Knowing how to ask someone to do something and when to do it is a basic but powerful part of speaking Japanese. Whether you want to politely say “Please clean your room” or “Have it done by Friday,” this lesson covers two essential grammar patterns: ～てください and までに. ～てください / までに Please do (something) / […]

In Japanese, the volitional form is used when you want to suggest something like “Let’s go!” or express your own intention, such as “I’ll study.” It’s one of the most useful verb forms for both casual plans and strong personal decisions. Whether you’re making a group invitation or sharing your determination, this grammar is essential.

In English, we often say things like “maybe it will rain” or “that might be true.” In Japanese, the word かもしれない is a powerful way to express uncertainty, possibility, or polite distance from a statement. It’s one of the most flexible and frequently used “hedging” expressions in the language. かもしれない Maybe / Might Usage Pattern

In Japanese, there’s more than one way to express giving or receiving—and that includes actions, not just objects. The grammar patterns ～てあげる, ～てくれる, and ～てもらう let you talk about doing things for someone, having someone do something for you, or receiving someone’s help. These forms add nuance, politeness, and direction to your verbs. ～てあげる /

One of the most useful grammar patterns in any language is how to ask for permission. In Japanese, the phrase ～てもいい lets you do just that. It’s a polite and flexible way to ask, “Is it okay if I ___?” or to grant permission to someone else. ～てもいい May I? / It’s okay if… Usage

In English, we use “this” and “that” all the time but Japanese takes it a step further. Instead of just two levels of distance, Japanese offers three: things close to you, close to the person you’re talking to, and far from both. On top of that, Japanese adds a fourth layer with a question word.

Some changes in life happen so slowly or so quietly you don’t even notice until they’ve already occurred. That’s exactly what the Japanese phrase いつの間にか is used to express. It describes moments where something has changed, time has passed, or progress has been made, and you didn’t even realize it was happening until after the

Sometimes you want to express that something happened even though the conditions weren’t ideal. In English, we say “despite the rain” or “in spite of the difficulties.” In Japanese, the grammar point that captures this meaning is にもかかわらず. It’s used to describe outcomes that happen unexpectedly or in contrast to a known situation. にもかかわらず Despite

If you have ever wanted to try something in Japanese, like tasting a new food or testing out an activity, this is the grammar pattern you need. The expression てみる is used when you give something a try for the first time or simply to see how it goes. It works well for new experiences

Japanese has unique ways to express gratitude for someone’s effort or regret when that effort doesn’t pay off. Two common expressions that do this are せっかく and わざわざ. While they seem similar at first glance, each has its own nuance and use case. せっかく / わざわざ Going to the trouble of doing something Usage Pattern