Japango

14 Essential Japanese Travel Phrases

Published:29th January 2019

Travel

So you are going for a holiday to Japan and you can’t speak a word of Japanese. “How can I survive the trip?” you may wonder. Although English language service is available at most tourist places, there might be situations […]

How Do You Reply A Difficult Subject In Japanese?

Published:27th January 2019

Daily

How do you phrase your thoughts when the subject is difficult to say? Today, we attempt to summarize the things we need to take note of when replying a difficult subject in Japanese. The Direct Way Is Not Preferred in […]

How to say “Does this train go to Shinjuku?” in Japanese?

Updated:8th June 2019
Published:21st January 2019

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation The phrase ～e ikimasu means “to go to ~”. Thus Shinjuku e ikimasu means to go to Shinjuku. You can simply put the subject kono densha (this train) in front to ask this question. Train […]

Japanese Expressions You Need to Know at Restaurants

Published:6th January 2019

Travel

How many days do you have before you travel to Japan? Oh my! One more day? On the plane now, but haven’t studied Japanese at all? No worries! Let’s get you started with some Japanese phrases that you can squeeze […]

How to say “I want to book a taxi for tomorrow at 6.30am” in Japanese?

Published:29th December 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation The phrase yoyakushimasu means “to book or to reserve something”. If you conjugate the masu form of the verb to “~tai”, it means “I want to ~”. In this case, yoyakushitai means “I want to […]

What is “naruhodo”?

Published:22nd December 2018

Question: Does “naruhodo” mean the same thing as “soodesuka” (I see)? Why does my Japanese friend give me a strange look when I reply with “naruhodo”? | Answer by Japanese teacher: Soodesuka means “I see” and is used when you realize or understand something that you did not do so previously. なるほど naruhodo also means “I see” but there is an additional nuance to it. You must accept and agree to what someone has mentioned.

How to say “you don’t have to work so hard” in Japanese?

Published:19th December 2018

I think my Japanese girlfriend is the most hardworking person I've ever met. She has to juggle between her studies and part-time job and only sleeps at 2am every night. We don't even spend much time together. With her exams coming up soon, she sometimes stays awake the whole night. As a result, she falls sick very often. I'm afraid that this will take a toll on her health in the long run. I want to tell her she doesn't have to work so hard. How do I say it in Japanese?

20 Ways of Saying I’m Unwell in Japanese

Published:8th December 2018

Daily

We all try to maintain good health but despite our efforts, there are times when we do fall sick. When that happens, there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to describe the state of our condition especially when […]

How To Say “How old are you?” In Japanese?

Published:2nd December 2018

Answer by Japanese teacher Explanation In general, it is not recommended to ask for someone’s age in Japan because it is not considered a very polite thing to do. However, if you must, and if the situation allows you to […]

8 Ways of Saying Sorry in Japanese

Updated:25th February 2019
Published:30th November 2018

Daily

Saying sorry is not an easy matter in Japanese. There are many different ways of saying sorry depending on the situation and social status of the person you are saying sorry to. This article attempts to summarize four common ways […]