Chihiro Hanami

Author

Reviewer: Chihiro Hanami
Japanese native and language educator with about 10 years of experience teaching and developing courses and materials.
She studied and taught in 5 different countries. Her most recent teaching role was at University of Pennsylvania in the U.S.
Other than teaching all levels of Japanese in various settings from personal tutoring to college courses, she also has experience writing articles about Japanese language and culture and teaching English.
Education: M.A. in Japanese pedagogy, Purdue University. B.A from the school of Japanese language and culture, Tsukuba University.

level3 (N3)

Verb + ことは / ことが / ことを Meaning & Usage: “V-ing / to V” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami April 12, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “Exercising is good for your body,” “I’m bad at speaking in front of people,” or “I’m thinking about quitting... Read more.

level3 (N3)

〜というより Meaning & Usage: “Rather than A, (it’s) more like B” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami April 5, 2026

Introduction Do you know how to say “Something is closer to B than A,” or “Rather than A, it is more like B” in Japanese? For example: When... Read more.

level3 (N3)

…ということだ Meaning & Usage: “I heard that…” / “So that means…” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami April 4, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “I heard that it will rain tomorrow” or “So you mean the person in charge is changing, right?” in Japanese? For... Read more.

level3 (N3)

XというのはYのことだ / Yということだ Meaning & Usage: “X is Y / X means Y” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 29, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to ask “What does this word mean?” or explain “X means Y” in Japanese? When you want to explain the meaning of a word or... Read more.

level3 (N3)

N1をN2と言う (N1 o N2 to iu) Meaning & Usage: “N1 is called N2” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 22, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “This is called X” or “A person like that is called Y” in Japanese? When you want to show the name of a thing, person,... Read more.

level3 (N3)

Nに対して (N ni taishite) Meaning & Usage: “Toward / to / against” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 21, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “be kind to children,” “feel angry toward someone,” or “In contrast to X, Y…” in Japanese? When you want to... Read more.

level3 (N3)

Nについて (N ni tsuite) Meaning & Usage: “About / regarding” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 20, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “Please tell me more about the meeting,” “I’m researching Japanese history,” or “We talked about travel plans”... Read more.

level3 (N3)

Nによって (N ni yotte) Meaning & Usage: “Depending on N / it depends on N” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 14, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “It depends on the person,” “Prices vary by store,” or “The result changes depending on how much you study”... Read more.

level3 (N3)

Nからみると / からすると / からいうと Meaning & Usage: “Judging from N’s standpoint” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 8, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “From a parent’s point of view…”, “Judging from these symptoms…”, or “In terms of price…” in Japanese?... Read more.

level3 (N3)

Nとして (N to shite) Meaning & Usage: “As N / in the role of N” in Japanese

by gokigen japanese, Chihiro Hanami March 7, 2026

Introduction Have you ever wanted to say “as a student,” “as a professional,” or “using something as a tool” in Japanese? For example: When you want... Read more.