2024 is almost upon us, but would you like one more Japanese Phrase of the Month before the new year?

You would? Perfect! Here we go…

「それにしても」and Friends

Have you been translating them correctly?

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The Detail Woman here, back with another Japanese learning and translation post.

Have you ever felt betrayed by your introduction to Japanese words for “but”?

If so, I get it. が、けど、しかし、and それにしても are all Japanese words that first get taught to us as “but,” and yet they often seem to mean something else in context.

I’d bet that a lot of readers are already familiar with this issue when the “buts” come in the middle of a sentence. However, my Japanese Phrase of the Month for December will be the sentence-beginning それにしても, and that one is pretty tricky if you don’t already have a handle on the “buts” that occur mid-sentence.

So if you’re a beginner, or you’d just like a refresher on mid-sentence “buts,” I’ve got you covered in this post. And if you already know all about these, feel free to skip to the next post! Continue Reading →

復活！ Japanese Phrase of the Month is back!

Welcome to the relaunch of Japanese Phrase of the Month. Now that I own my own business and have the time, this little corner of the internet will be guaranteed monthly for the first time ever!

This month, we start out with something a little different: a dive into the word “stoic,” and how it behaves differently in English vs. in Japanese.

「ストイック」

Have you been translating it correctly?

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