live with no regrets

For some reason a bird speaking Japanese is mildly off putting.

> Literal translation

Bird:“ ‘Uhm Hello, this is the Ono family.”

Bird: “What’s wrong?”

Owner: “Abe-chan, you’re a little too early. Once the phone’s picked up, then properly say hello.”

Bird: “Okay, understood.”

Owner: “Do you really understand? I’m counting on you. Hello, this is the Ono family residence in Gifu.”]

Bird: “Okay, I understand!”

Owner: “Got it.”

> That’s clearly some sort of Pokemon.

> Off-putting? It’s like birds were meant to speak Japanese!

Please watch this series of Japanese gum commercials

Single Again

Those days are long gone when I‘d been scared of the shadow of a woman who’re gonna take you away from me.

Once I started living apart from you, the memories kept fading, now I even can hardly remember if I loved you.

But since I heard a rumor that you’d become single again, the old forgotten scar on my heart has started ache.

If you’re having the same ache, you might at least give me a call.

Just like the scenery of a town keeps changing, we can never go back to the way we were in our youth.

Since I didn’t have any chance to ask you why you’d chosen her, I’ve lost sight of our promises with the lapse of time.

Even if we met each other again and probe each other into the eyes, we’d only end up finding no way there to make up for the time we spent apart.

One of the questions I get asked the most often is “How do I make my Japanese more colloquial?” or “How do I sound more like a native?” There’s also a lot of discussion about “Textbook Japanese” versus Japanese you’ll hear while on the train, in line at the store, or out with friends.

This post is quite long and explanatory, so here is a list of what’s covered under the cut!

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Plain form 2. Dropping particles 3. です to だ 4. Sentence ending particle の 5. 〜ています → 〜ている → 〜てる 6. て form does not always equal command 7. じゃない & じゃん 8. と to って 9. さ 10. なんか 11. なんて