Japanese with Hikari's Blog

Have you ever heard someone say something like this?

“She works full-time, and at the same time, she’s also studying for a degree.”
Or, “He’s a teacher, but he’s also involved in volunteer work.”

These days, you might hear more modern examples too. ...

Have you ever had a moment that changed everything?

A single event that quietly drew a line between before and after in your life.

Maybe it was meeting someone important.
Maybe it was losing something.
Or the moment you started learning Japanese seri...

Have you ever felt this kind of determination?
“No matter what happens I won’t change my decision.”
“No matter who says what , this is something I must do.”

Maybe it’s about values. Maybe it’s about rules. Or maybe it’s about a promise you made to you...

As you move into advanced Japanese, you’ll start seeing words that feel a little… distant.

Not distant in a bad way, but distant in time.

Have you ever read a sentence and felt like it was talking about
“a past that’s clearly different from now”?
Not...

Have you ever noticed that when you’re talking about your favorites, you say you like many things…but deep down, there’s always that one thing you secretly love the most?

Like,
“I like Japanese food in general…
but honestly? Ramen. Especially ramen.”

Have you ever heard someone give a warning that sounds very serious, the kind that tells you exactly what will happen if you don’t listen?

Like…

“Submit your assignment by tomorrow, or you’ll fail the class.”
“Leave now, or else I’m calling the poli...

Have you ever had a moment where your body reacts before your brain even has time to think?

Like…
You’re walking down the stairs, your foot slips for a second, and you instantly grab the handrail before disaster happens.(Heart rate: 200 bpm!!)

Or a ...

Have you ever needed to give a number that wasn’t exact, just an estimate?
Maybe someone asks:

“How long will it take?”
“How many people are coming?”
“How much will it cost?”

In English, you might say “about,” “around,” or “approximately.”
In Japanese,...

Have you ever heard someone make a plan and thought, “Umm… I don’t think that’s going to work”?

Maybe your coworker says, “Let’s finish this huge project today!”
Maybe your friend suggests planning a day where you tour all of Tokyo and climb Mt. Fuji...

Have you ever had something you fully intended to do… but the day ended, and you realized you never actually did it?

Maybe you planned to study Japanese that morning, textbook open, notebook ready, but after making a cup of tea, checking one message...

Have you ever faced two options that were both… honestly terrible?
Not good vs. bad, but bad vs. even worse?

Maybe it’s a rainy Monday morning, and you have to choose between walking 20 minutes in the heavy rain or squeezing yourself into a bus packe...

Have you ever had a moment when someone’s behavior felt a little childish, or a message sounded almost threatening, or someone’s tone seemed weirdly preachy…
but not enough to say it directly?

Japanese has a perfect expression for describing that “ki...

Have you ever had a feeling that stays with you for years, something so strong that it never fades no matter where you are?

Maybe you’ve wished for someone’s happiness for many years, and that feeling has never faded.
Maybe a far-away country has cap...

Have you ever heard news like “Japan released this before any other country,” or “This company was the first to introduce a new technology”?

In Japanese, we use に先駆けて (にさきがけて / ni sakigakete) to describe this exact idea, doing something ahead of oth...

Have you ever gone somewhere or done something… but actually had two purposes at the same time?

Like when you say you’re “going out for a walk to stay healthy,” but in reality you’re also “going to pick up a little treat you’ve been craving.”
(Yes, Y...

Have you ever wanted to express just how much effort, emotion, or difficulty something involved, but in a more elegant, formal way?

That’s where いかに (ikani) comes in.

It’s a refined N1 expression that means “how,” “in what way,” or “how much.”
You’l...

Have you ever had a moment that changed the flow of your life, like moving to a new city and setting up your cozy new apartment, getting married and starting a new chapter, or landing a new job and meeting inspiring people?

That kind of moment, when...

Have you ever wanted to say, “This is just my opinion, okay?”, or tell yourself, “No matter what happens, I’ll get this done!”

In Japanese, both of those situations can use the same expression, あくまでも (akumade mo)!

Sounds tricky, right? One phrase t...

Have you ever wanted to say, “It’s okay if you…”, but in a super polite, professional way?

That’s where ても差し支えない (temo sashitsukaenai) comes in!
It means “it’s okay if…” or “you can…”, and it’s an N1-level expression often used in business or formal ...

Have you ever had something that never seems to go well, no matter how many times you try?

Like, you promise yourself, “This time, I’ll wake up early!” … but somehow, you’re always hitting the snooze button again.
Or every time you cook pasta, it al...

There are some things in life we simply can’t do without, right?
Like... coffee on Monday mornings, or Wi-Fi when you’re traveling!

In Japanese, when you want to express that something is absolutely necessary in order to achieve or maintain something...

Have you ever tried something with all your energy… only to realize it was completely pointless?

Like spending hours cooking a fancy dinner, but your friends ate all the snacks beforehand and said, “I’m already full.”
Or cleaning your whole room per...

Have you ever seen a scandal on the news where not just one person, but the whole company was involved? Or maybe a story where an entire community worked together on a big project?

That’s the feeling behind the Japanese expression ぐるみ (gurumi).
It co...

Have you ever seen someone dressed all in one color, like black from head to toe, and thought, “Wow, that’s really all-out”?
You know, in movies or anime, there’s always that mysterious evil organization where everyone wears jet-black outfits... ring...