Hi Listener, Here’s how you speak and understand more Japanese in 2015... With new JapanesePod101 audio and video lessons by real teachers. And this is important – you get new lessons for FREE, every week. How? You simply start a lesson, hear native Japanese conversation and have our teachers explain it all to you. Every word. Every grammar point. Every cultural insight. Sit back and learn – we’ll do the work. Learn directly on our site or on the go on your mobile device. So, you’ll speak and understand more Japanese with new, free lessons every week! Here’s what you need to know. We’re starting a brand new season of lessons for the second half of 2015. So, starting July 6th, 2015, we’ll be releasing new seasons of audio... Show more

No matter how good you are, mistakes are inevitable, especially when you’ve just started learning Japanese. There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes, but who wants to be *THAT* foreigner who makes awkward mistakes when speaking to Japanese people? In this JapanesePod101 Blog post, we’ll give you a heads up so that you can be aware of common mistakes people make, which will make your Japanese language learning experience a lot easier. 1. Don’t Attach -san to Your Own Name! One of the first things English speakers learn in Japanese is the name suffixes used when addressing other people. The most common one is -san, which we attach to people’s names to show respect. -San corresponds with “Mr.” and “Mrs.” when referring to other... Show more

Learn a little Japanese everyday with the free Japanese Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!柔らかい (やわらかい) soft (i-adjective)下着には、もっと柔らかい素材の方がよい。したぎには、もっとやわらかいそざいのほうがよい。Softer materials are preferred for undergarments.彼女の新しいバスタオルは、柔らかい綿でできていた。かのじょのあたらしいバスタオルは、やわらかいめんでできていた。Her new bath towels were made of soft cotton.柔らかい食事の生活やわらかいしょくじのせいかつsoft food diet柔らかいピンクの綿毛やわらかいピンクのわたげsoft pink fluff柔らかい繊維やわらかいせんいsoft fabric柔らかいタオルやわらかいタオルsoft towelsOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the Japanese Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

1. Schedule your time. One of the most important factors in keeping your motivation up is developing it into a habit. Whether it be 20 minutes or 3 hours, schedule time to study every day and stick to it. Regular exposure solidifies what you learn and keeps you progressing. To make sure you stick to your routine, a great idea is to build a schedule for your day and decide that every day/Monday/weekend, you study from 6pm to 8pm. Just remember that 30 minutes a day, every day, is better than a binge 8-hour study session at the end of the week (though it’s obviously better than nothing). 2. Learn a word a day with our great Word of the Day learning tool. Trying to learn everything at once and getting overwhelmed by the sheer number... Show more

Learn a little Japanese everyday with the free Japanese Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!クジャク (クジャク) peacock (noun)クジャクが、向きを変えている。クジャクが、むきをかえている。The peacock is turning.クジャクの羽は美しいです。クジャクのはねはうつくしいです。The peacock's feathers are beautiful.うちわのように広がった尾をしたクジャクうちわのようにひろがったおをしたクジャクpeacock with fanned tailOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the Japanese Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.” - Charlemagne Learning a new language is an achievement anyone can be proud of and it's exciting and beneficial at all ages. It offers many practical, intellectual and aspirational benefits. A wave of new research shows the incredible psychological benefits of learning a second language. These benefits extend far beyond being able to order a cup of coffee abroad or ask directions to your hotel. 1. Learning a Foreign Language Boosts Brain Power Medical studies have shown the positive effect learning a second language has on the brain. A foreign language is a whole new system with distinct rules, etymology, and meaning, which are just a few of the complexities of a language.... Show more

Japanese anime is very popular around the world. So popular that many people decide to learn Japanese because of their love for their favorite anime shows. But one problem with learning Japanese through anime is the kind of Japanese you’ll absorb this way. The characters in anime live in their own universe, where everyone tends to use slang, casual language, informal pronouns and even made-up words. It’s very easy to spot people who learned Japanese exclusively through anime – you’ll see 20-year-old boys talking like 10-year-old kawaii girls, or 20-year-old girls talking like yakuza, for example! Needless to say, native Japanese speakers may not take them seriously! Despite this, it can actually be useful to incorporate anime into your... Show more

Learn a little Japanese everyday with the free Japanese Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!定規 (じょうぎ) ruler (noun)定規でライン間隔を測りなさい。じょうぎでラインかんかくをはかりなさい。Measure the spaces between the lines with a ruler.計測用定規けいそくようじょうぎmeasuring ruler十二インチの定規じゅうにインチのじょうぎtwelve inch rulerOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the Japanese Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Learn a little Japanese everyday with the free Japanese Word of the Day Widget. Check back daily for more vocabulary!怒っている (おこっている) angry (phrase)父が私に怒っています。ちちがわたしにおこっています。My father is angry with me.マネージャーは怒りました。マネージャーはおこりました。The manager got angry.テストが返却されないので、怒っています。テストがへんきゃくされないので、おこっています。I'm angry the test results aren't back.その少年は怒っている。そのしょうねんはおこっている。The boy is angry.怒っているときおこっているときangry times怒っている少年おこっているしょうねんangry boyOwn a blog or website? Share free language content with your readers with the Japanese Word of the Day with Audio Widget. Click here for instructions on how to embed and customize this free widget!

Click on the video below to learn about Setsubun for FREE! Setsubun (the Bean-Throwing Ceremony) is celebrated on February 3rd in Japan. Can you talk about this holiday in Japanese? In this special Weekly Words lesson, Risa will teach you about the customs and vocabulary related to Setsubun. You can also get the lesson notes, review the vocabulary and try fun quizzes on our lesson page. >> Click here to visit the lesson page on JapanesePod101! Want to find out more about Setsubun? >> Check out our FREE advanced video on JapanesePod101! Are there any events like Setsubun in your country? Let us know in the comments!