Tag - jlpt-n2

 
 

JLPT N2

What would you do if you received a juicy piece of gossip at work, do you know the Japanese for how you'd respond?
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 23, 2024
Rumor, gossip and misinformation with neither roots nor leaves
Areas hit by the New Year's Day earthquake find themselves subject to damaging misinformation as they try to focus on reconstruction.
The Japanese term "yarinuku" means to do something to completion and implies there were difficulties along the way. It may feel like climbing a mountain, but it's often used in the boardroom.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 19, 2024
Persevere with your Japanese grammar using these compound verbs
By mixing and matching certain verbs, your vocabulary will expand immensely.
Fast fashion concept. Woman chooses jeans in a store. Lots of clothes in the store. Fast Fashion Destroying Planet
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 21, 2023
Fashion, fast and slow: Discussing shopping ethics in Japanese
Whether it’s a trendy top from a chain store in Shibuya or a vintage piece from the backstreets of Kichijoji, know how to shop with a mind to sustainability in Japanese.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 14, 2023
Long story short, cont’d: Brevity rules in Japanese grammar
The Japanese don't just abbreviate their vocabulary, when you're short on time even grammatical structures can get the chop.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jul 7, 2023
Summer festivals like Tanabata are back in full force (yay!), and so is heatstroke (boo!)
Get to know the vocabulary surrounding symptoms of heatstroke, heat exhaustion and how to ask someone if they need help.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 23, 2023
Get your sports vocabulary into shape for the start of baseball season
Preseason baseball games have begun, catch up on your sports-related vocabulary so you don't strike out in any conversations.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language
Jan 18, 2023
Grammar for grumps: When you just don’t feel all that genki
We can't feel 'super genki' all the time, even if that's the prevailing mood that Japanese textbooks try to encourage. Here are some ways to express your dissatisfaction.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 9, 2023
Make sure your nouns and verbs match when talking about what to wear
Did you notice more kimono than usual being worn on Jan. 9 this year? That's because it was Coming of Age Day, an occasion for which Japanese youth sport their 'Sunday best.'
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 3, 2023
Sticking to your Japanese New Year’s resolutions
When speaking about resolutions, it's better to use a more decisive grammatical structure in Japanese than the regular 'I want' pattern.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 2, 2022
Is JLPT language test the best metric for hiring foreigners in Japan?
The exam's multiple-choice format of passive reading and listening skills, with no sections for speaking or writing, casts doubt over its suitability.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 30, 2022
How can you fight climate change in Japan? Learn how to talk about it.
A good approach to speaking about hot-button topics in Japanese is to use so-called softeners so that your don't come off as too direct with your opinions.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 13, 2022
Finding the right words for when you discover a lost item in Japan
Take a verb and turn it into a noun simply by adding 'mono' to the end of it and you're halfway to verbalizing that you've found something that was lost.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Apr 15, 2022
Getting to know Japanese castles and picking out your favorites
The warmer weather has arrived and that provides a great opportunity to get out to some of Japan's many historical sites, starting with its castles.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Feb 18, 2022
The rules for deciphering the Japanese words for regulations
While the Olympics are proving fun to watch, it seems not many fans have checked the rulebook.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Jan 14, 2022
A look at the kanji that helps us turn nouns into adjectives
The kanji for 'teki' can be seen in many words, and it's a rather versatile one that works particularly well as a suffix.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Dec 24, 2021
The holidays are here, but it’s not just the weather that’s cold
Christmas in Japan is a time for giving gifts, but make sure to save some of your money for the new year holiday.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Nov 19, 2021
Be active in discussions about crime by mastering the passive voice
With news about train-related crime appearing in broadcasts, we look at the basic structure of talking about victims and perpetrators.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Oct 8, 2021
Pandemic or no pandemic, I need to get out of my house
A lot of people have had to spend more time at home during the pandemic and that has led to some getting stir-crazy.
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 24, 2021
Have you heard?: The Japanese for getting someone’s attention is pretty simple
The mayor of Helsinki reportedly made a suggestion that his city should go 'all English.' Can you imagine a Japanese city doing the same thing?
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Sep 3, 2021
It's the question on everyone’s mask-covered lips: 'Wakuchin utta?'
Whether you have received a vaccine or not, you may be finding that conversations about Pfizer and Moderna are becoming more common than chats about the weather.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on