Umai: Meaning of the Japanese Word
“Umai (うまい)” is a Japanese word often used in terms of food, in which case it is written as “旨い” or “美味い” using Chinese characters or Kanji, meaning “tasty” or “delicious“. Meaning of Umai...
Category: Trivia
What Nanban Means in Japanese Food Names
Nanban Soba, Chicken Nanban, Nanban Zuke, Nanban Gashi… In Japanese food culture, a lot of “Nanban (南蛮)” things can be seen. But what is Nanban? Meaning of Nanban (南蛮) Nanban, when used as a...
Arigato Gozaimasu vs. Sumimasen: Which Should be Used?
Arigato (ありがとう), also spelled Arigatou, meaning thank you, is a Japanese phrase that many people know, whose polite form is Arigato Gozaimasu. Meanwhile, as I wrote in this article, Sumimasen or Suimasen means I’m...
Yuzu vs. Lemon: How these Citrus Fruits Differ
Yuzu (柚子) is a plant native to East Asia that belongs to the genus Citrus of the family Rutaceae. It is a small evergreen tree blooming in May or June, bearing fruit in Autumn,...
Gomen vs Gomenasai vs Gomen Ne: Meaning & Usage
As I gave an overview of how Gomenasai, Sumimasen, and Suimasen differ in this post, today let me talk about different ways to say “Gomenasai (ごめんなさい)”, that is, “Gomen (ごめん)” and “Gomen Ne (ごめんね)”....
Engawa vs. Hirame vs. Karei: Japanese Flounders
As you know, Engawa (えんがわ) is a popular sushi topping from a Japanese flounder called Hirame (ヒラメ) or Karei (カレイ). The ingredient was actually named after its shape resembling a corridor on the outer...
Another Meaning of “Kamo (カモ: Duck)” in Japanese
As you may know, Kamo (カモ/鴨) means duck in Japanese. In the Japanese language, there are three common words for “duck” in English; One is Kamo (カモ/鴨), which refers to a wild duck. Another...
Perilla: Shiso vs. Oba leaves
Shiso (シソ/紫蘇) is an annual plant that belongs to the genus Perilla in the family Lamiaceae, and probably because of that, it is referred to as perilla in English. Shiso vs. Oba The leaf...
