Here are some Japanese words that can drive English-speakers crazy when learning Japanese!
Japanese (Page 3)
Always be mindful of what you write or let others write for you. You never know when it will be scrutinized by thousands upon thousands of Japanese people.
Keepin’ it neat and tidy…
You’ll feel motivated to both study harder and buy this textbook when you see this unconventional sample sentence!
What do ordinary Japanese people think of a viral video which depicts a situation wherein a Japanese person is unable to process foreigners’ fluent Japanese?
In Japan, you don’t “like” something on Facebook, you “ii ne” it. But what about the five other “reactions” that Facebook has just added?
Condensing the entire plot of a feature film into a handful of words without accidentally implying that it sucks is surprisingly difficult—as these 10 eye-wateringly terrible film taglines clearly show.
You can learn all the words and practice all the kanji, but there’s one little Japanese language quirk that will almost certainly trip you up when you first encounter it.
A research group from the Kyushu Institute of Technology have announced that they have successfully read certain words and letters from people’s minds without them saying anything.
In terms of pronunciation Japanese is surprisingly easy to get to grips with, but some words can be real tongue-tanglers! Here are 10 of the worst!
Why have a boring old round Christmas pudding when you could have a delicious fruit-cake version of Japan’s national broadcaster’s mascot on your table?
What happens when children contribute new entries to dictionaries? Cat ears happen, that’s what! Err, but maybe not the kind we were hoping for…
Love Japan? Want to learn Japanese? Check out RocketNews24’s six fundamental top tips for learning Japanese!
Speakers of certain languages sometimes get a leg-up when learning Japanese. For example, Japanese includes Chinese characters, which means Chinese speakers can often get the gist of a text even if they don’t understand the grammar. Similarly, Korean speakers might find that Japanese grammar is kinda similar to theirs. And we native English speakers get a huge helping hand from the hundreds of English loan words that have been adopted into modern Japanese.
But sometimes, these loan words aren’t really our friends at all. Instead, they’re what’s known as false friends – words that sound similar in two languages yet have a completely different meaning. In co-opting English words into Japanese, sometimes our crafty Nihonjin pals have assigned our words to things that actually mean something totally different. It’s almost like they’re trying to trick us!
Join us for a quick primer on some Japanese loanwords you might have heard before, and what they really mean!
For English speakers, the Japanese language can be difficult to master. The writing system is completely alien, sentences sound like something Yoda would say thanks to the order the words come in, and while it makes perfect sense once you get the hang of it, the Japanese’s habit of omitting pronouns can make conversations almost impossible to follow.
The good news is that for short visits to Japan you can usually get by with very little Japanese since people are usually extremely patient and accommodating. A bit of miming here and a “please” and a “thank you” there will get you a long way.
But if you’re not familiar with Japanese hand gestures, you may end up in a sticky—or at least rather embarrassing—situation…
Whether we like to admit it or not, where we were brought up has a huge impact on the person we become. From our way of thinking to what foods we prefer, it’s hard to deny that our environment shapes our personal identity.
While some people come from nations that are veritable melting pots of backgrounds, languages, and cultures, others come from a country with much more homogeneity. Japan is one such country, and its people have a strong sense of identity—though they may not readily admit it.
But often during a trip to a foreign country, there comes a moment of self-realization where they become aware of just how Japanese they really are. A recent survey asked Japanese travelers to identify the five moments they felt most Japanese when abroad. The results are really quite telling.
Celebrating its first anniversary, feast, the lingerie brand designed by Gomi Hayakawa and known for targeting women with smaller chest sizes, has released a new lingerie collection, called “Glossy Ribbon Mermaid”.
One of the great pleasures of visiting Japan is the chance to sleep in a futon, traditional Japanese bedding that’s freshly laid out on the floor every evening. When you’ve got a nice thick mattress pad, a fluffy, quilted duvet cover and a compact buckwheat pillow, a night sleeping on tatami straw floors is a night few foreigners forget.
Now you can share the traditional Japanese bedtime experience with your feline friends, with a gorgeous new range of futons created especially for the discerning four-legged customer. From the gorgeous Japanese prints to the matching pillow and the ergonomic, tail-friendly design, this is the best chance yet for obliging humans to finally reclaim their beds!
Selfies taken on smartphones are one of the must-dos for the young girls nowadays, and Japan is no exception. As popular Japanese pop icons or teen models post their selfies on social medias, Japanese young girls would fire up their camera apps and pose the similar way. They do this not just to be like the icons they admire, but also to figure out the best poses for looking good on Twitter or Instagram.
With this in mind, today we have listed 10 selfie poses that young Japanese girls are likely to do on Twitter and Instagram! Maybe you’ll learn a new move or two?
MOST POPULAR
Now
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Japanese sweets souvenirs don’t get more beautiful than this
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
What’s up with the “mosquito buzz” noise at Shibuya Station?
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
11 different ways to say “father” in Japanese
7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?
Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth finds happiness in a canned cocktail[Video]
Burger King Japan launches King Fusion, and the possibilities are endless (and delicious)
Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
Weekly
- Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Studio Ghibli launches huge new anime movie T-shirt collection with special design details- Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!- Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
Japan is so hungry for workers it used up its five-year visa quota in record time
Tsujihan sushi bowl restaurant goes viral with foreign tourists, but is it worth the hype?
7-Eleven Japan releases Uji matcha smoothies… but only at select locations- 7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?
Monthly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events- Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan- New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
RECOMMENDED STORIES
11 different ways to say “father” in Japanese
7-Eleven Japan’s cooked-in-store takoyaki is here! How does it fare against the street food king?
Final Fantasy VII’s Sephiroth finds happiness in a canned cocktail[Video]
Burger King Japan launches King Fusion, and the possibilities are endless (and delicious)
Japanese convenience store gives away free ice cream with creative ad at Shinjuku Station
What is Teru Teru Bozu? The tragic history behind the Japanese fine weather doll
Japan’s largest indie ice cream convention returns to Tokyo this Golden Week
Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki releases new artworks, still wants to make movies
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
What’s inside Japan’s super-rare, super-popular Nara bread?
-
