language (Page 2)

Announcing the 2019 Junior and Senior High School Girls’ Buzzword Awards & 2020 predictions

Find out this year’s trendiest slang for Japanese female teenagers and you’ll be grouped in the cool crowd while strutting the streets of Shibuya.

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Japanese hit song “Paprika” goes global with English version by new singers and dancers

In case you’re wondering why your kids are doing something like the “Thriller” dance all of a sudden.

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Test your knowledge of Japanese convenience stores with this katakana puzzle

There’s a trick to this riddle that’s staring you right in the eyes.

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Language misunderstanding causes anger from Japanese TikTok users over “beached whale shark”

Paying attention is important, both online and in English class.

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What’s the real meaning of Japan’s “burning tofu” emoji?

It’s not fire, and it’s not food, but every Japanese person immediately understands the symbol that has the rest of the world scratching their heads.

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Japanese study tip: Imagine kanji characters as fighting game characters, like in this cool video

Kanji are one of the hardest parts of leaning Japanese, but they’re easier when they have move sets related to their meanings.

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Japanese man complains about foreign languages on Tokyo train, Twitter drowns him in kindness

”This is Japan, you know?” he asks, but others want to show him the ways of the modern world.

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Tokyo hotel asks guests to take their used toilet paper with them【Why Does Engrish Happen?】

Translation trouble strikes as hotel ends up making a very awkward request.

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Japanese Internet sad to see the word “chikan” becoming commonly used in English

The country was proud when “emoji” and “anime” became part of English-speakers’ vocabulary. But when the British government uses the Japanese word for “train gropers?” Not so much.

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Japanese Twitter user embarrassed to learn why American friend is studying Japanese, not Chinese

Reason goes beyond just “Because I like Japan.”

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Survey reveals Japan as the top travel destination for Southeast Asians, but not for Westerners

Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency claims the country isn’t exciting enough to appease the Western crowd.

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Earth Chemical to change name of insecticide products to “insect care products”

And should probably brace themselves for a slew of complaints from angry stag beetle and ant farm owners.

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Japan would like to remind you that “emoji” has nothing to do with “emotion”

Common sense might lead you to believe that “emoji” is simply a variation of “emoticon,” but Japanese common sense tells a whole different story.

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An introduction to the fun world of wasei eigo or Japanese-made English 【Video】

 

These words may seem to be English in origin, but they’re definitely Japanese words.

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Buzzword Awards: Top 10 buzzwords used by Japanese high school girls in 2016

How many of these words have you heard before?

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W.T.F. Japan: Top 5 most confusing Japanese counter words【Weird Top Five】

English has “heads” of lettuce and “loaves” of bread, but Japanese is even worse.

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“Japanese English” can baffle native English speakers — but what about Korean speakers? 【Video】

“Wasei Eigo”, or “English words created in Japan”, can leave native English speakers baffled — but what about Korean speakers?

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The curious case of Benjamin the neighbor arouses suspicion in Japan

Always be mindful of what you write or let others write for you. You never know when it will be scrutinized by thousands upon thousands of Japanese people.

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Did Starbucks Japan forget to translate this important food allergen warning?

Nationwide, Japan Starbucks locations appear to be telling foreign customers to learn Japanese or risk anaphylactic shock.

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When “yes” means “no” — The Japanese language quirk that trips English speakers up

You can learn all the words and practice all the kanji, but there’s one little Japanese language quirk that will almost certainly trip you up when you first encounter it.

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