An old article I wrote. Some references may be outdated, but I think they are still interesting. ——

Anyone who has learnt Japanese before will tell you that it is a hard language to crack. It comprises three writing systems - Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji - that you must learn in order to read Japanese. Not only that, its Kanji characters have two kinds of readings, namely onyomi and kunyomi, which complicates the learning as you must memorize the reading for every word combination. Yet, the rewards of learning Japanese are immeasurable. Coupled with the joy of communicating with Japanese people and truly engaging their minds in their native language, Japanese is such a versatile language that a lot of creativity and wisdom can be derived from it. However, most classes, with their emphasis on the formal variety of Japanese, may not provide you with vocabulary that offers such nuggets of creativity. This article details all the intriguing aspects of Japanese that you will not encounter in your classroom so that you read this in order to get your Japanese up to speed and delight your friends with authentic phrases!

Nothing illustrates how Japanese is a dynamic, evolving language better than the survey of trending new words conducted by the Japanese web dictionary Sanseido in 2015. In particular, the word that Sanseido crowned as the number one word, "jiwaru" had gained so much popularity among Twitter users that its prevalent use was even reported on Western media! "Jiwaru" - the short form of "jiwajiwa kuru" (the slow spread of something) - is used to describe something that grows on you on further reflection. Isn’t it perfect for Twitter users to describe their amusement when they come across something unexpectedly strange or funny in a photo! Another new word that is likely to stick around for a long time: "nagara-smartphone". Used to describe how Japanese people stay glued to their mobile phones (and oblivious to their surroundings) while walking about, even in crowded public places, this word cleverly combines "nagara" (a particle used to indicate actions done simultaneously) with the addictive smartphone. This trend looks set to continue since leading telecommunications company NTT DoCoMo recently launched a public awareness video that depicted samurai falling (literally!) into all kinds of trouble while staying engrossed with their phones in December 2015. So be sure to sprinkle "jiwaru" and "nagara-smartphone" into your conversations and stun your friends with your up-to-date grasp of Japan's socio-cultural trends.

Four-character idioms, or "yojijukugo" may be daunting initially as they are made of four Kanji characters whose individual meanings seem unrelated to the idiom on the whole. But as you grow more proficient in Japanese, you will surely be awed at the depth of wisdom that is conveyed within four simple Kanji characters. Case in point: 三寒四温 (sankan shion). Made up of the Kanji characters that denote three, cold, four and warm respectively, they altogether add up to refer to the transition period from winter to spring in February and March, where the weather plays havoc with your mind by presenting you a cycle of three cold days followed immediately by four warm days. Given that Japanese people love to discuss the weather, using this idiom to commiserate communally over the weather is a great way to make small talk. Other idioms that I recommend that you pick up: 一期一会 (ichigo ichie) and 七転八起 (shichiten hakki). The former refers to an once-in-a-lifetime encounter and exhorts us to stay focused on the here and now while the latter literally means seven falls eight rises and encourages one to pick himself up from his repeated failures and continue trying. Who would have known that one four-character idiom can encapsulate the transience of life or the indomitable spirit of the Japanese so well?

Onomatopoeia is not just a type of word that imitates the sound it describes in the Japanese language, it also includes a broader spectrum of meanings to create sound-symbolic words. So Japanese onomatopoeia not only consists of words like "wan wan" (dogs barking), it also comprises words like "peko peko" (the state of being hungry). Given that there is practically an onomatopoeic expression for every conceivable situation, what better way to get chummy with your Japanese friends than to slip some of these expressions into your speech as a way to compliment them? For instance, you can praise them for having "tsuru tsuru" (smooth) skin or "muki muki" (buffed-up) muscles. Or you can commend their housekeeping and culinary skills by commenting on their "pika pika" (spotlessly clean) home or "hoka hoka" (steamy hot) food!

Now, one thing that you definitely won’t have a chance to acquire in Japanese classes is dialectal words. Japan may be a largely homogenous nation, but its numerous mountains and islands have catalyzed the development of many dialects, all of which are distinctly different from one another. Thus, if you use "shibareru" in Hokkaido to comment on the freezing weather or "namara" (very) in Tohoku to emphasize a particular characteristic, you will find that the local people will warm up to you more readily since you are using words that resonate with their hearts! Likewise, Kansai people will chuckle if you use "honma mi" (Really?) to express your surprise or doubt. Kyushu people, on the other hand, will love it when you say "batten" to mean "however".

Feeling "waku waku" (excited) about the myriad features of Japanese? Now commit some of these words and expressions in this article to memory and take your Japanese speaking skills to the next level by making it more colourful and funky!