If you’re studying Japanese, do you ever feel like you understand a lot when you’re reading or studying, but when it’s time to actually speak, the words don’t come out? Many learners think they need to learn more grammar or reach a higher JLPT level before they can start having real conversations in Japanese. But you can actually say a lot with just N5 and N4 grammar. And I think one of the best ways to get better at speaking Japanese is simple: Speak Japanese. Even if it’s s

Most guides will tell you that Japanese pronunciation is easy. Five vowels, consistent spelling, no tones to memorize. And for the first few months, that is true — you will be understood. Then something strange happens. Your grammar gets better, your vocabulary grows, you can hold a real conversation. And yet native speakers still hear something. They understand every word, but you do not sound Japanese. You can hear the gap yourself when you listen to a recording of your own

Learn the pitch accent rules intermediate Japanese learners miss: the one-drop rule for compound words, particles after 尾高 words, and the exception for の.