Tag: Intermediate
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You’re Only Popular 3 Times – モテ期
モテ期 (もてき) is an interesting slang term sometimes heard in Japanese. Recently the subject of a popular television and manga series, it seems relevant to explain the meaning here.
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Pretending Not to Know – ふり
Have you ever come across the word ふり before? It’s used in a variety of situations to show pretense or false behaviour. Today’s phrase we’ll focus on then is 知らんぷり – pretending not to know something. You’ll also learn about the mysterious ん slotted in there!
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Taking Messages in Japanese – 伝言
Continuing with the theme of taking messages, here is a look at another note with a few new expressions. This one is more formal and can also be used to make notes about visitors. Be sure to check out the other post first.
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‘Ore Ore’ Scams in Japan
Ever heard of the ‘ore ore’ scams encountered in Japan? Ore ore (俺俺) means ‘It’s me, it’s me!’ and is used to represent this social problem because the unpleasant encounter quite often begins with those very words. Today we examine a safety notice advising residents on how to avoid being deceived.
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A quick note about…
Polite Japanese doesn’t always have to mean long sentences full of complicated vocabulary. Sometimes the shortest messages are also most enlightening. Take a look at this little email message.
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Closing Down Sale
A handy piece of Japanese here, but one that might throw you at first glance. 売る (to sell) and 尽くし. Any ideas?
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You’ve Got Mail!
Unexpected things in the mail are always a concern. “Oh no, what have I missed? It’s not a bill, is it? Or worse, overdue tax payments? Heaven forbid I have to make a phone call in Japanese…” Today we take a look at a standard postal note to help you deal with stuff like this.