EQ: What customs are seen in our homes? Starting Points expressing experiences using ～たことがある In a typical 和室（わしつ）, there is often an alcove called a とこのま which is designed to display the family’s prized possessions. Typically among the items is a かけじく or hanging scroll of a painting or calligraphy mounted with silk fabric edgings. …
EQ: What customs are seen in our homes? Starting Points Plain past tense verbs ～た形（けい） The Japanese-style room or 和室（わしつ）has certain characteristics that are not seen in Western-style rooms 洋室（ようしつ）in Japanese homes. One characteristic is the unique flooring of tatami mats, which are made of woven straw and date back to the Muromachi Period (1336 …
Unit 5: Lesson 4: Telling a friend about things you did Read More »
EQ: What customs are seen in our homes? Starting Points Particle と to mark a direct quote Saying 「いただきます」before a meal is an essential part of Japanese customs. The phrase いただきます can be loosely translated as “Thank you for the meal I will receive”, but it is also the polite form of the verb “to …
Unit 5: Lesson 3: Asking when certain expressions are used Read More »
EQ: What is the typical lifestyle of the Japanese high school student? Starting Points counter じ for telling time Some phrases in Japanese, such as すみません, have a different usage than their English equivalent phrase. すみません can mean both ‘excuse me’ and ‘I am sorry’. When you are trying to get someone’s attention such as …
EQ: How is ‘family’ defined in Japan? Starting Points particle の /no/ to indicate possession [between two nouns] honorific prefix お /o/ question word なん /na-n/ As discussed in the Introduction Unit, there are different levels of speech in Japanese. Some vocabulary has different versions depending on who is speaking, to whom they are speaking, …