When learning a foreign language, one studies the phrases and grammar rules laid out in their textbook or taught in the classroom. But once a language student begins to practice what they’ve learned in the real world, it’s not long until they encounter a number of unfamiliar expressions in the spoken language. Filler words are a great example of this.  Japanese filler words are small words or sounds often used to fill pauses in conversation, emphasize a point, soften a statement, and so on.  Once you master Japanese filler words and start using them in conversations, you’ll begin to sound more and more like a native speaker. But while filler words can help your speech sound more natural, overusing them can be annoying or leave an... Show more

It's essential to be able to express your feelings when communicating with others in everyday life. Knowing how to express your emotions in Japanese, including anger, will help you have smoother communication with Japanese people. Although showing anger with swear words isn’t common in Japanese culture, there are various angry phrases in Japanese you can use. Knowing angry phrases, and how to show that you’re angry in Japanese, will not only help you understand Japanese anime and Japanese TV shows better, but it will also improve your conversation and communication skills. In this article, we’ll introduce useful angry Japanese expressions and phrases to help you discuss your emotions. Let's learn various expressions here at... Show more

You're learning to speak Japanese, and it's going well. Your confidence is growing! So much so that you feel ready to share your experiences on social media—in Japanese. At Learn Japanese, we make this easy for you to get it right the first time. Post like a boss with these phrases and guidelines, and get to practice your Japanese in the process. 1. Talking about Your Restaurant Visit in Japanese Eating out is fun, and often an experience you'd like to share. Take a pic, and start a conversation on social media in Japanese. Your friend will be amazed by your language skills...and perhaps your taste in restaurants! Mamoru eats at a restaurant with his friends, posts an image of it, and leaves this comment: POST Let's break down... Show more

Do you know the Japanese slang ググる (guguru)? It means “to search on Google” and is one of the most-used Japanese internet slang terms. If you chat with your Japanese friends online or use social media such as Facebook, you might be struggling to understand Japanese internet slang terms. However, most common Japanese slang words aren’t exclusive to the internet, as you may have found them in anime and manga as well. The problem is that your teachers and textbooks won’t teach you those slang terms, because they aren’t official Japanese language. Japanese text slang terms might be very confusing for Japanese learners because they developed very uniquely. Japanese people also use many kinds of 顔文字 (kaomoji) or text face, such as “（*^_^*）,... Show more

One of my main goals has always been to become fluent in Japanese, but despite all the Japanese courses I’ve taken in college, I still seem to be stuck at the intermediate level. Now I am nearly graduated from college and have finished taking all my Japanese courses. Seeing how expensive it is to go to a language school, I decided I needed a cheaper alternative to continuing my Japanese education. Luckily for me, I recently discovered JapanesePod101. When I discovered JapanesePod101, I KNEW that I had found what I needed. After browsing through it’s website and signing up for a membership, I noticed that there are some perks compared to taking lessons in a classroom setting. Here are some of the main perks: The ability to start... Show more