Meaning: an eye, a pivot Reading: モク（モッ）、ボク、め、ま 目標（モクヒョウ）: a target, a goal目下（モッカ）: now, currently注目（チュウモク）: attention, recognition名目（メイモク）: a name, a…
Ra-men
The word “ramen” comes from the Chinese word, 拉麺, but ラーメン is a Japanese dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat…
そっち, そうち, そち
Today’s sound comparison is among そっち, そうち, and そち. Listen and repeat the sound. If you can say them correctly, it will become easier to hear them apart.
正
#正 is listed under the radical of #とめへん（止）. Apparently 止 has a meaning of a foot and with 一 (one) added, 正 means to advance straight forward, from which …
レッスン
レッスン is the transliteration of “lesson” in English, but the meaning is much narrower than “lesson” in English. This post explains how.
thin
thin The English word “thin” is also a tricky word when you want to translate it into Japanese. When somebody…
茶
Meaning: tea Reading: チャ、サ 茶色（チャいろ）: brown colour茶室（チャシツ）: a tea house, a tea room茶目（チャめ）: mischievousness, a practical joke茶碗（チャワン）: a rice…
Soba
そば そば is the Japanese word for “buckwheat” and it usually refers to thin brown noodles made from buckwheat flour.…
そと, そうとう, そっとう, そっと
Today’s sound comparison is among そと, そうとう, そっとう and そっと. Listen and repeat the sound, then it will become easier to hear them apart.
黒
Meaning: black Reading: コク、くろ（ぐろ） 黒衣（コクイ）: black clothes黒板（コクバン）: a blackboard, a chalkboard暗黒（アンコク）: darkness, blackness大黒柱（ダイコクばしら）: the central pillar, a breadwinner 黒（くろ）:…
Panku
パンク My non-Japanese speaking husband was almost ecstatic when he took this photo. “Punk” in a bicycle shop?? パンク in…
busy
busy The English word “Busy” is often remembered as 忙（いそが）しい in Japanese and it is correct when you talk about…
Udon
For the coming few weeks, I will talk about Japanese noodles. The first one is うどん, thick wheat noodles. It…
くき, くうき, クッキー
Today’s sound comparison is among くき, くうき and クッキー. Listen and repeat the sound. If you can say them correctly, you’ll be able to hear them apart.
白
#白 is listed under its own radical 白. My dictionary says it is a pictograph but it lists 3 different…
Da-su
If I say ビール１ダースください, how many bottles of beer would I get? The answer is twelve. If I ask…
to put … on / to wear …
Japanese has at least 5 words for the English verb “to put … on,” depending on the item of clothing being talked about. This post explains what goes with what
赤
#赤 is listed under its own radical but its original form was the combination of 大 (big) and 火 (fire)…
Mizutaki
水炊き（みずたき/Mizutaki） is another hot pot dish in which fish or meat (most often chicken) and vegetables are cooked in unseasoned…
いえ vs いいえ
いえ vs いいえ doesn’t become a problem to Japanese ears but many Westerns have trouble hearing them apart. Can you do it? Try here.
