TOPIC
Animals, Nature & Everyday Places in Japanese
Words for animals, weather, nature and the places you actually go — one word at a time.
29 articles
Animal in Japanese: 動物 vs 生き物, plus names, kanji and counters
Animal in Japanese is 動物 (doubutsu). Learn how it differs from 生き物, ペット and 獣, common animal names with kanji, 匹/頭/羽 counters, and anime foxes and tanuki.
Place in Japanese: 場所, 所, and when to use each
Place in Japanese is 場所 (basho). Learn 場所 vs 所 (tokoro), 居場所, 会場, 席, the 〜のところ trick, and why 1st place is not 場所. Includes practice.
Police in Japanese: 警察, 警察官, お巡りさん and 交番 explained
Police in Japanese is 警察 (keisatsu) for the organization, 警察官 for the officer, お巡りさん in speech. Learn 交番, 110 vs 119, 刑事, and what to say.
Restaurant in Japanese: レストラン, お店, 食堂 and how to eat out
Restaurant in Japanese is レストラン (resutoran), but it sounds Western. Learn 店, 食堂, 居酒屋, ファミレス, plus what to say when you enter, order, pay and leave.
Earthquake in Japanese: 地震 (じしん), 揺れる, 震度, 余震, and 津波
Earthquake in Japanese is 地震 (じしん). Learn 揺れ, 震度 vs マグニチュード, 余震, 津波, 避難, the quick small talk after a quake, and the 自信 homophone trap.
Travel in Japanese: 旅行 (りょこう) vs 旅 (たび), plus 観光, 出張, and 旅行に行く
Travel in Japanese is 旅行 (りょこう) for a trip in general and 旅 (たび) when the journey itself is the focus. Learn 旅行に行く, 旅に出る, 観光, 出張, and common mistakes.
Angel in Japanese: 天使 (てんし), 堕天使, and why a sleeping baby is 天使
Angel in Japanese is 天使 (てんし, tenshi). Learn fallen angel 堕天使, 天使の輪 for shiny hair, nurses as 白衣の天使, the compliment 天使すぎる, and angels in anime.
Bird in Japanese: 鳥 (とり), 鳥肌, 一石二鳥, and why 焼き鳥 is chicken
Bird in Japanese is 鳥 (とり, tori). Learn 小鳥 and 鶏, why 焼き鳥 means chicken, 鳥肌 for goosebumps, 一石二鳥, 立つ鳥跡を濁さず, the paper crane, and bird sounds like チュンチュン.
Bridge in Japanese: 橋 (はし), 箸 vs 端, 橋渡し, and 危ない橋を渡る
Bridge in Japanese is 橋 (はし). Learn how it differs from 箸 (chopsticks) and 端 (edge), 歩道橋, つり橋, 橋渡し, and the idiom 危ない橋を渡る, with practice.
Cat in Japanese: 猫 (ねこ), ニャー, and the idioms only cat people get
Cat in Japanese is 猫 (ねこ, neko). Learn kitten, stray cat and calico, how to count cats with 匹, what ニャー and ゴロゴロ mean, and idioms like 猫舌 and 猫をかぶる.
Cherry blossom in Japanese: 桜 (さくら), お花見, 満開, and サクラサク
Cherry blossom in Japanese is 桜 (さくら, sakura). Learn お花見, 満開 and 散る, 夜桜 and 花吹雪, the proverb 花より団子, why サクラサク means you passed, and サクラ as a shill.
City in Japanese: 都市, 市 (し), 町 and 街 (まち), 都会, and 地元
City in Japanese is 都市 (とし), 市 (し) for an official city, or 町/街 (まち) in conversation. Learn 都会 vs 田舎, 下町, 市役所, 街並み, and 地元 (your hometown).
Cloud in Japanese: 雲 (くも), 曇り, 入道雲, and 雲の上の人
Cloud in Japanese is 雲 (くも). Learn 曇り (cloudy), 雲一つない, 入道雲, うろこ雲, idioms like 雲行きが怪しい and 雲の上の人, and クラウド for cloud storage.
Country in Japanese: 国 (くに), 外国, 海外, 国際, and 〜か国
Country in Japanese is 国 (くに). Learn お国はどちらですか, 外国 vs 海外, 国内 (domestic), 母国 (home country), 国際 (international), and counting countries with 〜か国.
Dog in Japanese: 犬 (いぬ), ワンワン, お手, and the loyal dog ハチ公
Dog in Japanese is 犬 (いぬ, inu). Learn puppy, Shiba and Akita, the bark ワンワン, dog commands like お手 and おすわり, idioms like 犬猿の仲 and 負け犬, and ハチ公.
Door in Japanese: ドア, 扉 (とびら), 戸, 引き戸, and ドアが閉まります
Door in Japanese is ドア, with 扉 (とびら) for grand or fantasy doors and 戸 (と) for traditional ones. Learn 引き戸, 自動ドア, ノック, and train door announcements.
Earth in Japanese: 地球 (ちきゅう), 地面, 土, 地震, and 地球に優しい
Earth, the planet, is 地球 (ちきゅう) in Japanese. Learn 地面 (the ground), 土 (soil), 大地, 地震 (earthquake), 地球温暖化 (global warming), and 地球に優しい (eco-friendly).
Fish in Japanese: 魚 (さかな), 釣り, 刺身, and 骨が多い
Fish in Japanese is 魚 (さかな). Learn 焼き魚, 生魚, 刺身, 魚屋, 金魚, 釣り (fishing), 魚介類 (seafood), 骨 (bones), and the kanji 魚 inside fish names like 鮭 and 鯛.
Floor in Japanese: 床 (ゆか) vs 階 (かい), 一階 to 三階, and 床暖房
Floor in Japanese is 床 (ゆか) for the surface you stand on and 階 (かい) for a building level. Learn 一階, 二階, 三階, 何階, 地下, 床暖房, and the 床 in 床屋.
Flower in Japanese: 花 (はな), 高嶺の花, 花を持たせる, and the nose that sounds the same
Flower in Japanese is 花 (はな, hana). Learn 花びら and 花束, seasonal flowers, idioms like 高嶺の花, 両手に花 and 花を持たせる, 華がある, and the homophone 鼻 (nose).
Fox in Japanese: 狐 (きつね), the nine-tailed fox, and a fox's wedding in the rain
Fox in Japanese is 狐 (きつね, kitsune). Learn the nine-tailed fox, Inari shrine foxes, きつねうどん, the sound コンコン, and idioms like 狐の嫁入り and 狐につままれる.
Garden in Japanese: 庭 (にわ), 日本庭園, 枯山水, 家庭菜園, and 盆栽
Garden in Japanese is 庭 (にわ). Learn 日本庭園 (Japanese garden), 枯山水 (rock garden), 家庭菜園 (vegetable garden), ガーデニング, 庭いじり, 植物園, and 盆栽.
Ghost in Japanese: 幽霊, お化け, and why Japanese ghosts have no feet
Ghost in Japanese is 幽霊 (ゆうれい, yuurei); the casual, cartoon word is お化け (おばけ). Learn うらめしや, お化け屋敷, 肝試し, 怪談, and why ghosts are a summer thing.
Hospital in Japanese: 病院 (びょういん), and the 美容院 (びよういん) trap
Hospital in Japanese is 病院 (びょういん). Do not mix it up with 美容院 (びよういん), a hair salon. Also clinic, doctor, 入院, 救急車 and 薬局, with practice.
House in Japanese: 家 (いえ) vs うち, 実家, 一軒家, and マンション
House in Japanese is 家 (いえ), but home is often うち. Learn 実家 (your parents’ home), 自宅, 一軒家 (detached house), マンション vs アパート, 玄関, and 家に帰る.
Moon in Japanese: 月 (つき), 満月, and what 月が綺麗ですね really means
Moon in Japanese is 月 (つき, tsuki). Learn full moon, crescent and moon viewing, why 月 also means month and Monday, the moon rabbit, and the famous 月が綺麗ですね line.
Rain in Japanese: 雨 (あめ), 梅雨, ザーザー and しとしと, and the 雨男 who brings it
Rain in Japanese is 雨 (あめ, ame); "it rains" is 雨が降る. Learn 大雨 and 小雨, the rainy season 梅雨, rain sounds ザーザー and しとしと, 雨宿り, and the 雨男 who brings rain.
School in Japanese: 学校 (がっこう), 小学校 to 大学, 部活, and 放課後
School in Japanese is 学校 (がっこう). Learn 小学校, 中学校, 高校, 大学, 学校に通う, 塾 (cram school), 部活 (club activities), 放課後 (after school), and 制服.
Lottery in Japanese: 宝くじ, 抽選 and how to say you won
Lottery in Japanese is 宝くじ for tickets and 抽選 for a draw, like concert tickets. You win with 当たる or 当選する, and lose with 外れる or 落選する.