Ebook

しょうがない

shou ga nai
JLPT N3

it can't be helpedthere is no other way

Aisatsu greetings in Japanese
JLPT N5grammar

Aisatsu greetings in Japanese

In Japan, Aisatsu 挨拶 (greetings and pleasantries) expresses importance and recognition towards the person to whom it is directed.

おかげで

o kage de
JLPT N3

thanks tobecause of

おかげさまです

o kage sama desu
JLPT N3

thanks tothank goodnessthank Godthank heaven

ないでください

naide kudasai
JLPT N5

please do not do

たくなる

taku naru
JLPT N5

feel like doingit makes me want to

たくない

takunai
JLPT N5

I don't want to doI don't have any enthusiasm forI don't feel like doing

たい

tai
JLPT N5

wantwant to dodo you want?

Kanji 目: useful expressions and words
JLPT N5kanji

Kanji 目: useful expressions and words

目 represents much more than the word eye: we learn the expressions and words that contain the kanji 目, very common in daily conversation in Japanese.

Reading Kanji in Japanese Food Labels
JLPT N2reading

Reading Kanji in Japanese Food Labels

We learn to read and recognise kanji, terms and expressions in the field of food and nutrition. Food labels are a great tool.

Learning Kanji and cooking words in Japanese
JLPT N3reading

Learning Kanji and cooking words in Japanese

Let's learn by cooking! Through the recipe steps to prepare the popular Japanese Yakimeshi, fried rice, we learn the terms and the expressions used in cooking.

Hiragana: complete guide for beginners
JLPT N5language

Hiragana: complete guide for beginners

The first step to learn the Japanese language is Hiragana. In this post we learn all about Hiragana, how they work, and how to read them.

たら

tara
JLPT N4

ifwhenin caseafter

Complete introduction to Particles in Japanese
JLPT N5language

Complete introduction to Particles in Japanese

Particles are unique and super important in the Japanese language. This is a complete introduction to particles in Japanese.

ましょう

mashou
JLPT N5

let's do!shall I?shall we?

かた

kata
JLPT N4

waymethod

なくても良いです

nakutemo ii desu
JLPT N5

don't have to dodon't need to do

ても良いです

temo ii desu
JLPT N5

you canit's okit's fine

zu
JLPT N3

withoutwithout doingnegativeclassicnot

ないうちに

nai uchi ni
JLPT N3

before it becomesbefore it occurswithout

かねる

kaneru
JLPT N2

cannot dobe unable to dofind unpleasant to dofind difficult to dobe reluctant to do

The Polite Form ます (masu) in Japanese
JLPT N5grammar

The Polite Form ます (masu) in Japanese

Complete guide on the polite form in japanese: how it works, how to conjugate it, and when to use the polite form or ます form.

はず

hazu
JLPT N4

should have beenI expect it to bethis isshould not have beenI don't expect it to have been

てみる

temiru
JLPT N4

try to dolet's try and see

あまり

amari
JLPT N4

so much thattoo muchin excessexcessivelyso much so

とおり

toori
JLPT N3

just like thatas I thoughtin that wayI agreeexactly

せる・させる

seru ・ saseru
JLPT N4

causative formallow to domake to doforce to do

なるべく

narubeku
JLPT N4

as much as possibleas much as you canwherever practicable

できるだけ

dekiru dake
JLPT N4

as much as one canas much as possible

あるいは

aruiwa
JLPT N2

oreithermaybe

それとも

sore tomo
JLPT N2

ormaybealternatively

いったい

ittai
JLPT N2

on earthindeedpreciselywhat on earthwhere on earthwho on earthwhy on earth

ている

teiru
JLPT N5

doing somethingam doingare doingis doing

みたい

mitai
JLPT N4

likesimilar tojust likeresemblesseemsseems like

しかない

shikanai
JLPT N4

nothing butonlythere is only

どういうことかというと

dou iu koto ka to iu to
JLPT N3

to explainto clarifywhat I'm trying to say iswhat I mean isto put it simply

とは

to wa
JLPT N1

thatsurprised thatnever expected that

どういうことか

dou iu koto ka
JLPT N3

what does it mean?what do you mean?

あげる/くれる

ageru / kureru
JLPT N4

giveto giveto receive

てあげる

te ageru
JLPT N4

do something for someonedo a favor for somebody

ge
JLPT N2

it seemsit looks likeseeminglygiving appearance of

これ

kore
JLPT N5

thisthis one

この

kono
JLPT N5

thisthese

ところだ

tokoro da
JLPT N4

be about

けど

kedo
JLPT N5

buteven ifneverthelessanyway

How Numeric Suffixes Work in Japanese
JLPT N2grammar

How Numeric Suffixes Work in Japanese

Let's learn what Numeric Suffixes, also called Counters or Classifiers, are in Japanese: How they are formed and how they work.

つもり

tsumori
JLPT N5

intentionI intend toI think I dowith the purpose ofas ifI have in mind of

ような

youna
JLPT N4

seemslooks likesimilar to

ように

youni
JLPT N4

so thatsimilar toin order towishing forhoping forcommandin a way thatseems

ようだ

youda
JLPT N4

seemssimilar toin a way that

The potential form in Japanese
JLPT N4grammar

The potential form in Japanese

The potential form in Japanese is formed by the suffixes れる, られる and the verb できる. It is used to express the possibility and the ability to perform an action.

できる

dekiru
JLPT N5

canbe ablebe good at

のに

noni
JLPT N4

even ifin order toregardlessnonethelessdespite

Introduction to the Keigo Language in Japanese
JLPT N1language

Introduction to the Keigo Language in Japanese

Let's learn the Keigo language: characteristics, similarities, and differences between Sonkeigo, Kenjōgo, Teineigo, how they work and when to use them.

とき

toki
JLPT N4

whenmomentperiodageat the time of

時ととき

toki and toki
JLPT N4

whenin the case ofin some caseshourmomenttimeperiod

こそ

koso
JLPT N3

for surefor certainprecisely becauseonly becauseemphasisprecisely for thisonly if

になる

ninaru
JLPT N5

becomeI have becomeI will become

やすい

yasui
JLPT N4

easy tolikely to

べき

beki
JLPT N3

you shouldyou should doyou should notyou should not do

次から次に

tsugikaratsugini
JLPT N1

one after the otherin successionnon-stop

に従わない

ni shitagawanai
JLPT N2

disobeyviolate

に従って

ni shitagatte
JLPT N2

according tofollowingin accordance withasconform toin line within compliance with

まずは

mazu wa
JLPT N4

firstfirst of all

まず

mazu
JLPT N4

first

なかなか

naka naka
JLPT N3

quiteratherveryconsiderablyprettyfairlyreasonably

なかなか~ない

naka naka nai
JLPT N3

hardlynot easilynot reallyfar from

要するに

you suru ni
JLPT N2

in shortin a few wordsin a wordto sum up

そう

sou
JLPT N4

seemslooks likeappearsheard that

ばよかった

ba yokatta
JLPT N3

should haveit would have been better to

たらよかった

tara yokatta
JLPT N3

should haveit would be better

にすぎない

ni suginai
JLPT N2

it is nothing more thanit is justit is merelyit is no more than

すぎる

sugiru
JLPT N5

over doexceedgo beyond

が好き

ga suki
JLPT N5

lovelikeadore

のが好き

no ga suki
JLPT N5

love doinglike doing

と思う

toomou
JLPT N4

I thinkthinkI believein my opinion

ようとしない

you to shinai
JLPT N3

not make an effort tonot willing tonot try tonot intend tonot want to do something

必要だ

Hitsuyou da
JLPT N4

needit is necessary

必要がある

hitsuyou ga aru
JLPT N4

needto be necessary

どうしても

Dou shite mo
JLPT N4

at any costby any means necessaryno matter whatregardless of

どうして

Dou shite
JLPT N4

whatwhyin what wayhow

だけでも

Dake demo
JLPT N4

even only

だけで

dake de
JLPT N4

just byjust withjust doing

てごらんなさい

Te goran nasai
JLPT N3

try to do!take a look!

てごらん

Te goran
JLPT N3

please try to doplease doplease look

くらい

kurai
JLPT N5

aboutapproximatelymore or lessaround

ために

tameni
JLPT N3

in order todue tofor the sake ofbecause ofas a result of

がほしい

ga hoshii
JLPT N4

wantdesireneedwish forwould like

〜に越したことはない

ni koshita koto wa nai
JLPT N2

it is betterthere is nothing better thanit is the best toit is safiest to

ざるを得えない

zaru o enai
JLPT N2

have tocan't help doinghave no choice but

どんなに~ても

Donna ni ... te mo
JLPT N3

No matter howNo matter how muchNo matter how hard

ない訳にはいかない

nai wake ni wa ikanai
JLPT N2

can't not do somethingno way to avoid doing somethingcan't help

かといえば

ka to ieba
JLPT N3

if you ask meif I had to sayif I were to choose

どちらかというと

dochira ka to iu to
JLPT N3

if I had to choose oneif anything

かというと

ka to iu to
JLPT N3

becauseIf I have to sayIf I have to chooseif you ask meif I were to sayI'd rather

なきゃ

nakya
JLPT N5

musthave to

なくちゃ

nakucha
JLPT N5

musthave to

てはいけない

te wa ikenai
JLPT N5

must notshould notbetter notdo not do

wa
JLPT N5

topicparticlewa

それにしては

sore ni shite wa
JLPT N2

yeteven soneverthelessbothnotwithstanding

がとくい

ga tokui
JLPT N5

be good at

のがじょうず

no ga jouzu
JLPT N5

be good atbe skillful

がじょうず

ga jouzu
JLPT N5

good atskillful

がたい

gatai
JLPT N4

difficult to

にくい

nikui
JLPT N4

difficult to

ようではないか

you dewa nai ka
JLPT N2

come on let's do!why don't we do?

ようじゃないか

you ja nai ka
JLPT N2

come on let's do!why don't we do?

じゃないか

ja nai ka
JLPT N4

isn't it?right?

なら

nara
JLPT N4

ifin casewhenif that happensif you do

いらっしゃる

irassharu
JLPT N4

becomegostayremain

なければいけない

nakereba ikenai
JLPT N4

to be necessarymust dohave to doneed to do

How to conjugate Adjectives in Japanese
JLPT N4grammar

How to conjugate Adjectives in Japanese

Japanese conjugations of "i" adjectives and "na" adjectives, both in their base form and polite form.

ふりをする

furi o suru
JLPT N3

pretendact as if

ばあいは

baai wa
JLPT N4

in the event ofin the case thatif

むしろ

mushiro
JLPT N3

rather thanratheroverinstead

ことにする

koto ni suru
JLPT N3

decide tomake it sopretendhave decided to

だ/です

da / desu
JLPT N5

beto beisare

かどうか

ka dou ka
JLPT N4

whether or notif or not

がする

ga suru
JLPT N4

feel liketaste likesmell likesensationgive off

ba
JLPT N4

ifif...then

がいる

ga iru
JLPT N5

there is there are existbe in a place

てもいい

temoii
JLPT N5

it's fine even ifit's ok even ifit's also okayit's alright

ませんか

masenka
JLPT N5

would you like to?won't you?how about doing something?

にいく

niiku
JLPT N5

to goto go in order toto go for the purpose of

にする

nisuru
JLPT N5

choose ondecide onmake something into

ので

node
JLPT N5

becausesincethe reason beingso

たことがある

takotogaaru
JLPT N5

have done beforealready donenever done beforehave you ever done?

から

kara
JLPT N5

becausesincethe reason isfromstarting from

がる

garu
JLPT N4

show signs oflooks likefeelingwantingacts like

まい

mai
JLPT N2

never againprobably isn'tprobably doesn'twill probably notmust notwon'tintend not to

でも

demo
JLPT N4

even ifbuthowevernonethelessno matter whatneverthelessalsoeven

また

mata
JLPT N4

againonce againmoreoverin additionfurthermore

なし

nashi
JLPT N3

withoutnotmissingdoes not existnot existing

なさそう

nasa sō
JLPT N3

does not look does not seem likeseem unlikely to

五段

godan
JLPT N5

Godan五段5 bases

によって

niyotte
JLPT N3

based ondepending onby means ofbydue to

まえに

mae ni
JLPT N5

beforeaheadagoin front of

より

yori
JLPT N4

more thanto be moreto have no choice butbe gladthere is no choice butrather than saying that

ぜひ

zehi
JLPT N5

certainlywithout failby all meansabsolutely

のだ(んだ)

noda
JLPT N5

explanationsemphasis

ください

kudasai
JLPT N5

pleaseplease, give memay I have, please?would you please do?

そして

soshite
JLPT N5

andand thenthusand finallyafterwards

まま

mama
JLPT N4

as it is

まだ

mada
JLPT N5

stillnot yet

ということ

to iu koto
JLPT N3

I heard thatrumour has it thatit appears as ifso that means that is to say

もう

mou
JLPT N5

alreadyanymoremorenot yet again

ておく

teoku
JLPT N4

in advancefor laterallow to dodo not allow to dobeforehand

しまう

shimau
JLPT N4

do something by mistakedo something completelyunfortunatelytotally

だけ

dake
JLPT N5

onlyjustat leastas much asonly one

ほど

hodo
JLPT N3

to the point thatto the extent thatso much somore or lessnothing likeabout

らしい

rashii
JLPT N4

it seems thatapparentlyI heard thattypical ofappropriateit looks like

How to say 'must' in Japanese - なければならない, なくてはならない, だめだ
JLPT N5grammar

How to say 'must' in Japanese - なければならない, なくてはならない, だめだ

なければならない, なくてはならない and だめだ are three very common ways to express duties and prohibitions in Japanese: let's learn how to use them and their differences.

あとで

atode
JLPT N5

afterlaterafterwards

おいで

oide
JLPT N3

comegobecome here

がある

gaaru
JLPT N5

there isthere areto exist

やがる

yagaru
JLPT N1

how dare youhave the nerve to dohave the courage todare

って

tte
JLPT N5

it seems thatthey saidit looks thathe said thatquote

た方がいい

tahougaii
JLPT N5

you better doyou better not do

How to Search a Kanji in Paper and Electronic Dictionaries
JLPT N5language

How to Search a Kanji in Paper and Electronic Dictionaries

Various methods on how to look up any kanji in both a paper and digital dictionary. Find any kanji in no time.

でもなんでもない

demo nan demo nai
JLPT N1

not at allabsolutely notnot at allnone of thatnot at all

だろう

darou
JLPT N5

right?isn't it?correct?I thinkprobably

ばかり

bakari
JLPT N3

just donejustjust becausenot only ... but alsokeep onnothing but

Complete introduction to Japanese Adjectives
JLPT N4grammar

Complete introduction to Japanese Adjectives

Learn how Japanese adjectives work: the 2 categories of い-adjectives and な-adjectives, how to use them, and their various forms.

Receive in Japanese - the verbs いただく and もらう
JLPT N4grammar

Receive in Japanese - the verbs いただく and もらう

いただく (itadaku) and もらう (morau) are two verbs both meaning "to receive" in Japanese: we learn how and when to use them, and their differences and similarities.

こと

koto
JLPT N4

the factthe fact ofthe thing thatthingnominalizationnounfact

The passive form in Japanese - られる and れる
JLPT N4grammar

The passive form in Japanese - られる and れる

The passive form in Japanese is formed with the suffixes られる and れる. It is used to express an action suffered by the subject in various situations.

Causative form in Japanese - させる and せる
JLPT N4grammar

Causative form in Japanese - させる and せる

The causative form in Japanese, conjugated using the suffix させる or せる, is used to express obligations, permissions, emotions, and much more.

Guide to Adverbs of Time in Japanese
JLPT N3grammar

Guide to Adverbs of Time in Japanese

Let's learn the most common adverbs of time in the Japanese language, how to use them, and how they work: 中, 先, 去, 前, 来, 再, 後.

上げる

ageru
JLPT N3

at the limitcompletecompletelyfinish

からといって

karatoitte
JLPT N2

not necessarilyjust becauseeven if

Particle の - All you need to know
JLPT N5grammar

Particle の - All you need to know

の is one of the most used particles in the Japanese language: we learn the various meanings and uses of the particle の, and how to translate it in real situations.

わけだ

wakeda
JLPT N3

conclusiongiven thatexplanationlogicthe fact is thatthis is whyfor this reasonnaturally

Guide to Adverbs of Frequency in Japanese
JLPT N3grammar

Guide to Adverbs of Frequency in Japanese

Let's learn the most common adverbs of frequency in the Japanese language, how to use them, and how they work: いつも, 普通, 普段, 時々, たまに, めったに, 決して, 絶対.

やら

yara
JLPT N2

andthings likeand ... andit seems thatuncertainty

どう

dou
JLPT N4

whathowin what way

What are Aizuchi in Japanese
JLPT N2language

What are Aizuchi in Japanese

Aizuchi in Japanese are elements in the conversation that show the interest of the person who listens. They indicate the listener is paying attention or understands the speaker.

せいで

seide
JLPT N3

because ofdue tobecauseblame

Conditional Forms in Japanese (たら, なら, と, ば)
JLPT N4grammar

Conditional Forms in Japanese (たら, なら, と, ば)

The conditional forms in Japanese are たら, なら, と, ば. Each is used in a different context and they all have a different meaning and conjugation.

くせに

kuseni
JLPT N3

even thoughdespitedespite the fact thatalthougheven if

なりに

narini
JLPT N1

in the manner ofin my own waydo the best possibledo everything possiblegive my best

てみる, てしまう, ておく - Te Form in Japanese
JLPT N4grammar

てみる, てしまう, ておく - Te Form in Japanese

てみる, てしまう, ておく all use the te form in Japanese: try to do something, do something completely, do something in advance.

Everything You Need to Know About the て Form in Japanese
JLPT N4grammar

Everything You Need to Know About the て Form in Japanese

Learn the te form (て) in Japanese: how is is conjugated and how it is used in many other expressions with different meanings.

How to read a manga in Japanese
JLPT N4language

How to read a manga in Japanese

Detailed step by step guide for beginners on how to learn to read a manga in its original language: Japanese!

What are Onomatopoeias in Japanese
JLPT N2language

What are Onomatopoeias in Japanese

Have you ever heard of onomatopoeias in the Japanese language? Today we will learn what they are and how they work.

それというのも

soretoiunomo
JLPT N3

the fact is thatthe reason is thatwhybecause of

それに

soreni
JLPT N4

in addition to that ...in additionbesidesto that thingto that

それで

sorede
JLPT N4

after whichso what?so?for thiswith thisand then?

それはそうと

sore wa sō to
JLPT N4

anywayto change the subjectby the waywell...

それから

sorekara
JLPT N5

sincethenand afterlaterfrom thisafter

Guide to Contracted Forms in Japanese
JLPT N1language

Guide to Contracted Forms in Japanese

There are many contracted forms in Japanese, widely used in spoken language, manga and anime. Let see them and learn how they work.

間に

aida ni
JLPT N3

duringin the middle ofperioduntilall the timewhile

なさい

nasai
JLPT N4

orderyou must dodoplease docommand

Learn the Numbers from 1 to 10 in Japanese
JLPT N5language

Learn the Numbers from 1 to 10 in Japanese

We learn all the numbers from 1 to 10 in Japanese, with the 0 included: what their kanji is, how to read them, and their various uses and meanings.

れる・られる

reru ・ rareru
JLPT N4

passive formpassive

shi
JLPT N4

andthe reason isfor thisbutand also

ことになる

kotoninaru
JLPT N3

has been decided

ないで

naide
JLPT N4

without doingdon't dodon't do pleasedon't do for medon't do andrequest not to do

The Numeric system in Japanese - How to count numbers
JLPT N5grammar

The Numeric system in Japanese - How to count numbers

Let's learn how the Japanese number system works: how to count and pronounce numbers and how dates are formed.

Japanese Verbal Bases - How they are formed and How to use them
JLPT N5grammar

Japanese Verbal Bases - How they are formed and How to use them

Complete introduction on all the verbal bases in Japanese: how they are formed, how they are used, and how they are translated.

~る | Ichidan

ichidan verbs
JLPT N5

ichidan一段verbs in ~るsingle base verbs

かもしれない

kamoshirenai
JLPT N4

maybeit's probablecould beprobablyI think

Learn Origami and Japanese
JLPT N4grammar

Learn Origami and Japanese

Let's learn how to make the origami of a shell from an original Japanese guide, at the same time learning the language from the video!

てやる

te yaru
JLPT N1

wait and seeI willabsolutelysuredo for youdo a favor

Wasei eigo - English in the Japanese language
JLPT N5language

Wasei eigo - English in the Japanese language

The term Wasei Eigo or 'Japanese-made English' refers to all English words borrowed from the Japanese language.

7 Tips for Self-Taught Japanese Study
JLPT N5language

7 Tips for Self-Taught Japanese Study

Do you want to learn Japanese but don't know where to start? Here are 7 tips to start learning Japanese on your own.

一応

ichiou
JLPT N2

more or lesskind offor nowfor the moment

Where is the Japanese Language spoken?
JLPT N5language

Where is the Japanese Language spoken?

Japanese is not only in Japan, but in many other countries in the world. Learn where and how Japanese is spoken outside Japan.

Kosoado in Japanese - All you need to know
JLPT N5grammar

Kosoado in Japanese - All you need to know

Kosoado こそあど are widely used in Japanese: today we learn the demonstratives 'this', 'that', 'these', 'those' in the Japanese Language.

Learn how to write Hiragana - Methods and tips
JLPT N5language

Learn how to write Hiragana - Methods and tips

The first step when learning Japanese is memorizing Hiragana: here are some effective strategies to master the Hiragana syllabary.

Dakuten, Handakuten and Contracted Sounds - Japanese Hiragana
JLPT N5language

Dakuten, Handakuten and Contracted Sounds - Japanese Hiragana

In order to read all the Hiragana characters you must know about Dakuten, Handakuten and Contracted Sounds. Let's learn them!

5 Strategies to Learn Japanese Kanji
JLPT N5kanji

5 Strategies to Learn Japanese Kanji

How can you learn Japanese Kanji faster? We share 5 unique strategies to better learn Japanese Kanji.