Japanese

    You may start out skimming the surface of the Japanese language, but at some point going deeper will pay dividends. Whether that's focusing on on'yomi/kun'yomi, rendaku, or the real-life use of です, the deeper you go with the fundamental components of Japanese, the more benefits you gain from study time. Start fortifying your foundation with our articles below. Each one you read is another step toward fluency.

    RECOMMENDED ARTICLES:

    1. さすが Is Not Always a Compliment A Word That Is Not "As You Expect"

      | Kanae Nakamine

    2. よ and ね: What Do These Particles Really Mean to Japanese Speakers? よ is for new information and ね is for shared information

      | Mami Suzuki and Moeko Norota

    3. New Japanese Learning Resources: Summer 2020 This season's best tools to help you learn Japanese

      | Cameron Lombardo, Jenny Stainton, Mami Suzuki, Moeko Norota, Rachel Grant, and Kanae Nakamine

    4. は and が: What's the Difference Between These Japanese Particles, Really? は shines a spotlight 💡and が points a finger 👈

      | Jenny Stainton

    5. 24 Other Ways You Can Say 考える Thought you knew everything about 考える and its synonyms? Think again!

      | Mami Suzuki

    6. Beyond the Binary: A Queer Take on Gendered Japanese How to Navigate Gendered Language no Matter your Identity

      | Cameron Lombardo

    7. Let's Think About "Thinking": 思う vs 考える Are You Thinking With Your Heart or Your Head?

      | Kanae Nakamine

    8. Making Sense of な-Adjectives and の-Adjectives Do な-adjectives "always" take な? The answer is の (Pun Intended).

      | Moeko Norota and Cameron Lombardo

    9. New Japanese Learning Resources: Spring 2020 This season's best tools to help you learn Japanese

      | Cameron Lombardo, Jenny Stainton, Mami Suzuki, Moeko Norota, Rachel Grant, and Kanae Nakamine

    10. New Japanese Learning Resources: Fall 2019 This season's best tools to help you learn Japanese

      | Cameron Lombardo, Jenny Stainton, Mami Suzuki, Michael Richey, Moeko Norota, and Rachel Grant

    11. だ and です : Venturing Beyond Textbook Rules into Real-Life Use Learn how style choice matters in authentic communication

      | Cameron Lombardo, Jenny Stainton, Mami Suzuki, and Moeko Norota

    12. New Japanese Learning Resources: Summer 2019 This season's best tools to help you learn Japanese

      | Cameron Lombardo, Jenny Stainton, Kanae Nakamine, Koichi, Kristen Dexter, Mami Suzuki, Michael Richey, and Moeko Norota

    13. 面: Counting Masks, Binoculars, Land, and Generally Anything that Has a Surface Ironically, we'll be going way beyond the surface with this one

      | Mami Suzuki and Kristen Dexter

    14. New Japanese Learning Resources: May 2019 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    15. 発: Counting Shots, Hits, Punches, and More POW! You're gonna learn this counter in 1発!

      | Mami Suzuki

    16. 基: Counting Big, Stable Things Use this to count all the Moai statues your neighbor set up on their front lawn

      | Mami Suzuki

    17. New Japanese Learning Resources: April 2019 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    18. カップ: Counting Cups and Cup-units You can finally count your ever-growing collection of rare Cup Noodle

      | Mami Suzuki

    19. New Japanese Learning Resources: March 2019 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    20. Senpai: The Japanese Word You Look Up To We can help you “notice” how to use this word better

      | Kanae Nakamine

    21. The Meaning of Sensei: More Than Just "Teacher" Impress your judo teacher Sensei Jeff by using 先生 in all the right ways

      | Kanae Nakamine

    22. New Japanese Learning Resources: February 2019 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    23. Japanese First-Person Pronouns: わたし, ぼく, おれ, and a Whole Lot More Get yourself out of that 私 rut.

      | Kanae Nakamine

    24. New Japanese Learning Resources: January 2019 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    25. 日: Counting Days How many days do you have left on Earth? Count them with this counter!

      | Mami Suzuki

    26. 月: Counting Months When this counter hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's 愛

      | Mami Suzuki

    27. 年: Counting Years and Planetary Orbits If you're an １年生 in understanding this counter... then keep reading

      | Mami Suzuki

    28. New Japanese Learning Resources: November 2018 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter, Michael Richey, and Jamal Lee

    29. 分: Counting Minutes and Edo Period Silver Currency When someone asks how many minutes it took to boil the egg you brought for lunch, you'll need this counter.

      | Mami Suzuki

    30. 時/時間: Counting Time and Hours Your time is valuable... so use it to read about time

      | Mami Suzuki

    31. New Japanese Learning Resources: October 2018 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Michael Richey

    32. 階: Floors of a Building When the elevator operator in Japan asks you what floor you want, how will you answer her if you don't read this article?

      | Mami Suzuki

    33. 回: Repetitive Actions, Regular Events The times, they are a-being counted

      | Mami Suzuki

    34. 人: Counting People and Smart Animals "This counter counts PEEEOPLE!" shouted Charlton Heston as he was carried away on a stretcher

      | Mami Suzuki

    35. 冊: Counting Books This one's easy, the counter even looks like a book

      | Mami Suzuki

    36. 羽: Counting Birds, Bats, and Bun-Buns 🦅 🦇 🐇 ... one of these things is not like the others

      | Mami Suzuki

    37. New Japanese Learning Resources: September 2018 This month's best tools to help you to learn Japanese

      | Kristen Dexter and Michael Richey

    38. 本: Counting Long, Skinny Things 11 categories of long, skinny things that are worth counting

      | Mami Suzuki and Koichi

    39. 匹: Counting Animals, Bugs, and Wild Children Learn the difference between counting orcs and elves, you racist nerd.

      | Mami Suzuki

    40. 台: Counting Machines, Furniture, & Whole Cakes Finally, you can count that pile of window unit air conditioners in your basement

      | Mami Suzuki

    41. 枚: Counting Everything Flat Counting flat things, round things, cloth, roles, sections, food orders, and so much more

      | Mami Suzuki and Koichi

    42. 頭: Counting Those Big, Professional Animals That show "Dogs with Jobs"... all those dogs on that show are counted with this counter

      | Mami Suzuki