🇯🇵 Japanese: Beyond the Textbooks

実際に使われている日本語を、教科書の外から拾い集める

Some Japanese words don’t translate.
And some phrases change completely depending on how they’re said.

This page is where I collect real Japanese — the kind you hear in conversations, not classrooms.
What things mean. How they’re used. And what they feel like when you actually say them.

🟢 Starter

• Hai (はい): Does It Really Mean “Yes”? Not Always

• Daijoubu (大丈夫): What It Really Means in Japanese and Why It's So Confusing

• Sugoi (すごい): What It Really Means in Japanese. It’s More Than Just “Amazing”

🔍 Expression Deep Dive

• Sumimasen (すみません) vs. Gomen Nasai (ごめんなさい): What’s the Difference in Japanese?

• Gochisousama Deshita (ごちそうさまでした): What It Really Means in Japanese (Not Just “Thanks for the Meal”)

• Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu (よろしくお願いします): What It Really Means and When to Use It

• Itadakimasu (いただきます): What It Really Means and Why Japanese People Say It Before Eating

📺 Learning Through Media

• Hotspot (ホットスポット): A Quiet Japanese Drama with an Alien Twist

• Yoasobi’s “Idol” and the Hidden Story Behind the Song

• 3 Japanese dramas I’d recommend to beginners

Looking for real Korean too?
Explore the Korean Expressions.