Japanese with Hikari's Blog

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...

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 had one of those moments where you think,
“Ah, it’s finally warm and sunny!” … and then suddenly it starts raining?

Or maybe you were relaxing at home, thinking you could finally take a break… and your boss sends you a message: “Can we ...

Imagine meeting an old friend for the first time in ten years.
You’re both excited, maybe a little nervous, and then, the moment you see them, you realize… they haven’t changed at all!

In English, you might say, “You haven’t changed a bit!”
In Japanes...

Have you ever had moments when no matter what you do, nothing seems to change?

Like when you study Japanese for hours, but kanji still slip away from your memory...
Or when you explain something again and again, but your friend still doesn’t get it.

Have you ever had a moment where someone says one thing… but does the complete opposite?

Like a coworker who never contributes to the team but always complains,
or someone who pretends to know everything even though it’s obvious they don’t.

In Japan...

Have you ever wanted to describe frequency in Japanese, like saying “every three days,” “every two weeks,” or “every other seat”?

For example, maybe you go jogging every other day, or take your medicine every six hours because timing really matters....

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 ha nan desu ka?),
you’ve already met one of the most important building blocks ...

Have you ever talked to yourself in your head, like…

“I wonder if it’s going to rain today.”
or “Maybe I should study… or maybe take a nap first.”

In Japanese, we have a perfect little word for those soft, inner thoughts, かな (kana).
It’s an N4 gramm...

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...

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 had a wish that felt just a little desperate?

Like when you’re on a diet and have been resisting your favorite chocolate for weeks… but then someone brings you a slice of cake as a gift. You think, “I know I shouldn’t eat this… all my ...

Have you ever wanted to say “once again” or “for the second time” in Japanese?

Imagine this: you’re on a trip to Japan. The journey has been amazing, so many places visited, so many delicious foods tried.
Yet, there are still more spots you want to ...

Everything in life has two sides, right?
Even chocolate, no matter how much we love it, if you eat too much, your skin might break out and you might gain some extra weight.

Or imagine moving into your dream big apartment. On one hand, you’ll finally...

When you were a kid, have you ever been told,
“Hey, you left the lights on again!”

Or maybe now you’re the one saying that every single day to your kids. (Parents, I see you! )

In Japanese, there’s a grammar pattern for exactly this kind of situatio...

If you have a friend who worries too much, but you know it’s really not a big deal, you might want to say kindly…
“Don’t worry, the worst thing you’re imagining will never happen.”

Or maybe your classmate is panicking like “I’ll definitely fail this ...

“Did you do your homework?”, “I’m busy(playing a game)! I’ll do it later.”
I think that’s a universal conversation in households all around the world, right? (lol)

And it’s not just homework, “I’ll call you later,” or “Let’s talk after this meeting.”...

Sometimes in life, it’s the little things that make us say,
“I’m glad that happened” or telling someone, “I’m glad for you.”

Like when you remembered to charge your phone before going out, or when your friend passed their driving test and you say, “I...

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 ...

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...