けど: Why Are Japanese Speakers Always Ending Their Sentences with "But"?
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and Nick, discuss how "but" in Japanese, けど (kedo), is often used at the end of sentences in real-li...
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The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language
For people who want to visit Japan, live in Japan, and learn Japanese. Please excuse the tangents.
Episodes
20 of 114 episodes
How To Language Exchange Successfully
Language exchange is a fun and free way to improve your Japanese. But to do it successfully, you should consider a few things. In this episo...
How and Where to Buy Japanese E-Books
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae and David discuss why e-books can be great materials for Japanese learners, all their tips for buyin...
Why Is Everyone Raving about "Yotsuba&!"?
よつばと！ (Yotsuba&!) is a Japanese slice-of-life comedy manga series that's become very popular in the Japanese learning community. In this epi...
"Yuri" — Japanese Queer Women Love Stories
In this episode, Emily and Kanae discuss “yuri,” the Japanese genre of women-loving women (wlw) romantic relationships. Check out this episo...
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Ian Battaglia
In this episode, Ian Battaglia, a Japanese resource review writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner who’s still actively workin...
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. Emily Suvannasankha
In this episode, Emily Suvannasankha, a Japan category writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner of over a decade, discusses all...
Things I Wish I Knew When I Was A Beginner Japanese Learner, Feat. David Honeycutt
In this episode, David Honeycutt, a Japanese resource review writer at Tofugu and an enthusiastic Japanese learner of over a decade, discuss...
MEXT Research Scholarship: Get a Master’s Degree in Japan for Free
The MEXT Research Scholarship is Japan's government-funded program that will let you do a free master's *and* cover living expenses to boot....
は and が: Part 1
Put your hands up if you agree that は and が are up there with the most confusing aspects of Japanese grammar. Part of the confusion is that...
は and が: Part 2
This is the second episode in our three-part mini-series on the ins and outs of the Japanese particles は and が. In this episode, Kanae and J...
は and が: Part 3
This is the third and final episode in our three-part mini-series on the Japanese particles は and が. In this episode, Kanae and Jenny turn t...
彼・彼女: The Japanese Words for "He" and "She" That We Don't Really Use
彼 (kare) and 彼女 (kanojo) are Japanese third-person pronouns, meaning "he" and "she." Even though they're the equivalents of these essential...
もったいない: Learn About "Mottainai" Because It's Mottainai If You Don't
もったいない (mottainai) is a unique Japanese word that articulates the sense of regret, guilt, and sorrow you feel for wasting all sorts of thing...
んだ and んです: What the Heck Is the ん?!
Although んだ (nda) and んです(ndesu) are very common ways of ending Japanese sentences, they can be challenging for English speakers to understa...
に VS で: Which Particle To Use For Locations?
The particles に (Ni) and で (De) can both be used to specify locations, but each serves a different purpose. If you ever wondered how they're...
Second-Person Pronouns: お前
The Japanese second-person pronoun, お前 (omae), has different sides to its personality, just like other personal pronouns. This is the third...
Second-Person Pronouns: 君
A Japanese second-person pronoun, 君 (kimi) carries different nuances. It could be friendly, poetic, endearing, or even condescending (!). Th...
Second-Person Pronouns: あなた
Have you ever wondered if the Japanese second-person pronoun, あなた (anata), is rude or polite? This is the first episode of our Japanese seco...
What Should I Call "You"? Part 4: Other Tricks
This is the fourth episode of our What Should I Call "You"? series. In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides "I...