a triumphant cheer. However, I soon came to a realization. I did not speak one word of Japanese. I had one month until I embarked on my adventure and I wanted to learn as much Japanese as I could, so I... Show more

Hello Everyone! Ai-chan here! Just a random guest who was given the opportunity to write on JapanesePod101’s blog! ヽ(*⌒∇⌒*)ﾉ First off, a big round of applause to JapanesePod101! Why, you ask? Cause they are awesome! I started using JapanesePod101 about two months ago and I LOVE it! To be honest, I was never the type to learn from websites or apps because I always find myself giving up halfway (too boring). So I took the Japanese classes offered in my university and learning it directly from a teacher was the best. Unfortunately, it had to come to an end when I graduated last year. Unable to give up on my passion for the language, I tried all sorts of method to keep learning Japanese...from playing Japanese games to reading... Show more

Premium Members, your Premium Account just got a whole lot more powerful! My Flashcards now allows you to study the Japanese words you want by importing lists from audio and video lessons, your My WordBank and the Japanese Core Word Lists 2000. Here's a quick rundown of the new features: My Flashcards Dashboard: My Flashcards have a brand new interface. Import words from any audio and video lesson, My WordBank and the Core Word Lists. Create, edit and delete as many decks as you want! Create a New Deck: How you want to study is completely up to you! You control what displays on the front and back of cards. Create new decks out of the existing words in My Flashcards. Simple pick the words, name your deck and you're ready to... Show more