Japanese with Hikari's Blog

Have you ever noticed how one change in your life always seems to drag another change along with it?

Maybe as your Japanese level improves, your bank account balance decreases because you keep buying more manga? (I feel your pain!)
Or perhaps, as th...

Have you ever had a day where one good thing happened, and then BAM! Another amazing thing happened right after?
Or maybe you missed your train, and then realized you forgot your umbrella just as it started pouring?

In Japanese, when you want to say ...

Have you ever had one of those "phew, that was close!" moments?

Maybe you were daydreaming and almost walked past your train stop, or you nearly forgot your wallet at home before a big date! We’ve all been there standing on the edge of a tiny disast...

Have you ever tried to do something helpful, but it ended up having the complete opposite effect? Or maybe you’ve found that a "bad" situation actually turned out to be a good thing when you looked at it differently?

That’s where 逆に (ぎゃくに / gyaku ni...

Have you ever been so focused on something that you completely forgot about everything else around you?
Or maybe you have seen someone doing something so bold that you thought,
“Wow, they really do not care what people think.”

That feeling is exactly ...

Do you remember when you first started studying Japanese?
Those days when you looked at a kanji filled menu or textbook and thought…
“I have absolutely no idea what this says”.
Not just a little confused, but completely blank!

Even though you have reac...

Have you ever been explaining something step by step and wanted to say,
“And then, as a result…” or “If we do that, then…”?

Maybe you’re giving directions, explaining a process, or reacting logically to what someone just said.
You need a smooth way to...

Have you ever been sharing a story or giving some information, and then suddenly thought, “Oh, I should also mention this little extra detail”?

Maybe you’re telling a friend about a great restaurant you found during your trip to Japan. You want to a...

Have you ever had one of those days where you’re so exhausted that you feel like a melting ice cream cone?
You think, “There are so many things I could do… but honestly, a long hot bath is the only answer!”

Or imagine it’s a scorching summer day in ...

Have you ever found yourself making a little excuse or trying to justify your actions to a friend?

Imagine you are on a dream trip to Japan. You went to Don Quijote or a pharmacy “just to look,” but you came out with bags full of matcha snacks, ten ...

Have you ever had one of those days where everything goes perfectly?
You find a forgotten 1,000-yen bill in the pocket of a jacket you haven't worn in ages, and then, on top of that, that super popular donut shop you love is actually empty, so you can...

Have you ever been asked a question where a simple “Yes” or “No” just doesn’t feel right?

Believe me, if you meet a Japanese person and tell them you love Japan, they will immediately start talking about food. It’s almost a national reflex.

“Do you...

Have you ever had a morning where you were still half-asleep and… splash!
You accidentally spilled your coffee?

It’s the worst, right?
“Nooo… I can’t believe I did that.”

But then you check and think,
“Oh… okay. At least it didn’t hit my shirt.”

That...

Have you ever felt like your plans were totally up in the air?

Maybe you're waiting for the weather to clear up before deciding on a picnic.
Or perhaps your success on an exam depends entirely on how much you study tonight.

In Japanese, when you wan...

Have you ever looked at someone and thought,
“He looks a little sad…” or “She seems kind of proud”?

You’re not hearing their words. You’re not reading their mind.
You’re just seeing it in their face, their posture, their attitude…

In Japanese, there...

Imagine this,
you’re visiting your best friend’s place, and they’re making coffee for you.
They know exactly how you like it. Milk, and two spoons of sugar. Always.

So they smile and ask “Same as usual?”

But today, you hesitate for a second.
You remem...

Have you ever looked at a situation and thought,
“Hmmm… judging from this, I think I know what’s going on.”

For example, you step outside, see dark clouds, feel that slightly suspicious wind,
and think, “Yeah… judging from the sky, I should probably b...

Have you ever noticed that Japanese sometimes lists a few examples… and then smoothly wraps them into one category?

For example, instead of just saying “I like sushi and tempura,”
Japanese often goes one step further and says something like:
“sushi an...

Have you ever wanted to say something like,
“He did it without stopping once,” or “She left without apologizing”. But felt that a simple “without doing” sounded a little too casual for the situation?

In everyday Japanese, you can use expressions like...

As you start reaching N2 level, you may notice something new in Japanese.

Have you ever read a sentence and thought,
“Huh… this sounds a little different from how I usually talk with friends,”
or “This feels kind of official… maybe more formal than ev...

Have you ever had a moment where the reason behind something is actually the key that makes it meaningful?

Like…
You’re nervous because something is important to you.
You worked hard, so the success feels even sweeter.
You trust someone, so because it’...

Have you ever used something as a reference to create or plan something new?

Maybe you watched a movie “based on a true story” and thought,
“Wow, how much of this actually happened?”

Or maybe you tried cooking chocolate chip cookies based on a recip...

Have you ever tried to do something with the best intentions…only to realize it backfired in the most unexpected way?

Maybe you gave someone advice because you genuinely wanted to help, but instead of appreciating it, they looked upset and the mood ...

Have you ever had a moment where you put in so much effort… and things totally didn’t go the way you expected?
Like you cooked a beautiful meal, really took your time. And then someone goes,
“Ah… sorry, I already ate and I’m super full.”

Or you finall...