2025 -07-07 | Nihongo Riddles
Japanese onomatopoeia that makes emotions and scenery ‘audible’ ‘Waku waku’ (excited), ‘dokidoki’ (thrilling), “moyamoya” (confused), ‘zaa zaa’ (raining heavily)… Japanese has many mysterious words that express emotions, states, and even things that don’t...
2025 -06-27 | Nihongo Riddles
Introduction Foreigners who are studying Japanese sometimes ask me, “What does ‘reading the air’ mean?” This word is difficult to explain in a dictionary. However, it is very commonly used in the daily lives of Japanese people. In fact,...
2025 -06-23 | Nihongo Riddles
Does ‘sumimasen’ mean ‘I’m sorry’? Have you ever heard Japanese people say ‘sumimasen’ repeatedly? Even when they don’t seem to be angry or need to apologise… In fact, this word has more than just an apologetic meaning. ‘Sumimasen’ not only means...
2025 -06-23 | Nihongo Riddles
What is ‘Itadakimasu’? Have you ever seen Japanese people clasp their hands together before eating? In Japan, people always say ‘Itadakimasu’ before eating. Does it mean ‘Let’s eat’? No, it’s more than that. People always say ‘itadakimasu’ before eating,...
