The Tofugu Podcast: Japan and Japanese Language
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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.
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114 эпизод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-life conve...
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 ep...
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 buying Japanese...
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...
"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 ep...
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 working his way...
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 kinds of...
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, discusses all kin...
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 they're...
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 Jenny foc...
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 their att...
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 English...
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 things —...
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 understand be...
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 differe...
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 t...
Second-Person Pronouns: 君
A Japanese second-person pronoun, 君 (kimi) carries different nuances. It could be friendly, poetic, endearing, or even condescending (!).
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 Japanes...
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...
What Should I Call "You"? Part 3: Using Family Roles/Social Roles
This is the third episode of our What Should I Call "You"? series.
In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besides...
What Should I Call "You"? Part 2: Using Names
This is the second episode of our "What Should I Call 'You'?" series.
In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything besid...
What Should I Call "You"? Part 1: Zero Pronouns
This is the first episode of our "What Should I Call 'You'?" series.
In Japanese, pronouns for "others" (which includes everything beside...
よ VS ね — Two Particles with Lots of Attitude
In this episode, Mami, Cameron, and Kanae talk about two sentence-ending particles, よ (yo) and ね (ne). They dive deep into their different nuances a...
さすが — Actually, It Isn't *Always* A Compliment
This is the second episode in our two-part さすが (sasuga) miniseries. The Tofugu crew — Kanae, Jenny and Mami — discuss the "other," overshadowed use...
さすが — The Best Compliment You Can Get in Japanese
This is the first episode in our two-part miniseries about the unique Japanese word さすが (sasuga). In this episode, the Tofugu crew — Kanae, Jenny a...
思う VS 考える — Two Kinds of "Thinking"
Put on your thinking caps, folks! In this episode, the Tofugu crew — Kanae, Cameron, Mami, and Rachel — discuss the differences between 考える and 思...
Making Sense of な-adjectives and の-adjectives
In this episode, two native Japanese speakers (Kanae/Mami) and two English-speaking Japanese learners (Cameron/Rachel) discuss two types of noun-based...
Senpai: The Japanese Word You Look up To
In this episode, the Tofugu crew, Kanae, Cameron, and Rachel discuss the word "senpai," its use in Japanese schools and society, and Kanae's lasting t...
The Meaning of Sensei: More Than Just "Teacher"
Did you know there are people who are 先生 (sensei) besides teachers or your judo instructor Sensei Jeff?
In this episode, the Tofugu cr...
だ and です: Part II
In this episode, Tofugu's research team answers questions about だ and です from our listeners, such as:
"What would be the best translat...
だ and です: Part I
In this episode, the Tofugu research team answers questions about だ and です from our listeners, such as:
"Is it true that だ isn't just...
First-Person Pronouns: When Female Speakers Use 僕 or 俺
This is the finale of our "First-Person Pronouns" series.
In this episode, Kanae welcomes new co-hosts Cameron and Javi to discuss the us...
First-Person Pronouns: Using Your Own Name
This is the fifth episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series.
In this episode, we talk about using your own name as a first-person pro...
First-Person Pronouns: 俺 (おれ)
This is the fourth episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series.
In this episode, we talk about 俺 (おれ) and why it is so tricky for Ja...
First-Person Pronouns: 僕 (ぼく)
This is the third episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series.
In this episode, Koichi, Michael, and Kanae discuss their own personal e...
First-Person Pronouns: うち
This is the second episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series.
In this episode, we talk about うち. Though rarely taught in textbooks,...
First-Person Pronouns: 私 (わたし/わたくし/あたし)
In this, the first episode in our "First-Person Pronouns" series, we talk about わたし, わたくし and あたし. Despite all coming from the kanji 私, eac...
How to Count Living Things (and Monsters, and Robots) in Japanese
We talk about the counters that count living things (頭, 匹, 人, and 羽) and how they overlap with each other.
We also answer the hard J...
How to Counter Anything
We talk about the counters 〜個 and 〜つ, the two counters that can count just about... anything! But, there are always going to be better counters ou...