Knowing how to ask someone to do something is an essential part of everyday Japanese. To make a polite request such as “Please close the door” or “Please wait,” you can use ～てください. ～てください Please do (something) JLPT Level: N5 Want to actually remember this? Practice it with spaced repetition and example sentences built from […]
How to Say “Please Do…” in Japanese with ～てください Read More »
The Japanese verb くれる means “to give,” specifically when someone gives something to you or someone on your side. That same idea can also be applied to actions. By attaching くれる to the て-form of a verb, ～てくれる expresses that someone does something for you or someone close to you. ～てくれる Someone does something for
How to Say “Someone Does Something for Me” in Japanese with ～てくれる Read More »
In Japanese, the verb あげる means “to give.” But giving doesn’t have to involve a physical object. By attaching あげる to the て-form of another verb, you can express doing an action for someone else. This creates the grammar pattern ～てあげる, which shows that someone performs an action for another person’s benefit. ～てあげる Do something
How to Say “Do Something for Someone” in Japanese with ～てあげる Read More »
In English, we often thank someone for a specific action: “Thank you for helping me,” “Thanks for coming,” or “Thank you for explaining.” In Japanese, you can do the same with ～てくれてありがとう, a useful pattern that combines the て-form of a verb with くれる and ありがとう. ～てくれてありがとう Thank you for (doing something) JLPT Level: N4
How to Say “Thank You for…” in Japanese with ～てくれてありがとう Read More »
Sometimes you put time or effort into something and want to make sure it doesn’t go to waste. Other times, a valuable opportunity comes along and you want to make the most of it. In Japanese, せっかく is commonly used in both of these situations. せっかく Making the most of an opportunity or effort / after
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If you’re learning Japanese with Kotoba Kards, you’ll need to type in hiragana or katakana—not romaji. Good news: every major device already includes a Japanese keyboard! Setting it up only takes a minute, and once you do, you can easily switch between English and Japanese whenever you’re practicing vocabulary or chatting with friends. Table of
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Sometimes, an action or excuse just isn’t enough. You need more than just an apology or simply paying back the cost. In Japanese, when something goes beyond a simple resolution, the phrase ではすまない is used. This formal grammar point signals that something won’t end or be resolved with just one action. It will take more.
How to Say “It Won’t Do to Just…” in Japanese with ではすまない Read More »
Some changes lead naturally to others. When one thing happens and another follows because of it, Japanese has a formal way to express that connection. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use にしたがって to show how one situation develops in response to another, and how したがって on its own can mean “therefore” in formal
How to Say “Therefore” and Show Cause-Effect in Japanese with にしたがって and したがって Read More »
Want to compare two things without saying one is better than the other? The Japanese phrase ～に比べて is the perfect way to say “compared to” when you’re highlighting differences or similarities between two nouns. Whether you’re talking about cities, seasons, or apps, this grammar point helps you draw a simple, clear comparison. ～に比(くら)べて Compared to
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Some changes do not happen all at once. They unfold gradually. In written Japanese, when you want to describe something that is in the middle of changing, the grammar pattern ～つつある is exactly what you need. Whether something is rising, falling, or quietly shifting, this structure helps you show the process of transformation. ～つつある Is
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