日本語

✏︎ English→日本語→中文 English The JLPT registration deadline has passed. Or the test date doesn't work for your schedule. Or you want more frequent progress checks than twice a year. Whatever the reason — you're looking for alternatives. This article introduces the main options, explains who each one suits, and gives you a rough sense of how each test maps to JLPT levels so you can communicate your proficiency clearly. A note before we begin Some people need a specific qualificat

ドラッグストアを使いこなす——パッケージの読み方と薬局で使える日本語 ✏︎English→日本語→中文 ⚠️ Note: This article is a guide to reading packaging and communicating at Japanese pharmacies. It is not medical advice. When in doubt about which medicine to take, or if symptoms are severe or prolonged, consult a pharmacist (薬剤師) or doctor. English You wake up with a headache and a sore throat. You walk into the nearest Matsumoto Kiyoshi or Welcia like that. The medicine aisle stretches for fifteen meters. Every box is in

日本の夏を生き抜く服装と持ち物——暑さ対策ガイド ✏︎English→日本語→中文 ※本ページはプロモーションが含まれることがあります。 English Japanese summer is not a gentle season. Tokyo regularly exceeds 35°C with a heat index well above 40°C. The UV index reaches "extreme" levels by mid-July. If you're not prepared, the heat becomes genuinely exhausting — and it can be dangerous. This guide covers what to wear and what to carry to get through it comfortably. What makes Japanese summer different The challenge isn't just heat — it's a com

スーパーの食品表示を読み解く——知っていた方がいい日本語ラベルの基礎知識 ✏️ English→日本語→中文 English Japanese supermarkets are efficient, beautifully organized, and full of things you want to buy. They're also full of labels written entirely in Japanese, with rules and conventions that differ significantly from what you're used to. This guide will get you through the essentials — from expiry dates to allergens to the art of the half-price sticker. Part 1: The two expiry date systems Japan uses two completely diff

お金をかけずに日本語を伸ばす——厳選3リソース ✏️English→日本語→中文 English There's no shortage of apps, websites, and YouTube channels claiming to teach you Japanese. Most aren't worth your time. A few are genuinely excellent — and free. Here are the three I recommend most often, with honest notes on how to get the most out of each one. A note before the list Free resources are supplements, not substitutes. The learners who get the most out of these tools are the ones who already have some structure i

ゴミ出しの作法——外国人が最も困る日本の生活ルール ✏️ English→日本語→中文 English A survey of foreign residents in Japan found that around 41% said garbage disposal was the number one thing that confused them about Japanese rules and manners. This is not surprising. Japan's waste sorting system is one of the most detailed in the world — and the rules change depending on where you live. This guide covers the essentials. Why Japan sorts garbage so carefully Before the rules, the reason. Japan sorts waste no

空気を読む——言葉の裏にある、日本のコミュニケーション ✏️English→日本語→中文 English You said the right words. Your grammar was correct. Your tone was polite. And yet — the room went quiet, someone changed the subject, and you still don't know what happened. Welcome to the world of 空気を読む (kuuki wo yomu): reading the air. What "reading the air" actually means 空気を読む literally means "to read the air." In practice, it means sensing the unspoken mood of a situation — and adjusting your words, actions, and timing

挫折しないシャドーイングの技術——10分でも、30分でも ✏️English→日本語→中文 *この記事はプロモーションを含みます。 English You've heard that shadowing is one of the best ways to improve your Japanese. You tried it once, felt completely lost, and gave up after ten minutes. Sound familiar? The problem usually isn't you — it's that nobody told you how to do it properly. What shadowing actually is Shadowing means listening to spoken audio and speaking along with it simultaneously — not after it, but at the same time, like a sha

「ペラペラ」「ワクワク」——オノマトペは日本語の隠し味 **本ページはプロモーションを含みます。 ✏️ English→日本語→中文 English You can conjugate verbs. You know your keigo. You study every day. But something about your Japanese still sounds a little flat. There's a good chance you're missing one of the most expressive layers of the language: onomatopoeia. Japanese onomatopoeia is unlike anything else Every language has onomatopoeia — words that sound like what they describe. English has "buzz," "splash," "crunch." But Japanese

JLPTのメリット・デメリットと、試験と実戦会話のバランス ✏️English→日本語→中文 You've seen it on job postings. You've heard other learners talk about it. Maybe you're already studying for it. But is the JLPT actually the best use of your time — and what does passing it really prove? What the JLPT is (and isn't) The Japanese Language Proficiency Test is the world's most widely recognized Japanese certification. It has five levels — N5 (beginner) to N1 (advanced) — and tests reading, vocabulary, and listening

「正しいと思っていた」その日本語、実は不自然かもしれません ✏️ English→日本語→中文 English Your sentences are grammatically correct. Your teacher said "good job." But something still sounds a little off. The problem might not be what you're getting wrong — it's what you don't know you're getting wrong. The mistake that feels like progress There's a specific kind of mistake that's hard to catch: the ones that are technically correct, but sound unnatural to a native speaker. When you're a beginner, you get feedb

教科書の日本語とリアルな日本語のギャップ ✏️English→日本語→中文 🇬🇧 English You studied Japanese for months. You passed a grammar test. Then you watched an anime — and understood almost nothing. What's going on? The gap nobody warns you about There are two kinds of Japanese. The first kind lives in textbooks, classrooms, and JLPT tests. It's clean, structured, and polite. The second kind lives in anime, variety shows, izakayas, and real conversations. It's fast, contracted, and full of sounds that do

教科書では教えてくれない、丁寧語の本当の「距離感」 ✏️English→にほんご→中文 🇬🇧 English You learned です and ます. You use them faithfully. And yet — something feels off. Native speakers sense a wall. Here's what your textbook never told you. The textbook lie (sort of) Every beginner learns the rule: use plain form with friends, polite form with strangers and superiors. Clean. Simple. Teachable. But here's the problem: Japanese social life doesn't run on two gears. Real politeness is a continuous dial, and です/