In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast, I sat down with Ben and A-Chan to talk about random things including green tea, ramen, life in Kyoto and more.

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In this lesson you will learn all about Japanese onomatopoeia which are words that resemble sounds. Some examples in English are splash, bang, zap and beep and you will learn how similar words are used in daily Japanese conversation.

Listen to the podcast for dialogue examples as well as vocabulary and grammar explanations.

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Main Dialog 1 – Daily Japanese Onomatopoeia (Japanese)
A: ね、外見て、雨がザーザー降っているよ。

B: 雷もゴロゴロ鳴ってる。ハラハラする。

A: え?どうしたの?大丈夫?

B: 天気が悪くなると頭がクラクラするんだ。

A: ちょっと休んだら?

B: うん、そうする。

Main Dialog 1 – Daily Japanese Onomatopoeia (Pronunciation)
A: Ne, soto mite, ame ga zaa zaa futteru yo.

B: Kaminari mo gorogoro natteru. Hara hara suru.

A: E? Dōshita no. Daijōbu?

B: Tenki ga waruku naru to atama ga kurakura surun da. A: Chotto yasundara?

B: Un, sō suru.

Main Dialog 1 – Daily Japanese Onomatopoeia (English)
A: Hey, look outside, it’s raining really hard.

B: The thunder is rumbling too. I feel kinda nervous. A: Eh? What’s the matter? Are you OK?

B: When the weather turns bad my head gets dizzy. A: Why don’t you have a rest?

B: Yup, I’ll do that.

About Japanese Onomatopoeia

In this lesson we are studying Japanese onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia are words that resemble sounds such as splash, bang and beep. Japanese also has onomatopoeia and they are called 擬音語 Giongo.

There is a huge number of Japanese giongo and they are frequently used in casual daily conversation. Therefore they are worth learning as they will improve your comprehension and make you sound more natural when speaking.

However, because there are so many giongo, it would be impossible to teach them all in a single lesson. Also, students of Japanese sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of them. However, if you get regular listening and speaking practice in Japanese, you can eventually start to pick them up naturally.

You’ll notice a common pattern with most giongo which is a pair of repeating sounds las below (although there are exceptions):

コロコロ Korokoro The sound of something rolling
ドキドキ Dokidoki Excitement (from the sound of a beating heart)

Another thing you might notice is that some giongo are written in Katakana and others Hiragana. There aren’t any strict rules on this but generally speaking, Hiragana is used for softer sounds and Katakana for harder sounds.

Also, although it’s not strictly necessary to learn the following grammar rules, giongo are divided up into five different types.

Here are the five types and examples:

1. 擬音語 Giongo

These are words that resemble sounds made by inanimate objects and nature as mentioned before.

ゴロゴロ – Gorogoro – Rumbling (thunder)

コロコロ – Korokoro – Sound of rolling

ガタガタ – Gatagata – Rattling

ガチャ – Gacha – Sound of a door closing or similar sound

2. 擬態語 Gitaigo

These describe conditions and states of things.

クラクラ – Kurakura    – Feeling dizzy

すべすべ – Subesube – Smooth to the touch

フワフワ – Fuwafuwa – Fluffy

もちもち – Mochimochi – Chewy, sticky, squidgy

3. 擬声語 Giseigo

These are animal and human sounds.

ワンワン – Wanwan – Woof

ニャン – Nyan – Meow

コケコッコー – Kokekokkoo – Cock-a-doodle-doo

ゲロゲロ – Gerogero – Croak (frog)

ガオー – Gaoo – Roar (lion, tiger etc.)

4. 擬容語 Giyōgo

These describe movements and motions.

ノロノロ – Noronoro – Move very slowly

ぐっすり – Gussuri – Sleep soundly

ブルブル – Buruburu – To shiver

5. 擬情語 Gijōgo

These describe feelings and emotions.

ウキウキ – Ukiuki – Excitement

ワクワク – Wakuwaku – Excitement

もやもや – Moyamoya – To feel uneasy or gloomy

Random phrase of the week

出た！ Deta! Oh here we go again…

Most students of Japanese will immediately recognize 出た deta as the verb which means to leave, exit or go out of something. However, there is deeper meaning.

Deta can be used as a negative criticism or a tease in response to something someone says repeatedly. In this scenario it means something like “oh here we go again” or “Oh no, not that again” or “Again?”.

So if someone starts talking about their favorite conspiracy theory again you can say:

出た！

Or your uncle starts talking about his health problems for the 100th time:

出た！

Or your mum starts bugging you to do the chores yet again:

出た！

Of course this isn’t very polite so only use this with your friends and family members.

In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast, Alex and Andy look back on the trends of buzzwords from Japan in 2021.

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In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast, Ami and I talk about some of our favorite Anime, the latest and most popular releases and some old classics that are famous in Japan but not so well known abroad.

We are certainly not Anime experts and we couldn’t properly cover all the major Anime even if we wanted to! We simply talk about the Anime we happen to know and love. Enjoy!

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In this podcast Ami Sensei and Alex teach you some useful Japanese phrases for calling an ambulance in a medical emergency.

Check out the show notes for dialogues and grammar explanations.

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Main Dialog 1 – Calling an ambulance (Japanese)

A: 119番の消防ですが 火事ですか、救急ですか?
B: 救急です。
A: 救急ですね。住所を教えてください。
B: 東京都渋谷区渋谷1丁目12-13。郵便局の前です。 A: 怪我ですか病気ですか

B: 病気です。人が倒れています。
A: わかりました。あと5分ほどで救急車が到着します。

Main Dialog 1 – Calling an ambulance (Pronunciation)

A: Hyaku juu kyuu ban no shōbō desu ga, kaji desu ka, kyuukyuu desu ka?
B: Kyuukyuu desu.
A: Kyuukyuu desu ne. Juusho o oshiete kudasai.
B: Tōkyō to, Shibuya Ku, icchōme no juuni no juusan. Yuubinkyoku no mae desu. A: Kega desu ka, byōki desu ka.

B: Byōki desu. Hito ga taorete imasu.
A: Wakarimashita. Ato gofun hodo de kyuukyuusha ga tōchaku shimasu.

Main Dialog 1 – Calling an ambulance (English)

A: This is 119, Fire Department. Is it fire or a medical emergency? B: Medical emergency.
A: Medical emergency. Please tell me your address.
B: Tokyo city, Shibuya ward, district 1-12-13

A: Is this an injury or illness?
B: Illness. The person has collapsed.
A: Understood. The ambulance should arrive in about 5 minutes.

Extra phrases for medical emergencies

Here are some extra phrases you might find useful during a medical emergency.

If you want to ask someone to call an ambulance for you, you can use the following phrase:

すみません、救急車を呼んでください

Sumimasen, Kyuukyuusha o yonde kudasai.

Excuse me, please call an ambulance.

It’s common for the emergency services to ask you for your details including your name. For example:

お名前を教えてください

Onamae o oshiete kudasai

What’s your name?
And you can reply with your name followed by “…desu” like this:

ジョン・スミスです

Jon sumisu desu

I’m Jon Smith

You might then want to explain what’s happened by using the following phrases:

病人がいます

Byōnin ga imasu

There’s a sick person

怪我をした人がいます

Kega o shita hito ga imasu

There’s an injured person.

If there’s been a traffic accident you can say:

交通事故です

Kōtsuu jiko desu

There’s been a traffic accident

Here are some other phrases that describe someone’s medical condition. You can use these to talk about yourself or someone else:

呼吸が苦しいです

Kokyuu ga kurushii desu

(Someone is having) difficulty breathing

胸が苦しいです

Mune ga kurushii

(Someone has) a tight or painful chest

意識不明です

Ishiki fumei desu

(Someone is) unconscious

出血です

Shukketsu desu

(Someone is) bleeding.

In this podcast Ami Sensei and Alex teach you how to make suggestions in natural, fluent Japanese.

Check out the show notes for dialogues and grammar explanations.

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Main Dialog 1 – Making a suggestion (Japanese)
A: いや〜もうだめだ。
B: どうしたの？
A: 彼女と喧嘩したんだ。まだ怒ってるみたい。
B: じゃあ、花でもプレセントしたらどう？
A: そうだね。そうしよう。
B: 彼女きっと喜ぶよ。
A: わかった、じゃあ、そうしてみるよ。

Main Dialog 1 – Making a suggestion (Pronunciation)
A: Iyaa, mō dame da!
B: Dō shita no?
A: Kanojo to kenka shitan da. Mada okotteru mitai.
B: Jaa, hana demo purezento shitara dō?
A: Sō da ne. Sō shiyō.
B: Kanojo kitto yorokobu yo.
A: Wakatta, jaa, sō shite miru yo.

Main Dialog 1 – Making a suggestion (English)
A: Argh, this sucks.
B: What happened?
A: I had a fight with my girlfriend. It seems she’s still angry.
B: How about giving her flowers as a present?
A: Right. I’ll do that.
B: I’m sure she’ll be happy.
A: Got it. I’ll give that a try.

Extra sentence examples:
Example 1
A: 頭痛いな。

Atama itai na – I have a headache

B: 薬飲んだらどう？

Kusuri nondara dō? – How about taking some meds?

A: そうだね。そうするよ。

Sō da ne. Sō suru yo. – Right. I’ll do that.

Example 2
A: いいアイデアが思い浮かばないな

Ii aidea ga omoi ukabanai na – I can’t think of any good ideas.

B: 少しやすんだらどう？

Sukoshi yasundara dō? – How about taking a break?

A: そうだね。そうするよ。

Sō da ne. Sō suru yo. Right. I’ll do that.

Example 3
A: 肩凝ってるな。

Kata kotteru – I’ve got stiff shoulders

B: マッサージ受けたらどう？

Massaaji shitara dō? – How about getting a massage?

A: そうだね。そうするよ。

Sō da ne. Sō suru yo. – Right. I’ll do that.

Example 4
A: お腹が空いたな

Onaka ga suita na – I’m hungry

B: おやつ食べたらどう？

Oyatsu tabetara dō? – How about having a snack?

A: そうだね。そうするよ。

Sō da ne. Sō suru yo. – Right. I’ll do that.

Example 5
A: 退屈だな。

Taikutsu da na – I’m bored

B: 映画みたらどう？

Eiga mitara dō? – How about watching a movie?

A: そうだね。そうするよ。

Sō da ne. Sō suru yo. – Right. I’ll do that.

In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast Andy and Alex answer listener questions about life in Japan, its culture and tips on learning Japanese.

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In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to use the verb Kureru naturally in Japanese conversation. Kureru is a verb you can use to ask people to do things for you. It’s used casually between friends and family and very common in everyday conversation. Check out the podcast and show notes to learn how to use it naturally in conversation.

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In this Fun Friday edition of the podcast I talk to my good friend and long time resident of Japan, Andy. We discussed how Japan has been affected by the Coronavirus and subsequent curfews and travel restrictions. We also make our predictions about how this will permanently change Japan in the future.

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In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you some useful phrases to talk about people’s appearance in natural and fluent Japanese. You’ll learn some useful adjectives to describe body size and shape as well as clothes. Listen to the example dialogue to get an idea of how to talk about what someone looks like in native level Japanese.

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In this episode, I interview Niko from NativShark, a comprehensive Japanese language learning app.

In this episode we talked about Niko’s journey to becoming fluent in Japanese, why a lot of Japanese study materials suck and the art of making flash cards and other topics.

If you are interested in trying out the NativShark app for yourself check out this link for a free 2 week trial.

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For more podcasts on Japan and learning Japanese go to: Learn Japanese Pod

In this lesson Ami Sensei and Alex teach you motivational Japanese phrases.

Everyone struggles from time to time and a word of encouragement can always mean a lot to someone. And in Japan, where teamwork is seen as a virtue, motivating other members in your group to do their best is an important part of building relationships.

You’ll find motivational phrases in manga, anime, J-pop and also in casual conversation with your friends.

So listen to the podcast and audio drills and download the PDF grammar notes to learn about motivational phrases in Japanese.

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Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases
A:　どうしたの？元気なさそうだね。
B:　最近日本語が全然上達しないんだ。
A:　日本語上手じゃん！
B:　いや、思うように話せないんだよね。もうだめだ。
A:　大丈夫、大丈夫。塵も積もれば山となる、だよ。
B:　それどういう意味？
A:　少しずつ頑張って行けば願いは叶うという意味だよ。
B:　わかった！頑張るよ！

Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases (Pronunciation)
A: Dōshita no? Genki nasasō da ne.
B: Saikin, Nihongo ga zenzen jōtatsu shinain da.
A: Nihongo jōzu jan!
B: Iya, omou yō ni hanasenain da yo ne. Mō dame da.
A: Daijōbu, daijōbu. Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru da yo.
B: Sore dōiu imi?
A: Sukoshi zutsu gambatte ikeba negai wa kanau toiu imi da yo.
B: Wakatta! Gambaru yo!

Main Dialog 1 – Motivational Japanese Phrases (English)
A: What’s the matter. You don’t seem very well/happy.
B: Recently my Japanese hasn’t improved at all.
A: Your Japanese is great!
B: No, I can’t express myself the way I want to. It’s no good.
A: It’s OK, it’s OK. Even dust when piled up becomes a mountain.
B: What does that mean?
A: It means if you try little by little you can realize your dreams.
B: Got it. I’ll give it a shot!

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In this podcast lesson you’ll learn about 相槌 Aizuchi, which are words used to show interest during a conversation. In English you might say things like “Uh-huh” and “really?” during a conversation to show you are listening to the speaker. Japanese is no exception and has a lot of these Aizuchi which are used frequently in conversation. So if you can learn and use these when speaking to your friends, your conversations will go more smoothly and you’ll sound a lot more natural in Japanese.

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Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog (Japanese)
A:　ね、お茶の入れ方教えてくれる？
B:　まず、急須に茶葉をいれる。
A:　うん
B:　で、沸騰したお湯を湯呑みにいれる。
A: 　本当？湯呑みにいれるのか。
B:　そう、温度を下げるのがポイントだよ。
A:　そうなんだ。
B:　渋みがとれるから。
A:　ヘェ〜。
B:　次に湯呑みのお湯を急須にいれる。
A:　ふぅん。
B:　30秒後お茶を注ぐ。
A:　なるほどね。お茶って奥が深いよね。
B:　まあね。

Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A:　Ne, ocha no irekata oshiete kureru?
B:　Mazu, Kyuusu ni chaba o ireru.
A:　Un.
B:　De futtō shita oyu o yunomi ni ireru.
A:　Hontō? Yunomi ni ireru no ka.
B:　Sō, ondo o sageru no ga point da yo.
A:　Sō nan da.
B:　Shibumi ga toreru kara.
A:　Heeh.
B:　Tsugi ni yunomi no oyu o kyuusu ni ireru.
A:　Fuun.
B:　Sanjuu byō go ocha o sosogu.
A:　Naruhodo ne. Ocha te oku ga fukai yo ne.
B:　Maa ne.

Main Dialog (English)
A:　Hey, will you teach me how to make tea?
B:　First put tea leaves in the teapot.
A:　Uh huh.
B:　Then put boiling water in the tea cups.
A:　Really? You put it in the tea cups?
B:　That’s right. The trick is to lower the temperature.
A:　Oh really.
B:　You can take away the bitterness.
A:　Ahh.
B:　Next, put the water from the cups into the teapot.
A:　Uh huh.
B:　Pour the tea after 30 seconds.
A:　I see. Tea’s really deep.
B:　Yeah, I guess so.

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In this podcast I interview Katheryn Gronauer of Thrive Tokyo. She is a cross cultural coach and trainer helping foreigners to improve their relationships and life in Japan. She is author of Confessions of a Yo-Yo Dieter and an expert in diet and wellness.

We had a fascinating discussion on topics including cross cultural miscommunication in the workplace, settling into life into Japan, being a vegan and the Japanese diet amongst other other topics.

Let us know what you thought of the podcast by leaving a comment below!

Do you want to visit Japan? Have you already visited? In this lesson we teach you a short, fun, conversation with a friend about a trip to Japan. You’ll learn how to tell your friend what you did and how it was.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: 日本の旅行はどうだった？
B: 超楽しかったよ。
A: 何をしたの？
B: 東京と京都で観光してきた。
A: 食べ物はどうだった？
B: 寿司が美味しかったけど…
A: 高かった？
B: いや、そうじゃなくて、メニューが読めなかったんだよね。
A: 食べたい物に指差して、「これください」そう言えばいいじゃん。
B: そうだね。覚えとく。

Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A: Nihon no ryokō wa dō datta?
B: Chō tanoshikatta yo.
A: Nano o shita no?
B: Tōkyō to kyōto de kankō shitekita.
A: Tabemono wa dō datta?
B: Sushi wa oishikatta kedo…
A: Takakatta?
B: Iya, sō janakute, menyuu ga yomenakattan da yo ne.
A: Tabetai mono ni yubi sashite, kore kudasai sō ieba ii jan.
B: Sō da ne. Oboetoku.

Main Dialog (English)
A: How was your trip to Japan?
B: It was so fun.
A: What did you do?
B: I did some sightseeing in Tokyo and Kyoto.
A: How was the food?
B: The sushi was delicious but…
A: It was too expensive?
B: No, not that. I couldn’t read the menu you know.
A: Just point at the food you want and say “this please”.
B: Right. I’ll remember that!
Learn

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In this podcast, Ami and Alex teach you how to make dinner plans with your friends in natural fluent Japanese. You’ll learn how to invite someone at a specific time to a restaurant or bar that you often go to.

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Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: もしもし
B: もしもしアレックス、明日夜ご飯食べに行かない？
A: ごめん、明日はちょっと無理なんだ。土曜日なら行けるよ。
B: じゃあ土曜日の７時にいつものお寿司屋さんで！
A: あみは本当にお寿司飽きないねー！

Main Dialog (Pronunciation)
A: Moshi moshi
B: Moshi moshi, Arekkusu, ashita yoru gohan tabe ni ikanai?
A: Gomen, ashita wa chotto muri nan da. Doyōbu nara ikeru yo.
B: Jaa, doyōbi no shichi ji itsumo no osushi ya san de.
A: Ami wa hontō osushi ni akinai ne.

Main Dialog (English)
A: Hello?
B: Hi, Alex, do you wanna go out to eat dinner tomorrow?
A: Sorry, tomorrow’s not possible. If it’s Saturday I can go.
B: OK then, Saturday at 7 o’clock at the usual sushi place.
A: Ami, you never get sick of sushi do you!?

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In this podcast you will learn useful Japanese phrases for shopping at a convenience store. Understanding the polite language used by convenience store staff can be a little confusing at
first. However, if you learn common set phrases it’s not that hard to understand.

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Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: いらっしゃいませ、お次の方どうぞ.
B: ファミチキを一つとハッシュポテトを一つお願いします。
A: こちら温めますか。
B: はい、お願いします
A: お箸をお付けしますか。
B: はい、お願いします。
A: 袋お分けしますか。
B: 大丈夫です。
A: ポイントカードはお持ちですか。
B: はい。
A: 1500円になります。1万円からでよろしいですか。
B: はい
A: ありがとうございました。

Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation)
A: Irasshaimase, otsugi no kata dōzo.
B: Famichiki o hitotsu to Hasshu potato o hitotsu onegaishimasu.
A: Kochira atatamemasu ka.
B: Hai, onegai shimasu.
A: Ohashi o otsuke shimasu ka.
B: Hai, onegai shimasu.
A: Fukuro owake shimasu ka.
B: Daijōbu desu.
A: Pointo kaado wa omochi desu ka.
B: Hai.
A: Sen gohyaku ni narimasu. Ichi man en kara yoroshii desu ka.
B: Hai
A: Arigatō gozaimasu.

Main Dialog (English)
A: Welcome, next customer please.
B: One Famichiki (fried Family Mart chicken) and one hashed potato please.
A: Would you like it heated?
B: Yes, please.
A: Would you like chopsticks with that?
B: Yes, please/
A: Would you like to use seperate bags?
B: No, that’s fine.
A: Do you have a point card?
B: Yes.
A: That’ll be 1500 yen. Shall I give you change from this 10,000 yen bill?
B: Yes.
A: Thanks.

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In this podcast you will learn how to talk about your New Year’s resolutions, your plans, goals and hopes for the coming year. Check out the dialogues and audio to get an idea how to talk about your plans in natural, fluent Japanese.

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Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog (Japanese)
A: ね、新年の抱負はなに？
B: そうだね。やっぱり、日本語を上達させたいからもっと本を読むよ。後、もっと健康的になりたいな。あみは？
A: 私も本をもっと読みたい！後、音楽活動をもっと頑張りたいな。
B: なるほどね。
A: やる気があれば、なんでもできるよ。
B: よし！

Main Dialog ( Japanese pronunciation)
A: Ne, shinnen no hōfu wa nani?
B: Sō da ne. Yappari, nihongo o motto jōtatsu sasetai kara motto hon o yomu yo. Ato, motto kenkōteki ni naritai na. Ami wa?
A: Watashi mo motto hon o yomitai! Ato, ongaku katsudō o motto gambaritai na.
B: Naruhodo ne.
A: Yaruki ga areba nandemo dekiru yo.
B: Yosh!

Main Dialog (English)
A: Hey, what’s your New Year’s resolution?
B: Well, let’s see. I guess I want to improve my Japanese and read more books. Also, I want to be more healthy. How about you Ami?
A: I also want to read more books. Also, I want to go for it with my music.
B: I see.
A: If you have motivation you can do anything.
B: Let’s do this!

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In this Fun Friday episode of Learn Japanese Pod, I interview Miku Sensei of Miku Real Japanese. Miku Sensei is a prolific creator of fun, educational Japanese language learning videos on Youtube and Instagram.

She is an international traveler and linguist who speaks fluent English and Spanish. Through her travels she has discovered her own effective techniques for teaching and learning languages.

In the podcast we talk about her journey to become a Japanese teacher and her advice on how to become more fluent in Japanese.

You can find here videos at Miku Real Japanese and her Patreon page here.

Listen to the Podcast

Download the podcast here: Podcast download

For more Japanese language learning podcasts go to Learn Japanese Pod

One really common topic of conversation in Japanese is about work. When meeting people for the first time it is common to ask them about what they do for a living.

In this lesson you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about work and some useful everyday phrases you can use in the office.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Japanese)
A:　お仕事は何をしてるの？
B:　ウェブデザインの仕事してるよ。
A:　そうなんだ。楽しい？
B:　そうだね。毎日大変だけど楽しいよ。
A:　楽しいのはよかったね。何年ぐらいやってるの？
B:　７年ぐらいかな。
A:　ヘェ〜、すごいな。俺はすぐ転職しちゃうからさ。
B:　まじで？！

Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (Pronunciation)
A: Oshigoto wa nani o shiteru no?
B: Uebu dezain no shigoto shiteru yo.
A: Sō nan da. Tanoshii?
B: Sō da ne. Mainichi taihen dakedo tanoshii yo.
A: Tanoshii no wa yokatta ne. Nan nen gurai yatteru no?
B: Nana nen gurai kana.
A: Hee, sugoi na. Ore wa sugu tenshoku shichau kara sa.
B: Maji de?!

Main Dialog 1 – Talking about your job (English)
A: What do you do for work?
B: I do web design work.
A: Really? Is it enjoyable?
B: Well, everyday is tough but it’s fun.
A: That’s good it’s enjoyable. How long have you been doing that?
B: About 7 years I guess.
A: Wow. I’m always changing jobs.
B: Seriously?!

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If there is one thing Japanese love to talk about, it’s the weather. Apart from discussing the forecast, it’s quite common to mention the weather in small talk or when striking up a conversation with someone you don’t know so well. Also, as you’ll probably be checking the weather on a daily basis, it makes sense to study related vocabulary and grammar as it’s so useful. Simply listen to the podcast and read along with the dialogues below. To study in a little more detail you can download the full show notes in PDF format. Enjoy!

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialogue (Japanese)

A:　今日暑いよね。

B:　そうだね。超ジメジメしてるね。

A:　今週の天気予報は？

B:　今週はずっと３５度だよ。

A:　うそ！マジで？！もう我慢できない。

B:　だけど週末は雨が降りそう。

A:　あ、良かった、こんな猛暑だと北極に引っ越ししたくなるな。

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Main Dialogue (Pronunciation)

A: Kyō atsui yo ne.

B: Sō da ne. Chō jime jime shiteru ne.

A: Konshuu no tenki yohō wa?

B: Konshuu was zutto sanjuu go do da yo.

A: Uso! Majide? Mō gaman dekinai.

B: Dakedo, shuumatsu wa ame ga furi sō.

A: A, yokatta, konna mōsho da to hokkyoku ni hikkoshi shitakunaru na.

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Main Dialogue (English)

A: It’s hot today isn’t it?

B: It sure is. It’s so hot and sticky.

A: What the weather forecast for this week?

B: It’s going to be 35 degrees all week.

A: No way! Seriously?! I can’t take this anymore.

B: But it looks like it might rain on the weekend.

A: Ah good. This kind of heat makes me want to move to the Arctic!

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In this podcast we’ll be teaching you how to express your preference for something and compare it to other things. This is very useful as you use it all the time in Japanese conversation. You can use it to talk about your favorite things and why you like them.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialogue Japanese
A:　ね、お寿司とたこ焼きどっちが好き？
B:　そうだね。やっぱり、お寿司の方が好きかな。
A:　なるほどね。でもなんで？
B:　味が好きだから。あみは？
A:　もちろんたこ焼きの方が好き。
B:　あみは典型的な大阪人だよね。
A:　せやで！

Main Dialogue Pronunciation
A:　Ne, osushi to takoyaki docchi ga suki?
B:　Sō da ne. Yappari, osushi no hō ga suki kana.
A:　Naruhodo ne. Demo nande?
B:　Aji ga suki dakara. Ami wa?
A:　Mochiron takoyaki ga suki
B:　Ami wa tenkeiteki na Ōsaka jin da yo ne.
A:　Seyade!

Main Dialogue English
A:　Hey, which do you like better sushi or Takoyaki?
B:　Well, let’s see. I guess I like sushi better.
A:　I see but why?
B:　Because I like the taste. How about you Ami?
A:　Of course I like Takoyaki
B:　Ami, you’re a typical Osakan aren’t you?
A:　That’s right!

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In this podcast you’re going to learn useful verbs to talk about your daily routine. These verbs are very commonly used in casual conversation throughout the day so they are well worth learning. You will also study a little grammar related to plain form verbs and -TE form verbs which are the most common type of verb used in casual speech. You will also learn how they are used together when describing actions in a sequence.

Also, the dialogue in this lesson will teach you particles which are sounds that usually go at the end of sentences to change the nuance of what you are saying. Learning these will help you sound a lot more natural when speaking Japanese.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Podcast Dialogue

A: Amiの平日の過ごし方を教えて！

B: ７時に起きて、顔を洗って、朝ごはんを食べるよ。

その後着替えて、メイクして、仕事に行くよ。

A: 休憩時間は？

B: 休憩時間はお弁当を食べて、携帯で時間を潰すよ。

A: 仕事が終わったら？

B: うちに帰って、晩御飯を食べて、お風呂に入るよ。

A: その後は何をするの？

B: 寝る！

A: Amiは忙しいね！

B: まあね！

Podcast Dialogue (Pronunciation)

A: Ami no heijitsu no sugoshikata oshiete!

B: Shichi ji ni okite, kao o aratte, asagohan o taberu. Sono ato kigaete, meiku shite, shigoto ni iku yo.

A: Kyuukei jikan wa?

B: Kyukeijikan wa obentō o tabete keitaii de jikan o tsubusu yo.

A: Shigoto ga owattara?

B: Uchi ni kaette, bangohan o taberu, ofuro ni hairu yo.

A: Sono ato nani suru no?

B: Neru!

A: Ami wa isogashii ne.

B: Maa ne.

Podcast Dialogue (English)

A: Ami, how do you spend your weekdays?

B: I wake up at 7, I wash my face and eat breakfast. After that I get dressed, put on my makeup and go to work.

A: What about your break time?

B: During my break time I eat a bento and kill time with my mobile phone.

A: And when work finishes?

B: I go home, I eat dinner and have a bath.

A: What do you do after that?

B: Sleep!

A: Ami, you’re busy!

B: I guess so.

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In this podcast you’re going to learn about how to use adverbs of frequency in daily speech. In other words, you’ll learn how to ask and answer questions about how often you do things in Japanese. You’ll learn how to ask questions such as “How often do you…”. You’ll also be able to reply that you do something never, occasionally, sometimes, often and always. This kind of grammar and vocabulary comes up often in daily conversation as well as the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam so it’s well worth learning. 

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Lesson Notes

Main Lesson Vocabulary

Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (Japanese)

A: アレックスはどれくらい*運動するの？

B: 全然しないよ。 時間がないからさ。

A: そうなんだ。

A: 昔はよくしてただけどね。あみは？

B: 時々ジョギングするよ。たまに水泳もするよ。

A: じゃ、もうすぐオリンピックだから毎日　運動しよう。

Main Dialog 1 – Adverbs of frequency – (English)

A: Arekkusu wa dore kurai undō suru no.

Alex, how often do you exercise?

B: Zenzen shinai yo. Jikan ga nai kara sa.

Never. It’s cos I don’t have any time, you know.  

A: Sō nan da.

Really?

B: Mukashi wa yoku shiteta kedo ne. Ami wa?

I used to however. How about you Ami?

A: Tokidoki jogingu suru yo. Tama ni suiei mo suru yo.

I sometimes go jogging. I occasionally also go swimming.

B: Ja, mō sugu orinpikku dakara mainichi undō shiyō.

Well, it’s almost time for the Olympics so exercise everyday!

Particles used in this dialog:

Wa – Sentence subject marker (As for so and so…)

Ga – Similar to Wa and is often used in sentences about having or not having something

No – Turns sentence into a question (Casual)

Yo – Emphasizes the statement

Ne – Means isn’t it or right?

Sa – Means something like “You know?” or “You see what I mean”

Extra example sentences

Zenzen – Not at all

1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ ぜんぜん食べないよ。

Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Zenzen tabenai yo.

How often do you eat sushi? I never eat it.

2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ ぜんぜん見ないよ。

Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Zenzen minai yo.

How often do you watch movies? I never watch them.

Metta ni – Hardly ever (01:11)

1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ 滅多に食べないよ。

Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Metta ni tabenai yo.

How often do you eat sushi? I hardly ever eat it.

2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ 滅多に見ないよ。

Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Metta ni minai yo.

How often do you watch movies? I hardly ever watch them.

Tama ni – Occasionally (01:38)

1: どれくらいお寿司食べるの？ たまに食べるよ。

Dore kurai osushi taberu no? Tama ni taberu yo.

How often do you eat sushi? I occasionally eat it.

2: どれくらい映画を見るの？ たまにに見るよ。

Dore kurai eiga o miru no? Tama ni miru yo.

How often do you watch movies? I occasionally watch them.

Tokidoki – Sometimes (02:03)

1: どれくらい運動するの？ ときどきするよ。

Dore kurai undō suru no? Tokidoki suru yo.

How often do you exercise? I sometimes exercise.

2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ ときどき行くよ。

Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Tokidoki iku yo.

How often do you go to Karaoke? I sometimes go.

Yoku – Often (02:29)

1: どれくらい運動するの？ よく運動するよ。

Dore kurai undō suru no? Yoku undō suru yo.

How often do you exercise? I often exercise.

2: どれくらいカラオケに行くの？ よく行くよ。

Dore kurai karaoke iku no? Yoku iku yo.

How often do you go to Karaoke? I often go.

Itsumo – Always (02:53)

1: どれくらいゲームやるの？ いつもやってるよ。

Dore kurai geemu yaru no? Itsumo yatteru yo.

How often do you play video games? I’m always playing them

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In this episode, Ami and Alex teach you how to speak Osaka dialect which is called Osaka Ben in Japanese. And for this lesson Ami sensei is our secret weapon as she is a native of Osaka city. 

Sometimes this is referred to as Kansai Ben however, Kansai is the larger region located in central Japanese that includes Osaka city, Kyoto, Nara, Wakayama, Shiga, Mie and Hyogo. And in turn, each of those areas have their own dialects. However, Ami sensei is from Osaka, and Osaka Ben is the dominant dialect that influences all the surrounding areas. Therefore we decided to go with Osaka Ben. 

Of course this lesson is not a comprehensive guide to Osaka Ben as that would fill a few books. However, this lesson will teach you the most common phrases, speech patterns and intonation that you will hear on the streets of Osaka. 

The main dialog is recorded by natives from Osaka including Ami so you’ll learn the authentic accent. We also included a dialog in standard Japanese so you can compare. Enjoy! 

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Main Dialog – Osaka Ben (Japanese)

A: めっちゃ久しぶりやん。最近どないしてんの?

B: 相変わらずやで。そっちは?

A: ぼちぼちやな。ま、頑張ってるで。
B: そうなんや。うちなんか全然あかんわ。

A: なんでなん? 

B: 彼氏と別れてん。

A: え、そうなん?知らんかった。俺やって全然彼女できへんで。 

B: 付き合おか。 A: なんでやねん!

Main Dialog – Osaka Dialect (English and pronunciation)

A:  Meccha hisashiburi yan. Saikin donain shiten no? –It’s been ages. How have you been recently?

B:  Aikawarazu ya de. Socchi wa? –Same as usual. About about you?

A:  Bochi bochi ya na. Ma, gannbatteru de. – So so I guess. Well, doing my best.

B:  Sō nan ya. Uchi nanka zenzen akan wa. – Really? I’m not good at all.

A:  Nande nan? – Why?

B:  Kareshi to wakareten. –I split up with my boyfriend.

A:  E? Sō nan? Shirankatta. Boku yatte, zenzen kanojo dekihen de. – Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend.

B:  Tsuki aoka? –Wanna date?

A: Nande yanen! – What the heck!

Main Dialog – Standard Dialect Version

Here is the same dialog written in standard Japanese. Can you spot the differences?

A:  めちゃめちゃ久しぶりじゃん。最近どうしてるの?

Meccha hisashiburi jan. Saikin dō shiteru no.
It’s been ages. How have you been recently?

B:  相変わらずだよ。そっちは?

Aikawarazu da yo. Socchi wa?Same as usual.

About about you?

A:  普通かな。ま、頑張ってるよ。

Futsuu ka na. Ma gambatteru yo.

Same as usual. About about you?

B:  そうなんだ。私なんか全然だめだよ。
Sō nan da. Watashi nanka zenzen dame da yo.

Really? I’m not good at all.

A:  どうして?

Dō shite?

Why?

B:  彼氏と別れたの。

Kareshi to wakareta no.

I split up with my boyfriend.

A:  え、そうなの?知らなかった。俺だって全然彼女できないよ。

E sō na no? Shiranakatta. Boku datte, zenzen kanojo dekinai yo.

Eh? Really? I didn’t know. I can never get a girlfriend.

B:  付き合おっか。

Tsuki aokka?

Wanna date?

A: なんでだよ!

Nande da yo!

What the heck!

Extra Osaka Ben Phrases

ちゃう – Chau – No / That’s not right

ええ – Ee – Good / OK (ええやん、ええで、ええよ)
アホ – Aho – Stupid

なおす – Naosu – Put something away (Standard Japanese = to fix something)

Random Phrase of the Week

This week’s random phrase of the week is:

ちゃうちゃう、チャウチャウちゃうんちゃう?

Chau chau, chau chau chaun chau.

No no, that’s not a Chow chow is it?! Let’s break it down like this…

ちゃうちゃう 、 チャウチャウ ちゃうん ちゃう?

No no, a chow chow dog , it is not , is it?

Or in more natural English “No no, it’s not a Chow chow is it?!”

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In this podcast, Ami and Alex answer all your Japanese study related questions. If you would like to get your question answered on the podcast go to Questions and fill in the form. It’s super quick and easy! Once you submit your question, we will try to answer it in the following “Ask us anything” podcast.

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Have you been scratching your head trying to work out what “Yappari” means? Well, scratch your head no more! In this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) attempt to explain what Yappari means. We teach you the three main meanings of Yappari and how to use it naturally and fluently in conversation with your Japanese friends. For more information keep reading, listen to the podcast and download the show notes.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

What does Yappari mean?

1. Yappari – I knew it!

One common use of yappari expresses the fact that your assumptions or predictions were proved to be correct. It also means you were not surprised by a particular outcome. It might be translated into English as “I knew it”, “As I suspected…” or “…but of course…” Another way to think of it is as a phrase that emphasises IS or WAS, as in “It WAS you” or “He IS the culprit!”

Here’s an example of how it can be used in conversation.

Dialog 1

A:	ねえ、最後のクッキー食べた？	Ne, saigo no kukkii tabeta?	Hey, did you eat the last cookie?
B:	え…	E…	Um…
A:	ほら！何これ？クッキーでしょう？！	Hora! Nani kore? Kukki deshō?!	Look! What’s this? It’s a cookie isn’t it?!
B:	だって、お腹減ってたから。	Datte, onaka heteta kara.	But, I was hungry.
A:	やっぱり。	Yappari.	I knew it!
B:	ごめんね。	Gomen ne.	Sorry.

Here are some other examples that express the yappari in the same way.

1. 彼が犯人だとずっと思ってて、やっぱりそうだった。

Kare wa hannin da to zutto omottete, yappari sō datta.

I thought he was the criminal, and I knew it, he was.

2. もう一度やってみたけどやっぱり無理だった

Mō ichido yatte mita kedo, yappari muri datta.

I tried one more time, but as I suspected, it was impossible.

3. やっぱり彼女来なかった。

Yappari kanojo konakatta.

I knew it, she didn’t come.

2. Yappari – Indeed it is!

Another use of yappari emphasises the strength of your opinion. For example, I really do think that something is true. やっぱり温泉が好き Yappari onsen ga suki means I really do indeed love hot springs. English translations might include “indeed” or “of course”.

Dialog 2

A:	日本で何が一番好き？	Nihon de nani ga ichiban suki?	What do you most like about Japan?
B:	やっぱり温泉が好き。あみは？	Yappari onsen ga suki. Ami wa?	I really do love hot springs. How about you Ami?
A:	たこ焼きかな。	Takoyaki kana?	Takoyaki I guess.
B:	やっぱりね。	Yappari ne.	I knew it.

Note: In this conversation we have two different examples of how yappari is used. Yappari onsen ga suki is the 2nd use of yappari which emphasises the point that the speaker does indeed like hot springs. After Ami says she likes Takoyaki, the reply is yappari which in this case is means “I knew it” as we learned with dialog 1.

Here are some more examples of how yappari is used to mean “indeed” or “of course”:

2.1 やっぱり毎日日本語を勉強しなきゃ。

Yappari mainichi nihongo o benkyō shinakya.

Of course, you have to study Japanese everyday.

2.2 やっぱり彼女が好き。

Yappari, kanojo ga suki.

I DO like her / I do indeed like her / Of course, I like her.

2.3 和食と言えばやっぱり刺身。

Washoku to ieba yappari sashimi.

If you are talking about Japanese food, of course it’s gotta be Sashimi.

3. Yappari – Ah, you know what? I changed my mind.

The final use of yappari is used when you change your mind. It means something like “Ah, you know what? I changed my mind” or “Actually, let’s not”. Here’s an example in dialog form:

Dialog 3

A:	明日なにする？	Ashita nani suru?	What are you doing tomorrow?
B:	公園に行くよ。やっぱりやめる。明日雨だ。	Kōen ni iku yo. Yappari, yameru. Ashita ame da.	I’m going to the park. Actually, I won’t. It’s going to rain tomorrow.

Here are a couple of other examples:

3.1. やめようかな。やっぱりもうちょっと頑張る。

Yameyō kana. Yappari, mō chotto gambaru.

I give up. You know what? I’ll try a little more.

3.2. ケーキ食べたい。やっぱりやめる、ダイエットしなきゃ。

Keeki tabetai. Yappari yameru, dietto shinakya.

I want to eat a cake. Nope, I need to diet.

Random Phrase of the Week

In every podcast we tech a random phrase to amuse and delight your Japanese friends. Here is this week’s random phrase:

ウケる – Ukeru – That’s so funny.

Ex.1 あのテレビ番組超ウケる

Ano terebi bangumi chō ukeru.

That TV program is so funny.

Ex. 2 あの漫才ウケる

Ano manzai ukeru

That comedy duo is so funny.

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This podcast episode is about various phrases you can use to start up a conversation in Japanese. It is important to remember that each conversation is unique and how you start one depends on who you are talking to and the situation. However, in this episode you will hear some of the most common phrases you are likely to hear used by Japanese people. One final thing to remember is that this episode focuses on casual conversations between friends.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

Podcast Vocabulary

Here is a full vocabulary list taken from the podcast

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
久しぶり	Hisashiburi	Long time no see
元気？	Genki?	How you doing?
相変わらず	Aikawarazu	…as usual
バタバタしてる	Batabata shiteru	Really busy / hectic
夏バテ	Natsubate	Exhaustion from the summer
つらい	Tsurai	Tough
最近どう？	Saikin dō?	How’ve you been?
すごく暑い	Sugoku Atsui	Very hot
すごく寒い	Sugoku Samui	Very cold
熱中症	Necchūshō	Heat stroke
風邪をひいちゃった	Kaze o hiichatta	I caught a cold
インフルエンザ	Infuruenza	Influenza
気をつけてね	Ki o tsukete ne	Take care

Podcast Dialog 1

A:	久しぶり元気？	Hisashiburi genki	Long time no see, you good?
B:	元気だよ。あみは？	Genki da yo. Ami wa?	I’m good. And you Ami?
A:	相変わらずバタバタしているよ。最近どう？	Aikawarazu batabata shiteru yo. Saikin dō?	Busy as usual. How’ve you been?
B:	そうだね。ちょっと夏バテがつらい。	Sō da ne. Chotto natsubate ga tsurai.	Well, I’ve been suffering due to the summer heat.
A:	最近はすごく暑いよね。熱中症にならないように気をつけてね。	Saikin wa sugoku atsui yo ne. Necchūshō ni naranai yō ni ki o tsukete ne.	It’s been really hot recently hasn’t it? Be careful not to get heat stroke.
B:	はーい！	Haai	Sure.

Dialog 2

A:	久しぶり元気？	Hisashiburi genki	Long time no see, you good?
B:	元気だよ。あみは？	Genki da yo. Ami wa?	I’m good. And you Ami?
A:	相変わらずバタバタしているよ。最近どう？	Aikawarazu batabata shiteru yo. Saikin dō?	Busy as usual. How’ve you been?
B:	そうだね。ちょっと風邪をひいちゃったよ。	Sō da ne. Chotto kaze o hiichatta yo.	Well, I caught a cold.
A:	最近はすごく寒いよね。インフルエンザにならないように気をつけてね。	Saikin wa sugoku samui yo ne. Infuruenza ni naranai yō ni ki o tsukete ne.	It’s been really cold recently hasn’t it? Be careful not to get influenza.
B:	はーい！	Haai	Sure.

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In this podcast Matthew and I talked about our favorite Japan travel tips, hacks and experiences. We discussed various topics including interesting places to visit, taking ferries in Japan, how to save money and the recent issues with AirBnb.

Also, if you enjoyed this podcast, please consider making a donation to Matthew’s go Fun Me campaign to help with the costs of the current cancer treatment he is undergoing now. Any donation no matter how small is much appreciated.

Please feel free to leave your comments, questions and ideas below.

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Food is one of our most popular subjects to talk about so in this podcast Ami sensei and I (Alex) introduce you to one of Kansai’s most loved street snacks, the honorable Takoyaki.

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to order and prepare takoyaki yourself with the correct ingredients and utensils. We also talk about the history of takoyaki, why it became so famous plus our recommendations for the best Takoyaki restaurants in Japan.

So get ready for a takoyaki extravaganza!

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Japanese Dialogues

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In this lesson you are going to learn how to say “must” in Japanese. Here’s the problem. There are a confusing number of ways to say it. Just look at this list of phrases which all mean the same thing:

しなければなりません Shinakereba narimasen

しなければいけません Shinakereba ikemasen
しなくてはいけません Shinakute wa ikemasen
しなくちゃいけません Shinakucha ikemasen
しなきゃいけません Shinakya ikemasen
しないといけません Shinai to ikemasen
しなくちゃ Shinakucha
しなきゃ Shinakya
しないと Shinai to

Not only that but each way of saying “must” in Japanese has a different level of politeness associated with it for different social situations. It’s also quite common for Japanese schools and textbooks to only teach the formal way of saying of “must”. However, in daily life in Japan, you will notice that most of the time, people tend to use the casual form.

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Japanese Dialogues

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But fear not dear student of Japanese, Learn Japanese Pod will help you to navigate this linguistic confusion. We are all about teaching you the most useful and natural Japanese for daily life in Japan. Therefore, this lesson will exclusively focus on the casual form which in my experience is the most useful form to know.

But before we do, let’s briefly study the grammar and a little of the culture behind this.

Grammar: How to say “must” in Japanese

One of the most formal and common ways you will be taught “must” in Japanese is:

しなければなりません Shinakereba narimasen

This is made from two parts “Shinakereba” which means “If I do not” and “Narimasen” which means “It is not allowed”. So this literally means, “it is not allowed if I do not do it” or “It will be bad if I don’t do it”.

This two part form is used for most levels of politeness

If I don’t do it It will not be allowed

Shinakereba Narimasen

Shinakereba Ikemasen

Shinakya Ikemasen

There is no direct way of saying must in Japanese so this indirect double negative form is used. This roundabout way of saying “must” in Japanese perhaps reflects the way Japanese shy away from direct language and confrontational statements.

The most common way to say “must” in Japanese

As you will discover when you come to Japan, most people in daily conversation use the common form. Instead of using the tongue twisting “Shinakereba narimasen” you can drop the -nakereba narimasen and simply add -kya to give you shinakya – I must do something.

The formal way of saying I have to clean the house is:

掃除しなければなりません – Sōji shinakereba narimasen – I have to clean (the house)

However, the more common and easy way to say that is

掃除しなきゃ – Sōji shinakya –  I have to clean

How to construct the casual form of “must” in Japanese

To say you must do something using other verbs using the casual form, simply follow these steps:

Step 1) Take the negative casual form of a verb, for example:

しない Shinai Don’t do

行かない Ikanai Don’t go

食べない Tabenai Don’t eat

買わない Kawanai Don’t buy

Step 2) Replace the -i at the end of the verb with -kya

しなきゃ Shinakya I must do (something)

行かなきゃ Ikanakya I must go (somewhere)

食べなきゃ Tabenakya I must eat (something)

買わなきゃ Kawanakya I must buy (something)

Finally, there are three common casual forms:

1) しなきゃ Shinakya

2) しなくちゃ Shinakucha

3) しないと Shinai to

Sometimes people will add いけない to the end of these forms to make:

しなきゃいけない

しなくちゃいけない

しないといけない

You can use any of these forms in a casual setting to say you must do something. This lesson will focus on using just shinakya.

Main Dialog

A:	ごめん、もう行かなきゃ。	Gomen mō ikanakya.	Sorry, I have to go.
B:	え？なんで？	E? Nande?	Eh? Why?
A:	明日早く起きなきゃ。	Ashita hayaku okinakya.	Tomorrow I have to wake up early.
B:	何かあるの？	Nani ka aru?	Do you have something?
A:	明日色々しなきゃいけないんだよね。	Ashita iroiro shinakya ikenain da yo ne.	Tomorrow I have to do various things.
B:	何を？	Nani o?	What?
A:	まず部屋が汚いから掃除しなきゃ。後、彼女が来るから料理作らなきゃ。じゃあ…	Mazu, heya ga kitanai kara sōji shinakya. Ato, kanojo ga kuru kara ryōri o tsukuranakya. Jaa…	First, as my room is dirty I have to clean. Then because my girlfriend is coming I have to make some food. Right…
B:	ちょっと待て、お会計は？	Chotto matte, okaikei wa?	Wait, what about the bill?
A:	そうだった、お金払わなきゃね。	Sō datta, okane harawanakya.	Oh right. I have to pay!

Other examples of saying I must in Japanese

Here are some more examples of how you can say you must do something:

１） 明日5時に起きなきゃ、めどくさい。

Ashita goji ni okinakya, mendokusai

Tomorrow I have to wake up at 5am, what a hassle.

２） まずいけど薬飲まなきゃ。

Mazui kedo kusuri nomanakya

It doesn’t taste good but I have take (drink) this medicine

３） あ、買い物忘れちゃった、買わなきゃ！

A, kaimono wasurechatta, kawanakya!

Ah, I forgot the shopping. I have to buy something!

４） もう時間だ。行かなきゃ！

Mo jikan da. Ikanakya!

It’s time. I have to go.

５） この部屋超汚い、掃除しなきゃ！

Kono heya chō kitanai, sōji shinakya.

This room is super dirty, I have to clean it.

６） 明日テストがあるから勉強しなきゃ。

Ashita tesuto ga aru kara benkō shinakya.

Tomorrow I have a test so I have to study.

７） 東京がゴジラに攻められてるから逃げなきゃ。

Tōkyō ga gojira ni semerareteru kara nigenakya.

Godzilla is attacking Tokyo so we have to run!

Random Phrase of the Week

飯テロ Meshi Tero

This is used to make fun of people post pictures what they are eating on social media. It also refers to the way your friends are “terrorised” by the these pictures especially when they are hungry.

In the latest Fun Friday podcast Tomo Akiyama is back by popular demand. We mostly talked about various aspects of Japanese culture including the question “Why do Japanese people wear masks?”. This discussion came up through the questions people most commonly ask about Japan on Google. Therefore we took a stab at answering this popular query.

We also talked about how Katakana is used in Japanese and the rules for writing foreign words in this script. We also answered listener questions including how to improver your Japanese listening skills.

The guest on this week’s show is Tomo Akiyama, a corporate communications specialist and linguist. He is a gourmet, advocate of Japan and expert in destroying cultural stereotypes and myths. He’s an absolutely fascinating individual full of mind-blowing facts about the Japanese language and the culture of Japan.

You can follow him on Twitter here @tomoakiyama

Listen to the podcast

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In this episode, Ami and I talk about our favorite Japanese TV shows. Watching Japanese TV shows regardless of you Japanese level is great way to improve your understanding of Japanese culture. It also gives you a common frame of reference to have more interesting conversations with Japanese people. Although Japanese TV is not so accessible outside of Japan, you can usually find extended clips on Youtube. You can also find some Japanese TV shows that have English subtitles.

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Here is a list of some of the shows we talked about in the podcast:

Japanese TV Shows

1. 水戸黄門 Mito Kōmon

This is a samurai drama set in the Edo period featuring the hero Tokugawa Mitsukuni who roams Japan fighting injustice.

2. 空耳アワーSora Mimi Awa

Sora mimi awa is part of the Tamori Club TV show where listeners submit foreign songs that have sections that sound Japanese.

3. Smap x Smap

Smap X Smap is the long running variety show featuring the boy band Smap. One of the most popular sections of the show was Smap Bistro where the members would compete to cook the most delicious dishes for famous visiting celebrities.

4. ダウンタウンのガキの使いやあらへんで Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende

“Dauntaun no gaki no tsukai ya arahende” A.K.A “Gaki Tsuka” is hosted by one of Japan’s most famous comedy duo “Downtown” who are  Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEwFBIUFB-o

5. 紅白歌合戦 Kōhaku Uta Gassen

This is the famous singing contest held by NHK as Japan celebrates the new year. This show is perhaps one of the most watched programs on Japanese TV and features famous singers from across Japan.

6. ナイトスクープ Naito Sukuupu (Knight Scoop)

Knight Scoop is a famous TV show from Kansai (Osaka) which features requests from viewers who need help with various random problems. The show is hosted by comedians and actors who visit viewers and try to help them out with their request. Invariably, hilarity ensues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIFYcfFWiS4

7. 関ジャニ-クロニクル Kanjani Kuronikuru

This variety show features the boy band Kanjani and their funny exploits. One section is the Dengon game know as Chinese whispers in English. Native English speakers whisper phrases to the band who usually mess us the message leading to some pretty funny results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZWHtmh3wqM

8. アメトーク Ame Tōku

Ame Talk is a weekly show that invites comedians to talk on various subjects.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgQ6FavEJP4&list=PLIFv1CaVjXyezoKydOmF8GGdOXhEeDWzM&index=3

In this lesson Ami and I teach you how to ask and give your opinions on various topics using the verb 思う Omou – To think. This is usually used to say “I think that…”.

思う is a very useful phrase you use all the time in conversation in Japanese. The main grammatical structure we will be using is this:

Something or someone…どう思う？Dō omou which means what do you think about so and so… For example:

彼女どう思う？ Kanojo wa dō omou What do you think of her?

彼どう思う？ Kare wa dō omou What do you think of him?

Then to answer you could say your opinion plus と思う which means I think so and so. So, for example you can say 可愛いと思うよ Kawaii to omou yo which means I think she’s cute or カッコイイと思うよ Kakko ii to omou which means I think he’s cool.

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Dialog 01

A:	君のなはってどう思う？	Kimi no na wa dō omou?	What do you think of “Kimi no na wa”?
B:	面白いと思うよ。	Omoshiroi to omou yo.	I think it’s interesting.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	ストーリーがロマンチックだからね。	Sutoorii ga romanchikku da kara ne.	Because the story is romantic.

Dialog 02

A:	ねぇ、iPhoneってどう思う？	Nee, iPhone te dō omou?	What do you think of the iPhone?
B:	まあまあだと思うよ。	Maamaa da to omou yo.	It’s so so.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	便利だけど高いからね。	Benri dakedo taki kara ne.	Because it’s useful but expensive.

Dialog 03

A:	ねぇ、この髪型ってどう思う？	Nee, kono kamigata dō omou?	What do you think of my hairstyle?
B:	似合うと思うよ。	Niau to omou yo.	It suits you.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	君は顔が小さいからね。	Kimi wa kao ga chiisai kara ne.	Because you have a small face.

Dialog 04

A:	ねぇ、彼女ってどう思う？	Nee, kanojo te dō omou?	What do you think of her?
B:	可愛いと思うよ。	Kawaii to omou yo.	She’s cute.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	おっちょこちょいだからね。	Occhokochou dakara ne.	Because she’s so clumsy.

Dialog 05

A:	ねぇ、彼ってどう思う？	Nee, kare te dō omou?	What do you think of him?
B:	いい人じゃないと思うよ。	Ii hito ja nai to omou yo.	I don’t think he’s a good person.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	浮気ばかりしてるからね。	Uwaki bakari dakara ne.	Because he’s always cheating (on girls).

Dialog 06

A:	ねぇ、このレストランってどう思う？	Nee, kono restoran te dō omou?	What do you think of this restaurant?
B:	イマイチだと思うよ。	IImaichi da to omou yo.	It’s a little disappointing.
A:	なんでそう思うの？	Nande sō omou no?	Why do you think so?
B:	食べ物は美味しいけどサービスが悪いからね。	Tabemono wa oishii kedo saabisu ga warui kara ne.	Because although the food is good the service is bad.

Extra Grammar Notes

Casual and polite ways to say “I think…”

Casual	Polite
どう思う？ Dō omou? What do you think?	どう思いますか Dō omoimasu ka? What do you think?
…と思う。…to omou I think…	…と思います。…to omoimasu. I think …

Random Phrase of the Week

A: 最近どう？ Saikin dō? How have you been recently?

B: 相変わらずだよ Aikawarazu da yo Same old, same old…

I hung out with Niko, the creator of Nihongo Shark for my latest Fun Friday podcast. We talked about how he started Nihongo Shark which is a website crammed full of resources for students of Japanese which is well worth a look if you have’t seen it.

We also talked about how to overcome feeling overwhelmed when learning Japanese, translation and the horrors of English education in Japan.

You can also check out Niko’s instagram here.

Enjoy!

P.S Don’t forget to leave a comment below!

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In this Fun Friday edition of the Learn Japanese Pod podcast, I interviewed Tomo Akiyama who is a fascinating expert linguist and well known Twitter user from Japan. We discussed a wide range of topics including the difficulties of learning Japanese and common mistakes non-native speakers make. We also talked about common English phrases Japanese people use, the words they say and they real meaning behind them.

As Tomo said, the biggest take away from this discussion is Japanese and English do not exactly translate into one another as they as such different languages.

Listen to the podcast to hear our various discussions in more detail and please leave a comment below.

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Useful links:

Tomo Akiyama Twitter

What Japanese people say and what they really mean

In this podcast, Ami and I (Alex) teach you how to talk about your favorite movies in Japanese. Listen to the podcasts and read the dialogs below to get an idea of what these phrases and dialogs mean. You can also download the PDFs too! Enjoy!

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

 

Dialog 01
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	「君の名は」見た？	“Kimi no na wa” mita?	Did you see “Kimi no na wa”?
B:	見たよ！	Mita yo!	I saw it!
A:	どうだった？面白かった？	Dō datta. Omoshirokatta?	How was it? Was it interesting?
B:	うん、すごく面白かったよ。	Un, omoshirokatta yo.	Uh huh, it was interesting.
A:	私も見ようかな？	Watashi mo miyō kana	I guess I should go and see it.
B:	うん、すごくおすすめだよ。	Un, sugoku osusume da yo.	Yeah, I highly recommend it

 

Dialog 02
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	「ミニオンズ」見た？	“Minions” mita?	Did you see “Minions”?
B:	見たよ！	Mita yo!	I saw it!
A:	どうだった？面白かった？	Dō datta. Omoshirokatta?	How was it? Was it interesting?
B:	面白かったけど、声優がイマイチだった。	Omoshirokatta kedo seiyuu ga imaichi datta.	It was interesting but the voice actors weren’t so good.
A:	私も見ようかな？	Watashi mo miyō kana	I guess I should go and see it.
B:	そうだね、もし週末時間があったら見に行ってみればいいよ。	Sō da ne, moshi shuumatsu jikan ga attara mi ni itte mireba ii yo.	Well, if you have time at the weekend, you should go and see it.

 

Dialog 03
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	「スターウォーズ」見た？	Sutaauozu mita?	Did you see Star Wars?
B:	見たよ！	Mita yo!	I saw it!
A:	どうだった？面白かった？	Dō datta. Omoshirokatta?	How was it? Was it interesting?
B:	全然面白くなかった。ストーリーがつまらなかった。	Zenzen omoshirokunakatta. Sutōrii ga tsumaranakatta.	It wasn’t interesting at all. The story was boring.
A:	私も見ようかな？	Watashi mo miyō kana	I guess I should go and see it.
B:	止めた方がいいよ。	Yameta hō ga ii yo.	You shouldn’t.

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In this podcast, Ami and I, teach you some fun conversations you can have with your friends in Japanese.  The first thing you need to know when speaking on the phone in Japanese is the word Moshi moshi which is hello but used exclusively for the phone. You can use this for both casual and polite conversations.

Listen to the podcast and read the dialogs below to get a better idea of how to have a conversation on the phone in Japanese with your friends.

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Phone Dialog 01

Dialog 01
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	もしもし	Moshi moshi	Hello
B:	もしもし、あみ元気？	Moshi moshi, Ami genki?	Hello, how are you Ami?
A:	元気だよ	Genki da yo	I’m good.
B:	最近どう？	Saikin dō?	How have you been recently?
A:	最近は仕事漬けの毎日!	Saikin wa shigotozuke no mainichi!	Recently, I’ve been so busy at work.
B:	そうなんだ……大変だね。	Sō nan da…Taihen da ne.	Oh really…that’s tough.
A:	全然平気！	Zenzen heiki!	I’m totally fine!

Phone Dialog 02

Dialog 02
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	もしもし	Moshi moshi	Hello
B:	もしもし、あみ元気？	Moshi moshi, Ami genki?	Hello, how are you Ami?
A:	元気だよ	Genki da yo	I’m good.
B:	最近どう？	Saikin dō?	How have you been recently?
A:	最近、彼女ができたよ	Saikin kanojo ga dekita yo	Recently I got a new girlfriend
B:	そうなんだ！良かったね！	Sō nan da! Yokatta ne!	Oh really? That’s great!
A:	毎日楽しすぎる！	Mainichi tanoshisugiru!	It’s so much fun everyday!

Phone Dialog 03

Dialog 03
	Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A:	もしもし	Moshi moshi	Hello
B:	もしもし、あみ元気？	Moshi moshi, Ami genki?	Hello, how are you Ami?
A:	元気だよ	Genki da yo	I’m good.
B:	最近どう？	Saikin dō?	How have you been recently?
A:	最近、ジムに通い出したよ	Saikin jimu ni kayoidashita yo	Recently I started going to the gym.
B:	そうなんだ！良いね！	Sō nan da! Ii ne!	Oh really? That’s good!
A:	毎日筋肉痛がやばいよ！	Mainichi kinnikutsuu ga yabai yo!	The muscle soreness is really bad everyday!

Extra Phone Phrases

携帯電話 – Keitai denwa – Mobile phone

携帯番号 – Keitai bangō – Mobile number

メアド – Meado – Mail address

待受画面 – Machiukegamen – Standby screen (for phone)

写メ – Shame – Mobile phone picture

スマホ – Sumaho – Smart Phone

ガラケー – Garakeh – Flip phone

Polite Phone Phrases

田中さんはいらっしゃいますか – Tanaka san wa irasshaimasu ka

Is Tanaka san there?  / Can I speak to Mr. Tanaka?

田中は出かけております – Tanaka wa dekakete orimasu.

Tanaka is out right now.

伝言をお願いします – Dengon o onegaishimasu.

Can I leave a message please?

折り返しお電話いただけますか – Orikaeshi odenwa itadakemasu ka?

Could you ask them to call me back please?

Leave your comments below

In this podcast, I talk to Andy, a great friend of mine whom I have known for over 10 years here in Japan. As we are both long term residents of Tokyo, we wanted to record a podcast outlining the best and the worst of life here in the capital city of Japan. We decided to look at the good, the bad and the ugly to give an honest and balanced discussion of what it is really like to live here. If you are thinking about moving to Tokyo to live or just want to come for a brief visit, we hope there is some useful information for you here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

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One of the most common questions I get at Learn Japanese Pod is “How do I learn to speak Japanese fluently?”. The usual problem I hear is that although students study lots of vocabulary and grammar, they can’t seem to put it together to hold even a simple conversation. Fluency seems out of the question. Well, I hear you because I used to be in the same situation. I was really frustrated. However, after a lot of trial and error… and coffee, I eventually began to discover some effective study techniques, strategies and the mindset that actually worked.

Now, fluency didn’t happen overnight but my ability to hold natural flowing conversations with my Japanese friends got noticeably better and my progress definitely sped up. So if you are feeling confused, frustrated and your motivation is crumbling, it’s time to get your Japanese back on track. So this is why I decided to make this podcast and guide to show you absolutely everything you need to know to speak Japanese fluently.

You can listen to the podcast here where Ami sensei and I discuss this topic in detail. Then keep reading below for more in-depth information with links to useful resources.

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Podcast Dialog – How to Speak Japanese Fluently

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A: 先生、質問しても良いですか？	Sensei, shitsumon shite mo ii desu ka.	Teacher, may I ask a question?
B: はい、どうぞ。	Hai dōzo.	Sure, go ahead.
A: どうすれば日本語を流暢に話せるようになりますか？	Dō sureba nihongo o ryuuchō ni hanaseru you ni narimasu ka?	How can I become fluent at speaking Japanese?
B: そうですね。やっぱり教材はもちろんですが、日本のテレビを観たり、日本の音楽をたくさん聴いてみてください。	Sō desu ne. Yappari kyōzai wa mochiron desu ga, nihon no terebi o mitari, nihongo no ongaku o takusan kiite kudasai.	Let me see. Well of course you need study materials but you should watch Japanese TV, listen to a lot of music, stuff like that.
A: なるほど。	Naruhodo.	I see.
B: 私の友達は、日本に住んだことはないですが、そうやって日本語を結構覚えましたよ。	Watashi no tomodachi wa nihon ni sunda koto ga nai desu ga sō yatte nihongo o kekkō oboemashita yo.	I have a friend who never lived in Japan. However, he learned a lot of Japanese that way.
A: 他に何かアドバイスはありますか？	Hoka ni adobaisu ga arimasu ka?	Do you have any other advice?
B: 日本語が話せる友達を作って、積極的に日本語で会話をしましょう。	Nihongo ga hanaseru tomodachi o tsukutte, sekkyokuteki ni nihongo de kaiwa o shimashou.	Make Japanese speaking friends and proactively try to have conversations in Japanese.
A: 分かりました。頑張ります！	Wakarimashita. Ganbarimasu.	I understand. I will do my best.

The Secret to Speaking Japanese Fluently

Here’s the brutal truth.

There is no secret to speaking fluent Japanese. And if anyone tells you there is a magical course that teaches you how to speak perfect Japanese in 3 days, buy a fire extinguisher because someone’s pants are on fire. It takes time, commitment and hard work…and coffee…I mentioned coffee right?

Anyway, I can’t give you a magic pill BUT…

And this is a big but…

I can tell you the dumb things I did so you don’t have to. And that’s going to save you a LOT of time and frustration. Plus there are more efficient and effective ways to study that will further save time.

But what do we actually mean by “fluency”?

What does “fluent Japanese” mean?

Fluent doesn’t necessarily mean native speaker level. To me, fluency simply means you can express what you want to say, clearly, easily and quickly without getting stuck or stumbling over your words. If you can order sushi or do a simple self introduction in Japanese, you have a basic level of fluency. No, you’re not native level but you could survive in Japan with a limited number of phrases. So don’t feel overwhelmed. Remember fluency isn’t how much you know, it’s how well you use it.

So, let’s move to the first step you need to take on your journey to Japanese fluency.

1. Set Specific Goals

Perhaps the biggest mistake students of Japanese make is not being clear about what they want to achieve. You need to set clear, specific goals, broken down into small achievable steps with deadlines. And here are my personal reasons:

1. Set it and forget it – This avoids stress and decision fatigue worrying over what you should study next. It keeps it simple.
2. Focus equals momentum – A focused goal gets you to where you want to go more quickly.
3. Goals avoid waste – If you get super specific about what to achieve you avoid wasteful and irrelevant study
4. Deadlines make it real – Set a date to increase the chances of success. A deadline further focuses you and makes your goals more concrete. Breaking things into small steps with many deadlines can help to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

What’s a good Japanese Study Goal?

So what’s a good goal? If you say “I want to speak kick ass, ninja level Japanese” that’s all well and good but it’s too vague and lacks a clear goal. Something better would be “I want to be able to say 100 travel related phrases fluently for my trip to Japan in three months”.

Now you know the following:

1. Exactly what you will study
2. Exactly how much you need to study
3. When your deadline is

Breaking down your goal into small achievable steps will increase your chances of success. So learning 100 phrases in 3 months is a pace of just over 1 phrase a day, totally achievable.

Try to set a goal that inspires and motivates you. Also, try to pick a goal that allows you to be able to do something. You want to build skills rather than simply piling up words. Here are some examples:

I want to learn all the phrases to order food at a Japanese restaurant within 2 weeks.

I want to be able to ask and understand directions in Japanese in one month.

To really demonstrate how a short and laser focused goal can help you make progress more quickly, try out my completely free 5 Day Japanese Challenge. It emails you a new lesson every day and if you follow the course properly you will be able to give a natural self introduction in flawless Japanese in five days.

If you are still not sure what goal to set, choose something, anything, simply to get started. For example, you could attempt to pass the N5 Japanese Language Proficiency Test in 6 months. And even if you fail the test, you will have still improved your Japanese.

2. Get the Right Japanese Study Materials

Now you have a clear goal, you will need good materials and resources to study with. This depends on your goal and level of Japanese. For beginners, I recommend buying a  good standard Japanese textbook. Now, this won’t guarantee fluency, however, a good textbook will teach you the basic grammar and vocabulary you need to build your base before you can attempt conversations. Here are some of my top recommendations:

Recommendations for basic Japanese textbooks

GENKI I – This is good  standard textbook used in university Japanese courses. This is more grammar heavy so it will give you a good language base to build on. It includes an audio CD which you can use to listen and practice with. Japanese for Busy People is another widely known text good for teaching you the basics.

Nihongo Fun and Easy – A smaller but awesome little Japanese conversational textbook that focuses more on daily situational dialogs and includes a CD to practice with. This is not as comprehensive as Genki but might get you speaking basic Japanese more quickly.

NIHONGO Breakthrough – Another really good Japanese conversational textbook that focuses on real life situations and natural language to improve you basic level of fluency.

Again, these textbooks won’t make you fluent over night. However,  they will give you the essential base  Japanese grammar and vocabulary you need to work towards fluency.

And textbooks on their own are not enough. We need to look at some effective techniques to get you speaking more fluently in less time.

3. Drill, Drill and Drill Again

If there was only one single technique I could teach you that would massively help your fluency, that would be drilling. It’s an incredibly powerful technique that will build you vocabulary, speed, pronunciation and fluency.

Drilling is simply repeating phrases out loud over and over again until you can say them easily and without thinking.

I first started studying Japanese on my own. I bought a random Japanese conversation textbook, read the dialogs, listened to the audio and repeated every phrase and conversation until I could say them automatically. The book wasn’t that great and some of the conversations were kind of boring and not even that useful. Here is a reconstruction of the silly things I drilled:

Japanese	Pronunciation	English
A: 田中さんの車はどこの車ですか	Tanaka san no kuruma wa doko no kuruma desu ka	Mr. Tanaka, what make of car is that?
B: トヨタの車です	Toyota no kuruma desu	It’s a Toyota
A: あ、そうですか	A sou desu ka	Oh really?

One would have thought a more interesting conversation would have been:

A: Hey Tanaka, what make of car is that?

B: See the sign that says Toyota on the front? Yeah that means it’s a Toyota…you idiot!

ANYWAY…

It wasn’t the best textbook in the world. However, drilling the dialogs out loud repeatedly really helped it all stick in my head. And as I discovered it improved my memory, pronunciation, speed and fluency. I didn’t become fluent immediately but my progress noticeably did speed up.

Gap Fill Drills

Another effective technique I discovered was gap fills. A gap fill is drilling a sentence and changing one word every time you repeat it. Take the following sentence and say this as many times as it takes to stick in your head:

日本語を上達させるためには勉強が大事だ

Nihongo o jōtatsu suru tame ni wa benkyō ga daiji da

To improve your Japanese fluency, study is important.

Now you have learned that, you can say it again but this time change the word in red to something else so you can make a new sentence.

日本語を上達させるめには読書が大事だ

Nihongo o jōtatsu suru tame ni wa dokusho ga daiji da

To improve your Japanese fluency, study is important.

You can also use a little humour to make things fun and memorable.

日本語を上達させるためにはコーヒーが大事だ

Nihongo o jōtatsu suru tame ni wa kōhii ga daiji da

To improve your Japanese fluency, coffee is important.

The reason I love this technique is it allows you to drill and learn useful patterns of speech. But it also allows you to create an almost infinite number of new unique sentences. This is how fluency begins.

Shadowing

One last technique is shadowing. Shadowing involves playing audio and repeating out loud exactly what you hear. So just listen and repeat. The textbooks I mentioned earlier have audio CDs you can use.

You could also shadow using youtube videos and even music CDs if you have them. Karaoke is also a great way to build your listening and speaking skills.

So the are various ways to drill and all very effective in building your spoken muscle memory so you can develop automatic recall which is what you will need to speak Japanese fluently.

4. Paraphrase to develop Japanese Fluency

Paraphrasing is the ability to express the meaning of something using different words. Being able to say the same thing using different words or phrases massively boosts your fluency because it forces you to expand your spoken vocabulary.  It’s not an easy skill and requires a fair amount of study. However it is worth it because it is a powerful technique for boosting your fluency.

There are various ways you can paraphrase. Here are my favourite three.

Explain a Japanese word in Japanese

Being able to define a Japanese word in Japanese is a great exercise. For example, let’s use the word 暑い – Atsui – which as you probably know means hot. But can you describe what it means in Japanese? You could say 温度の高いもの – Ondo no takai mono – something with a high temperature. To do this yourself, use a good online Japanese dictionary such as the Goo dictionary at dictionary.goo.ne.jp

Japanese Synonyms

The second way is to find a synonym, that is another word which has a similar meaning. So you could use the word 熱 – Netsu – which means heat or fever. Or perhaps you can use the word 暖かい – Atatakai – which means warm.

Japanese Antonyms

The third way is to find an antonym, a phrase that means the opposite. If you use the negative form, it’s another way to paraphrase a word. For example, instead of 暑い you could say 寒くない which means not cold.

You don’t have to use all these techniques but being able to define a Japanese word in Japanese is a really powerful skill you should study towards. Again, use a good Japanese dictionary to help you.
There’s a good chapter on paraphrasing in Japanese in the book 13 Secrets for Speaking Fluent Japanese by Giles Murray.

5. Practice with Native Japanese Speakers

Now, I know some of you might be shy, attached to your textbook or live in an area where there are very few Japanese people. One of the most common complaints I hear is “I have no Japanese friends to practice with”.

However, if you really want to eventually be able to speak Japanese fluently you HAVE TO get out there and practice with native speakers. I know what you’re going to say; it’s impossible because [insert reason here…]. So here are some ideas that might possibly work for you.

1. Get a Japanese teacher or enrol on a Japanese course.
2. Use Meetup.com to locate and join a Japanese study group in your area. If not, make your own group. You never know, there may be other people interested in studying Japanese.
3. Attend Japanese cultural events. Institutions such as The Japan Society based in New York hold regular events for promoting Japanese culture. There may be an event closer to you than you think!
4. Use online language exchange sites. Although this is not an endorsement, you MIGHT find sites such as Lang-8 and iTalki useful for making online Japanese friends to practice with.

If those methods don’t work for you, then there is only one option left…

5. Go to Japan

I was incredibly lucky to be able to study Japanese intensively for one year in Tokyo when I was in university. I was able to take advantage of the language exchange program between my university in London and Tokyo.

When I got to Japan, I had studied Japanese for a year. However, after living in a dormitory of Japanese guys who spoke next to no English and studying intensively everyday, my Japanese fluency rapidly improved.

Not only that, it was one of the most enjoyable years I had at university. In fact if I hadn’t had that year, I don’t think my Japanese would be anywhere as good as it was today.

So I highly recommend coming to Japan to fully immerse yourself in the culture, language and life in Japan. If you keep studying and practising I guarantee you will make speedier progress than just studying on your own at home.

If a year of intensive study sounds daunting, time consuming and expensive, I wont lie, it is. However, even if you can only manage to go for only a few months or weeks and enrol in a Japanese program, I recommend it as one of the most effective ways to make progress to Japanese fluently. These days there are lots of small colleges that do short Japanese courses for quite a reasonable price. Some of them will also help you with visa applications and a place to stay.

So, if you haven’t, go to Japan my friend!

6. Extra Japanese Fluency Strategies and Mindset

Let me finish this guide with a few more observations, strategies and mindsets that might help you to achieve your goal of learning to speak Japanese fluently.

It’s about consistency, not intensity

If you go to the gym on Monday and exercise for 10 hours, you won’t get fit. It’s much better to exercise a little everyday over the long term. In the same way, you want to study and use Japanese on a regular basis.

Don’t just study Japanese, USE Japanese

Of course you have to lay the groundwork and study Japanese regularly. However you also need to get out there and use it in real life. Always ask yourself, what will I be able to do if I study a particular lesson rather than trying to randomly cram words. This is also why you need to make Japanese friends if you haven’t!

Japanese Grammar is essential, but limited

When you start out in Japanese you have to study grammar to give you a framework to use to construct your own basic sentences. However, the more advanced you become, the less you will be able to rely on your textbook to learn natural patterns of speech. So get as much real speaking and listening practice as you can to pick up the real Japanese not in your textbooks.

Learn the culture behind the words

One thing I wished I had learned earlier was to have a deeper understanding of the culture behind the grammar and vocabulary I was learning. Learning more about Japanese culture gives you a much deeper understanding of the language and will make you a much better speaker.

For example, understanding different levels of politeness in Japanese will give you a really good insight into the culture and make your Japanese sound more natural.

Don’t be the foreigner who can speak fluent Japanese but just doesn’t “get it” and offends everyone. That’s called KY or Kuuki Yomei – someone who literally can’t “read the air” and is culturally unaware. You have been warned!

Make you studies fun!

This is kind of obvious but it’s worth saying. You have to make your studies fun, engaging and relevant to your interests. Don’t get too serious, have fun and good luck!

And if that doesn’t work, watch this Japanese fisherman motivate you!

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In this podcast, Ami Sensei and I teach you how to describe people’s personalities in natural Japanese. Listen to the full podcast and the dialog only audio underneath.

Main Podcast

Japanese Dialogues

So we thought we would have look at how to discuss people’s personalities in this week’s podcast. However, instead of only teaching a list of phrases, we wanted to give some conversational examples of how you might talk about people’s characters.

Talking about people’s personalities in Japanese

In this podcast, Ami sensei and I talk about how to describe people’s personalities in Japanese and how to talk about your favorite “type” of person for dating and romance.

The first two dialogs show you how you can talk about people’s ideal boyfriend of girlfriend in terms of their personality.

Podcast Dialog 1.1

A:	ねえ、どんな人がタイプなの？	Ne, donna hito ga taipu na no?	Hey, what kind of person are you into?
B:	そうだね。やっぱり優しくて、気が利いて、陽気な人かな。	Sō da ne. Yappari yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōki na hito kana.	Let me see. Of course kind, thoughtful and outgoing.
A:	本当？それだけ？	Hontō? Sore dake?	Really? That’s it?
B:	え？どういう意味それ？	E? Dō iu imi sore?	Eh? What do you mean by that?
A:	今までの彼氏みんなイケメンだったし、本当は面食いなんでしょう？	Ima made no kareshi ikemen datta shi, hontō wa menkui nan deshō?	All your boyfriends until now have been really good looking. You’re just into looks aren’t you?
B:	うるさいなぁ、もう！	Urusai na mō!	Oh shut up!

Podcast Dialog 1.2

A:	ねえ、どんな人がタイプなの？	Ne, donna hito ga taipu na no?	Hey, what kind of person are you into?
B:	そうだね。やっぱり優しくて、気が利いて、陽気な人かな。	Sō da ne. Yappari yasashikute, ki ga kiite, yōki na hito kana.	Let me see. Of course kind, thoughtful and outgoing.
A:	本当？それだけ？	Hontō? Sore dake?	Really? That’s it?
B:	え？どういう意味それ？	E? Dō iu imi sore?	Eh? What do you mean by that?
A:	今までの彼女みんな美形だったじゃん、本当は見た目重視なんでしょう。	Ima made no kanojō minna bikkei datta shi, hontō wa menkui nan deshō?	All your girlfriends until now have been really good looking. You’re just into looks aren’t you?
B:	うるさいなぁ、もう！	Urusai na mō!	Oh shut up!

In the next set of dialogs we look at how to compare people’s personalities in Japanese. These dialogs also contain a nice technique for expanding your vocabulary which is learning a adjective and it’s exact opposite. So if you learn the word 優しい Yasashii which means kind, you could then learn a word such as 気が短い Ki ga mijikai which means short tempered or bad tempered. This is a really nice way to group relevant vocabulary together which will double the amount of words you know and improve your fluency if you drill them.

Here are some examples:

Podcast Dialog 2.1

A:	彼氏はどんな人なの？	Kareshi wa donna hito na no?	What’s your boyfriend like?
B:	そうだね。優しい人だよ。	Sō da ne. Yasashi hito da yo.	Let me see. He’s a kind person.
A:	いいなあ。私の彼女は気が短いんだよね。	Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo ga ki ga mijikain da yo ne.	I envy you. My girlfriend is short tempered.

Podcast Dialog 2.2

A:	彼女はどんな人なの？	Kanojo wa donna hito na no?	What’s your girlfriend like?
B:	そうだね。優しい人だよ。	Sō da ne. Omoshiroi hito da yo.	Let me see. She’s an interesting person.
A:	いいなあ。私の彼氏はつまらないんだよね。	Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa tsumaranain da yo ne.	I envy you. My boyfriend is short tempered.

Podcast Dialog 2.3

A:	彼氏はどんな人なの？	Kareshi wa donna hito na no?	What’s your boyfriend like?
B:	そうだね。社交的な人だよ。	Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hito da yo.	Let me see. He’s a social person.
A:	いいなあ。私の彼女はおとなしいんだよね。	Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo wa otonashiin da yo ne.	I envy you. My girlfriend is shy.

Podcast Dialog 2.4

A:	彼女はどんな人なの？	Kanojo wa donna hito na no?	What’s your girlfriend like?
B:	そうだね。勤勉な人だよ。	Sō da ne. Kinben na hito da yo.	Let me see. She’s a hard working person.
A:	いいなあ。私の彼氏は怠け者なんだよね。	Ii naa. Watashi no kareshi wa namakemono nan da yo ne.	I envy you. My boyfriend is lazy.

Podcast Dialog 2.5

A:	彼氏はどんな人なの？	Kareshi wa donna hito na no?	What’s your boyfriend like?
B:	そうだね。頭がいい人だよ。	Sō da ne. Shakōteki na hito da yo.	Let me see. He’s a social person.
A:	いいなあ。私の彼女はちょっと天然入ってるんだよね	Ii naa. Watashi no kanajo wa chotto tennen ga haitterun da yo ne.	I envy you. My girlfriend is a bit of a space cadet.

In the next set of dialogs we talk about personality as it relates to blood type. In Japan, it is widely believed that a person’s blood type is linked to or influences your personality. Although this is utter nonsense that has absolutely no scientific basis at all what so ever, it’s worth knowing about this cultural phenomenon. And it’s a great way to get a conversation going in Japanese and increase your vocabulary.

There are a couple of ways you can ask about bloody type and personality including the following:

A型の人ってどんな人が多い？ A gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?

What is a common personality for people with A type blood?

Or

典型的なA型の人ってどうなの？Tenkeiteki na A gata no hito te dō na no?

What is the typical personality of someone with A type blood?

Here are some example dialogs as featured in the podcast:

Podcast Dialog 3.1

A:	A型の人ってどんな人が多い？	A gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?	What’s the most common personality trait of people with A blood type?
B:	A型は真面目で几帳面な人。	A gata wa majime de kichōmen na hito.	People with A blood type are serious and methodical.

Podcast Dialog 3.2

A:	O型の人ってどんな人が多い？	O gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?	What’s the most common personality trait of people with O blood type?
B:	O型はおおらかで元気な人。	O gata wa ooraka de genki na hito.	People with O blood type are relaxed and outgoing.

Podcast Dialog 3.3

A:	B型の人ってどんな人が多い？	B gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?	What’s the most common personality trait of people with B blood type?
B:	B型はよくもわるくもマイペースな人。	B gata wa yokumo warukumo mai peesu na hito.	For better or for worse, people with B blood type taking everything at their own pace.

Podcast Dialog 3.4

A:	AB型の人ってどんな人が多い？	AB gata no hito te donna hito ga ooi?	What’s the most common personality trait of people with AB blood type?
B:	AB型はどこかクールで知的な印象を感じさせる人。	AB gata wa dokoka kuuru de chiteki na inshō o kanjisaseru hito.	People with AB blood type give the impression of being aloof and intelectual.

Random Japanese Phrase of the Week

In this episode’s random phrase of the week we looked at the word 茶番劇 Chabangeki which literally means a dramatic farce. It’s used to describe situations and things that are over the top or crazy.

Here are the examples:

あのカップルの喧嘩はいつも茶番劇だよね。

Ano kappuru no kenka wa itsumo chabangeki da yo ne

That couple are always having epic fights.

とんだ茶番劇をやらかしたもんだ！

Tonda chabangeki o yarakashita mon da!

That situation totally got out of hand / That was one crazy thing that happened.

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