This is something a lot of us have to deal with–putting on weight too easily. Listen to this week’s contributor’s frustration with belly fat and learn the vocabulary associated with this kind of problem.

This is the native speed version of Episode 388:

In Japanese, Onomatopoeia can be divided into a few categories; they are called giseigo (擬声語), giongo (擬音語), gitaigo (擬態語), giyougo (擬容語) and gijougo (擬情語). As we learned in the previous episode, they are used to describe sounds made by animals, humans…

Onomatopoeia (オノマトペ) are words that represent sounds, and they are used in many languages to add more depth and texture to speech. However, Japanese onomatopoeia are unique in that they’re used more frequently and in a wider variety of contexts than in other languages. For example, after mopping READ MORE

Test your knowledge with the quizzes too!

Japanese school clubs have a very rigid hierarchy. Seniors in the club can be very demanding to their juniors. Here is a report of one junior’s experience. This episode also practices the causative form in Japanese.

How strict were your parents? This person had very strict parents. She was made to do all kinds of things as a child. This time we are practicing combining the causative and passive forms (to be made or forced to do something) which we seem to use more than in English or other languages I am familiar with.

ima de wa, atte atarimae no insutanto rāmen. Jitsu wa Nihon hasshō da to iu koto wo…

This episode will help you get some really useful practice with the passive forms of Japanese, which we tend to use more than in English.

Do you know how the animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen and put in that order? Listen to find out why it came to be so and why there is no cat.

This is the native speed version of Episode 385: