JLPT Study Blog
Practical advice from a JLPT N1 certified teacher with experience teaching learners from Mongolia, Vietnam, and Indonesia.
JLPT N5 Grammar: The Complete Guide (with Learning Order)
How Japanese sentences work, the exact order to learn each N5 pattern, the mistakes that cost beginners points, and how grammar is tested — a guided tour linking every N5 grammar page.
Devoiced Vowels: Why です Sounds Like “des” and 好き Like “ski”
The i and u vowels go silent between voiceless consonants — です→des, 好き→ski, 靴→kts. Why over-pronouncing sounds foreign, and how to fix it.
Kanji With the Most Readings: 生, 行, 下 and How to Survive Them
生 has over a dozen readings; 下 and 行 aren’t far behind. Why some kanji have so many readings, and the one habit that makes them manageable.
Japanese Homophones: 箸 / 橋 / 端 and How to Tell Them Apart
はし can mean chopsticks, bridge, or edge; かみ can be paper, hair, or god. How context and pitch keep Japanese homophones straight.
The Three Hardest Japanese Sounds: ふ, つ, and う
ふ is not English “f”, つ is a “ts” cluster, and う is unrounded. The three sounds learners get wrong — and exactly how to make them.
Nasal が (鼻濁音): The Soft “ng” Sound That Makes You Sound Native
In careful Tokyo speech, が in the middle of a word softens to a nasal “ng” [ŋ]. What 鼻濁音 is, why it’s fading, and whether to learn it.
Mora & Rhythm: Why 来て, 切手, and 聞いて Are All Different Lengths
Japanese is counted in moras, not syllables — each kana, ん, っ, and long vowel is one beat. How mora timing fixes a “foreign” rhythm.
Voiced vs Unvoiced: か/が, て/で and the Dots That Change Meaning
The dakuten (゛) turns か into が and て into で — a meaning-changing contrast some learners can’t hear. How to train your ear for voicing.
Pitch Accent for Beginners: Why 箸 and 橋 Sound Different
Japanese uses pitch, not stress — 箸 (chopsticks) and 橋 (bridge) differ only in their high/low pattern. An intro to pitch accent and how much to worry about it.
Jūbako & Yutō Readings: When Kanji Compounds Mix On and Kun
Most compounds are all-on or all-kun — but 重箱 (on+kun) and 湯桶 (kun+on) break the rule. The mixed readings and the common words that use them.
Sentence Intonation: How 行く↗ and 行く↘ Mean Different Things
A rising tone turns 行く into a question; ね with a rise asks for agreement. Japanese sentence-final intonation — separate from word pitch accent.
How to Pass JLPT by Self-Study: A Teacher's Complete Guide
A practical self-study plan for JLPT N5 to N3, covering daily schedules, materials, common mistakes, and when to take the exam.
How Many Words Do You Need for JLPT? The Real Numbers
Exact vocabulary counts for JLPT N5 to N1, what the numbers don't tell you, and how to actually learn that many words.
JLPT N5 vs N4: What's the Real Difference?
A side-by-side comparison of N5 and N4 — grammar, vocabulary, listening, reading — so you know exactly what changes and how to prepare.
Look-Alike Kana: シ vs ツ, ソ vs ン, ね vs れ vs わ
シ/ツ and ソ/ン trip up every beginner. How to tell apart the most confusable hiragana and katakana — using stroke direction, not just shape.
は, へ, を: The Particles You Read Differently Than You Write
As particles, は is read wa, へ is e, を is o — not ha/he/wo. The three special particle readings and the mistakes learners make.
Katakana for Foreign Sounds: ファ, ティ, ヴ, ウィ and Friends
Standard kana can't spell every foreign sound, so katakana adds ファ, ティ, ヴ. The combinations you need for modern loanwords, and how to type them.
When to Use Katakana: The 5 Main Cases
Hiragana, kanji, or katakana? The 5 situations where Japanese uses katakana — loanwords, names, onomatopoeia, emphasis, and scientific terms.
The 々 Mark: What It Means and How to Type It
What is 々 in 人々 and 時々? The Japanese iteration mark repeats the previous kanji — with reading examples and how to type it.
Jukujikun: Japanese Words You Can't Read From the Kanji
今日 is きょう, 大人 is おとな — readings you can't build from the kanji. The everyday jukujikun (熟字訓) to memorize.
The Small つ (っ): The Silent Beat That Changes the Word
きて vs きって — the small っ is a one-beat pause that changes meaning. Minimal pairs, how to hear it, and how to type it.
Rendaku (連濁): Why 手 + 紙 Becomes てがみ, Not てかみ
When words combine, the second part often becomes voiced: かみ → がみ. Rendaku patterns and when it doesn't happen (Lyman's Law).
Okurigana: Where to Split Kanji and Kana (食べる, Not 食る)
Is it 食べる or 食る? 行う or 行なう? The okurigana rule — kana for the changing part — and the accepted variations.
Small ゃ ゅ ょ: Why きゃ Is One Beat but きや Is Two
Small ゃゅょ merge with the previous kana into one beat — きゃ, not き-や. Minimal pairs like 病院 vs 美容院, and typing.
Long Vowels えい vs ええ: Why 先生 Is せんせい but お姉さん Is おねえさん
The long 'eh' sound is usually written えい — but a few words use ええ. The え-row rule and its short exception list.
Counting in Japanese: Why 一本 Is いっぽん and 三本 Is さんぼん
Counters change sound with the number: いっぽん, さんぼん, ろっぽん. The patterns for 本, 匹, 回 — and the 1-6-8-10 / 3 shortcuts.
On'yomi vs Kun'yomi: When to Use Each Kanji Reading
山 alone is やま, but 登山 is とざん. The compound-vs-standalone rule of thumb for choosing a kanji reading.
Look-Alike Kanji: 人/入, 大/犬, 末/未 and How to Tell Them Apart
Some kanji differ by a single stroke. The most confusable pairs and the small details that keep them straight.
Te-form Sound Changes (音便): Why 書く Becomes 書いて, Not 書きて
The te-form's tricky part is the sound changes: 書いて, 泳いで, 待って, 死んで. The three onbin patterns and the 行って exception.
づ vs ず (and ぢ vs じ): The Japanese Spelling Rule for Yotsugana
水 is みず but 続く is つづく — why? The づ/ず and ぢ/じ rule: default to ず/じ, use づ/ぢ only for rendaku and repeated つ/ち.
Japanese Casual Contractions: 〜てる, ちゃう, じゃ, なきゃ, って Explained
Textbooks teach 〜ている; real conversations say 〜てる. The casual contractions that wreck your listening — and what each one really means.
Long vs Short Vowels: Why おばさん and おばあさん Are Different Words
One extra beat changes the meaning: おばさん (aunt) vs おばあさん (grandmother). Vowel-length minimal pairs and how to actually hear them.
Japanese Numbers & Dates: The Irregular Readings That Trip Everyone Up
Why is 4日 よっか but 4 is よん? The irregular readings of Japanese dates and numbers — days of the month, and 4/7/9 — in one clear table.
How to Type Japanese: Small つ, ん, を, づ, and the Long Vowel ー
How do you type っ, ん, を, づ, or ー on a Japanese keyboard? Romaji IME input, the tricky keys, and how typing doubles as a spell-checker.
The Japanese R (ら行): It's Not the English R or L
らりるれろ is neither the English R nor L — it's a quick tongue tap. How to make the Japanese R sound and the mistakes learners make.
Japanese Long Vowels: When おう Sounds Like ō (and the おお Exceptions)
Why is 王 written おう but 大きい written おお? The long-vowel spelling rule, the short list of おお exceptions, and the mistakes learners make.
The Katakana Long Vowel Mark ー: When and How to Use It
Hiragana lengthens vowels with あいうえお, but katakana uses a single dash ー. The chōonpu explained, with examples and common mistakes.
Why 原因 Is げんいん, Not げいいん: Sounds That Fool Your Ears
原因 is げんいん — but learners and even natives say げいいん. Why ん + vowel blurs, the words everyone gets wrong, and how typing reveals the right spelling.
30 Wasei-Eigo: The “English” Words That Trip Up English Speakers
Wasei-eigo are “English” words made in Japan — and they fool English speakers most of all. 30 of the most confusing, with their real meanings.
Why You Keep Losing Points on JLPT Listening (and How to Fix It)
Strong readers often score worst on JLPT 聴解. The 5 real reasons listening points slip away — and the practice that actually fixes them.
How to Pass JLPT N5 in 3 Months: A Realistic Study Plan
Can you really pass JLPT N5 in three months? An honest, month-by-month plan — what to learn each week and how much time it actually takes.
JLPT Exam Day: A Complete Guide So Nothing Surprises You
What to bring, how the day is structured, and how to manage your time — so you walk in calm and leave with no regrets.
Why Vietnamese Learners Often Pass the JLPT Faster
Vietnamese learners progress through vocabulary surprisingly fast — the Hán-Việt advantage — and the grammar traps that still catch them.
Breaking Through the N3 Wall: 5 Strategies That Actually Work
N3 has the lowest pass rate of all JLPT levels. Here is why learners stall at N3 and the specific strategies that help them break through.
は vs が: The Complete Guide to Japanese's Hardest Particle
The は/が distinction confuses learners at every JLPT level. This guide explains the real difference, with examples and the exact rules that apply on the JLPT.
How Long Does JLPT Take? Realistic Study Hours from N5 to N1
Honest estimates of how long each JLPT level takes — broken down by native language, study method, and what the research actually says.
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