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Nisatsu Journal
Reading: Furigana.Theme: System.
JLPT study path
Start with foundational patterns and the words that carry everyday exchanges.
One small adverb covers “already,” “not anymore,” “soon,” and “one more,” and the verb beside it tells you which is which. Learn to read もう from the verb’s tense and polarity, answer もう questions with まだです when the task is still ahead, and recognize the standalone exasperated もう.
Japanese はい accepts the other person’s words rather than reporting a fact. That is why someone skipping trash day answers 「ゴミを出さないんですか」 with はい, where English needs “no.” The lesson also covers はい for roll call, はい before an action, the trailing はい that confirms a promise, はい as a listening signal, and when うん fits the relationship better.
Japanese splits English “which” three ways. どれ stands alone and picks from a lineup of three or more, どちら and its casual twin どっち handle two options and unknown directions, and どの only works pressed against a noun. The lesson also explains why どれは is impossible while どれが and 〜はどれですか are both correct.
Learners meet どうも inside どうもありがとう, then hear it before negative verbs, in hunches like どうも雨になりそうだ, and standing alone as a light hello. One original sense, “no matter how I think about it”, connects every use. This lesson traces that thread through the four jobs and shows when a bare どうも is enough and when a business partner needs the full どうもありがとうございました.
Japanese splits “how” by relationship. The everyday どう handles questions and quick offers between equals, while いかが carries polite offers and careful business questions like いかがでしょうか. Learn which word fits which listener, and how ですか versus でしょうか adds one more step of softness.
You learned とても as “very,” and then とても無理 stopped making sense. Before a negative predicate, or an impossible word like 無理, とても means “cannot possibly,” and the predicate decides which reading you are hearing. The lesson also covers where everyday とても fits and where formal writing prefers 大変 or きわめて.
Use でも to contrast a new sentence, mark a noun as an acceptable or surprising case, and make a light suggestion such as tea or something.
Follow one community cooking class to separate attached では from sentence-opening では, then choose the natural casual forms じゃ and じゃあ.
Use つまらない for something uninteresting or not worth much attention, while recognizing its blunt tone and the traditional gift phrase without forcing it into every exchange.
Use それから to put events in chronological order or add one more parallel item, and distinguish that everyday progression from a result or a completely new topic.
Use その directly before a noun when it is near the listener or already in the conversation, and use それ when no noun follows.
Use そちら for a polite direction, place, person, or organization on the listener’s side, and choose そこ or casual そっち when the relationship changes.
Use そして to carry a related sequence toward its next important point, and choose それから, それで, or それに when order, result, or added support is the real link.
Use そこ for a place by the listener or a place already identified in the conversation, and choose ここ or あそこ when the viewpoint changes.
Hear じゃ as a casual transition, part of a noun correction, or a shortened warning, and avoid treating every じゃ as an old-fashioned replacement for だ.
Use さあ to move people into an action, offer something, shift attention to the next step, or hold back from a definite answer when you are unsure.
Use こんな naturally before a noun, and keep it distinct from こういう, degree-marking こんなに, and the listener-side or shared-distance forms そんな and あんな.
Use こちら for a place, direction, item, person, or the speaker’s side when the situation calls for a more courteous tone than こっち.
Choose 母 for your own mother in formal outward speech, お母さん for another person’s mother or direct address, and familiar household forms without treating one family pattern as universal.
Use おなか naturally for the belly or abdominal area, hunger, fullness, and everyday discomfort without confusing the broad body-area word with the specific organ 胃.
Choose 父 for your own father in formal outward speech, お父さん for another person’s father or direct address, and household forms such as 父さん or パパ without treating one family pattern as universal.
Use お茶 for the drink, name 緑茶 or 紅茶 when the type matters, and choose natural phrases for offering, making, ordering, and taking a tea break.
Follow one community notice from ambiguity to clarity while learning 祖母, お祖母さん, family forms, and natural ways to address people without guessing their age.
Learn when おじいさん means someone’s grandfather, why 祖父 fits your own outside-family introduction, and how names or すみません avoid intrusive age guesses.
Learn when おまわりさん sounds natural, when すみません is smoother, and how to ask directions, report a lost item, or give urgent information clearly.
Learn how to ask for the restroom, ask permission to use one, follow directions, and choose naturally among お手洗い, トイレ, 化粧室, and 便所.
Use 姉 when speaking neutrally about your own older sister, お姉さん for another person’s older sister or an established family title, and すみません when an unfamiliar person needs no social label.
Choose 兄 for your own older brother in neutral outside-family talk, お兄さん for another person’s older brother or a family title, and すみません when a stranger does not need a label.
Use お金 for money as a general resource, then switch to the phrase your immediate task needs: いくら for price, 現金 for cash, or お会計 for the restaurant bill.
Use お菓子 for the broad everyday category, スイーツ for sweet treats, and デザート for what comes after a meal.
ええ can agree, hold a pause, or react with surprise; the surrounding phrase and punctuation tell you which function is active.
Before a noun, あの points to something distant or mutually known; on its own, あの can gently request attention or hold your turn.
Use あそこ for a place away from both speaker and listener, or for a place both people already recognize from context.
Use すみません to get attention, then order with a counter such as 一つお願いします.
Listen for 袋 and answer お願いします to accept or 大丈夫です to decline the bag.
Use は to set what you are talking about and が to identify the person or thing that fits the sentence.