Articles about Japanese Language

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2015

How to Say Hi and Hello in Japanese: Useful Greetings by Context

The best Japanese greeting depends on the time, relationship, setting, and type of conversation.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2015

Neko: Cat in Japanese and Its Meaning in Japan

Learn what neko means, how to use related Japanese cat words, and why cats appear so often in Japan’s history and culture.

Kevin Henrique · Apr 23, 2026

Is Japanese a tonal language?

Japanese is not tonal like Mandarin, but pitch accent still shapes natural pronunciation.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2026

30 Features of Japanese Language Every Beginner Should Know

A clear guide to the writing, sound, grammar and social context that shape everyday Japanese.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2025

Hitsuzen (必然): Meaning, Usage, and Difference From Fate

Learn what 必然 (hitsuzen) means in Japanese, how it differs from chance and fate, and how context changes its meaning in speech and...

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2025

VoiceVox - The Japanese Voice Synthesizer

Open-source text-to-speech from Japan: technology, voices, and real-world use cases.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2023

Japanese Adjectives in the Forms さ[-sa], そう[-sou] and め[-me]

The three adjective forms explained in a simple way.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 16, 2017

Japanese Puns (Dajare): Meaning, Types and Examples

How Japanese wordplay works, with clear dajare examples in Japanese, romanization, and English.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2017

Talking about Animes in Japanese

Japanese phrases, vocabulary, and genres to keep any anime conversation flowing.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2017

Japanese course - Erin's Challenge

エリンが挑戦 – how the Japan Foundation helps beginners start Japanese with a free online course.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2017

Vague Japanese: Does that mean yes or no?

Why Japanese is not vague – just more context-dependent than English speakers are used to.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2017

Punctuation and special characters of the Japanese language

What 、 and 。 really mean — and why yakumono is more than just commas and periods.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2017

How to Propose in Japanese: Phrases and Etiquette

The best Japanese proposal lines, their tone, and the customs that still matter.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

How to express longing in Japanese?

Japanese words for a feeling that no single word can capture.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

Why are there no spaces in Japanese? When to use them?

How Japanese readers find word boundaries without spaces — and where spaces still sneak in.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

How Is Japanese Written and Read?

Tategaki, yokogaki, manga page order, and the three scripts behind everyday Japanese text.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

How do you say house in Japanese?

Ie for the building, uchi for home, otaku for someone’s place—plus housing words you will actually hear.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

What Does Monogatari Mean in Japanese?

From everyday 物語 to Heian classics and modern series titles

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

7 Ways to Say Death in Japanese

From blunt 死 to soft 亡くなる, formal 逝去, and the vocabulary of funerals and mourning.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2016

Names of the planets in Japanese

Kanji meanings for every planet, the five elements behind the list, and space vocabulary you can actually use

Kevin Henrique · Mar 07, 2015

YouTube channels to study for the JLPT

Grammar, listening, and level-by-level picks for free JLPT study on YouTube

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2015

50 Tips for Learning Japanese

From hiragana to kanji: 50 tested tips that genuinely move your Japanese forward

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2015

Karuta: The Japanese Card Game of 100 Poems

Poetry, speed, and memory collide in uta-garuta, Japan’s competitive game of one hundred classical poems.

Kevin Henrique · Jan 15, 2015

Star Wars quotes in Japanese

Iconic franchise lines in Japanese, with romaji and notes on how subtitles and dubs reshape the same English quote.