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The Best Kanji Learning Programs
Kanae Nakamine, David Honeycutt, and Ian J. Battaglia tofugu.comLearning kanji is tough. The unfamiliar shapes. All the different ways to read a single kanji. And what's more — there are over 2,000 of them to learn?! Unfortunately, there's no shortcut around these hurdles. And I'm not gonna lie, learning kanji...
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The Best Hiragana & Katakana Learning Resources
Kanae Nakamine tofugu.comHiragana and katakana are literally the ABCs of Japanese. They're the most basic types of Japanese characters and essential parts of the Japanese language. Learning these two types of characters is often the very first step to learning Japanese, too...
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Tofugu's Learn Kana Quiz Tool
Kanae Nakamine tofugu.comLooking for a simple tool to practice reading hiragana and katakana, as many times as you want to? Well, Tofugu's Learn Kana Quiz might be a perfect tool for you. We actually made this kana quiz tool a few years ago as a companion to our Learn Hiragana...
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New Japanese Learning Resources: Winter 2022
David Honeycutt, Ian J. Battaglia, and Rachel Grant tofugu.comThe year might be drawing to a close, but it's a perfect time to do something new with your Japanese study! Take a look below at the latest list of Japanese learning resources, lovingly selected by our team, to help supercharge your Japanese study...
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WaniKani Winter Sale 2022-2023 Has Begun
Kanae Nakamine tofugu.comThe WaniKani Winter Sale has begun! Just like in previous years, we're offering 33% off WaniKani lifetime accounts, so the regular price of $299 is now $199. The sale ends on January 5th, 2023, so don't miss your chance if you were waiting for this...
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11 Japanese Expressions for Different Levels of Uncertainty
Mami Suzuki tofugu.comEven in situations when Japanese people are quite positive that something is true, they typically hold back on expressing claims. Similar to how one might use a layer of wrapping paper to hide what is really within a package, when speaking Japanese...
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Katakanization: The Secret Rules of Converting English into Japanese
Tomoyuki Akiyama tofugu.comJapanese words that even the most proficient learners of the language find the hardest to pronounce can be, ironically, the ones borrowed from their own native tongue. My wife, who's originally from the United States and now is a fluent speaker of...
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ばかり (Bakari) vs ところ (Tokoro): Two Ways to Say You "Just" Did Something
Emily Suvannasankha, Kanae Nakamine, and Sarah Bush tofugu.comHow do you describe what you just did in Japanese? Maybe you just brushed your teeth, or you just bought a car. How can you describe those past activities that have just happened? Well, you've got two great options: ばかり and ところ. Say you want to tell...
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〜ている vs 〜てある vs 〜ておく: How Are They Different?
Mami Suzuki, Michele Fujii, and Kanae Nakamine tofugu.comLearning to differentiate the subtle nuances between 〜ている, 〜てある, and 〜ておく might be one of the biggest headaches for Japanese learners. Not only do they look similar, but they can all serve a similar purpose, too: these grammar patterns describe a situation...
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What is Yuri? Queer Women Content in Japanese Media
Emily Suvannasankha tofugu.comYou've probably heard of Boys' Love, or BL, a well-known genre in Japan that focuses on romantic relationships between male characters. But have you ever stopped to wonder where all the LGBTQ+ women are in Japanese media? I know I have. Luckily for...