Japanese with Hikari's Blog

If you want to make your Japanese sound more natural and colorful, mastering adjectives is a must!
In Japanese, there are two main types of adjectives: い-adjectives and な-adjectives.

In this article, we’ll focus on い-adjectives, the ones that always...

If you’ve already learned about い-adjectives, great job!
Now, let’s look at the other half of the adjective family, な-adjectives.

In Japanese, there are two main types of adjectives: い-adjectives and な-adjectives.
Unlike い-adjectives, な-adjectives do...

Have you ever said things like, “I’m going to eat ramen!” or “Let’s go shopping!” in Japanese?
Then you’re going to love this grammar pattern, に行く (ni iku)!

It means “to go (somewhere) in order to do something.”
This expression combines a verb (in it...

Here we go again with another tiny but mighty Japanese particle!

If you’ve ever heard Japanese questions ending with か (ka), like
「元気ですか？」(Genki desu ka?) or 「これは何ですか？」(Kore wa nan desu ka?),
you’ve already met one of the most important building block...

Here we go again with another Japanese particle!

Have you ever wanted to say “until,” “up to,” or even “as far as” in Japanese?

Maybe you’re planning your trip and want to say, “The museum is open until 6 p.m.”
Or you’ve just finished a long walk an...

When you want to give someone a choice in English, you say “or”, like “coffee or tea?”

In Japanese, we use the particle か (ka) for the same purpose. Super simple, right?

Think about situations like..

“Do you want sushi or ramen?”
“Shall we go to ka...

Here we go again with another Japanese particle!
This time it’s all about から (kara). It’s got multiple super handy meanings, and it shows up everywhere in daily conversation.

Sometimes から marks the starting point of time or place, like “from” or “si...

When you start speaking Japanese, or imagine traveling to Japan, don’t you find yourself thinking, “I want to do this, I want to try that”?

Like…
“I want to see the brilliant autumn leaves!”
“I want to enjoy sweets and matcha at a local café (and of ...

The particle へ (he) is another key particle in Japanese, and it has a very clear job: it marks direction or destination.
Basically, it answers the question “where to?”

Think about sentences like…

“I go to Australia.”
“I wrote a letter to my family.”
“...

You know those moments when you have two or more choices and you’re trying to decide which one is better?
Like, “Taking the train is better than driving,” or “Watching anime with subtitles is better than without.”

We also do this when we ask for advi...

Have you ever wanted to say “things like A and B” in Japanese?
That’s where the particle や (ya) comes in!

We use や to list a few examples from a longer list.
Unlike particle と (to), which lists everything specifically, や leaves the door open, there a...

The particle に (ni) is one of the most common and important particles in Japanese.
It marks destination, time, or location, basically, it answers questions like “where?” and “when?”

Think about sentences like:
“I live in Hokkaido.”
“I’ll come on Frida...

To keep a conversation fun and flowing, it’s important not only to share your own opinion, but also to listen to the other person’s and ask questions that draw out their thoughts!

When you want to suggest something or ask for an opinion in English, ...

Ready for another must-know particle?

If に(ni) shows where something exists or where you go, then で(de) shows where something happens or how it happens.

Think of situations like:
“I study at the library.”
“I came by train.”
“I wrote this with a pen....

What’s one of our favorite topics when chatting with friends?
Of course, it’s talking about the things we like!

And Japanese people are the same. We love talking about our own interests, and also enjoy hearing about what other people like. To be hon...

The Japanese particle series continues!

Have you ever wanted to say “me too!” or “that as well” in Japanese?
Like when your friend says, “My favorite anime is Naruto,” and you want to jump in with “Me too!”

Or when you’re traveling and want to add ...

The Japanese particle series continues!

Have you ever wanted to say “my favorite book” or “my friend’s house” in Japanese?
Well, the magic word you need is の (no)!
It’s tiny, but super powerful, it shows possession, like “’s” in English.

And the fun...

Here comes another Japanese particle!

Have you ever wanted to make a list of things?
Like groceries you need to buy at the supermarket… or all the exciting things you want to do on your trip to Japan.

Or maybe you want to talk about doing something ...

The journey through Japanese particles continues, まだまだ つづくよ！

Have you ever wondered how to say “There is a dog” , “I want ramen” , or “I’m the one who is Hikari” in Japanese?
Without these expressions, it’s almost impossible to have a proper conversa...

You’re scrolling through Instagram and see a Japan traveler’s post… 

A beautifully painted folding fan, some adorable cat goods, or maybe merchandise from your favorite anime character.

Your heart goes “Ahhh, I want that!!” 

In Japanese, ...

Have you ever eaten too much food at an all-you-can-eat restaurant? 

Or stayed up way too late because you couldn’t stop binge-watching Netflix shows?

In Japanese, when something is “too much,” we use すぎる (sugiru).

It’s super handy for expre...

Today, let’s talk about something super important in Japanese: particles! 

If you’ve been studying Japanese for a little while, you’ve already seen them, tiny words like 「は」 (ha), 「を」 (wo), or 「で」 (de). Their job is to show what role that word plays...

When you want to say “the most” in Japanese, the word you need is いちばん (ichiban).
It’s very common and easy to use, perfect for saying things like “I like sushi the most” or “Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan.”

You may have also seen 一番 (ichi...

Have you ever wanted to say “always” or “usually” in Japanese?

For example, “I always drink coffee in the morning” or “She’s always smiling.”

And of course… “I always think about you.” (Haha❤️)

Talking about our habits and quirks is something u...