Guest Post
Good Luck in Chinese: 34 Essential Phrases for Every Occasion
Luck plays a huge role in Chinese culture, so there are so many ways to say “good luck” in Chinese! Of course, there’s the basic way to say it (I’ll introduce that first), but if you want to sound like a native, that’s not all you need to know! Chinese culture is so rich in…
Guest Post
From Dawn to Dusk: How to Say Hello in Turkish
Merhaba is the most common way to say “hello” in Turkish. But it’s far from being the only one. Depending on the context, you’ll also hear the more casual selam, the welcoming hoş geldiniz, or the morning-specific günaydın.As a native speaker, I’ve rounded up different ways to say hello, how to respond to hello in Turkish, and other common greeting words.…
Culture
From Casual to Heartfelt: Different Ways of Saying Thank You in Greek
“Thank you” in Greek is ευχαριστώ (efcharistó). It’s one of THE most important words you should know, no matter what your language goals are. Similar to English, Greek also has other phrases for “thank you,” such as “thanks a lot,” and “thank you very much.” I’m a long-time learner of Greek and am familiar with the…
Guest Post
21 Popular Flowers in Japan (and How to See Them!)
“Flower” in Japanese is 花 (hana), and boy, does Japan have a lot of culturally significant flowers! You can see this in especially 生け花 (ikebana), or the Japanese art of flower arranging. In this article, I’ll introduce you to some interesting linguistic and cultural aspects of flowers in Japan and where to see them. I…
Main Categories
Kanamara Matsuri and Honen Matsuri: Comparing fertility “penis” festivals in Japan
You may have heard of Japan’s so-called “penis” festivals (yes, plural) – the most famous being the Kanamara Matsuri, visitable easily from Tokyo. But what are these actually about? Attending festivals (祭り, matsuri) is a great way to use your Japanese language skills and participate in the culture. I visited two during my years living in Japan: the…