As you embark on your journey to learn Japanese, you might wonder: does the Japanese language have tones? In this article, we will discuss the answer to this question. We'll also discuss pitch accent in Japanese and why it's important for effective communication. Table of Contents Does Japanese Have Tones? The Role of Pitch Accent in Japanese Language Examples Why is Understanding Pitch Accent Vital? Conclusion 1. Does Japanese Have Tones? Tonal languages are common the world over, and Asia is no exception. In addition, many words in Japanese use kanji that originally came from Chinese, which is a tonal language itself. Taking that into consideration, "Are there tones in Japanese?" is a sensible question to ask. However, spoken... Show more

If you are taking a Japanese group lesson online, or planning to study as a foreign student in Japan or to teach your language as a teacher in Japan, it’s good to know Japanese classroom phrases well for effective learning and better communication in the class.In this guide, we introduce the most useful Japanese classroom phrases and vocabulary from various aspects, including school vocabulary, classroom greetings and calls, explaining absence and tardiness, teacher’s phrases, student phrases, and school subjects. You will learn not only common Japanese classroom phrases and vocabulary but also the unique features of Japanese schools, such as the school system, school routines, and school supplies. Let’s get ready for your class with... Show more

Like many other countries, Japan is blessed with beautiful nature and all kinds of animals.  When you start learning the Japanese language, picking up the most common Japanese animal names will be an inevitable part of the process! Animals play a central role in our lives, so learning what to call them is important. Doing so will not only allow you to talk about your pets or favorite animals with native speakers, but also help you understand Japanese idioms and stories related to them.  The good news is that learning Japanese animal names is actually very easy! Do you know why? It’s because animal names in Japanese are often short and simple, and we also use plenty of loanwords from other languages (usually English) to label foreign... Show more

Have you ever tried to use a newly learned Japanese phrase, only to panic when you couldn’t understand your interlocutor’s reply?  Whether you’re making new Japanese friends or traveling in Japan, knowing how to give questions and answers in Japanese will allow for smoother communication. Learning how to ask Japanese questions will also help you better understand Japanese, and improve your speaking and listening skills. The keys to mastering these skills early on are to speak a lot and practice!   In this article, we’ll introduce the ten most useful Japanese question & answer patterns. Even if you’re just getting started, you can start having basic conversations with these phrases! Learn how to speak Japanese here at... Show more

Learning a new language is fun, but it requires a lot of effort—studying the complicated grammar rules and memorizing thousands of words. But we have a tip for you! The fastest and easiest way to learn Japanese is to just focus on the most useful and common Japanese sentence patterns and start speaking them! The most frequently used Japanese sentence patterns are useful for survival communication and day-to-day interactions. When you know the essential sentence patterns in Japanese, you can arrange and create more sentences to express yourself and have conversations.  In this article, we’ll introduce the ten most useful Japanese sentence patterns, which cover the most basic statements and questions. Boost your Japanese conversation... Show more

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Japanese! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Japanese keyboard. Table of Contents Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Japanese Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Japanese How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer How to Change the Language Settings to Japanese on Your Computer Activating the Japanese Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet Japanese Keyboard Typing Tips How to Practice Typing Japanese 1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Japanese Learning a new language is... Show more

How many verbs do you think you use everyday? Verbs are the second-most frequently used part of speech in Japanese (after nouns), making it crucial to know and understand Japanese verb conjugation. Compared to English, Japanese verb conjugation has distinct rules which might be difficult to understand at first. However, the good news is that Japanese verbs do not conjugate according to the speaker. Instead, the Japanese verb conjugation rules are the same for every grammatical person, or 人称 (ninshō), and any number of subjects (singular or plural). Therefore, you won’t be easily confused on how to conjugate Japanese verbs in this respect. In addition, there are very few irregular verb conjugations! In this article, we’ll introduce... Show more

How many Japanese verbs do you know? When you know the 100 most common Japanese verbs and understand basic Japanese verb conjugation, you can express and understand Japanese much better! Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech, and it’s said that verbs are the second most frequently used words (26%, next to nouns at 42%) among all other categories of words in daily Japanese conversations.  It’s always a bit tiring to learn grammatical rules, such as the conjugation patterns of verbs. However, it’s easier than you think! Once you have the rules down and become used to using them, all you have to do is apply those rules to new Japanese verbs you learn. Japanese verb conjugation has unique rules from those in English. But... Show more

Pronouns are used to substitute nouns, such as people or things, in a sentence. Using pronouns allows you to avoid repetitive usage of a particular word in a sentence, which would sound awkward. Japanese pronouns are very different from those in English because Japanese pronouns can be omitted from a sentence when they’re implied through the context. Unlike in English, there are many different variations of Japanese personal pronouns that translate as "I/me" and "you," although only a few are commonly used. This expression of Japanese pronouns comes from Japanese culture, which puts importance on respect, seniority, and social order.  Each Japanese pronoun variation denotes the different characteristics of the speaker. These include... Show more

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages? Do you desire to learn or advance in Japanese quickly and effectively? Then you need a Japanese tutor. A common question that first-time language-learners ask is "Where do I begin?" The answer? Guidance. For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language. As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an... Show more