In Japan, they have these sock protectors, which you put on your big toes, helping to prevent toenails from tearing holes into your precious socks. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures. But I think I'll get some soon. My socks and I do suffer from premature hole formation 😆

I am crying 😭🤣

Lately, I have been working on a video about Japanese grammar for beginners! Sentence structure, tenses, particles - everything you need to know to use them effortlessly. I know many people struggle with wa/ga, de/ni etc. This video is for you! #japaneselanguage #japanesewithmanu #japanesegrammar

Keigo is like old wine, it ripens while time (and usage) passes. I remember my first contact with keigo (and my confusion), and now, after encountering it again and again for years, and finally using it actively, it's become my friend. 😊

Tsukimi 月見 - Moon Viewing New episode available - on my podcast (Japanese with Manu, available on spotify, apple podcast etc. ) japanese-with-manu.podigee.io/4-moon-viewi... - on my youtube channel (Japanese with Manu - youtube.com/@japanese-wi...) youtu.be/fHrXPw8xzPs

Using chestnuts and azuki beans, what do you think I will make? (I made a short video clip) #fallinjapan #chestnuts #azukibeans #japanesecuisine #japanesefood #japaneselanguage #studyjapanese

今日(きょう)は何(なに)を作(つく)ると思いますか。 Kyou wa nani wo tsukuru to omoimasu ka. What do you think I will make/cook today? #Japan #japanesecuisine #japaneselanguage

I love what they did with lots of words/kanji in this anime 😆 For example 魔茶 matcha (usually it's 抹茶). Instead of 抹 they use 魔, meaning demon. Even the name of the anime has several kanji puns 😁 Also, the anime is cute and colorful! The music is typical for this genre.

Today, I ate nattou for breakfast. Followed by a piece of toasted bread with jam on it. Now my lips smell like sweet nattou. I got the elderberry jam during my last trip to Canada. I love elderberry. ジャムが好(す)きですか。 Jamu ga suki desu ka. Do you like jam? #japaneselanguage #elderberry

So I made a short nattou encouragement video XD #nattou #納豆 #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

この前、納豆生活を始めました。辛子が混ぜた納豆は美味しいと思います。 Kono mae, nattou seikatsu wo hajimemashita. Karashi ga mazeta nattou wa oishii to omoimasu. I've recently started eating nattou (nattou life). Nattou with karashi (spicy mustard) is delicious. (Adding the と思います to omoimasu "I think" makes the sentence less direct)

Polite phrases for when you have a meal in Japan. Join my crash course for (complete) beginners and start out without stumbling over the most common hurdles while learning your first Japanese characters, words, grammar, and sentences 💪 You can book it here: japanesewithmanu.com/courses

That's Alex. He's learning Japanese. But so far, he only knows words like baka, omae, shine, konnichiwa and watashi. In case you want to learn more, come to my 3 hour Japanese crash course and learn basic grammar, vocabulary and your first Japanese characters! japanesewithmanu.com/courses

Do you want to improve your Japanese? I offer private lessons for beginners and intermediate students. Also, there's my book Reading Japanese for Beginners! Contact me if you are interested in taking lessons with me 😊 I have extensive experience with explaining particles and other grammar issues!

Recently, I started coming to a café in the city center in Fukui. It helps me to stay focused on my work (anybody else here struggling to work from home?) and also to have a feeling of connection instead of feeling 'home alone.' Also, overcoming that steep bridge on the way here feels enabling.

Also greetings! こんにちは!✨お元気ですか。 Kon'nichi-wa! O-genki desu ka. Hello! How are you doing? #japaneselanguage #japaneseteacher #japanesewithmanu #japaneselesson #pokémon

The latest pokémon campaign in Japan pairs up several Japanese prefectures with (more or less) suitable pokémon. Fukui prefecture 福井県 (ふくいけん, fukui ken) got Dragonite, カイリュー (kai-ryuu, if you were to write it in kanji, it would be 海竜, the kanji for 海 ocean and 竜 dragon).

Have you ever wondered why there's the kanji for wind 風 (かぜ, Japanese pronunciation) kaze in bath お風呂(ふろ)o-furo? Watch this video, and you will finally get the answer! #kanji #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

Of course, we had to do the スイカ割り suika-wari hitting the watermelon, the highlight of many anime summer episodes XD #suikawari #japaneselanguage #studyjapanese #learnjapanese #japanesewithmanu #watermelon

How to determine if your すいか suika is ripe: listen to this sound XD We have just harvested one of our little watermelons that grow in a planter. It was perfectly ripe (食べごろ tabe-goro = time to eat) #suika #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #studyjapanese #watermelon #kanji

I present you some 肉球(にくきゅう niku-kyuu) meatballs XD it's the Japanese word for cute paws of cats and dogs. I recently started watching an anime where the cat offers their 肉球 to make their owner 飼(か)い主(ぬ)し kai-nushi feel better 😁 #japaneselanguage #kanji

Today, I was at a lotus flower park. The Japanese word for lotus is 蓮(はす hasu), it's the れん ren from 蓮根(れんこん renkon), the lotus root. (Remember the rule for Japanese and Chinese pronunciation of kanji?) #kanji #japaneselanguage #studyjapanese #learnjapanese #japaneselesson #japanesewithmanu

kon-nichi-wa! こんにちは! Did you know that the original meaning of this common Japanese greeting is a little different than what you might think? Usually, it is translated as 'hello' or 'good afternoon.' To understand what it really means, let's take a look at every part of this greeting: kon こん this

Today, it's the Star Festival in Japan. Learn everything you need to know about this summer festival - including vocabulary and kanji. Listen and take notes - this helps with memorizing things easier and permanently! Links to the podcast and youtube version below ⬇️

atsui - atsui - atsui??? Three different kanji, but the same pronunciation! I'll tell you the differences and how to memorize them :) You want to practise your Japanese by reading fun and easy to understand stories? Get my book 'Reading Japanese for Beginners!' www.amazon.com/dp/B0DV4NQ3YF

It looks like they are kissing each other キスしてるみたい Kisu shiteru mitai Kisu kiss Shiteru - a colloquial form of shite-imasu - doing something right now (te-form of shimasu, to do + imasu, to exist) Mitai - looks like Instead of kisu, you can also use the word チューchuu, which resembles kissing sounds.

Just found in the news and wanted to share this with you :) In my book "Reading Japanese for Beginners" there is also an LGBT section among other interesting information about Japanese culture and everyday good to know things.

We have an unfortunate death in the family. The funeral 葬式(そうしき) is this weekend. It's my first funeral in Japan, so I had to get suitable clothes. There's a special section for 喪服(もふく) mourning clothes in apparel stores. Also, people wear pearl 真珠(しんじゅ) jewelry to represent their tears.

Rainy season 梅雨 tsuyu (kanji for plum and rain) has started. Here's my current playlist - 雨の日のジャズ (ame no hi no jaz - rainy day jazz). I'll record a podcast/video about important vocabulary for this hot and humid season :) #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #kanji #learnkanji #japan #rainyseason

I haven't been to the gym since covid. Finally, I decided to go to a fitness center (first time in Japan). Got a call later on in the evening from them asking if my muscles are not too sore XD 筋肉痛 きんにくつう kin-niku-tsuu 筋肉 きんにくkin-niku muscles 筋 tendon 肉 meat 痛 pain #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

It's hydrangea time! 紫陽花(あじさい)の時期(じき)です。 Ajisai no jiki desu. 紫陽花(あじさい ajisai) hydrangea 時期(じき jiki) period, season, time I took so many hydrangea pics today. Gonna make a video! #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #studyjapanese #learnjapanese #japanesewithmanu

I tried an interesting fruit... 面白いフルーツを食べてみた おもしろいフルーツをたべてみた Omoshiroi fruutsu wo tabete-mita ちょっぺい choppei is a local dialect for ちょっと chotto, 'a little' #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson

Tomorrow, I gotta work for the PTA (parent teacher association), I am an 委員会(いいんかい i-in-kai committee member) of my son's school. Doing 草刈り (kusa-kari) mowing, weeding 💪 Let's see what the other parents say to the only foreigner parent (I am pretty sure I am the only one XD). 頑張(がんば)ってきます

京阪神 These three kanji stand for three different cities. 京 for 京都 (きょうと) Kyoto 阪 for 大阪 (おおさか) Osaka 神 for 神戸 (こうべ) Kobe Some examples: 阪神タイガース Hanshin-Tigers, a baseball team owned by Hanshin railway that connects Osaka and Kobe 京阪 Keihan, another railway service that connects Kyoto and Osaka

Anime have very much influenced my life. They helped me when I felt alone. They helped me study Japanese and even teach Japanese because my student and I share our love for them. They entertained me during my lunch break. They help me show my son the (my) past.

Spread the love and acceptance #pridemonth

About to record the video for day 1! どきどき (doki doki) - the sound your heart makes when you are excited about something You can still sign up! Currently, we are a very cozy class of three participants. Also, it's free! We start tomorrow! japanesewithmanu.com/japanese-fro...

What's your favorite kanji? For more explanation on the text of this pic (that's Red Underfell, one of my fav skeletons), read the ALT text. Also, come and join my Japanese course for beginners. It's for free and you'll learn a lot during the next four days! Sign up at www.japanesewithmanu.com

Living the foreigner's life in Japan. Once in a while, I long for food from back home 😁 たまに恋(こい)しくなってくるよね。tama ni koishiku natte kimasu. いただきます (itadakimasu = I receive- said before starting your meal) #anime #japan #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #studyjapanese #learnjapanese

Have you checked out my podcast? Currently, there are two episodes available. Listen to episode one and learn how to introduce yourself, from beginner's Japanese to advanced 自己紹介(じこしょうかい, self-introduction) open.spotify.com/episode/5KPu... #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #nihongo #日本語 #podcast

Only a few more days until we start! You need around 15 minutes for watching the videos, another 15 minutes for the homework and 45 minutes for the live zoom session where I answer questions and check homeworks. This three day course for beginners is free of charge - don't miss this chance!

The first シャインマスカット shainmasukatto of the year have arrived at my local スーパー suupaa (abbreviation of スーパーマーケット suupaamaaketto). You just have to love katakana 😁 #japaneselanguage #katakana #japaneseforbeginners #japaneselesson

Invitation to learn Japanese with me Three days online Japanese language course for beginners: - Japanese basic sentence structures - Easy approach to Japanese grammar - Useful vocabulary - Correct pronunciaton - How to introduce yourself We start on June 1st japanesewithmanu.com/japanese-fro...

I am also looking for test readers/proof readers. Offering online Japanese lessons in return. Reply or send me a message if you are interested ✨️

The next English book for studying Japanese is nearly done! Only a few more things on the to do list! The tentative title is Japanese For Beginners. Do let me know if you have any suggestions 🙂 The book teaches you how to read and write hiragana and katakana - the two Japanese syllabic systems.

Time to brew those refreshing cold green (and black) teas! 水出し茶 みずだしちゃ Mizu-dashi-cha #japaneselanguage #learnjapanese #japaneselesson #japanesewithmanu #japanesetea

Travel day - here's the promised video (well, the first part - for Japanese beginners) Link to my youtube channel: youtu.be/dIQHXXn2p-g #japaneselanguage #japaneselesson #kanji #tabinohi #日本語

Today in Japan, we celebrate the day of travel 旅の日 I will record a longer video tomorrow, including more information on this day as well as lots of useful vocabulary about traveling and how Japanese people travel. #studyjapanese #japaneselesson #japaneselanguage #learnjapanese

I love gardening. 園芸(えんげい)が大好(だいす)き。 Engei ga daisuki. Which plant names can you understand? #japaneselanguage #gardening #herbs #strawberries

Preparations for Mother's Day in Japan. Even apples say thank you, mom. お母さん、ありがとう Okaasan, arigatou. #japaneselanguage #learnjapanese #japaneselesson #japanesewithmanu