Q&A

Question: I’ve just started learning Japanese. How do I say “the” in Japanese? I’ve learned demonstratives like “kore” “sore” “are” in Japanese. Are these different from “the”?

Question: I often play with Japanese players in online games. We became good friends as we are all regular players. It’s still difficult for me to converse in Japanese but I often ask them about slangs, trendy words, and expressions that are not found in dictionaries. What do you mean by “Rimuru”? I want to ask questions about the meaning of different words. Please teach me how to say the above.

Question: I’ve a Japanese girlfriend. As she’s good in English, we usually communicate in English but I’m also studying a little Japanese. I always want to compliment her in Japanese but I’m not sure how to say it. How to say “You are amazing” in Japanese?

Question: I have been working at a Japanese company for two years but we have never had a company dinner before due to the pandemic. Now that the rules have relaxed somewhat, my manager is suggesting we hold a company dinner again next week. I hear that Japanese people drink a lot of alcohol during company dinners but I don’t drink. I’m also not sure what Japanese people say when they are giving a toast. How do they say “Cheers!” in Japanese?

Question: My department is organizing a company dinner. It’s the first time we are having a company dinner since the pandemic and I’m actually quite excited about it. I’ve never been to a Japanese company dinner before and I’m looking forward to it. When my colleague asked me whether I’m going, I wanted to tell him in Japanese “Of course, I’m going”. But I realized I don’t know how to say “Of course” in Japanese. How do I say “Of course!” in Japanese?

Question: My team members and I have been working on a project where we each have our own tasks to complete. Most of my team members are Japanese. When I’m done with my task, how do I tell them that “I’m done” with my tasks?

Question: My Japanese partner and I were having a big argument the other day. I was tired and frustrated with the whole thing and I wanted to stop arguing. But he would not leave me alone and continued to keep on and on about the same thing. How do I tell him to just go away in Japanese?

Question: My Japanese colleagues and I are at a work-related dinner and we are done for the day. As we are getting ready to leave the venue, what would be the best way to say “Have a good night” in Japanese?

Question: I teach English to Japanese children. My students are very bright and eager but there’s one child who gets nervous when she is asked to speak up in class. She can actually speak quite well in English but she often clams up in class. I want to tell her that she’s actually doing a good job but I don’t know any Japanese. How do I say that she has done a “good job” in Japanese?

Question: I joined a Japanese company a few months back but have only recently gone back to the office with the easing of the regulations. There are many colleagues that I have not met in person. My boss wanted everyone to do a short self-introduction at the start of the weekly meeting. I thought it would be good to do a self-introduction in Japanese but I don’t know any Japanese. How do I say “How do you do” in Japanese?