和製英語 (wasei eigo)

和製英語 (wasei eigo) are Japanese expressions based on English but don't exist in standard English. Japanese people often use 和製英語, assuming English speakers will understand them, but they can be puzzling VIKING (バイキング)
In 1960s, a hotel named インペリアル バイキング (Imperial Viking) started offering buffet style meals in Japan. Since then バイキング refers to a buffet.

ホテルの朝食はバイキングです。
This hotel offers a buffet-style breakfast.

て form grammar points

Mastering the て form opens up a world of possibilities in Japanese conversation. Impress your Japanese friends with these handy grammar tips! 💬💪

Here are some examples!

Bookmark for future reference 🙂

THREAD てください

てください is used to request that someone do that action = ‘please do …’

Sometimes the last ください part is just dropped, and て form itself is used to make a request.

E.g.
ちょっとまってください。
Please wait a minute.

Particles!

🇯🇵 Japanese learners often stumble when translating particles (e.g., で = in/at, etc.). But here's a better approach: focus on understanding the unique role each particle plays. Let's explore some examples! 🌟

Bookmark for future reference!

THREAD は (wa) - The Topic Particle

The particle は (wa) helps identify the topic of discussion.

Example: 先生は日本人？
Translation: Is the teacher Japanese?

🎌 Japanese Expressions with Numbers 🎌

Did you know that 日本語 has intriguing expressions with numbers?

These phrases add depth and character, often overlooked in textbooks.

Here are some Examples

Bookmark for future reference! 📚✨

THREAD 一（いち）から十（じゅう）まで
From A to Z

E.g
彼（かれ）の言（い）ったことは一（いち）から十（じゅう）まで全部（ぜんぶ）うそだった。
What he said was a lie from the beginning to the end.

相槌 (あいづち, aizuchi) are the Japanese equivalent of "verbal nods" that you make in conversation to show the other person that you're listening and engaged.

It's a crucial part of Japanese conversation, and important to know to use common 相槌 n different situations.

THREAD One of the most common 相槌 in Japanese is "そうですね" (sou desu ne), which can be translated to "that's right" or "I see." This is a neutral phrase that can be used in many situations.

Hiragana learning hack (K line)

Why not turn a Japanese lesson into an art lesson by teaching hiragana with drawings?

Here are some examples...

THREAD か for cutting bread with a knife.

Kanji learning hack

70 to 80% of kanji are 形成文字, (keisei moji: kanji made of a radical and another part that denotes its onyomi sound). This means if you know the pronunciation fof radicals, you can often guess how to pronounce the kanji.

Here are some examples.

THREAD The onyomi for 古 is こ, therefore, the onyomi of kanji with this radicals are also こ

Example: 枯, 固、湖

Idioms with body parts

Japanese have lots of expressions that use parts of the body to explain ideas. These idioms help express thoughts easily but sometimes don’t have much to do with the body.

Here are some examples.

THREAD 顔から火が出る = かおからひがでる
= ‘fire comes out of one’s face’
= to be extremely embarrassed

E.g.
クラスで、漢字の読み方がわからなくて、顔から火が出る思いをした。

Language learning is a fascinating journey, but at some point, everyone has once wished ‘I wish I grew up bilingual!’

Knowing strategies to raise bilingual kids can help your child be one - if not, it may help your current language learning.

Here are some strategies.

THREAD Deciding how you raise bilingual children is important because bilingual children rarely happen by accident.

Recently, I attended a conference about language learning and a session I found interesting was about how to learn a language in a brain-friendly way. Here are what I learnt.

THREAD

#langtwt #studytwt Repetitive practice

Even in the best lesson, students only learn 4-5 words, and 60% of memory will fade within 9 hours. That’s why spaced repetition is so important.

Elongated vowels (ー) in Japanese are quite tricky to hear but can change the meaning of the word completely. Here are some examples…

THREAD
#langtwt #Japanese #発音 In Japanese, elongated vowels are expressed by adding another vowel or ‘ー’. This symbol is casually called 伸ばし棒 (nobashi bō), or formally called 長音符 (chō onpu). In romaji, this is expressed by adding a bar on the vowel.