Still haven’t made summer plans? This week’s Bilingual piece rounds up the major festivals happening across Japan — and teaches you a handy grammar point to practice when you go. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/07/18/language/japanese-summer-festival-listing/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn2
Rain, rain, go away? That’s not likely during Japan’s rainy season. Learn how the language of the season goes beyond weather forecasts and into disasters. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/06/12/language/rainy-season-japanese-downpour/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn2 #jlptn3 #rainyseason
https://www.alojapan.com/1286042/how-to-talk-about-change-in-japanese-one-forecast-at-a-time/ How to talk about change in Japanese — one forecast at a time #Japan #JapanNews #Japanese #JapaneseNews #JLPTN2 #JLPTN3 #news #nihongo #RainySeason #vocabulary As we head into June, 天気 (tenki, weather) will be an increasingly frequent topic for small talk — especially during 梅雨 (tsuyu, rainy season). This period of 雨 (ame, rain) and 湿気 (shikke, humidity) usually continues for a month or so until mid-July. 梅雨 also means it’s time for 衣替え (koro…
Weather talk isn’t just small talk — it’s a gateway to mastering Japanese grammar. Learn how to express change with ～につれて and ～にしたがって, just in time for rainy season. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/05/30/language/rainy-season-clothes-japanese/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #rainyseason #jlptn3 #jlptn2
The term “bakari” can be used in several different ways to emphasize and define the limit of a range. Check out your options in this week's Bilingual piece. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2025/04/11/language/osaka-expo-grammar-bakari/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #voacbulary #grammar #jlptn1 #jlptn2 #jlptn3 #2025osakaexpo
https://www.alojapan.com/1243390/ive-only-just-come-back-from-osaka-but-im-ready-to-hit-the-expo/ I’ve only just come back from Osaka, but I’m ready to hit the Expo #2025OsakaExpo #grammar #JlptN1 #JLPTN2 #JLPTN3 #nihongo #Osaka #OsakaTopics #voacbulary #大阪 #大阪府 You’ve probably noticed a lot of chatter about 大阪 (Ōsaka, Osaka) this week. 大阪・関西万博が4月13日に開幕するからです (Ōsaka Kansai banpaku ga shi-gatsu jūsan-nichi ni kaimaku suru kara desu, That’s because the Osaka-Kansai Expo will open on April 13). Osaka held Japan’s first World Expo in 1970, an…
Even native Japanese speakers say they have trouble with "keigo," an honorific language with its own vocabulary and grammar. In response, the government has stepped in to outline the most common errors. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/12/06/language/keigo-honorific-challenges-japanese/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #keigo #grammar #jlptn2 #jlptn1
Polish off your honorifics just in time for an autumn round of hiring at many Japanese firms. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/09/06/language/job-hunting-japanese-hiring/ #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn2 #jlptn3 #jlptn4
Are you wearing the right "UV cut"? With sunscreen often banned at public pools, Japanese swimmers may opt for other ways to protect their skin. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/07/31/language/sunscreen-sunburn-japanese-beauty-skin/ #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #etymology #grammar #jlptn2 #heat
Worried about wading into a political conversation in Tokyo? No worries, the grammatical terms you learn can help in other aspects of your life. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/06/28/language/election-politics-japanese-talking/ #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #jlptn2 #jlptn3 #grammar
Looking for a gift for Father's Day? It's said that Japanese dads fall into one of two categories: They like sweets or they like sake. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/06/14/language/father-japanese-grammar-vocabulary/ #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn2 #fathers
"Smell pollution," "smell harassment" … something stinks in Japan and this week's Bilingual entry hopes to explain what it is. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/06/07/language/scent-smell-harassment-japan/ #life #language #harassment #smell #nihongo #vocabulary #jlptn4 #jlptn3 #jlptn2
Modern society tends to see quitting as a sign of weakness, but Buddhist teaching has extolled the benefits of letting go of something at the right time. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/05/10/language/giving-up-buddhism-japanese-grammar-jlpt/ #life #language #nihongo #japanese #jlptn1 #jlptn2 #jlptn3 #grammar
"Before it's too late," "while you remember" — Mother's Day offers us a chance to learn ways to express a range of time in Japanese. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/05/03/language/mothers-day-japan-grammar/ #life #language #mother039sday #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn3 #jlptn2 #jlptn4
Certain Japanese grammatical structures can help enhance emotions in conversation and writing, conveying the idea of "unbearably." https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/04/25/language/children-japan-grammar-shikataganai-tamaranai/ #life #language #vocabulary #nihongo #grammar #jlptn1 #jlptn2 #jlptn3
Areas hit by the New Year's Day earthquake find themselves subject to damaging misinformation as they try to focus on reconstruction. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/02/23/language/rumor-gossip-japanese-language-misinformation/ #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #jlptn2 #kanji
By mixing and matching certain verbs, your vocabulary will expand immensely. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2024/01/19/language/perseverence-japanese-compound-verbs/?utm_content=buffer37565&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #life #language #nihongo #vocabulary #grammar #jlptn4 #jlptn3 #jlptn2
Whether it’s a trendy top from a chain store in Shibuya or a vintage piece from the backstreets of Kichijoji, know how to shop with a mind to sustainability in Japanese. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2023/07/21/language/fashion-fast-slow-discussing-shopping-ethics-japanese/?utm_content=buffer5e8b2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #life #language #nihongo #sustainability #vocabulary #grammar #fastfashion #jlptn3 #jlptn4 #jlptn2
