V-ta bakari (V-たばかり): Beginner’s Guide to Saying “Have Just …” in Japanese
Introduction Need to tell someone you just arrived, just ate, or just started a new job? The grammar you want is V-た + ばかり. It means “have just done …,”... Read more.
V-tokoro (V + ところ): Beginner’s Guide to Saying “About to / In the Middle of / Have Just …” in Japanese
Introduction Want to say “I’m about to leave,” “I’m in the middle of cooking,” or “I’ve just finished homework” in Japanese? All three ideas use... Read more.
itadaku, sashiageru, ukagau: Special Humble Expressions (Kenjougo) in Japanese
Introduction You already know you can humble your own actions with お + verb-stem + します.But three everyday actions—receiving, giving, and visiting / asking—have... Read more.
o-verb-stem-suru (お〜する): Kenjougo Humble Pattern for Polite Japanese
Introduction Need to say “I’ll call the client” or “Let me show you the document” without sounding pushy? In Japanese, when your action is directed towards... Read more.
kenjougo (humble language, 謙譲語): Extra-Modest Expressions for Your Inner Circle in Japanese
Introduction You already know how to humble your own actions with 申します, 参ります, and いたします.But in formal Japanese, you must also speak modestly... Read more.
kenjougo (humble language, 謙譲語): Extra-Modest Expressions for Talking About Yourself
Introduction When you need to lower yourself—at a job interview, greeting a client, or talking to a professor—plain polite Japanese isn’t quite polite enough.... Read more.
N wa V no ni tsukaimasu (N は Vのに使います): Beginner’s Guide to Saying “Use N for …-ing” in Japanese
Introduction Need to say “We use scissors for cutting paper” or “This laptop is handy for writing reports” in Japanese? The go-to expression is N は V-のに... Read more.
no wa … desu (のは…です): Beginner Guide to Emphasizing “It Is Adj/N That …” in Japanese
Introduction Ever wanted to stress one specific part of a Japanese sentence—“It’s grammar that’s hard,” or “It was last night that I arrived”? The... Read more.
o-verb-stem kudasai (お〜ください): Beginner’s Guide to Respectful “Please Do” in Japanese
Introduction You already know basic “please” in Japanese—〜てください.But when you must ask a customer, guest, or professor to do something, you upgrade... Read more.
V-te irasshaimasu (て いらっしゃいます): Beginner Guide to Honorific “-ing” in Japanese
Introduction Need to say “Professor Tanaka is reading” or “The CEO is on the phone” politely?Use the honorific progressive form V-て いらっしゃいます.... Read more.