Japanese with Hikari's Blog

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...

Are you the type who always prepares everything perfectly in advance?
Like, you’ve already printed your tickets, packed an umbrella just in case, and even made a backup plan for your backup plan?

Or maybe you’re the opposite, omeone who thinks, “It’...