Learning Japanese From “Good/Bad” to “Ari/Nashi” Why Modern Japanese Prefers Softer Judgments
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.If you’ve studied Japanese for a while, you may have noticed something inter...
Learning Japanese 
Japanese Grammar Common “Danger Replies” in Japanese: A Mini Guide to Hidden Nuance
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.Have you ever used a basic Japanese word you learned early on, only to reali...
Learning Japanese “That Sounds So Harsh!” Why Japanese People Often Don’t Finish Their Sentences
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.If you’ve ever heard a Japanese person say something like「それはちょっと…」Sore wa c...
Japanese Grammar “Grammar Perfect, Tone Disaster?” A Gentle Warning for Learners Using AI to Study Japanese
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.Recently, I had a very “educational” (read: mildly traumatizing) conversatio...
Learning Japanese [Japanese Grammar] Why is it せず(sezu) and not しず(shizu)?
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.If you’ve been studying Japanese for a while, you’ve probably seen sentences...
Japanese Grammar Wakaru vs Shiru Difference: Why “Wakaru!” Feels Warm but “Shiru” Often Doesn’t
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.I offer online Japanese lessons, and you’ll find more details at the end of ...
Learning Japanese V-masu or V-n desu? When and Why Japanese Uses “んです” (n desu)
Japanese Grammar What Is だ / です (da / desu)? Why It’s Not a Verb and Why It Matters for Natural Japanese
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.I offer online Japanese lessons, and you’ll find more details at the end of ...
Japanese Grammar The Japanese Verb “悩む” (Nayamu): Meaning, Usage, and Why It’s Hard to Translate
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.I’m currently accepting online Japanese lessons. Details are written at the ...
Japanese Grammar Why Japanese Says ‘Taxi ga iru’ (And Why ‘Aru’ Feels Wrong)
Hi! I’m Mai-sensei, a native Japanese tutor.Textbook Japanese is useful, but have you ever heard a native speaker say so...