Photo by e.g.gatsby on Flickr
Granted, there is a debate on what exactly being fluent in Japanese means. Personally my aim is to be conversationally comfortable rather than try and pack in 30,000 words. Truth be told, even if I know 30,000 English words, how many of those will I actually use every day or even in a year? So here’s what I think it means to be fluent in Japanese and how many words that’s going take.
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Photo by Skiwalker on Flickr
This is one of the more unusual idioms that I’ve found and we don’t really have a comparable English one. The idiom is around cracking a star and the meaning is not what you think.
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Photo by Kalexanderson on Flickr
A while back we did a post on how to say you’re sorry in Japanese. The post took a look at some simple ways on how even the most beginner Japanese learner or traveller can express themselves properly. I ran across a more in depth series on the different ways to say you’re sorry over on the LiguaLift blog.
Japan is a country where ostensive humility prevails over and above over almost any other social norm. Japanese people appear to say some variant of the word ‘sorry’ at almost every juncture during their day—even when they have done nothing wrong!
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the series. It’s well worth a read if you want a deeper understanding of the various ways and degrees of apologizing in Japanese.
Photo by tokyoform on Flickr
Today’s idiom paints a fun mental picture and is uniquely Japanese. So what exactly is a crying signboard?
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Photo by Ben K Adams on Flickr
Japan has been know as a place where manners go a long way. While style and opinion certainly change, it’s hard to go wrong when you try and be as polite as possible when meeting new people in Japan. For this instalment of our lessons in helpful Japanese travel phrases we thought we’d look out how to say “It was nice to meet you” in Japanese.
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Photo by lestaylorphoto on Flickr
They say that it takes seven or more years to master Japanese for those who learn it as a second language, and apparently it is especially difficult for westerners to master. This can be a little daunting for the intrepid linguist or traveller looking to take in everything the world has to offer.
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Photo by jpellgen on Flickr
Many young adults dream of the adventures they can have traveling the world. But reality sets in with a resounding crash when mom and dad refuse to foot the bill for such antics. While some teens take the collegiate route, letting their parents pay for school and then finding opportunities to study abroad as a way to see the world, others may be looking for an extended stay in a foreign country that allows for true immersion. And if you want to live in Japan for a while, teaching English could provide for ample opportunity.
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Photo by Bill Gracey on Flickr
The Japanese idiom we’re going to look at today is also very similar to an English idiom of expressing when two things or people cannot seem to mix or get along. It’s called water and oil.
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Photo by GabrielaP93 on Flickr
Back when I started learning Japanese, I had nothing more than some audio lessons and a pile of index cards. It was a simpler time. As I’ve progressed and branched out over the years I’ve expanded and explored many different learning options and digital solutions. This week I’ve decided to get back to the basics.
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Photo by el patojo on Flickr
We have an idiom in English when we do something stupid and have to face the consequences, it’s called being in the doghouse. The Japanese have a something similar, except it has to do with the temperature of your rice :)
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