Benny Lewis's Blog, page 26

German Pronouns – Here’s Everything You Need to Know

German pronouns come in many flavours: personal, reflexive, possessive, demonstrative and more. But don’t be put off by those boring grammar terms.

German pronouns really aren’t any more complicated than the pronouns we use in English. And in some ways, they’re simpler.

Pronouns are words that stand in for nouns to reduce repetition. Without pronouns, we’d have to say things like: “Joe looked at Joe’s watch and realised that Joe was late for Joe’s appointment.”

No one talks like this. Instead, we use words like he, him and his when it’s clear which “he” we’re referring to.

In German, as in English, there are different types of pronouns which each work in a slightly different way.

Table of contentsGrammatical Case in German PronounsGerman Personal PronounsDifferent Ways to say “You” in GermanDa- and Dar- Pronouns in GermanReflexive PronounsGerman Possessive PronounsGerman Interrogative PronounsIndefinite PronounsThe Indefinite Pronoun man in GermanGerman Demonstrative PronounsGerman Relative PronounsLearn the German Pronouns

We’ll cover these categories in turn, starting with the concept of case.

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Like in most European languages (except English), every noun in German has a gender: masculine, feminine, or neutral. For example, ein Hund (“a dog”) is a masculine noun.

When you use a noun in a sentence in German, you also need to use the correct case: nominative, accusative, dative, or genitive. The case to use depends on what role the noun plays in the sentence:

The nominative case denotes the subject of the sentence: Der Hund ist schwarz – “The dog is black”The accusative case denotes the direct object of the sentence: Ich sehe den Hund – “I see the dog.”The dative case denotes the indirect object of the sentence: Ich gab dem Hund den Ball – “I gave the dog the ball.”The genitive denotes possession: Das ist der Ball des Hundes – “That’s the dog’s ball.”

English used to have a case system like German’s, but it was lost centuries ago, apart from in a few words.

Those words are (drum roll please…) the pronouns! Case is the difference between words like:

“I” and “me”“he” and “him”“they” and “them”.

If you understand why the English sentence “I see her” is grammatical, but “me see she” isn’t, you’re on your way to understanding case in German pronouns.

German Personal Pronouns

The most essential pronouns in German are the personal pronouns: words like “I”, “you” and “she”. Each of these pronouns has different forms for the four cases:

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(If you’re not sure how to pronounce these words, make sure to check out the Fluent in 3 Months guide to reading and pronouncing the German alphabet.)

Ich bin ein Berliner – “I am a Berliner”. (By the way, when JFK said these words, he was not calling himself a donut.)Du hasst mich – “You hate me.”Gib es mir – “Give it to me”.Wegen meiner – “Because of me”

That last example, wegen meiner, isn’t something you’ll hear very often.

Strictly speaking, wegen should be followed by a genitive. But in practice, genitive personal pronouns are barely used in modern German, especially in informal speech. It’s more common to use the dative, wegen mir, or to reword the sentence so you don’t have to use a genitive construction.

In English, the words “he” and “she” are used for male and female humans (and sometimes for animals), while “it” is used for inanimate objects. German doesn’t work like this: the pronoun always matches the gender of the noun, even for inanimate objects.

So in German, your birthday becomes a “he”, your tie becomes a “she”, and your book (like in English) would be an “it”.

See these examples:

Vergiss meinen Geburtstag nicht; er ist morgen.” – “Don’t forget my birthday; it’s tomorrow.”Ich mag das Buch, weil es lustig ist – “I like the book because it’s funny.”Ich kann nicht diese Krawatte tragen – sie hat die falsche Farbe – “I can’t wear this tie – it’s the wrong colour.”Different Ways to say “You” in German

As you can see in the table above, German has more than one way to say “you”. There’s the informal singular du, the plural ihr, and the formal Sie, which is always capitalised.

In informal situations, use du/dich/dir when speaking to a single person, and ihr/euch/euch when speaking to a group. English doesn’t distinguish between these two situations as clearly as German does.

In English, you can use “you” in both cases, although depending where you’re from, you might also address a group as “y’all”, “you guys,” “yous”, “you lot”, or any of these other alternatives.

In formal situations, use Sie for an individual or a group. This short video should give you an idea of when to say du or Sie:

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Confusingly, the formal Sie is identical to the words for “she” and “they”, apart from the capitalisation.

Capitalised Sie takes the same verb endings as for “they”, but if sie means “she” or “her”, then the verb conjugation is different:

Er hat mir gesagt, dass sie Deutsch spricht – “He told me she speaks German.”Er hat mir gesagt, dass sie Deutsch sprechen – “He told me they speak German.”Er hat mir gesagt, dass Sie Deutsch sprechen – “He told me you (formal) speak German.”

The other difference is the dative case, where the singular feminine is ihr but the plural and formal are ihnen/Ihnen.

Da- and Dar- Pronouns in German

When you want to use the pronoun “it” with a preposition – e.g. “for it” or “after it” – simply put the prefix da- in front of the preposition (or dar- if the preposition starts with a vowel.)

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Ich habe darüber noch nicht viel gehört. – “I haven’t heard much about it yet.”Wir haben dafür gestimmt, aber sie haben dagegen gestimmt. – “We voted for it, but they voted against it.”

This construction sounds a bit weird to English ears, because we don’t put prepositions at the end of a word like this… or do we?

Dafür reminds me of the English word “therefore” – they don’t mean the same thing, but they clearly share a root. And I can think of some more English words which follow this pattern, although most of them are pretty formal: “thereby”, “thereafter”, “therein”, “thereof”.

Try to think of this category of English words if you find the da- construction a little tricky to wrap your brain around.

Don’t use da(r)- like this when you’re talking about a person; instead use a personal pronoun.

für ihn/sie -“for him/her”mit ihm/ihr – “with him/her”

(If you're wondering why “him/her” is ihn/sie after für but ihm/ihr after mit, see the Fi3M guide to German prepositions.)

Reflexive Pronouns

A reflexive pronoun is a pronoun which refers back to the subject of the sentence. English reflexive pronouns end with “-self” or “-selves”, as in “myself” and “themselves”.

Luckily for you as a German learner, you already know all but one reflexive pronoun in German.

For first person and second person pronouns (ich, wir, du, ihr), you just use the accusative or dative form, following the normal rules for choosing between the accusative and dative.

For example, “myself” can be mich or mir.

Ich dusche mich – “I take a shower” (literally: “I shower myself”)Ich habe mir ein neues Auto gekauft – “I’ve bought myself a new car”

For third person pronouns (er, sie, es, sie) and the second person pronoun Sie, it’s even easier. The reflexive pronoun is the same for all of them: sich.

Sie hat sich ein neues Auto gekauft – “She’s bought herself a new car”Hitler erschoss sich am 30. April 1945 – “Hitler shot himself on April 30th 1945”German Possessive Pronouns

German possessive pronouns are words that stand in for a noun while telling you who (or what) the noun belongs to. They’re not the same as German possessive adjectives, although they look similar.

To understand the difference between German possessive pronouns and adjectives, consider the difference between “my” and “mine” in English.

“My” sounds wrong if it’s not followed by something, but “mine” can stand by itself:

“That’s my book.” (good)“That’s mine.” (good)“That’s my.” (That’s your what?)

German works in a similar way:

Das ist mein Buch. (correct)Das ist meins. (correct)Das ist mein. (wrong)

But here’s where German and English are different: German possessive pronouns must agree in case, gender and number as the noun they replace. For example:

Ich habe deinen Stift – “I have his pen” – Ich habe seinen.Er gab seinem Kind eine Süßigkeit – “He gave his child a sweet” – Er gab seinem eine Süßigkeit.Sie ist seine Tasse – “It’s his cup” – Sie ist seine.

Here’s the full chart of German possessive pronouns:

[CHART]

It’s a big chart, but things are simpler than they seem. All you need to do is learn the nine “root”/“stem” forms (mein-, dein-, etc.), then stick the right ending on for the case and gender/number.

Look at the chart and you’ll see the endings are the same on every row. For example, the masculine accusative pronouns always end in -en.

Some of the pronouns in the above chart are written with brackets to show that certain letters are optional. For example, ihres and ihrs are both valid ways to say “hers”.

German Interrogative Pronouns

“Interrogative pronouns” are question words like “what?” or “who?”

Was means “what”:

Was ist das? – “What’s that?”

The word for who has four forms – wer, wen, wem, and wessen. As you might have guessed, these are the pronouns for each of the four cases: nominative, accusative, dative, and genitive.

Wer kommt mit mir? – “Who’s coming with me?”Wen traf er? – “Whom did he meet?”Wem hast du es gegeben? – “Whom did you give it to?”Wessen Auto ist das? – “Whose car is that?”Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns are used to refer to indeterminate people or things without saying exactly who or what.

Etwas (“something”) and nichts (“nothing”) are a rare example of pronouns which only have one form: they don’t change based on gender, case, or number:

Ich möchte etwas essen. – “I want something to eat.”Es gibt hier nichts – “There’s nothing here.”

Jemand, jemanden, and jemandem are the nominative, accusative, and dative forms of the word for “someone”. It’s not used in the genitive.

Jemand hat mir gesagt – “Someone told me.”Ich sehe jemanden – “I see someone.”Er war mit jemandem – “He was with someone.”The Indefinite Pronoun man in German

In English we often use the word “you” or “they” to make general statements that aren’t about anyone in particular. For example, we say “smoking is bad for you” or “they say absence makes the heart grow fonder”.

One can also use the pronoun “one”, like I just did in this sentence. People don’t use “one” in English very much anymore, but you’ll hear the German equivalent all the time in everyday speech.

The German word for “one” (or the general “you” or “they”) is man. It follows the same form as the other third person singular pronouns er/sie/es.

Kann man hier rauchen? – “Can you smoke here?”Man isst in Japan viel Sushi – “They eat a lot of sushi in Japan.”

Man is nominative. For the accusative, use einen, and for the dative, use einem:

Schönes Wetter macht einen fröhlich. – “Nice weather makes you/one happy.”Nachrichten machen einem Angst – “News makes you/one scared.”German Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are words like “that”, “this”, “these” and “those”.

You can often use the definite articles der, die, and das as demonstrative pronouns:

Wer ist die Frau dort? Ich weiß nicht; die kenne ich nicht. – “Who’s the woman over there? I don’t know; I don’t know her.”Wie findest du den neuen Lehrer? Den finde ich ein bisschen furchterregend – “What do you think of the new teacher? I find him a bit scary.”

The next-most common demonstrative is dieser.

In English we use “this/these” for objects which are near the person speaking, and “that/those” for objects which are farther away. But it’s not so clear-cut in German. Dieser usually means “this”, but it can also be translated as “that”.

Dieser is used as follows:

[CHART]

Dieser can either come before a noun (where it’s called a demonstrative adjective), or as a standalone pronoun.

Dieses Buch ist sehr langweilig – “This book is very boring.”Welche Handschuhe sind deine? Diese – “Which gloves are yours?” “These.”

Note that the nominative and accusative neuter dieses is often shortened to simply dies.

Jener is a demonstrative pronoun that refers to something further away in time or distance than dieser. However, jener is pretty literary and formal, kind of like the English “yonder”.

Most of the time you should use dieser, unless you really want to emphasise that the thing you’re talking about is further away.

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German Relative Pronouns

A relative pronoun in German is a pronoun which connects a noun to a relative clause, a clause that provides additional information about the noun:

Der Hund, den ich gestern gekauft habe, hat meine Hand gebissen – “The dog that I bought yesterday bit my hand.”Sie ist die Frau, die ich gestern getroffen habe. – “She’s the woman that I met yesterday.”Dieses Kleid, das du trägst, ist sehr schön – “That dress that you’re wearing is very nice.”

In English, we often leave the relative pronoun out. For example, the word “that” could be dropped from the English sentence in all three of the above examples.

This isn’t possible in German – you must leave the relative pronoun in every time.

German relative pronouns look a lot like German articles, although there are a few differences.

Can you spot them?

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Remember: the relative pronoun must have the same gender as the noun it refers to, but the relative pronoun’s case comes from the pronoun’s function in the relative clause.

I know that sounds a bit complex, so let’s take a look at an example to help.

Consider this sentence:

Der mann, dem die Frau geholfen hatte, hat ihr gedankt – “The man that the woman had helped thanked her.” (Or more naturally: “The man thanked the woman who had helped him”)

The relative pronoun in this sentence is dem. The gender is masculine, because the relative clause is telling us more information about der Mann. But the case is dative, because in this clause the man is the object of the verb helfen, which takes a dative object.

If you’re not sure, try rearranging the relative clause into a standalone sentence, replacing the relative pronoun with the original noun. What case do you have to use?

Die Frau hatte dem Mann geholfen.

Relative clauses in German always have a comma before them. You don’t have to “say” the comma – that is, you don’t have to pause when saying the sentence out loud – but, strictly speaking, the rules of German grammar dictate that a comma must be written.

Instead of the der/die/das relative pronouns given above, you can use welcher, but this is more formal and not used so much:

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When modifying a relative pronoun with a preposition, don’t use one of the da- constructions from earlier. Instead, just put the preposition before the relative pronoun:

Das Haus, in dem ich wohne, ist sehr groß – “The house in which I live is very big.”

When the relative clause modifies alles, etwas or nichts (“everything”, “something”, “nothing”), use was as your relative pronoun.

Nichts, was ich gefunden habe, wird helfen – “Nothing that I’ve found will help.”

Also use was when the relative pronoun refers to an entire clause:

Er wusste es nicht, was mich nicht überrascht – “He didn’t know, which doesn’t surprise me.”

If you want to modify was with a preposition, you use a construction starting with wo- or wor-, similar to the da- constructions from earlier:

Du hast nichts wofür du sich entschuldigen sollte – “You have nothing to apologise for” (literally: “you have nothing for which to apologise”)Sie hat mich geküsst, worüber ich sehr glücklich bin – “She kissed me, which I’m very happy about” (literally: “She kissed me, about which I’m very happy”)Learn the German Pronouns

As you can see, there’s a lot to take in!

But don’t be discouraged. Practically all the German pronouns share big similarities with English.

And it might look like there are a lot of different forms to learn for all the genders and cases, but if you look closely you’ll see lots of consistent patterns across the different pronouns. This massively reduces the amount you need to learn.

My advice is not to try to learn all of this at once.

Instead, take small bites, like first brushing up on German cases if you need to, then focusing on just one kind of pronoun. Once you’ve mastered one kind, the rest will be much easier, since the rules are mostly the same.

And if you need some more help… Here’s the list of my favourite resources to learn German. That’s where you can find more resources for your German learning journey!

The post German Pronouns – Here’s Everything You Need to Know appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Expats, Fix Your Frustrations Abroad in Just 30 Days

As a long-time expat, I’ve found that most of our experiences abroad are great. But it can be challenging to settle in a new country.

It takes a while to adapt to the new culture and language, and there are some frustrating elements that are difficult to overcome. I’ve found that they often show in the things we do week in and week out.

That might be when taxi drivers seem to know the way to a destination but halfway through, we realize that they aren’t that fond of the GPS and that feels more like a guided expedition than a quick ride to work. Or when we can’t find a particular product at the store but are unable to describe it to the clerk in the local language.

Many of these small annoyances come from transactional situations we do every week and they tend to happen due to the difference in culture and language.

I took on a little challenge to see what it would take to solve those situations and learn the language of my new host country.

The challenges didn’t disappear entirely but it reduced the frustration drastically because I have been able to better help out and explain myself when English isn’t enough.

This article is an overview of how I did that over the course of a month, if the challenge was worth it after three years, and how you can do that too if you are an expat living abroad in a foreign country.

The 30-Day Challenge to Survive In the Local Language

After living in Vietnam for a couple of years, I decided that it was time to give the Vietnamese language a shot. Up until that point, I had enjoyed learning everyday words and phrases to get by, but nothing too serious.

At this point, I was able to address people politely, count to ten, say thanks, and a couple of basic phrases such as “that is expensive” and ''thanks”.

I looked at different methods like the immersion strategy -- where we spend all day everyday learning -- along with alternatives, such as daily half-day sessions at the university like some of my friends were doing.

But because of my work schedule, neither was a realistic option, even though I’m sure they would work well.

On the other hand, I was not ready to spend years learning before seeing results, as I had experienced with German in school. I had already tried using a tutor with a couple of friends and popular apps, but neither were effective for me.

While the tutor was nice, I found myself bored by the focus on grammar in the group class and the apps had forgotten to highlight that it was teaching a regional dialect not used in half the country. The half where I happened to live.

Eventually, I came up with a little test to better understand:

How a tutor could help me 1on1 as I had never used one before,If focusing mostly on speaking practice would be a better choice for what I wanted to do.

My overall idea was to first be able to handle transactional situations that happen every day, like buying things at the neighborhood kiosk or explaining directions to a taxi driver.

I listed all the real-life situations that happen often and decided that theory and philosophical topics I’d never really use weren’t for me.

Here is an example of what I came up with:

Buying stuff on a weekly basis (groceries, at the kiosk, at the market, etc.)Using transport like taxis (directions, asking where the bank is, etc.)Ordering in a restaurant and asking where the restroom isExplaining the basics of my background (where I’m from, what I do, sports I like, etc.)Fun jokes, slang, etc. for lighthearted bonding with colleaguesHow to say hello to different people and be polite/show respect according to local customsCertain keywords that I noticed seeing every day at work.

I wasn’t sure if it was possible to learn all of that in such a short period of time. And another challenge was to figure out how much time I would be able to commit each week.

I knew that I might run into unforeseen events, like last-minute projects at work, so I had to account for that, or I might be forced to pause the experiment halfway through.

I liked the idea of focusing on consistency over long sessions and came up with practicing for a half-hour per day over the course of a month. I knew that it would be too much without any breaks, as we tend to have different plans on the weekends, so I took them off altogether.

It became 30 minutes per day, Monday through Friday, for a month.

How I Put My Plan Into Practice - And Attained Success

I found a tutor, explained my situation, what I wanted to learn and what wasn’t important to me. I preferred Skype to meeting in person, so traffic jams or other surprises wouldn’t cause any delays.

The tutor recommended a podcast that we could use as a lesson plan because it covered real-life situations and helped explain some of the words. I committed to spending 15-20 minutes per day listening to that as my homework.

The first few days were overwhelming as I had to speak for the entire 30 minutes without really being able to say anything meaningful. I used a trick from Benny’s Conversation Countdown program that made it a lot easier, which was to prepare what I wanted to say and use Google translate to turn it into Vietnamese.

It wasn’t important whether it was perfect or not, since the tutor needed to assess my level, but rather that I felt comfortable making mistakes without breaking the flow of the conversation too much. It worked surprisingly well and, over the course of that month, we used about two practice sessions per podcast episode and practiced the same stuff twice.

It all culminated when one day I got a phone call that a delivery order had gone wrong. As I hung up the phone, it occurred to me that I had understood the entire conversation, even though it felt a little too fast.

Normally, that would have forced me to respond with “sorry, I don’t speak Vietnamese” and leave both of us frustrated.

I imagine that because transactional situations carry context, those are easier to learn than other conversational topics. For example, when we go buy something at the store, everyone knows that the next step is to get the price and pay. It’s predictable.

On the other hand, conversation over coffee can be about politics, sports, or any other topic so it’s a lot more challenging to follow.

3 Years Later: Do I Still Remember Anything?

It’s been three years since. I didn’t continue learning and I’ve forgotten some of the phrases that I didn’t use much.

However, I still remember most of the stuff that I use frequently. It’s definitely motivating to see things work over and over again in real life.

I’ve found that I got better in some specific situations and I imagine it’s like getting our driver’s licenses. We only get good at driving after getting it and practicing over the years. The initial training before getting the license is more about making sure that we don’t kill ourselves than it is about being a racing god.

All in all, it has been a worthwhile investment of a month’s time and money, and it has made weekly errands that could be frustrating at times a lot easier, as I’m able to handle situations that happen all the time.

For example, when taking a taxi to work, I’ll be able to explain the fastest route rather than being late to work. Or simply call and order delivery from my favorite restaurants that don't use delivery apps.

What Got Me Started After Putting It Off for Two Years

For years, I kept putting off making a serious effort in learning the language. But after taking the Conversation Countdown course, something changed.

It helped me shift my mindset from the overwhelming feeling of learning the entire language from scratch to breaking it down into smaller more manageable chunks, like:

Learning transactional conversations (ordering food, taxi, etc.)Everyday small talk (talk about sports, the weather, etc.)Deeper conversations (our health, how we feel, etc.)Unusual topics (theory, infrequent topics, etc.)

I also learned not to care as much about sounding stupid or incorrect at first. I’ve found that especially important here in Vietnam, where people tend to get excited if a foreigner tries to speak in a local neighborhood kiosk.

At times, it can feel a little overwhelming with several people watching you trying to muster up a basic sentence without knowing how to pronounce it. The result is usually that they are laughing in the excitement of someone trying.

How You Can Use the Same Approach to Learn the Local Language and Fix Most Frustrating Situations

As I was writing this article, I was thinking about how best to break down the process if you are interested in replicating my experience for yourself. I decided that the easiest approach for you would be a step-by-step overview.

Step 1: Plan What You Want to Learn

Plan what you’d like to learn, which situations you’d like to be able to handle in the local language, and break it down into specifics.

That might for example be:

Buying stuff on a weekly basis (groceries, at the kiosk, at the market, etc.)Using transport like taxis (directions, etc.)Ordering in a restaurant and asking where the restroom isExplaining the basics of my background (where I’m from, what I do, sports I like, etc.)Fun jokes, slang, etc. for lightheaded bonding with colleaguesHow to say hello to different people and be polite/show respect according to local customsStep 2: Pick How Much Time You’d Like to Spend On This Project

That includes a specific timeline, how much time you’d like to spend per day, and which time during the day is best for you. I also suggest considering days off and what to do if things get busy at work, or if you run into unforeseen events.

Pro tip: I’ve found that it works well to pick the same time of the day for this experiment.

Step 3: Look For a Few Tutors in Your Price Range

Italki is a decent place to start looking at different tutors and this guide covers how to find a good one.

Alternatively, ask your friends if they have used a local tutor that they liked. Perhaps that person will be a good fit for you too.

Step 4: Explain This Challenge to the Tutor

That includes your goal, what you don’t care about learning for now, and the timeline.

I suggest asking the tutor if they can recommend any relevant material as homework. Alternatively, you might have to research online to see if anyone has recommended something for the specific language you are learning.

I suggest emphasizing whether your goal is to learn to speak, read books, write, or something else since it doesn’t make sense to practice speaking if you want to use it mainly for reading books in this short challenge.

Also, ask for their help with role-playing and ensuring that the situation you practice is as close to real-life as possible based on the local culture and customs.

Here’s a script you can use to get you started:

“Hey [NAME],

I’m [MY NAME] and I’d like to learn [LANGUAGE]. I’d like to try a 30-day challenge, my goal is [YOUR GOAL] and for now, I’m only looking to practice [SPECIFIC THINGS YOU WANT TO PRACTICE]. I’m thinking of practicing [X TIMES] per week for [X MINUTES] per session.

Is that something you’d be able to help with? And do you know of any specific homework between sessions (e.g. podcasts) that would be a good fit for this?

Thanks

[MY NAME]”Step 5: Select the Tutor That Seems to Fit You the Best and Begin!

I’ve found that the key at first is to build the habit of practicing every day and getting used to it being a part of the day. I’ve also noticed that I find it easier to show up when I’ve paid for it in advance as I don’t waste money. Perhaps you’ll feel the same?

The post Expats, Fix Your Frustrations Abroad in Just 30 Days appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Learn Russian – It’s Easier Than You Think!

Learning Russian has changed my life, and I believe it can change yours too - if you are open to it.

Russia evokes powerful emotions in all of us. It's nearly impossible to feel indifferent towards it: you either love it or hate it.

Having hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2018, and in a delicate political situation with Ukraine, it is clear that Russia isn't going away anytime soon, like it, or not. And yet, despite its international prowess, there is often a lack of interest in wanting to understand Russia, its culture, its people, and its language.

And that's a shame.

I studied Russian for 4 years in college. I studied abroad there for a semester, worked a summer in Moscow, and have traveled there on several occasions as a tourist. My girlfriend of many years is Russian.

In this post, I’ll give you a few tips on how to learn Russian. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Table of contentsHacking The Language: How to Learn Russian and Why It Isn't As Hard As You ThinkStart With the Russian AlphabetSpot the Adaptations From EnglishWork With the Immense Flexibility of Sentence StructureLearn the Many Russian Rules, But Face Few ExceptionsWhy Russian Should Be Your Next Language Of ChoiceTravel To Russia And The Eastern BlocExpectations For Westerners Are LowUnderstand And Partake In CustomsAbundant Resources and InterestYou Will Understand Your Own Language BetterStart Learning Russian NowHacking The Language: How to Learn Russian and Why It Isn't As Hard As You Think

I'd be lying if I said Russian was easy.

After many years of studying and interacting with Russians, I still consider myself to be only conversational. Verbs of motion, verbal aspect, and completely unpredictable verb/preposition pairs will make your head spin.

However, I checked several articles around the topic of "hardest languages for English Speakers". I’m happy to say that Russian didn't appear in the top 10 for any of them. It's still considered easier than Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

So let's focus on some of the bright sides of learning Russian.

Start With the Russian Alphabet

One of the first things that turn people off from a new language is having to learn a different set of characters or letters.

People vastly overestimate how difficult this really is. They see the backward "R" (я pronounced [ja]) and immediately want to turn the other way.

Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in 3 Months, has written extensively about why Chinese is not as difficult as it seems. He points out in particular that the number of characters in the language should not be seen as a huge obstacle.

If that's true for Chinese, which has thousands of characters, it should certainly be true for Russian, which has only 33 letters.

Remember: it may be Cyrillic, but it is still an alphabet. And alphabets are made up of letters, just like English. But what makes it even easier than English is that these letters have consistent pronunciation. Ever try to say this poem in English aloud? Then you'll know how welcome a consistently pronounced alphabet is!

While Russian tends to have longer words than English, as well as some tricky sounds, at least it doesn't have this problem of sometimes needing to guess how a word is pronounced, like in English. Can you imagine?

You pronounce it like it's spelled and you spell it like it's pronounced. That’s the way it should be!

Honestly, you could learn Cyrillic in a day. You may make a few mistakes here and there with a few tricky letters that pose as English letters. But after a few weeks, you'll have it down pat and you'll never have to think about it again. Promise.

In fact, there are several letters in Cyrillic that are exactly like their English counterparts in look and pronunciation: A, B, D, K, L, M, O, T. A

And many of the other ones have the same pronunciation, they just look a little funny. For example г is “g” and ф is “f”.

All and all, there are really only a few new sounds that need to be learned.

Additionally, I find the Cyrillic alphabet to be visually distinct. It still has that boxy look that English has where, at least to me, each letter looks relatively different from the other. I don't feel that as much with say, Arabic, which looks very curvy.

All of this will help expedite the memorization phase.

Spot the Adaptations From English

Romance languages are not the only ones to have adopted words from the English language (known as cognates). Russian has plenty as well. You just wouldn't know it because it looks different in Cyrillic.

For example, Russian has its own word for doctor: врач (pronounced vrach). But you could just as easily say доктор (“doctor”), and that would be completely normal.

Additionally, there is a whole class of verbs that pretty much have just been Russified from English:

парковать (parkovat) - “to park”адаптировать (adaptirovat) - “to adapt”адоптировать (adoptirovat) - “to adopt”

This may not be the case for all ‘ова’ verbs, but there is enough to help you out.

In fact, more and more English words are finding their way into Russian because of Western media as well as technology-based words. These seem to be adopted almost with a general agreement across various languages.

For example “computer”, “microchip”, “camera”, and “television” are all pretty recognizable in Russian.

Work With the Immense Flexibility of Sentence Structure

One of the things I realized about English AFTER learning Russian was just how rigid the sentence structure is. There's a right way to say something.

For example, if you want to say that you are going to the park, you would probably say, I am going to the park. You wouldn't say, to the park, I go.

Unless you want to sound like Master Yoda.

Russian isn't like that. I could translate that sentence in a variety of ways, such as:

я иду в парк - "I am going to the park"в парк иду - "to the park I go" (without the subject)в парк я иду - "to the park I go" (with the subject)

Did you notice how in the second variant I left out the subject? In English, we almost always include the pronoun, partly because we don't have a unique conjugation for each conjugation person. In “I go to the park” and “They go to the park”, the verb form is the same.

Because Russian has a defined conjugation for every pronoun, you don't need to include pronouns in sentences.

Learn the Many Russian Rules, But Face Few Exceptions

One of the aspects of Russian that appeals to me the most is that it's a very rule-based language. I was a Math major, so I cling to repeatable procedures and a set of defined rules that I can wrap my head around.

This was one of my major turn-offs in high school when I was learning French.

For example, in French, you have to memorize the gender for each individual word. Sure, there are tendencies for things to be masculine or feminine, but in general, it's not scalable. This creates additional annoyances when you add adjectives and possessive pronouns. They also require agreement, stemming from the noun.

Russian isn't like that.

There is a set rule for what is masculine, feminine, and neuter (neutral third case), with almost no exceptions.

Rules for determining if a noun is masculine or feminine in Russian:

Look at the last letter of the word:If it is a consonant, or “й”, the word is masculine.If it is “а” or “я” it is feminine.If it is “о” or “е” it is neuter.If it is a soft sign “ь” then it could be either masculine or feminine. (relative to the above four, this doesn't happen too often)

There are very few exceptions to these rules, but there are five notable ones that occur mainly because of physical gender.

Папа - “daddy, papa” → masculineДядя - “uncle” → masculineДедушка - “grandfather” → masculineМужчина - “man” → masculineКофе - “coffee” → masculine

And gender is just an example. This carries over to how verbs change in the past and future tense, how nouns become plural, etc.

Rules, rules, rules.

For example, while it doesn't make much sense that “mouse” becomes “mice” in the English plural, Russian has these rules in the nominative case:

For masculine nouns:

If the word ends in a consonant, add ы.Replace й with иReplace ь with и

For feminine nouns:

Replace я with иReplace ь with иReplace а with ы (unless previous consonant is Г, К, Х, Ж, Ч, Ш, Щ. Then replace it with и as per the spelling rules.)

For neuter nouns:

Replace o with аReplace e with “я” (don't forget the spelling rules)

Examples:

студент (“student”) - студенты (“students”)газета (“newspaper”) - газеты (“newspapers”)здание (“building”) - здания (“buildings”)

I find this much better than the randomness of English and romance languages.

The problem with Russian is that it has six declensions: Nominative, Accusative, Prepositional, Genitive, Dative, and Instrumental. If you've ever studied Latin, German or another Slavic language you're probably familiar with these.

And they kind of stink, and lead to tables like this:

This is pretty nasty looking, I know. My argument isn't that it's easy, but that it's reliable.

It also helps us break down the sentence structure and see how words relate to each other. It's because of these declensions that we can organize the sentence a bunch of different ways and still distinguish between the subject, the verb, and the direct object.

Why Russian Should Be Your Next Language Of Choice

In Russia, English can't be your fallback.

Ever wonder why Russians seem to always visit the same countries and do so as part of large, Russian-speaking tour groups?

It's often because they are not comfortable speaking and traveling in English.

If you go to the list of countries by English speaking population and sort it, you will find Russia near the very bottom. Only 5.5% of the Russian population claims English as a first or second language.

Westerners tend to gravitate towards other Western languages like French and Spanish due to their familiarity. But a much larger proportion of people in those countries can at least communicate in English if need be.

In Russia, however, you have over 140 million people that downright will not understand you if you don't speak a little Russian.

That's a lot of people we can meet with one language.

Travel To Russia And The Eastern Bloc

Russia is a country rich in history, culture, and traditions.

But too often we don't even consider it as a travel destination because we’re intimidated by the language and people. Russia gets about half the tourists that Spain and Italy get, and only one-third of what France gets.

It's true that traveling in Russia can be quite difficult on account of the Cyrillic alphabet, visa restrictions, and the lack of English speakers.

But consider what bucket-list worthy items we're missing out on if we don't even try:

Travel on the Trans-Siberian RailwayVisit Red Square and Saint Basil's Cathedral and other beautiful attractions in MoscowWatch The Nutcracker in a Russian theaterBuy original Matryoshka dolls

Couple that with the fact that Russian opens doors to communicating with people in the Eastern bloc and you've got a world of opportunities. I've gotten by with Russian in Poland and the Czech-Republic.

Expectations For Westerners Are Low

The great news about learning Russian is that people will love you even if you only know a little bit. So few Westerners even attempt to learn the language that it's refreshing when someone shows initiative.

And Russians are not shy, as I find most Asian cultures to be. They can be quite chatty even, once they get to know you.

My Russian has been at all sorts of levels. When I was just starting out, I only knew a few words. Now I am proficient in everyday conversation,but I can tell you that never once did anyone turn their back on me because of my level in Russian.

Understand And Partake In Customs

Westerners, unfortunately, often harbor the opinions that Russians are cold, crude, and unpleasant. While it is true that Russians can be a little rough around the edges at times, once you break through this hardened exterior they are warm, welcoming, and hospitable.

It also just so happens that Russia is filled with confusing customs, traditions, and superstitions that can befuddle a Westerner.

As Benny Lewis, Founder of Fluent in 3 Months, can attest to, the best way to understand a culture is through its language.

Had I not learned Russian I would have been excluded from the vast majority of these customs, and likely would have just sat on the sidelines.

Instead, I have been able to be active in these various traditions, like giving a meaningful toast at a reception or singing a song in a group. At the time, these seemed somewhat trivial, but I realize now how important they were in building the foundations of a relationship with strangers.

Abundant Resources and Interest

Russian may be a complex and intimidating language, but there are plenty of resources to help you on your way. Russia has a population of over 140 million and there are another 27 million living abroad. A large proportion of them are interested in learning English and engaging with English speakers.

Russians love Western culture, and they do learn English in school. They just don't use it frequently.

Although I went to college for Applied Math, I probably spent the bulk of my time chatting with Russians. I connected with them on social search sites like italki and Scrabbin.

I would study sites like RussianForFree.com. Youtube has a nice selection of videos with subtitles. I'm particularly fond of cartoons for beginners.

You can find more free resources to learn Russian in this post.

You Will Understand Your Own Language Better

Perhaps my most unexpected benefit from learning Russian is how much it has deepened my understanding of my own language.

I never really approached English from a linguistics perspective. As a result, I never really appreciated the various constructions that make English different.

When you start learning Russian, you really have to dive into the grammar and the rules. This opens up a number of parallels to English that I never knew before. For example, English sentences have an order that’s completely different from Russian sentences, and still convey the same meaning.

I would even say my French got better as well, just by learning Russian. Grammar finally started to make sense.

Start Learning Russian Now

Russian is a commitment. Even the most talented language learners will probably struggle for months or years before they really crack it. However, it brings with it a world of opportunities in terms of people to meet, places to go, and experiences to have.

If I have convinced you to take on the language, but you’re not sure where to start, give a look at Benny’s favourite resources to learn Russian!

Or, if you are Russian, давайте говорить по-русски ("let's speak Russian”)!

Original article by David Schneider, updated by the Fluent in 3 Months team.

The post How to Learn Russian – It’s Easier Than You Think! appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Order Your Favorite Thai Dishes IN Thai

Thailand is a beautiful country with a reputation for picturesque beaches, kind hospitality, and perhaps most notably, delicious food. Thai food has made its way around the globe and into the hearts of millions of hungry patrons who have come to love the tasty and often chili-laden cuisine.

Ordering your food in Thai is an excellent opportunity to flex your language-learning muscles and it also gives you a great excuse to head to your favorite Thai restaurant for a delicious curry or stir-fry.

This article will teach you how to order your favorite Thai dishes in Thai and also help you to understand more about Thai food culture.

Table of contentsOrdering Your FoodCan You Eat Spicy?Don’t Forget Your VeggiesThai Food CultureSecret Menu ItemsHow to Ask For Your BillTippingReady to Eat

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When ordering food in a Thai Restaurant the first thing you need to decide is, will you be ordering for yourself or for the table?

The reason this is important is because, in Thai, you can order the same dish two different ways:

ราดข้าว (raat khaao) meaning “over rice,” and usually for a single person.กับข้าว (gap khaao) meaning “with rice,” a much larger portion that can be shared with others.

This is applicable to dishes that come with rice, such as ข้าวผัด (khaao pad), also known as “Fried Rice” or ผัดกะเพรา (pad ga-prao), which is sometimes called “Spicy Basil Stir-Fry”.

Once you’ve decided on your portion size, your next decision is, of course, what you’d like to order. Here are some of the most popular Thai Dishes:

ข้าวผัด (khaao pad) – “Fried Rice”ผัดซีอิ๊ว – Pad See Ewผัดกะเพรา – Pad Ga Prao, or “Spicy Basil”ผัดขี้เมา – Pad Kii Mao, or “Drunken Noodles”แกง (geng) – “Curry”ต้มยำ – Tom Yum

To order a dish you simply use the word เอา (ao), the verb “to want”.

You can say: เอาผัดซีอิ๊วครับ (ao pad see ew krap) ครับ (“I’d like Pad See Ew please”). ครับ (krap) is the polite way to end your sentence if you’re a male. You would say ค่ะ (ka) instead if you’re female, which acts almost like “please”.

The phrase mentioned above will help your waiter or waitress know which dish you want, but you still need to let them know which protein you would like.

The most common proteins for Thai food include:

หมู (moo) – “pork”ไก่ (gai) – “chicken” ทะเล (tah-leh) – “mixed seafood”กุ้ง (goong) – “shrimp”

Less common, but can be ordered in different regions of Thailand and some restaurants: เนื้อวัว (new-uh woo-ah, “beef”).

The proper way to explain which protein you’d like is to say it after the name of the dish.

So if you’d like to order “Chicken Fried Rice” you would say เอาข้าวผัดไก่ครับ (ao khaao pad gai krap, or ka for female speakers). Quite literally, this translates to: “want rice fried chicken please”.

If you want to make sure that the waiter or waitress know you only want a single portion, you can add ราดข้าวครับ (raat khaao krap, or ka) after.

So the formula is simple:

เอา (ao) + name of dish + protein + ครับ (krap, or ka if you’re female) + ราดข้าวครับ (raat khao krap, or ka) for a single portion or กับข้าว (gap khaao) for a dish to share.

Can You Eat Spicy?

The next consideration when it comes to ordering your food is, how spicy would you like it? In Western countries, if you go to a Thai Restaurant you will often be asked to describe your desired spice level with a number from 1-10.

In Thailand, generally, you will not be asked this question. If you order ผัดกะเพรา (pad ga prao) in Southern Thailand, where they love their Thai chilis, you can expect it to be quite spicy.

There is however a way to describe how spicy you would like your food in a situation like this. The word เผ็ด (pet) means spicy.

If you want a little bit of spice you can use the phrase เผ็ดนิดหน่อย (pet nit noi), meaning “a little bit spicy”.If you want as little spice as possible, you can use the phrase ไม่เผ็ดเลย (mai pet lui), meaning “not spicy at all”.You can also use the phrase: ไม่ใส่พริกเลย (mai sai prik lui), meaning “don’t put any peppers in at all”.

If you are quite sensitive to spicy food, the last phrase in particular will help make sure the dish you order remains edible for you.

If you are a foreigner and enjoy the spiciness of Thai dishes, you can order as normal and expect to eat a dish as the locals would have it.

On some occasions you may even have the แม่ครัว (meh kruua) or “female chef” ask you the question: กินเผ็ดได้ไหม (gin pet dai mai?) meaning: “Can you eat spicy food?”

If you enjoy spicy food and want your food as the locals would order it, you can respond with กินเผ็ดได้ (gin pet dai), meaning you “can eat spicy food”.

If you are concerned about whether you can handle the spice, you can use the phrase เผ็ดนิดหน่อย (pet nit noi) mentioned above to let them know you’d like it just a little spicy. Usually, it will be adjusted a bit for you.

Don’t Forget Your Veggies

If you are a vegetarian or prefer to not eat meat, this is certainly possible. There are a variety of delicious Thai dishes that contain only vegetables. However, if you are ordering at a restaurant in Thailand, this can sometimes be a bit tricky.

The vast majority of Thais will eat their meals with a protein such as chicken or pork. It is possible to order a dish without meat and to have only vegetables but you need to ask for this clearly.

Often, cooks will be concerned that they are not feeding you enough and not giving you a full and complete meal. You might need to repeat yourself to make sure they understand you would prefer only vegetables but usually this is not a problem.

The word for vegetables is ผัก (pak).

You can use this word the same way you would use pork or chicken to explain that you would like only vegetables.

For example: เอาผัดขี้เมาผัก (ao pad kii mao pak), meaning: “I’d like Drunken Noodles with vegetables.”

Thai Food Culture

Food etiquette is something that can vary greatly depending on where you’re from and where you’re visiting.

If you are eating in a Western restaurant, for instance, generally it is considered respectful and considerate to wait for everyone at the table to receive their food before eating.

In local restaurants in Thailand, this is often not the case. When you receive your food, it is quite normal and acceptable to eat as your food comes, even if others are waiting to receive their dish.

Part of the reason for this is that at smaller local restaurants there might be only one or perhaps two cooking stations in which only one dish at a time can be made. This means that it might take a while for the dishes that everyone has ordered at your table to be ready and delivered.

Instead of waiting for everyone and eating a cold dish, it is quite normal for people to eat their food as it is received.

Secret Menu Items

Who doesn’t love a secret menu? In Thai restaurants, there are two “secret” menu items that usually won’t appear on the menu but that can be ordered everywhere.

The first item is known as ไข่ดาว (“kai daao”) or “fried egg”. If you would like a delicious fried egg served with your stir fry you can simply add ไข่ดาว (“kai daao”) to the end of your order.

So let’s say you want a Pork Spicy Basil Stir-Fry with a fried egg on top of your rice. That would like this: เอาผัดกะเพราหมูไข่ดาวครับ (ao pad ga prao moo kai daao krap, or ka).

The second “secret” menu item that can be ordered throughout Thailand has to do with how hungry you are.

If you are especially hungry and don’t feel like the standard single serving of a ราดข้าว (raat khaao) dish will satisfy you, you can order a dish พิเศษ (pii-set) literally meaning special. This is a larger than standard portion of a meal but not quite as large as a กับข้าว (gap khaao) portion.

Similar to ไข่ดาว (kai daao), if you would like your dish to be พิเศษ (pii-set) or super-sized we could say, you simply add the phrase to the end of the order.

If you’d like to order Shrimp Fried Rice พิเศษ (pii-set) you can simply say: เอาข้าวผัดกุ้งพิเศษครับ (ao khaao pad gung pi-set krap).

How to Ask For Your Bill

In Thailand you are generally not rushed to leave the restaurant and you will need to ask for the check yourself.

There is a simple phrase that you can use that works no matter where you are: ขอเช็คบิลด้วย (kor check-bin duuai) meaning: “Can I please have the bill?”

Tipping

Outside of resort areas, hotels and Western-style restaurants, there is not much of a tipping culture in Thailand. If you were to eat at a local Thai restaurant, tips would not be expected. However, when your change is brought back to you, some will leave the coins as a small tip of usually 1-10 baht per person.

Of course, please respect the local tipping culture wherever you are, just because you’re eating at a Thai restaurant does not mean that you shouldn’t respect your local customs and culture.

Ready to Eat

There you have it. With this guide you have everything you need to order your favorite dish from your local Thai restaurant.

There’s no need to feel intimidated, you’ll no doubt make mistakes and things won’t always come out the way you want them to, but the effort to try to speak Thai will always be appreciated and will make that delicious food just that extra bit better.

The post How to Order Your Favorite Thai Dishes IN Thai appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

How to Learn with Korean Songs: Learn Korean Through Music

What if the best way for you to learn Korean was… a Korean song?

If you love music, why not use music as a tool to learn Korean through Korean songs!

Music has a great way of expanding the brain and changing the way we think. It’s been proven to improve memory and learning abilities.

Music creates improved neuroplasticity, creates new pathways in the brain, and hits all the spots in the brain needed to listen, speak, and understand language.

In short: music is great for learning and brain health.

It was thought that classical music provided these benefits, but more recent studies have shown it’s actually any music you prefer.

So -- KPop stans! Your addiction to BTS and Blackpink is paying off for your language skills and brain function!

Okay, okay, so music helps you learn... But you need to learn Korean. How can you do that with music?

Easy. Listening to music and using it as a tool is one of the best ways to learn Korean.

I’m going to share the exact steps you need to know to learn Korean using popular Korean songs.

Then, I’ll share Korean songs from different genres -- and even those TikTok trends that went viral -- to give you a starting point.

Here’s everything we’ll go through:

Table of contentsWhy Learn with Korean Songs?How to Learn Korean with Music: 5 Steps to SuccessStep 1: Find Music You Genuinely Enjoy FirstStep 2: Look Up the Korean Lyrics and the English TranslationStep 3: Start with the ChorusStep 4: Sing and Speak the SongStep 5: Summarize the Song’s Meaning in Your Own WordsStep 6: Move On To Your Next Song!Popular Korean SongsKorean Love SongsKorean Rap SongsKorean Folk SongsKorean Indie, Rock, Alternative SongsKorean TikTok SongsHappy Birthday Song in KoreanKorean Alphabet SongKorean Children SongsLearn with Korean Songs!

I’ve included some Korean children’s songs, the happy birthday song in Korean, and the Korean version of “ABC’s” to help you learn as an absolute beginner (or if you’re trying to raise bilingual babies).

Why Learn with Korean Songs?

Why pick Korean music as a learning tool instead of using traditional approaches like textbooks and vocab apps?

Korean music has tons of benefits for the language learner.

For one, you’ll get exposed to the pronunciation of lots of different artists. Singing can help smooth out the sounds more than regular speaking, making it easier to understand and copy.

Second, Korean songs -- especially KPop -- are a huge part of Korean culture. If you want to understand the culture (which you should! It’s a huge part of the language), then music is a great way to do that.

Third, because KPop and Korean songs are so popular, it’ll help give you a mutual topic of interest with potential language exchange partners.

And lastly, because of the nature of songs, the same words and phrases get repeated often. That makes it ideal for learning and remembering new vocab!

You should still supplement your learning with grammar and vocab studies. But music can be an amazing way to connect with the language on a deeper level.

How to Learn Korean with Music: 5 Steps to Success

Just listening to Korean songs won’t make you fluent in Korean, though. Passive listening can only go so far -- even though it does have its benefits.

So here are some strategies for learning Korean through KPop:

Step 1: Find Music You Genuinely Enjoy First

Below, you’ll find a bunch of song suggestions from different genres to help you learn Korean. That’ll be a good starting point, but don’t stop there.

Find music you genuinely enjoy. Explore YouTube and Spotify. Go check out the artists, the music video, and add them to a Youtube or Spotify playlist.

Listen to them a few times and get used to the cadence and rhythm of the song. If you can already start to pick out words or phrases to sing along with -- great!

But don’t worry if you can’t understand any of it. The great thing about music is it’s a universal language. We can all understand what a song is trying to convey by the tone of the music.

Step 2: Look Up the Korean Lyrics and the English Translation

Do a Google search and find the lyrics and translation. You can often find them on at least one site side-by-side.

Read through the Korean lyrics first, and see how much you understand. (By the way, you may want to learn hangul, the Korean alphabet first.)

Then, read the Korean and English line-by-line.

Now, listen to the song and follow along with the lyrics. And then again. And again.

Sometimes it can help to listen to the music video, so you can see how the artist is moving their mouth as they pronounce the words.

Step 3: Start with the Chorus

It’s time to start memorizing and singing. And I recommend starting with the chorus.

If you learn the chorus, you will already know at least 1/3 - 1/2 of the song, because it repeats the most. That will give you a huge motivation boost because you’ll understand so much faster!

There’s two main ways you could go about learning the chorus. You could start singing along with the Korean lyrics until you’ve got it memorized. Or, you could listen and follow along with the English translation so you understand the meaning first.

Whichever way you decide is fine. But take the words you don’t know and punch them into a vocab app to practice and keep them fresh with the English translation.

Focus on one or two lines at a time, especially if the chorus is long. If it’s only 4 lines or so (or repeats those 4 lines), then that’s not too bad. Just don’t overwhelm yourself with a ton of lines at once.

Once you feel comfortable with the chorus, move on to the pre-chorus (if there is one) or any other part that repeats. Then go back to the first verse and work your way through the whole song until it’s complete.

Step 4: Sing and Speak the Song

Start singing along! You know it all now -- so sing it over and over. And don’t forget to keep up with your new vocab flashcards too.

But besides singing, practice speaking the song. Speak the lyrics rather than sing them, so you get practice using Korean naturally.

Repeat!

Step 5: Summarize the Song’s Meaning in Your Own Words

You looked up the translation, so you know what the song is about. Now summarize it!

Practice using what you’ve learned by creating a few sentences or a paragraph about what the singer is talking about in the song.

You may need to study some grammar for this, but it’s good practice to learn how to put something in your own words.

If you have a language exchange partner, share your summary with them and see what they think. They can correct any mistakes and help you improve.

Step 6: Move On To Your Next Song!

That’s it -- repeat these steps with your next song.

The more you do this, the easier it becomes. Each step will begin to take less and less time as you understand more words.

Practice makes perfect. So the more you listen, learn, and use it, the easier it’ll be to learn and speak Korean.

So go on -- turn up the music!

Popular Korean Songs

Now here’s your list of songs to get you started. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t start this section with KPop!

KPop has dominated the globe, and is widely popular in Korea and abroad. So we’re starting here.

You probably already know BTS, Blackpink, and Psy.

But what about other popular artists like IU, HyunA, BoA, SHINee, Chung Ha, Jessi, TWICE, ITZY, SuperM, and Super Junior? You’re about to discover a whole lot more awesomeness.

So great KPop songs to start learning Korean are:

“Celebrity” by IU“How You Like That” by Blackpink“Not Shy” by ITZY“eight” by IU and Suga“What Type of X” by Jessi“Gentleman” by Psy“Don’t Call Me” by SHINee“Bicycle” by Chung Ha“I’m Not Cool” by HyunA“House Party” by Super Junior“Life Goes On” by BTS“More & More” by TWICE“Candy” by Baekhyun“Love Killa” by Monsta X“Better” by BoAKorean Love Songs

Love a good love song? There are tons of beautiful Korean love songs out there, and this list is just the tip of the iceberg.

I’ve also included Korean sad songs on this list -- as many of them are about hard times or heartbreak. We all need a sad song that resonates with us every now and then.

“Galaxy (우주를 줄게)” by BOL4“Dream” by Suzy, Baekhyun“I miss you everyday” by Joo Young“Happy” by Taeyeon“It’s You” by Henry“I am Love” by Tearliner, Yozoh“Orbit” by Hwa Sa“Flower” by Yoon Mi Rae“Star (Little Prince)” by Loco & U Sung-eun“Breath” by Sam Kim“My Tale” by Park Won“In Your Time” by Lee Suhyun“Last Dance” by BIGBANG“Butterfly” by BTS“When the Wind Blows” by YOONAKorean Rap Songs

Now here’s a great genre that will push you to your limits! Rap is a fantastic way to learn Korean because it’s fast-paced and rhythmic.

In fact, check out how Idahosa Ness used rap music to learn languages -- it’s inspiring! You can also check out this video of Idahosa rapping in several different languages to see how you could learn Korean with rap, too.

Anyway, let’s dive into some songs to check out:

“Ice King” by Loopy & nafla“DSF” by Kid Milli, Sik-K“GOTT” by Simon Dominic, Moon, Woo, and Jvcki Wai“Remedy” by Changmo and Chung Ha“Any song” by ZICO“I’m Sick” by Giriboy, C Jamm, Kid Milli, Kim Seungmin, Lil tachi, and NO:EL“Intro: Persona” by BTS“One and Only (B.I Solo)” by iKON“Base Line” by j-hope“Tony Montana” by Agust D, Yankie“Should I do” by JOOHONEY“Hello B*tches” by CL“Strange” by Agust D and RM“Movin’ & Movin’” by Coogie and Bla$e Kid“Anarchy” by Jvcki WaiKorean Folk Songs

There is a lot of traditional music as well as interpretations and variations on Korean folk songs. Some have lyrics, but others are only instrumental (but still beautiful to listen to).

One of the most famous is a song called “Arirang” which means “my beloved one.” You can listen to the traditional version with lyrics or check out this absolutely beautiful variation by Youn Sun Nah.

You can also check out this album on Spotify that has some modern Korean folk songs to introduce you to the genre.

Korean Indie, Rock, Alternative Songs

Ah, this list could be endless.

South Korea has a thriving indie music scene, loads of grunge and rock, and a lot of chill alt vibes. You’ll find amazing playlists in these genres on Spotify, but here are some of my favorites:

“Sunshine” by Hoody, Crush“Submarine” by Bronze“Insomnia” by Yukika“lazygirl” by Chuther“Don’t be sad” by Ku One Chan“Fighting! (응원해)” by Eldon“The King Must Die” by Purple Rain“Blaze” by Rolling Quartz“Take Me Now” by FTISLAND“Blood” by DAY6“Odd Eye” by Dreamcatcher“Good Boy Twist” by JANNABI“She’s in the Rain” by The Rose“Hello Sunshine” by Wetter“Wash” by Cherry CokeKorean TikTok Songs

What makes a famous Korean song become a global hit? Well, a big factor nowadays are trends on TikTok.

Lots of Korean songs go viral on TikTok because of their dance choreography and catchy tunes. Even if you aren’t on TikTok and don’t care about the trends, you’ll find some great tunes on this list.

“Stay With Me” by CHANYEOL and Punch“Ddu-du Ddu-du” by Blackpink“Wannabe” by Itzy“Psycho” by Red Velvet“ON” by BTS“Oh My God” by (G)I-DLE“La Di Da” by Everglow“What You Waiting For” by SOMI“Bad Boy” by Red Velvet“Likey” by TWICE“Panorama” by IZ*ONE“Summer Hate” by Zico“Ninu Nana” by Jessi“Kick It” by NCT 127“Way Back Home” by SHAUN

This playlist is a great compilation of all the recent TikTok hits (and just some great jams). You’ll also find a lot of KPop stars are on TikTok and they host dance challenges often to promote new songs.

Happy Birthday Song in Korean

Now here’s a song you should know -- how to sing “Happy Birthday” in Korean!

The Korean birthday song is sung to the same tune as in English, so it’s easy to learn. You can listen to KoreanJulie sing it here.

But the lyrics are:

생일 축하합니다 생일 축하합니다 사랑하는 (name [+ 씨, sshi, in formal situations) 생일 축하합니다

saengil chuka hamnida saengil chuka hamnida sarangha neun (name) saengil chuka hamnida

Korean Alphabet Song

Like English, Korean has an “alphabet song” that helps kids learn hangul. But they can be helpful for adults too!

It’s called “Ganada Song (가나다 송)” in Korean and there are many versions of it. In fact, the Korean boy band B1A4 made a fun version of the song.

Here are two great simple versions to help you learn the Korean characters:

Ganada SongVowel SongKorean Children Songs

A great way to learn simple Korean or share your language skills with your children. These Korean children’s songs and rhymes will get you started:

Three Bears (곰 세 마리)Butterfly (나비야)Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (반짝 반짝 작은 별)Baby Shark (아기상어)Mountain Rabbit (산토끼)Learn with Korean Songs!

Which song or genre on the list was your favorite? Which one will you start learning with first?

P.S. If you want to get a head start, try learning the 101 most common Korean words and master aegyo Korean phrases that all the K-idols use.

화이팅! (hwating, “Fighting!”)

The post How to Learn with Korean Songs: Learn Korean Through Music appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Days of the Week in German & Easy Ways to Remember Them

Guten Tag! "Tag" in German means "day" - but what day is it? How do you talk about the days of the week in German?

German Days of the WeekMondayMontagTuesdayDienstagWednesdayMittwochThursdayDonnerstagFridayFreitagSaturdaySamstagSundaySonntag

Learning German is easy if you approach it the right way, and the German days of the week are easy to learn too. Most of them are similar to the English ones, and the rest aren't too hard to memorize.

Below, I'll tell you everything you need to know about the days of the week in German. I'll cover what they are, where they come from, and how to use them. On top of that, I'll give you some tips and tricks for how to remember them.

Table of contentsGerman Days of the Week“Monday” in German: Montag“Tuesday” in German: Dienstag“Wednesday” in German: Mittwoch“Thursday” in German: Donnerstag“Friday” in German: Freitag“Saturday” in German: Samstag“Sunday” in German: SonntagHow to Say “Yesterday”, “Today” and “Tomorrow” in GermanWhat Gender are the German Days of the Week?How to Ask “What Day of the Week is it?” in GermanHow to say "On Monday”, “On Tuesday", etc. in GermanWhen to Capitalise Days of the Week in GermanHow to Say "From Monday to Friday" in GermanAbbreviations for German Days of the WeekHow To Remember the German Days of the Week

To ask a German what day it is, you can ask "welchen Wochentag haben wir heute?" - "which day of the week do we have today?"

Let's look at the seven answers you might receive!

German Days of the Week“Monday” in German: Montag

"Monday" in German is Montag.

The name comes from Mond, the German word for "moon". So "Montag" is literally "moon-day". In fact, that's where the English word "Monday" comes from too.

Fun fact: in German-speaking countries, Montag is considered to be the first day of the week (as opposed to some places where Sunday is considered the first).

“Tuesday” in German: Dienstag

"Tuesday" in German is Dienstag.

The origins of this name are thought to go back to the old Germanic god Týr. Týr was a god of law and heroic glory. Dienstag is "Týr's day".

You guessed it, that’s also where we get “Tuesday” from.

“Wednesday” in German: Mittwoch

"Wednesday" in German is Mittwoch. It's the only day whose name doesn't end in "Tag". The name simply means "Midweek".

“Thursday” in German: Donnerstag

"Thursday" in German is Donnerstag. Donner is the German word for "thunder" - so Donnerstag means "thunder's day".

The day was originally named after Thor. You know, the Norse hammer-wielding god who was later transformed into a Marvel comic superhero.

In German-speaking cultures, the Norse god Thor is known as Donar.

The English “Thursday” is also named after Thor - “Thor’s day”.“Friday” in German: Freitag

"Friday" in German is Freitag. You can spot the obvious connection between the English and German words.

In both languages the name comes from the god Frige (sometimes spelled "Frig").

“Saturday” in German: Samstag

"Saturday" in German is Samstag, or alternatively Sonnabend ("Sun-evening").

The latter is only heard in northern and western Germany, and never in Austria or Switzerland. Samstag is more universally understood.

Samstag comes from the Greek sambaton. Sambaton in turn comes from an older Greek word sabbaton, which is related to the word "Sabbath". It has similar roots to the French samedi and the Spanish sábado.

“Sunday” in German: Sonntag

"Sunday" in German is Sonntag. It comes from Sonne, which is the German word for "sun". So Sonntag is literally "Sun-day".

Hmmm... can you guess where the English word might have come from?

How to Say “Yesterday”, “Today” and “Tomorrow” in German

If we're going to talk about days in German, there are some other things you should know, like Gestern, heute, and morgen mean "yesterday", "today", and "tomorrow" respectively.

Morgen can also mean "morning", which can get slightly confusing.

It's usually obvious from the context whether morgen means "tomorrow" or "morning".

If someone says dieser Morgen, you'll know they mean "this morning", because "this tomorrow" doesn't make sense. If you want to say "tomorrow (in the) morning", say morgen früh - "tomorrow early".

What about the days before gestern and after morgen? In English we say "the day before yesterday" and "the day after tomorrow", but German has special words: vorgestern and übermorgen respectively.

So "ich werde es übermorgen tun" means "I'll do it the day after tomorrow".

Finally, you should know how to say "week" and "weekend" in German. They're Woche and Wochenende respectively. If you do something "at the weekend", you say an der Wochenende.

What Gender are the German Days of the Week?

What gender are German days of the week? Easy: all German days of the week are masculine.

Remember that the word Tag is masculine, so according to the rules of German compound words, a word like Sonntag must be masculine too.

Mittwoch is an exception, but don’t panic. It’s masculine too (despite the fact that Woche, "week", is feminine).

How to Ask “What Day of the Week is it?” in German

I’ve already mentioned that welchen Wochentag haben wir heute? means "what day of the week is it?" But this isn't the only way to ask this question.

Here are three other ways you might hear it:

Welchen Tag haben wir heute? - "Which day do we have today?"Welcher Tag ist heute? - "Which day is today?"Was ist denn heute für ein Tag? - "What is today for a day?"

There’s one problem with the phrasing in these questions: it's not clear whether you're asking for the day of the week or the date. Using Wochentag (day of the week) rather than Tag, as in my very first example, clears up this problem.

To ask for the date, use Datum:

Welches Datum haben wir heute? - "What date do we have today?"Was ist das aktuelle Datum? - "What is the current date?"How to say "On Monday”, “On Tuesday", etc. in German

In English, we say "on Monday". In German, you say "am Montag" - literally, "on the Monday".

The word am is a combination of an ("in/on") and dem (dative masculine form of "the").

So, for example, "I ate meat on Tuesday" is "ich habe am Dienstag Fleisch geessen".

Relate Learning: German Articles – Everything You Need to Know

When to Capitalise Days of the Week in German

As you may know, nouns in German are always capitalised. But does a word like "Mittwoch" count as a noun?

In general, yes: days of the week function like nouns and therefore must be capitalised. But there's one exception: to say you do something habitually on a given day of the week - e.g. "I do it on Mondays" - then the day is not written with a capital letter.

To go back to the meat-eating example: "I eat meat on Tuesdays" is ich esse dienstags Fleisch (Note the "s" on the end of dienstags).

How to Say "From Monday to Friday" in German

To say "from (day) to (day)", use von... bis.

"From Monday to Wednesday, I study German" would be Von Montag bis Mittwoch, studiere ich Deutsch.

Abbreviations for German Days of the Week

In English, we often write "Mon", "Tue", "Wed", and so on when we don't want to write the full name of the day.

In German, they do something similar, but they generally abbreviate days to their first two letters rather than three. You can see it on this sign:

Tuesday to Thursday 10am - 5pm, Friday to Sunday 2pm to 5pm How To Remember the German Days of the Week

Hopefully, the days of the week won't take you long to learn. There's only seven of them, and they're not that different from English! But if needed, here are some tricks to help you memorize them.

First of all, make sure you're exposed to the days of the week as much as possible, so you're constantly reading them and being reminded of them.

One good way to do this is to change the settings of your phone and computer to German. Now, when you look at the calendar app on your phone, you'll be reminded of the relevant vocabulary.

If you use a paper calendar, buy a German one too! Look for as many ways as possible to increase the amount of German you hear and read.

You could try memorizing the days in the form of a song. Here's one simple song that should help you learn. Here's another one that's aimed at German children. There are many more on YouTube if those two aren’t to your liking!

Mnemonic Tricks to Learn the Name of German Days - Funny (But Effective!)

Finally, you can use mnemonic tricks to burn each day of the week into your brain. The basic formula goes like this:

For each day, think of an image that reminds you of how its German name sounds.

For example, for Dienstag you could think of the actor James Dean riding a stag.

For Mittwoch, think of Mitt Romney cooking food in a wok. Or you could picture yourself eating a Döner kebab for Donnerstag.

Next, think of something that you associate with a particular day of the week.

For Sunday, it could be a church (even if you don't go to church yourself). For Monday, it could be your alarm clock waking you up for work. Tuesday could be the day for an American presidential election (they’re always held on a Tuesday).

You get the idea.

Use personal connections if possible: if you have salsa lessons every Thursday evening, then your mnemonic for Thursday could be an image of yourself dancing at your salsa class.

Finally, create an image in your head that joins together the images you came up with.

For example, for Thursday (Donnerstag) picture yourself dancing salsa while eating a Döner kebab. When it comes to Sunday (Sonntag), imagine yourself attending church under the sweltering hot sun.

If that sounds unlikely, wait until you picture this one: being woken up by your alarm while sleeping on the surface of the moon on Monday (Montag). For Tuesday (Dienstag) think of James Dean riding a stag while campaigning for president.

Don't be shy - the more outlandish and ridiculous the image, the more likely you are to remember it! Similarly, make it as vivid and colourful as possible. What does the scene smell like, sound like, and taste like? What emotions does it make you feel?

Create a good mnemonic, and you'll only have to think about this once - then it will be burned into your memory forever. As they say in German - einfach (“simple”)!

The post Days of the Week in German & Easy Ways to Remember Them appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

German Prepositions – The Ultimate Guide (with Charts)

German prepositions include words like bis, mit, über and durch. They’re words that go before a noun (or pronoun) to provide extra information -- usually something about the noun’s position in time or space. Examples of English prepositions include “until”, “with” and “before”.

What makes German prepositions more complicated than their English counterparts is that you also need to worry about case. Every noun and pronoun in German must have one of four cases:- nominative, accusative, dative or genitive. And the case you choose depends on the word’s role within the sentence:

The nominative case denotes the subject of the sentence: Der Hund ist schwarz - “The dog is black”The accusative case denotes the direct object of the sentence: Ich sehe den Hund - “I see the dog”The dative case denotes the indirect object of the sentence: Ich gab dem Hund den Ball - “I gave the dog the ball”The genitive denotes possession: Das ist der Ball des Hundes - “That’s the dog’s ball.”

Different German prepositions take different cases. When using a German preposition, you must use the correct case for the noun that follows:

Ich bin mit meiner Frau - “I’m with my wife”Es ist für meine Frau - “It’s for my wife”

To make matters more complicated, some German prepositions, such as “two-way prepositions”, can take either an accusative or dative noun for different meanings.

I’ll explain everything below. This article is a comprehensive guide to all the German prepositions, their meanings, the cases they take, and their subtleties. Here’s what we’ll talk about:

Table of contentsGerman Prepositions Can’t Always Be Translated Word-for-Word.Accusative German PrepositionsDative German PrepositionsTwo-way German PrepositionsGerman Genitive PrepositionsWhat’s the Difference Between Wegen and Weil in German?German Prepositional ContractionsGerman Prepositions and Motion - an, auf, in, nach, zu.German Prepositions to Describe Position or LocationGerman Prepositions and Time Expressions.German Prepositional Adverbs, A.K.A. “Da”-Compounds.Idiomatic Expressions with German PrepositionsGerman Separable VerbsResources to Learn German

As you can see, we’ll cover everything you need to know about German prepositions, as well as related topics like telling the time in German, and the so-called “separable verbs”.

German Prepositions Can’t Always Be Translated Word-for-Word.

Below, I’ll introduce lots of German prepositions and tell you their English meanings.

But be careful with your translations! German and English prepositions don’t have a one-to-one correspondence, and there are various idiomatic uses you need to be aware of.

First of all, just because a German preposition looks like an English preposition, doesn’t mean that they have the exact same meaning.

The German bei sounds just like the English “by”, but it’s not always translated that way. Ich wohne bei meiner Tante means “I live with my aunt”. It would be very unnatural to translate bei as “by” in this instance.

And there are many more subtleties to watch out for.

In English, we say that a TV show is “on” the television. If you translated this directly into German, you might ask was ist auf dem Fernsehen?...

But this doesn’t mean “what show is on television?” In fact, you’re asking what’s physically on top of the television set. Instead you must ask “was ist im Fernsehen?” (“What’s in the TV?”).

“Cinema” in German is Kino, a neutral noun. (Like in English, the word can refer to both a physical movie theatre and to the general concept of cinema as an industry or artform.)

When inviting your German friend to see a movie, you might be tempted to translate literally from English and ask if they want to zur Kino (“to the cinema”). But the correct German expression is ins Kino (“into the cinema”).

Let me give you one last example. In English, we describe writing and utterances as being in a particular language: “the book is in English.” But in German, you can’t say das Buch ist in Englisch. You must say das Buch ist auf Englisch (“the book is on English”).

There are many more examples like this. By all means, learn the English translations of German prepositions as given below, but pay attention to how they’re used in context. Don’t assume that you can always translate a given German preposition with the same English word every time.

Accusative German Prepositions

The following German prepositions always take an accusative:

bis - “until, up to, as far as”durch - “through, by means of”für - “for”ohne - “without”gegen - “against, toward”um - “around, for”entlang - “along”

Here are some examples. Note how the bolded nouns or pronouns are accusative.

Er kocht für die Kinder. - “He cooks for the children.”Sie geht durch den Wald. - “She walks through the forest.”Wir spielen ohne dich. - “We are playing without you.”Wir laufen um das Haus. - “We run around the house.”

“Without” or “with no” should always be translated as ohne, never mit kein.

Ein Huhn ohne Kopf, - “A chicken with no head,” (not mit kein Kopf)

Entlang is unusual in that it goes after the noun, not before. Technically, this makes entlang a postposition, not a preposition.

die Straße entlang - “down the street” den Fluss entlang - “along the river”

Although if we want the whole story, it’s not strictly wrong to put entlang before the noun. If it’s before the noun, the noun should be dative (which makes entlang doubly weird):

entlang der Straßeentlang dem Fluss

Um can also be used with zu to link two clauses together, meaning “in order to”.

Ich rufe Jonas an, um ihm eine Frage zu stellen - “I’m calling Jonas (in order) to ask him a question.”Dative German Prepositions

The following German prepositions always take a dative:

ab - “from” (time)aus - “from, out of”außer - “except for”bei - “at, near, at the house of”dank - “thanks to”entgegen - “contrary to”gegenüber - “opposite”gemäß - “according to”laut - “according to”mit - “with”nach - “after, to”seit - “since, for”von - “from, of”zu - “to”zufolge - “according to”

Some examples:

Geh mir aus dem Weg! - “Get out of the way!”Ich wohne bei meinem Freund. - “I live with my boyfriend.” Nach dem Unterricht treffen wir. - “We’re meeting after (the) class.”Ich habe es von meinem Bruder gehört. - “I heard it from my brother.”Wir gehen zum Festival. - “We’re going to the festival.”Alle außer ihm gab mir ein Geschenk. - “Everyone but him gave me a gift.”

When using seit to mean “since”, remember that some time expressions use a different phrasing in German to how we’d say it in English.

Ich bin hier seit einem Jahr - “I’ve been here for a year,” (literally: “I am here since one year.”)

Gegenüber and zufolge are postpositions. In other words, they’re supposed to go after the noun.

Er wohnt der Schule gegenüber. - “He lives opposite the school.” Dem Unternehmen zufolge war die Beschränkung nicht bindend. - “According to the company, the restriction was not binding.”

However, in modern German speech it’s common to put gegenüber before the noun, optionally followed by von. So the above example can also be said as er wohnt gegenüber (von) der Schule.

The preposition zu can be used with an adjective to mean “too”, as in “too much”.

Es ist zu lange - “It’s too long.”Two-way German Prepositions

The trickiest German prepositions are the Wechselpräpositionen,also known as the “two-way prepositions”. They’re sometimes also called the “dual case prepositions”.

These prepositions can take the dative or accusative:

an - “on (a vertical surface)”auf - “on top of (horizontal surface)”hinter - “behind”in - “in, into”neben - “next to”entlang - “along”über - “above”unter - “under”vor - “in front of”zwischen - “between”

That’s a lot to take in, but this image can help you visualise it:

So when should you use the dative and when should you use the accusative? The difference is this:

Use the dative to describe a static position.Use the accusative to describe a change in position.

For example:

Ich setze den Stift auf den Tisch. - “I put the pen on the table.” (accusative)Der Stift steht auf dem Tisch. - “The pen is on the table.” (dative)

Also:

Ich stecke die Schuhe unter das Bett. - “I put the shoes under the bed.” (accusative)Die Schuhe sind unter dem Bett. - “The shoes are under the bed.” (dative) Do you see the difference? In the dative examples, the pen and shoes are stationary. In the accusative examples, their position changed as a result of the action described.

Be careful: just because the thing you’re talking about is moving, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s undergone a change in position.

The question isn’t “did the object move at all?”, it’s “did it change its position relative to the word with the preposition?”

Compare these two sentences:

Die Kinder sind im Garten gelaufen. - “The children ran in the garden.” (dative)Die Kinder sind in den Garten gelaufen. - “The children ran into the garden”. (accustive)

(Im, as we’ll see below, is a contraction of the preposition in and the dative article dem.)

In both of these examples, the Kinder are moving. However, in the first example, they start and finish inside the garden, so their position relative to the garden didn’t change - so we use the dative. In the second example, they started outside the garden and finished inside it, so we must use the accusative.

Remember, this rule only applies to the two-way prepositions. If the preposition appeared on the earlier lists of accusative and dative prepositions, it doesn’t matter whether or not there’s change in position: the preposition can only be followed by one case.

Sie geht zum Arzt - “She goes to the doctor”. This sentence arguably involves a change in position, but zu isn’t a two-way preposition, so we have to use the dative zu der (which gets contracted to zur.Ich singe ein Lied für dich - “I sing a song for you”. There’s no motion or change of position here, but für must be followed by an accusative.

When über means “about” (as opposed to “above” or “over”), it’s always followed by an accusative.

Jeder spricht über ihn - “Everyone is talking about him”.

This page has some more examples of how to use the two-way prepositions, plus some exercises so you can make sure you really understand the difference.

German Genitive Prepositions

The final category of German prepositions are the genitive prepositions.

anstatt (often abbreviated to just statt) - "instead [of]"außerhalb - "outside of"beiderseits - "on both sides"diesseits - "on this side"innerhalb - "inside of"jenseits - "on the other side"oberhalb - "above"trotz - "despite"unterhalb - "below"wegen - "because of"während - "during"

Generally, but not always, prepositions whose English translations end in “to” (like dank - “thanks to” and gemäß - “according to”) take the dative, while prepositions whose English translations end in “of” (like innerhalb, "inside of") should take the genitive.

I say they should take the genitive but, in practice, they often don’t. The genitive case is falling out of use in modern German. Where the formal rules dictate that the genitive should be used, it’s very common to ignore the rules and use a dative instead.

This is illustrated by the famous German saying der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod (“the dative is the death of the genitive”)

For example, während des Essens is the “correct” way to say “during the meal.” But it’s very common in everyday speech to say während dem Essen.

Der Laden ist wegen Urlaubs geschlossen means “the shop is closed because of / due to the holidays. Note how Urlaub here has the genitive form Urlaubs. But you could get away with the “incorrect” der Laden ist wegen Urlaubs geschlossen.

Don’t neglect the genitive if you’re, say, sitting an exam or writing a formal document. But replacing it with a dative can make your speech sound more colloquial and natural.

Disclaimer: prepositions that end with -halb and -seits can’t be used with the dative, even in informal speech. For these prepositions you must always use genitive.

Seine Wohnung liegt außerhalb des Stadtkerns. - “His apartment is located outside of the city center.”Es kam innerhalb der Partei zu Spannungen. - “There were tensions within the party.”What’s the Difference Between Wegen and Weil in German?

I just told you that the preposition wegen means “because of”. But you’re probably also familiar with the words weil which means “because”. What’s the difference?

Weil is a conjunction, not a preposition. Wegen is followed by a noun or pronoun, but weil is followed by an entire clause which explains the reason for the thing being described.

Wegen meiner Krankheit konnte ich meine Hausaufgaben nicht machen. - “Because of my illness, I couldn’t do my homework.” Weil ich krank war, konnte ich meine Hausaufgaben nicht machen. - “Because I was ill, I couldn’t do my homework. Wegen des schlechten Wetters, bleiben wir zu Hause. - “Because of the bad weather, we’re staying at home.” Weil das Wetter schlecht ist, bleiben wir zu Hause. - “Because the weather is bad, we’re staying at home.”

As explained above, wegen des schlechten Wetters in the above example can be replaced in everyday speech with the dative wegen dem schlechten Wetter.

On the other hand, this doesn’t matter for wegen meiner Krankheit, because Krankheit is a feminine noun, therefore its dative and genitive forms are identical anyway.

German Prepositional Contractions

Earlier, I mentioned how the German word im is a contraction of the preposition in and the article dem. It’s like how in English we usually say “I’m” instead of “I am” and “they’re” instead of “they are”.

German has loads of these preposition + definite article contractions. Almost all of them involve the articles das (neuter accusative) or dem (masculine or neuter dative), although one involves der (feminine dative).

The full list of German prepositional contractions is here:

preposition article contraction an das ans an dem am auf das aufs bei dem beim durch das durchs für das fürs in das ins in dem im über das übers um das ums unter das unters von dem vom vor das vors vor dem vorm zu dem zum zu der zur German Prepositions and Motion - an, auf, in, nach, zu.

When describing movement or motion, there are various prepositions you could use.

Use nach for countries, continents, islands, cities, and towns:

Ich reise nach Deutschland / nach Europa / nach Berlin / nach Sizilien. - “I am traveling to Germany / Europe / Berlin / Sicily.”

For countries with a “the” in their name, use in. (Note that some countries have an article in their German name even when they don’t have one in their English name.)

Ich reise in die Schweiz / in die USA / in den Irak / in die Türkei. - “I am traveling to Switzerland / USA / Iraq / Turkey.”

You should also use nach with directions:

nach links - “to the left”nach rechts - “to the right”nach Norden/Süden/Osten/Westen - “to the north/south/east/west”

Nach Hause means “(to) home”, e.g.:

Sie sind noch nicht zurück nach Hause gekommen. - “She hasn’t come home yet.”

Use in if the movement will take you inside the destination:

Ich gehe ins Kino (“cinema”) in die Klasse (“class”) / in die Kirche (“church”) / in den Park (“park”) / in die Stadt (“city”)

But use zu if it wouldn’t make sense to go inside, e.g. “driving to the airport”. You should also use zu if you’re going to the premises of a company or institution that you mention by name, e.g. zu Aldi, zu Walmart.

Use auf if you’ll end up on top of something:

Ich klettere auf den Berg - “I climb up the mountain.”Die Kuh geht auf die Weide - “The cow goes into/onto the meadow.”

Auf can also be used when going to an event or public places:

Ich gehe auf die Party / die Hochzeit (“wedding”) / auf die Post (“post office”) / auf den Markt (“marketplace”)

Although you can use zu in these cases, and sometimes zu is more common:

Ich gehe zum Rathaus (“town hall”) / zur Universität (“university”) / zur Bibliothek (“library”)

When describing motion to a precise spot, use an:

Ich gehe ans Mikrofon (“microphone”) / an die Bushaltestelle (“bus stop”) / an den Strand (“beach”).

Generally, if you can stand “at” or “by” something in English, then it makes sense to use an to describe motion towards it in German:

Ich gehe an die Grenze (“border”) / an den Fluss (“river”) / an die Front (“front”, as in a war)

German Prepositions to Describe Position or Location

The previous section explained which preposition to choose when describing motion towards an object.

What about static position? That is, what preposition should you use to describe where something is, rather than where it’s going?

In, auf and an can be used to describe a static position in exactly the same contexts as described above for motion.

Ich bin im Kino / in der Klasse / in der Kirche / im Park / in der Stadt. - “I'm in the cinema / in class / in church / in the park / in town.”Die Kuh ist auf der Weide. - “The cow is in the meadow.”Er ist am Fluss / an der Front - “He's on the river / at the front.”

Did you notice how in these examples the nouns are dative, but in the previous section they were accusative? If you read the section about German two-way prepositions, you should understand why the case has changed.

You can use auf to describe location in public buildings, but in and an are increasingly used instead:

Ich bin in der Post / im Rathaus / in der Bibliothek / am Bahnhof / an der Universität

An usually indicates location at or in a place. Bei can be used to, although it implies a vaguer location; it’s more like “nearby” or “in the vicinity of”.

Ich bin am/beim Bahnhof, am/beim Supermarkt.

Zu usually indicates motion, not location, but it indicates location in a few set phrases, like zu Hause (“at home”) and zu Tisch (“on the table”).

Nach always indicates motion, not position. Use in to describe location in/on continents, countries (including countries with a “the” in their name”), cities and towns:

Ich bin in Deutschland / in Europa / in der USA / in Berlin.

Use auf to describe position on an island:

Napoleon war auf Elba. - “Napoleon was on Elba.”

Bei can mean “at the house/home of”, or “on the premises of (a company, organisation)”. You can also use it with your place of work:

Wir sind bei Benny. - “We’re at Benny’s house.”Er ist beim Metzger. - “He’s at the butcher’s.”Ich arbeite bei Siemens. - “I work for Siemens.”German Prepositions and Time Expressions.

The German prepositions an, in and um are used in various expressions about time and date.

Why use three different prepositions? Well, why in English do we say “on Monday”, “at 7pm” and “in February”? I’m not sure, but you need to remember the rules.

Use am (which, as we just saw, is a contraction of an and dem) for days of the week and dates:

am Montag - “on Monday”am Dienstag - “on Tuesday”am ersten Mai - “on May 1st”

Use um to talk about a specific time of day:

um sechs Uhr - “at 6 o’clock”um zwanzig Uhr - “at 8pm”um Mitternacht - “at midnight”um halb zwei - “at 1.30pm”

In German, a time like halb zwei - “half two” - means “half an hour before two”, i.e. half past one. This is in contrast to British English, where “half two” means “half past two”.

German doesn’t have words for A.M. and P.M.. Um drei Uhr can mean “at 3am” or “at 3pm”. I you want to be specific you can say um drei Uhr morgens (“at three in the morning”) or um drei Uhr nachmittags (“at three in the evening”).

Alternatively, you can use the 24-hour clock. It’s common in German to say things like um fünfzehn Uhr (“at fifteen o’clock”) which isn’t something we say in English.

Gegen, when used with a time expression, means “around”:

Können wir uns gegen 13:00 Uhr treffen? - “Can we meet at around 1pm?”

For non-precise times of day, use am, with one exception:

am Morgen - “in the early morning.”am Vormittag - “in the morning.”am Nachmittag - “in the afternoon.”am Abend - “in the evening.”in der Nacht - “in the night / at nighttime.”

German has two words for “morning”. Morgen - which can also mean “tomorrow” - is the early morning, from midnight until roughly the start of the workday. Vormittag, which literally means “before noon”, starts when the Morgen ends, and ends at midday. See here for a more detailed explanation.

Use im with seasons and months:

im Januar - “in January”im August - “in August”im Frühling - “in Spring"im Sommer - "in Summer"im Herbst - "in Autumn"im Winter - "in Winter"

Years don’t require a preposition at all in German:

Angela Merkel wurde 1954 geboren. - “Angela Merkel was born in 1954.”

But you can make your sentence meatier by adding im Jahre (“in the year”):

Angela Merkel wurde im Jahre 1954 geboren. - “Angela Merkel was born in the year 1954.”German Prepositional Adverbs, A.K.A. “Da”-Compounds.

German prepositions can be followed by a pronoun:

für ihn - “for him”mit ihr - “with her”

… but this is only possible when the pronoun refers to a person, not an inanimate object.

Remember that masculine and feminine pronouns in German can refer to inanimate objects if the word for that object is a masculine or feminine noun. This differs from English, where the masculine and feminine pronouns “he” and “she” can only refer to people, while inanimate objects are always referred to by the neutral pronoun “it.

When referring to inanimate objects, German uses something called a “prepositional adverb”. This is where you put the prefix da- in front of the preposition, or dar- if the preposition starts with a vowel. So for example für becomes dafür, and auf becomes darauf.

Prepositional adverbs are often translated in English using “it”. So for example, dafür means “for it”.

Ich fliege Morgen nach Frankreich, aber mein Boss weiß nichts davon. - “Tomorrow I’m flying to France, but my boss knows nothing about it.”Er hat einen Bleistift. Er schreibt damit. - “He has a pencil. He writes with it.”

The da- can also refer to an entire sentence, concept, action or idea.

Er sprang von der Mauer, und dabei brach er das Bein. - “He jumped from the wall, and thereby he broke his leg.” Possible translations for dabei here include “thereby”, “in the process”, or “in doing so”.Ich warte darauf, dass sie das Haus verkauft haben. - “I’m waiting for them to have sold the house.”

On first encounter, these da-compounds can sound weird to an English speaker.

Dafür feels like an inversion of the English word order, saying “it-for” instead of “for it”. But when you think about it (er, or when you think darüber), English actually has a lot of words which do follow this inverted pattern. It’s just that most of them are quite old-timey: therefore, therein, thereby, thereto, thereunder.

These English words can’t always be used as an exact translation for the German prepositional adverbs they resemble. But when you remember that they exist, it can make their German cousins feel less “foreign” and easier to wrap your head around.

As well as the above “da-” words, German prepositions can also be combined with the prefixes hier- (“here”) and wo- (“where”, “which”, “what”), or wor- before a vowel. These compounds also have archaic English relatives, like “hereby”, “hereto” and “wherefore”.

Hiermit schließen wir diese Übung. - “With this we end this exercise.” Hierzu brauchen wir viel Geld. - “To do that we need a lot of money.”Das Haus, worin ich wohne, ist neu. - “The house in which I live is new.”Der Stuhl, worauf sie steht, ist unsicher. - “The chair on which she is standing is unsafe.”

Wo- compounds can also be used to ask “what?” questions:

Womit schreibst du? - “What are you writing with?” Worauf stehen Sie? - “What are you standing on?”Idiomatic Expressions with German Prepositions

German has loads of idiomatic expressions which use prepositions or prepositional adverbs. Here are some of the most useful ones to know:

Beim besten Willen nicht. - "Not by any stretch of the imagination."Es kommt darauf an. - "It depends."Hör auf damit! - "Stop it!"Ich bin damit einverstanden. - "I agree."Ich halte nicht viel davon. - "I don’t think much of that."Keine Spur davon. - "No sign of it." Mit Waschbrettbauch - "Ripped", "With washboard abs." Zum beispiel - "For example" Zum Wohl! - “Bless you!” (when someone sneezes). Also "Cheers", i.e. a toast when drinking, although this is quite formal; Prost is a more common toast.German Separable Verbs

Look at the following German sentences. They appear to contain prepositions:

Ich stehe um 7 Uhr auf. - “I get up at 7 o’clock.”Wir sprechen den Preis ab. - “We agree on the price.”Ich gehe mit meinen Freunden jeden Tag aus. - “I go out with my friends every day.”

These sentences look a bit weird, given everything we’ve covered above. You’ve learnt the prepositions auf, ab, and aus, but in these cases they’re not followed by any noun at all, let alone a noun in a particular case.

In fact, these sentences all contain examples of German separable verbs (trennbare Verben). They’re a complicated topic which deserve an entire post of their own. But for the sake of completeness, I’ll give a brief introduction here so you don’t get confused by these stray prepositions.

Let’s forget about German for a second.

In English we have this category of verbs called “phrasal verbs”. This is when we combine a verb with another word - usually a preposition - to get a new term that often means something very different from the original verb.

For example, “to give up” means “to surrender” or “to stop trying” - a very different meaning from “to give”.

There are many verbs in German which combine a shorter verb and a preposition like this. For example, you can combine sprechen (“to speak”) and ab (“from/off”), to get a verb meaning “to agree”, which we saw above.

The difference from English is that, in the infinitive, you put the preposition before the main verb and write it as a single word: absprechen. Only in certain grammatical forms do you split the ab off and place it elsewhere in the sentence: wir sprechen ab. That’s why they’re called separable verbs.

Not every separable verb has a prefix which looks like one of the prepositions we’ve seen. For example, einkaufen (“to buy”) is a separable verb, as in ich kaufe einen Apfel ein (“I buy an apple”), but ein isn’t a preposition.

But many separable verbs do use a preposition as their prefix. Just look at some of these variations of the verb kommen (“to come”).

ankommen - "to arrive"hereinkommen - "to come in"herauskommen - "to come out"mitkommen - "to come along/with"nachkommen - "to come later"zurückkommen - "to come back"

There’s much more that could be said about separable verbs, but I’ll save it for another article. For now, just remember that when you see a word like mit or aus, it could be part of a separable verb, rather than a preposition in the usual sense.

Resources to Learn German

We’ve covered a lot of ground! If you’re not exhausted yet, I’ll leave you with the following German Zungenbrecher (tongue twister):

In Ulm und um Ulm und um Ulm herum.

Ulm is a city in Bavaria. Can you figure out ?

If you’re studying German grammar, maybe you’re interested in reading about German articles. Or maybe you’d like to take a break from it with something less challenging, like this list of great German TV shows for German learners.

Additionally, Benny Lewis, founder of Fluent in 3 Months, has put together a masterlist of the best resources to learn German that you can take advantage of.

Benny’s recommendations include some of the Fi3M team’s favourites, like the German Uncovered course by Olly Richards.

Good luck with your German learning, and don’t forget: Fi3M German post category’s got your back!

The post German Prepositions – The Ultimate Guide (with Charts) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Korean Particles Guide: How to Use Korean Particles [With Examples]

Let’s learn Korean particles!

Do you know what a particle is? They are tiny building blocks essential to Korean sentence structure.

We don’t really have these in English, but they’re like articles or prepositions. That is, small words that function to complete and connect a sentence, like “to”, “in” or “an.”

So, Korean particles may be new and confusing grammar territory at first. But fear not! We’re going to break them down and make them make sense.

Why? Because it’s impossible to speak Korean well without understanding how to properly use particles.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

Table of contentsKorean Particles Explained: What They Are and How They WorkHow Many Korean Particles Are There?Topic and Subject Marking Particles in KoreanTopic Marking Particle: 은 / 는Subject Marking Particle: 이 / 가Object Marking Particle in Korean: 을 / 를Time and Location Particles: 에 and 에서Direction Particles: 으로 / 로Possessive Particle: 의Connective Particles: 과 / 와, 하고, 고, and 이랑 / 랑Korean Counting ParticlesQuestion Particle in Korean: 까 and 을까요Korean Noun Endings + ParticlesPhew! Let’s Wrap It Up

… and more.

So, let’s dive right in.

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 1){ copy = '<i>One thing before we get started: You can chat away in Korean for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <b><a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/ch?sr... this link to find out more.</b></a></i>'} else { copy = '<i>One thing before we get started: You can chat away in Korean for at least 15 minutes with my "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <b><a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/ch?sr... this link to find out more.</b></a></i>'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Korean Particles Explained: What They Are and How They Work

Korean particles mark what role the noun before them plays in the sentence.

In English, we have prepositions like “with” and “in”. We have directional words like “to” and articles like “the”. We also have words and counters that mark time, place, amount of objects, possession, and more.

In Korean, these are all called particles.

So if you wanted to say “I’m going to the store” in Korean, you’d need to know the particle “to” in order for it to be grammatically correct.

Particles also tell you what the subject, topic, and object are of a sentence. They attach themselves to the end of the noun like a suffix. This helps you distinguish the function of the noun and the meaning of the sentence.

Why does this matter? Why wouldn’t that be obvious in the sentence?

Well, the subject of the sentence is often omitted in Korean. For example, in English, we say: “I’m going to the store to get milk.” But in Korean, it’s understood that “I’m” the one who’s going so they just say “going to the store to get milk.”

Since the subject is omitted, the particles help keep the sentence in order so you know the subject is omitted.

How Many Korean Particles Are There?

There are a lot. But it depends on who you ask and what you count as a particle.

According to some sources, there are around 128 particles in the Korean language.

But, there are 18 common Korean particles you need to know. The rest you can pick up as you go in Korean.

These 18 particles do the core grammar work in a sentence, such as marking the topic and expressing location or direction. They also mark possession, and help connect sentences.

Topic and Subject Marking Particles in Korean

First up is the subject particle in Korean, which is the most common but actually a little bit tricky.

Because in English, the subject and topic are the same thing (in most cases; in written context, there can be a difference).

In Korean, though, the subject and topic of a sentence can differ.

Topic Marking Particle: 은 / 는

은 (eun) / 는 (neun) mark the topic of a sentence, and are used to state known information or fact. It’s also used to emphasize a noun, or to contrast two nouns.

You’ll often use this with statements about yourself or others (such as talking about your job or describing someone’s personality). Or when you’re switching up the conversation and want to emphasize the new topic.

은 and 는 are the same, but 은 follows a noun that ends in a consonant (or batchim, the bottom character in a Korean hangul block). 는 follows a noun that ends in a vowel.

Here are two examples:

제 이름은 케이틀린입니다 Je ireum-eun Keiteullin imnida. “My name is Caitlin.”

그는 작가예요. Geu-nun jagga yeyo. “He is a writer.”

In both instances, the topic of the sentence that we’re emphasizing is followed by a statement that’s fact. He IS a writer, my name IS Caitlin.

Subject Marking Particle: 이 / 가

이 (i) / 가 (ga) function like 은 / 는, so it can be a bit confusing. You’ll get used to it with time!

As with the topic marking particle, 이 and 가 attach depending on the last character. 이 attaches to nouns ending in a consonant and 가 to nouns ending in a vowel.

이 / 가 follow a noun that’s the subject of a sentence presenting new information. So this information may not be fact, and may change.

If you’ve ever studied Spanish, think of this like ser vs. estar. 이 / 가 is like estar in Spanish and 은 / 는 is more like ser. (Ser and estar both translate to “to be” in English, but they can give a sentence a different meaning in Spanish.)

It’s also more often used in sentences where the subject is doing an action.

You’ll also notice that in the example sentences from above, while “I” and “he” are the topic, the focus of the sentence is “Caitlin” and “writer.” Because that’s what gives the important information.

But with 이 / 가, the important information is the subject — the noun it’s attaching to.

Here are examples:

개가 저기 앉아 있어요. gae-ga jeogi anja isseoyo. “The dog is sitting over there.”

내일 날씨가 추울 겠어요. naeil nalssi-ga chuul gesseoyo. “The weather will be cold tomorrow.”

Notice how the subject doesn’t have to be the first word of a sentence, and the important part is “dog” and “weather.” Without it, we wouldn’t know what’s sitting over there or what would be cold tomorrow.

Object Marking Particle in Korean: 을 / 를

To mark the object of a sentence (the noun that receives the action of the verb), you use 을 (eul) / 를 (leul).

Can you guess how you’ll use each? If you guessed that 을 is used with nouns ending in a consonant and 를 with nouns ending in a vowel, you are correct!

Now, if you know your basic Korean grammar, then you know that Korean sentence order is subject-object-verb (SOV). This is the opposite of English which follows a subject-verb-object (SVO) grammar pattern.

What this means is, in English, our sentences with objects look like:

I play video games. Subject – verb – object

But in Korean, it’d be:

I video games play. Subject – object – verb.

So using our topic and object marking particles, we have:

나는 비디오 게임을 하세요. na-neun bidio geim-eul haseyo. “I play video games.”

Note: You can drop 나는 (na-neun) if it’s already understood that “I” play video games. The topic is often dropped in Korean.

Time and Location Particles: 에 and 에서

Next up we have time and location particles that help us express where and when things take place.

에 (e) can express both time and location, and it’s used regardless of the noun ending in a consonant or vowel. 에 could be translated as “to,” “in,” “on,” or “at.”

So you would use this particle when talking about a place you’re going to, where you put something, where you’re currently at, what you set something on, etc.

Examples:

편의점에 가요. Pyeonuijeom-e gayo. “I will go to the convenience store.”

책을 책상 위에 놓았어요. Chaek-eul chaeksang wi-e nohasseoyo. “I put the book on the desk.”

As for 에서 (eseo), it marks the location in which you are doing or did something. It can also be used as “from.”

Examples:

미국에서 왔어요. Miguk-eseo wasseoyo. “I’m from America.”

체육관에서 운동했어요. Cheyuggwan-eseo undong haesseoyo. “I worked out at the gym.”

In the first situation, we use 에서 to mean “from” and in the second, we use it to say where I did my workout.

You can also use 에서 to say where something occurs or what it’s like in that place. So when you’re describing where the adjective description takes place, you use 에서.

캘리포니아에서 주택은 비싸요. Kaelliponia-eseo jutaek-eun bissayo. “Houses are expensive in California.”

There are two special notes here:

When using here (여기, yeogi), there (거기, geogi) and over there (저기, eogi), you only use ~서 (seo) instead of 에서 (eseo).에서 (eseo) cannot be used with the verb 있다 (itda, “to have” or “to exist”). You’ll always use 에 (e) with this verb.Direction Particles: 으로 / 로

으로 (euro) / 로 (ro) are direction particles with some overlapping meanings with our location particles. But 으로 / 로 have many different uses.

으로 / 로 can mean “to,” “towards,” “by,” “with,” “from” or “for.” There are even more situations where you’d use this common Korean particle, but that gives you a good idea of its meaning.

As with some of the other particles, 으로 is used when the noun proceeding it ends in a consonant. And 로 when it ends in a vowel (or if the noun ends in ㄹ, because they flow together when speaking).

Examples:

버스로 학교에 갈 거야. Beoseu-ro hakkyo-e gal geoya. “I am going to school by bus.” (Or in more natural English, “I’ll take the bus to school.”)

일으로 갈 거예요. Il-euro gal geoyeyo. “I’m going to work.”

In that last example, we could’ve also used 에 and said:

일에 갈 거예요 Il-e gal geoyeyo. “I’m going to work.”

They mean pretty much the same thing, except using 으로 states you’re going in the direction of work. Kind of like in English how we say, “I’m headed to work, so I’ll pick it up on my way there.” This particle gives that same understood context that you’re heading in a specific direction.

Because of that, 으로 / 로 can also be added after ~쪽 (jjok) to specifically say you’re moving “in the direction of _”.

저쪽으로 걸어요. jeo-jjok-euro geoleoyo. “Go that way.”

저 (jeo) is “that”, so attaching ~쪽 makes it “that way” or “that direction.” Add on the particle 으로 / 로, and it means to go in the direction of “that.”

Possessive Particle: 의

의 (ui) is how you express ownership or possession in Korean. Attach it to a noun to make it possessive, the same as adding “‘s” in English.

Examples:

엄마의 차. Eomma-ui cha. “Mom’s car.”

그의 책. Geu-ui chaek. “His book.”

A note about the pronunciation: 의 (ui) when added to words like this is pronounced more like 에 (e) than “oo-ee”. So 엄마의 is said more like “awm-mah-eh” than “awm-mah-oo-ee”.

The exception is with “I” and “you” in Korean. These words get contracted in their possessive form:

나 (na, informal “I”) → 나의 (naui) → 내 (nae) 저 (jeo, formal “I”) → 저의 (jeoui) → 제 (je) 너 (neo, “you”) → 너의 (neoui) → 네 (ne)

This makes sense if you remember that 의 sounds more like “e”. The pronunciation flows better this way.

Examples:

내 친구. Nae chingu. “My friend.”

네 음식. Ne eumsik. “Your food.”

Connective Particles: 과 / 와, 하고, 고, and 이랑 / 랑

These connecting particles all mean “and” or “with,” or connect two verbs that happen back-to-back.

So let’s start with 과 (gwa) / 와 (wa). You connect 과 when the noun before it ends with a consonant and 와 when it ends with a vowel. It’s most often used in written speech and formal situations, and it’s usually used when the two nouns have a relationship. So in this sense, it’s more like “with.”

하고 (hago) can be used with either a consonant- or vowel-ending noun. 하고 is also more often used in writing. You use this “and” when the two nouns you’re connecting aren’t related in any way, you’re just stating them.

고 (go) is a connective particle that connects to verbs or adjectives rather than nouns.

Last up, 이랑 (irang) / 랑 (rang) are mostly used when speaking because it’s more casual. But otherwise, it’s the same as 과 / 와. 이랑 is used with consonant-ending nouns and 랑 with nouns ending in vowels.

Some examples:

계란과 베이컨을 먹어요 Gyelan-gwa beikeon-eul meogeoyo. “I eat eggs and bacon.”

사과하고 딸기가 있어요. Sagwa-hago ttalgiga isseoyo. “I have apples and strawberries.”

책을 읽고 자러 갔어요. Chaek-eul ilg-go jaleo gasseoyo. “I read a book and went to bed.”

밥이랑 고기를 먹어요. Bab-irang gogi-leul meogeoyo. “I eat rice and meat.”

Notice with 과 and 이랑, there’s a relationship between the two connected nouns: I’m eating them together. Whereas with 하고, I’m just stating two things I have. They’re not connected.

Korean Counting Particles

There are many Korean counting particles that are used to help count everything from the number of people to bottles to time and books. It’s a whole topic on its own, but here are a few of the basics you need to know:

People: 명 (myeong), 분 (bun) or 사람 (saram)Animals: 마리 (mari)Books: 권 (gwon)Bottles: 병 (byeong)Hours: 시 (si)Span of hours: 시간 (sigan)Minutes: 분 (bun)Age: 살 (sal)Machines, tech, cars: 대 (dae)General counter for items: 개 (gae)

That last one is bold, because it’s your catch-all counter. If you can’t remember which counter to use, you can use 개 (gae) and be understood.

All the above counters except for 분 (bun) for minutes use the native Korean number system to count. 분 (bun), though, uses the Sino-Korean numbers. If you don’t know those yet, head over to this guide to Korean numbers.

Korean counters with the native Korean system list the item you’re counting first, then the number + counter:

저는 개가 두 마리 있어요. Jeo-nun gae-ga du mari isseoyo. “I have two dogs.”

With the Sino-Korean numbers, you don’t even need the item because it’s obvious. For example, with 분 (bun) for minutes:

콘서트는 5 분 후에 시작하세요. Konseoteu-neun o-bun hue sijag haseyo. “The concert starts in 5 minutes.”

With Sino-Korean numbers, you could use the hangul 오 (o, “five”) or use 5. But with native Korean numbers, you usually write it in hangul.

Question Particle in Korean: 까 and 을까요

To ask a question in Korean, you use the particle ~까 (kka) when using the formal Korean ending ~입니다 (imnida).

음식이 있습니까? Eumsik-i issseumnikka? “Is there food?”

But in polite and casual speech, there is no question-marking particle. You just raise the intonation of the final syllable, like in English.

음식이 있어요? Eumsik-i isseoyo? “Is there food?”

Pretty simple!

There’s one other question-ending we can use though, to ask “shall we?” It’s ~을까요 (eulkkayo) / ㄹ까요 (lkkayo).

We change the verb stem to end in 을 (if ending in a consonant) or add ㄹ to the bottom of the hangul block if it ends in a vowel. Then add 까 and it becomes a question to ask or invite someone to do something.

Examples:

먹을까요? Meok-eulkkayo? “Shall we eat?”

갈까요? Galkkayo? “Shall we go?”

With “to eat”, the verb stem is 먹 (meok). It ends in a consonant, so ~을까요 is attached at the end. With “to go”, the verb stem is 가 (ga), so since it ends in a vowel, we attach ㄹ to the bottom, followed by 까요.

Korean Noun Endings + Particles

There are several other Korean particles that attach to the ends of nouns that mean specific things.

First is 도 (do). It means “also” or “too”, and it can replace other particles. Here’s an example:

나도 스타 워즈를 좋아해요. Na-do Seuta Wojeu-leul johahaeyo. “I love Star Wars, too.” or “I also like Star Wars.”

Next is 까지 (kkaji), which means “until.”

오후 7 시까지 일했어요. Ohu ilgopshi-kkaji ilhaesseoyo. “I worked until 7pm.”

Last one we’re covering is 만 (man). This one means “only”.

드라마 만 보아요. Deolama-man boayo. “I only watch dramas.”

Phew! Let’s Wrap It Up

Korean particles are a lot to learn — so don’t get overwhelmed with it all at once. Practice one particle at a time and get the hang of how and when to use it.

Practice making sentences of your own or speaking with a language exchange partner. The more you use them, the easier they’ll get!

Next, why not learn something fun like cute aegyo Korean phrases or find a new Korean drama to watch and learn.

And check out these resources to learn Korean. They’re Benny Lewis’s favorites, and he’s the founder of Fluent in 3 Months!

The post Korean Particles Guide: How to Use Korean Particles [With Examples] appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

41+ Brilliant Words in Other Languages We Desperately Need in English

When you start studying a new language, one of the first things you discover is that certain phrases and words in other languages are untranslatable in English.

This can be really frustrating. How are you supposed to learn a language when you can’t think of a simple English translation?

That said, this is one of my favourite aspects of language learning! Once you're familiar with a language and its cultural roots, you'll realize that many of these phrases are perfect for expressing concepts that you can’t say in English without awkward rephrasing.

To demonstrate this, here are 41 words and phrases from other languages with no English equivalent. Check them out…

Table of contents5 Words and Phrases in Other Languages That Just Make Sense8 Terms From Around the World With Bizarre Literal Translations15 Actions We Wish Were Easier to Describe in English13 Amazing Phrases and Words in Other Languages to Describe People and RelationshipsI Love Discovering Words in Other Languages!5 Words and Phrases in Other Languages That Just Make Sense

1. Anteayer (Spanish) - “The day before yesterday”

Once you hear this word, you can't help but realize that you've been missing it your whole life.

2. Ti voglio bene (Italian), Te quiero (Spanish), Ich hab' dich lieb (German)

In English, you jump straight from liking someone to loving them. But there's a much bigger spectrum of human emotions than that, and I think many people overuse "I love you" because of it.

In other languages, there's a midway point, like Ti voglio bene in Italian and Te quiero in Spanish. These are usually translated as "I love you" in English, but each of these languages have an even deeper and definitely romantic "I love you" that goes a level above these.

This middle point is definitely love, but it's more that you hope the person is safe and you care for them.

In English, you have to be more careful. Do you love the person, or do you love-love them, or perhaps you only really _like _like them, which is more than just liking them.

So confusing!

3. Estadounidense(Spanish) - “A person or thing from or of the United States of America”

"American" kind of works, but there's a whole North America, Central America and South America too. Aren't they "American"?

Some of us foreigners may continue to call you all Yankees until we fix this.

Luckily, this isn't an issue in Spanish!

4. Gigil (Tagalog) - “Cuteness overload”

You know the feeling when you see the most adorable baby, the cutest kitten or the cuddliest dog and you just want to squeeze it, and let out a huge "awwwww!"

That feeling of cuteness-overload has a word in Tagalog. And it's a cute word to boot!

5. Ser vs Estar (Spanish) - “To be vs. to be”

The two Spanish words for "to be" can be a headache for many beginner language learners. But they also help you express subtle differences in being.

Check out this book I once saw in Spain: > > >

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Benny Lewis | Language Hacker (@irishpolyglot)

Translating this literally, you get "You aren't fat, you're fat". Or more cumbersomely, "Being fat isn't a part of your permanent existence that defines you, you are only fat temporarily".

In Spanish you can express that you are something only temporarily, and it's not a part of your permanent being.

If you’d like to learn more about ser vs. estar, I wrote the perfect post for you!

8 Terms From Around the World With Bizarre Literal Translations

These expressions can be a lot of fun and, even better, tend to be really easy to remember since they are so strange and humorous.

Even if we don’t start up a blog quake with this article, you’re sure to get a laugh or two.

1. L’esprit de l'escalier (French) - Literally “staircase wit”

When you think of the perfect retort too late.

I love this one. You know that feeling you have a few minutes after you leave a conversation, and you think to yourself, That's what I should have said! The French have a phrase for that.

To me, this brings up the image of leaving someone's apartment in Paris and going down the stairs (since there aren't many lifts in la ville lumière), and realizing that you had the _perfect _thing to say to their snide final comment.

Technically you could walk back up to them and say it, but that would be weird.

2. Bloggbävning (Swedish) - Literally “blog quake”

When a blog topic goes viral and is picked up by the mainstream media.

3. 加油 / Jiāyóu (Chinese) - Literally “add oil”

To push forward with more energy and effort.

This is often said at sporting events or to encourage someone undertaking a challenge. It is also how to wish "good luck" in Chinese.

4. 吃苦 / Chīkǔ (Chinese) - Literally “eat bitter”

To endure extreme hardship. For me this word evokes a strong mental image.

5. Hygge (Danish) - Literally “well being”

To create a warm atmosphere and enjoy the good things in life with good people.

6. Flipperförälder (Swedish) - Literally “pinball parent”

A parent who lets their children have lots of freedom.

I certainly would have loved a pinball machine when I was a boy!

7. Cwtch (Welsh) - Literally “safe space”

To give someone a hug, but not out of affection/love, but to let them know that they are safe.

8. Glas wen (Welsh) - Literally “blue smile”

An insincere smile. We say "crocodile tears" in English - why don't we have a crocodile smile?

15 Actions We Wish Were Easier to Describe in English

Many cultures have specific, culturally nuanced actions that you don’t often find in English.

You might save some money with a dar un toque, or who hasn’t felt the desire to deppenfahrerbeaugung while you’re in the car?

Check out some of these action words and phrases that would be great to have in English.

1. Cambiar el chip (Spanish) - Literally “change the chip”

That Eureka moment, when it feels like a switch has been flicked in your brain, and its internal processor (chip) gives you a whole new way of thinking.

2. 撒娇 / Sājiāo (Chinese)

To throw a fit and to act childish to show how much you love someone. Kind of romantic... I guess?

3. Politikerleden (Danish)

Having disgust for politicians.

4. Bagstiv (Danish)

Waking up in the morning still drunk from the night before.

5. Deppenfahrerbeaugung (German) - Literally “moron driver eyeballing”

When you want to turn around and glare at a bad driver you’ve just overtaken.

6. Baggerspion (German) - Literally “digger truck spy hole”

The desire to peek into boarded-up building sites.

7. Mencolek (Indonesian)

When you tap someone on the opposite shoulder from behind to trick them. I was pretty sure that I invented this ingenious and hilarious ploy, but never quite knew what to call it until now.

8. Iktsuarpok (Inuit)

When you keep checking outside to see if someone is coming.

9. 頑張ります /Ganbarimasu (Japanese)

To put forth your best effort.

10. переподвыподверт (Russian)

To do something in a complex way that makes no sense.

11. Dar un toque (Spanish) or Fare uno squillo (Italian)

To call a mobile phone and let it ring once so that the other person will call back, saving the first caller money. This can also be used for subtle communications like to simply let the other person know you are thinking of them, or that you are running late but will be there soon.

No actual communication other than the missed call is provided, but the context is pretty clear what you mean.

12. Nosh (Yiddish)

To nibble at a light snack.

13. Plotz (Yiddish)

To explode in anger.

14. Béaláiste (Irish)

A toast (drink) used to seal a deal.

15. Aktivansteher (German) - Literally “energetic queuer”

An expert at the art of joining the best queues. I always seem to join the wrong line at the supermarket with the old lady counting pennies. I wish I had this superpower!

13 Amazing Phrases and Words in Other Languages to Describe People and Relationships

The purpose of language is to communicate with people, so it’s no surprise that most languages have unique ways to describe people and their relationships. Even a smlimazl might catch a break, or a белоручка might end up getting a promotion.

Here are 13 words and expressions that give us a glimpse into how different cultures view people and relationships.

Maybe one of them describes your italki tutor perfectly!

1. Saudades (Portuguese)

A deep and emotional yearning, used when someone misses something or someone. A classic word that has to make every list like this!

Pretty much any Brazilian I've met outside of Brazil feels _saudades _for their home. Unlike simply missing it or feeling homesick, it's like a part of _you _is missing if you can't be there or with that person.

2. 缘分 / lYuánfèn (Chinese)

Fate or serendipity that brings people together (often used for romantic coincidences).

3. 夫妻相 / Fūqīxiàng (Chinese) - Literally “Husband Wife Look”

A couple who have similar physical appearances and consequently are likely to get along and be a good match.

4. 热闹 / Rènào (Chinese) - Literally “Hot Noisy”

A lively environment with lots of people (used to express feelings of camaraderie and closeness with others).

5. Hils (Danish)

Expressing concern or caring for someone who is being talked about.

(See also: 〜によろしくお願いします in Japanese)

6. Sitzpinkler (German) - Literally “A man who sits to pee”

Or in other words, a wimp.

Weird cultural aside here: I have been in many German homes where signs in the bathroom have instructed _men _to sit while peeing. That's certainly a new spin on gender equality!

7. Okradlakpok (Inuit)

To talk excessively.

8. 〜によろしくお願いします / ~ ni yoroshiku onegaishimasu (Japanese)

Asking to pass on an expression of concern or caring for another person.

(See also: Hils in Danish)

9. мерзлячка (Russian) and Friolento/Friolero (Spanish)

People who don't tolerate or are very sensitive to the cold.

10. почемучка (Russian)

A child who asks lots of questions.

11. белоручка (Russian)

A person who avoids dirty work.

12. luftmensch (Yiddish)

A dreamer; someone with no business savvy.

13. shlimazl (Yiddish)

A person with constant bad luck.

I Love Discovering Words in Other Languages!

For me, untranslatable expressions are one of the best things that language learning has to offer. There’s just something incredible about finding a word that describes something you’ve felt or done many times but which you couldn’t really describe. It makes you feel understood!

If you liked these untranslatable words and phrases from other languages, I’ve got some more for you! I've written a post on weird words from around the world that should be right up your alley.

If you’re learning a new language and you’ve found some great quirky words, you could share them with the Fluent in 3 Months Challenge community!

The post 41+ Brilliant Words in Other Languages We Desperately Need in English appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

Days of the Week in Japanese: A Simple Guide

On today’s Japanese language agenda, we’re learning how to talk about the days of the week in Japanese. They are:

Sunday: 日曜日, nichiyoubiMonday: 月曜日, getsuyoubiTuesday: 火曜日, kayoubiWednesday: 水曜日, suiyoubiThursday: 木曜日, mokuyoubiFriday: 金曜日, kinyoubiSaturday: 土曜日, doyoubi

In this simple guide, you’ll learn how to write the days of the week in Japanese and easy ways to remember them. I’ll also share the origin of the words and their kanji meaning.

But the week is only one part of the calendar and talking about time, right? So I’ll share other related words you need to know so you can start planning your schedule in Japanese.

Table of contentsDays of the Week in Japanese“Sunday” in Japanese: 日曜日“Monday” in Japanese: 月曜日“Tuesday” in Japanese: 火曜日“Wednesday” in Japanese: 水曜日“Thursday” in Japanese: 木曜日“Friday” in Japanese: 金曜日“Saturday” in Japanese: 土曜日Other Ways to Remember the Days of the Week in Japanese: Elements, Anime, Avatar!Days of the Week Song in Japanese: 一週間の歌Other Vocab Related to the Week in JapaneseMonths in JapaneseDays of the Month in JapaneseNext Week, Last Week, and This Week in JapaneseBonus: Telling Time in JapanesePlan Tomorrow’s Agenda in Japanese!

Let’s stop wasting time and get right to it.

function runSplitTest(){var randomNumber = Math.floor(Math.random() * 2) + 1console.log(randomNumber)var copy = "";if (randomNumber == 1){ copy = '<i>One thing before we get started: You can chat away in Japanese for at least 15 minutes with the "Fluent in 3 Months" method. All it takes is 90 days. <b><a href="https://fluentin3months.com/challenge... this link to find out more.</b></a></i>'} else { copy = '<i>Before we get started, if you’re looking for an online Japanese course, here’s the course I recommend: <a href="https://www.fluentin3months.com/olly-... Uncovered - Learn Japanese Through the Power of Story</b></a>, a course with a fascinating new method by my friend Olly. You can try it for free for 7 days!</i>'}console.log(copy)var copyToChange = document.querySelector("p.copyText").innerHTML = copy;}runSplitTest();Days of the Week in Japanese

First, here’s a nice image you can save to help you remember and review the days of the week in Japanese kanji:

[days of the week in japanese image]

If you only know how to read kana, here are the days of the week in Japanese hiragana:

Sunday: にちようび, nichiyoubiMonday: げつようび, getsuyoubiTuesday: かようび, kayoubiWednesday: すいようび, suiyoubiThursday: もくようび, mokuyoubiFriday: きんようび, kinyoubiSaturday: どようび, doyoubi

But, the kanji are your friends here.

See, once you know how the kanji’s meaning ties into our English words for days of the week, it becomes a lot simpler.

But also, the days of the week are often abbreviated (like in English) to just 日, 月, 火, 水, 木, 金, and 土. That’s because the kanji 曜日 (youbi) means “day of the week” and it’s the same ending for every day.

So I’ll share with you how mythology and astronomy origins help tie the Japanese and English words together. But, if that’s not your thing, don’t worry — I’ll share some other (fun!) mnemonic tips at the end.

“Sunday” in Japanese: 日曜日

Look at the kanji breakdown of 日曜日 (nichiyoubi):

日: ni, “sun” 曜: you, “day of the week” 日: bi, “day”

The kanji 日 means both “sun” and “day”, and it has different readings depending on its use. But what’s important here is that these kanji literally mean: Sun Day. Sunday.

In many languages, the words for the days of the week come from mythology and astronomy. So if you remember 日 means “sun”, then you can remember 日曜日 means “Sunday” like English.

“Monday” in Japanese: 月曜日

月曜日 (getsuyoubi) starts with the character 月 (getsu, tsuki, among other readings). It means “moon”.

So 月曜日 means “Moon Day”, the same as English: Monday is also derived from “moon”.

“Tuesday” in Japanese: 火曜日

The 火 in 火曜日 (kayoubi) means “fire”. But it’s also associated with the planet Mars, 火星 (kasei).

In English, “Tuesday” stems from the Norse god, Tyr, who was the god of war. He’s the Nordic version of the Roman god of war, Mars.

This one is a bit harder to connect because you have to think Tuesday → Tyr → Mars → 火星 (kasei) → 火曜日 (kayoubi).

But you can create a mnemonic to remember it, like: “Mars, the god of war, reigned fire 火 on Tuesday.”

“Wednesday” in Japanese: 水曜日

水曜日 (suiyoubi) uses the character 水 (sui, mizu) which means “water”. It’s tied to the planet Mercury, 水星 (suisei).

In English, Wednesday comes from the Nordic god Odin (also called Woden). He’s like the Roman god Mercury.

“Thursday” in Japanese: 木曜日

木 in 木曜日 (mokuyoubi) means “wood” and is connected to the planet Jupiter, 木星 (mokusei).

The Roman god Jupiter is the god of thunder. “Thursday” in English is named after Thor — whom I’m sure you know, from Marvel movies, is also the god of thunder.

“Friday” in Japanese: 金曜日

金曜日 uses 金 (kin), which means “gold” and also “money.” This is convenient on its own — Friday is payday, after all!

This one should be easy enough to remember. But if you want to know the origins like with the other days, then here it is:

金星 (kinsei) is the planet Venus. Of course, the Roman god, Venus, is best known for being the god of love and beauty. But she’s also known as the god of prosperity.

Her Nordic counterpart is Odin’s wife, Frigg, from which Friday stems.

“Saturday” in Japanese: 土曜日

Last up is 土曜日 (doyoubi). 土 (do, tsuchi) means “soil” or “ground”. It’s tied to the planet Saturn, 土星 (dosei).

This is exactly the same as English, because Saturday also stems from Saturn, the god of harvest and abundance.

Other Ways to Remember the Days of the Week in Japanese: Elements, Anime, Avatar!

Okay, look. I know not everyone cares about the etymology of words or has any interest or knowledge of Roman or Nordic mythology.

So maybe those ways to remember the days of the week in Japanese don't work for you.

That’s okay!

One thing you may have noticed is that each day of the week is an element in nature.

日: sun月: moon火: fire水: water木: wood金: gold/metal土: earth

Maybe you create a visual connection and that’s all you need. Like this:

[days of the week elements image]

But honestly? How do I remember them? I connect the plants and elements aspect to my love of Sailor Moon.

Monday is Sailor Moon (obvious).Tuesday is Sailor Mars, who wields fire 火.Sailor Mercury controls water 水 for Wednesday.Sailor Jupiter uses thunder (Thor), and also really loved flowers and cherry blossom trees 木.Venus wields love and beauty, and uses her golden 金 love-me chain.Saturday is for Sailor Saturn, 土星, who was reborn on earth 土.Sunday doesn’t really need one, but I think of it as Tuxedo Mask who (deep cut reference) was protector of the golden (sun) crystal.

You could associate them with the elemental Clow Cards from CardCaptor Sakura.

Or Avatar the Last Airbender:

日: sun, Sozin’s Comet月: moon, Yue火: fire, Fire Benders水: water, Water Benders木: wood, Aang (see the arrow?)金: gold/metal, Metal Benders土: earth, Earth Benders

Seriously. It’s fun to play around with these and make connections to things you love. Obviously, I got nerdy about it. But find what works for you!

Days of the Week Song in Japanese: 一週間の歌

Here’s another tool you can use to memorize the days of the week in Japanese: music!

Music is a great way to help your brain create new neural pathways and remember new things.

This song on YouTube, called 一週間の歌 (isshukan no uta, “One Week Song”) will help you keep it straight.

Other Vocab Related to the Week in Japanese

Now that the days are out of the way, let’s learn some other important words when talking about days, dates, and spans of time.

Months in Japanese

The months in Japanese are:

January: 一月 (ichigatsu)February: 二月 (nigatsu)March: 三月 (sangatsu)April: 四月 (shigatsu)May: 五月 (gogatsu)June: 六月 (rokugatsu)July: 七月 (shichigatsu)August: 八月 (hachigatsu)September: 九月 (kugatsu)October: 十月 (juugatsu)November: 十一月 (juuichigatsu)December: 十二月 (juunigatsu)

If you know your Japanese numbers then this is super simple to remember! It’s just the number of the month + the kanji for month: 月 (gatsu).

Also, I’ve written the months in kanji, which is usually saved for formal situations. You can use 1-12 plus the kanji 月 in everyday situations, such as 12月 for December.

Days of the Month in Japanese

As for the days of the month in Japanese, there are some inconsistencies. Although many follow the same pattern as months, where it’s the number + 日 (nichi) for “day”.

Keep an eye out for the first 10 days of the month, which sound closer to the Native Japanese numbers than the Sino-Japanese numbers. Plus, the 14th, the 20th, and the 24th change as well.

[Days of the Month in Japanese chart]

Like with months, I’ve used kanji here, but you’ll find it’s more common to write the days like 21日 for the 21st.

Next Week, Last Week, and This Week in Japanese

There will be times when you’ll need to know how to say “last week” or “next month” or “two years ago.” So here’s the vocab you need to know:

General:

Day: 日 (hi)Days: 日々 (hibi)Week: 週間 (shuukan)Weekend: 週末 (shuumatsu)Month: 月 (getsu)Year: 年 (toshi, nen)

Days:

Today: 今日 (kyou)Tomorrow: 明日 (ashita)Yesterday: 昨日 (kinou)The day before yesterday: 一昨日 (ototoi)The day after tomorrow: 明後日 (asatte)Everyday: 毎日 (mainichi)Three days ago: 三日前 (mikkamae)The other day: 先の日 (saki no hi) or 先日 (senjitsu)

Weeks:

This week: 今週 (konshuu)Last week: 先週 (senshuu)Next week: 来週 (raishuu)The week after next: 再来週 (saraishuu)Every week: 毎週 (maishuu)Every weekend: 毎週末 (maishuumatsu)A week ago: 一週間前 (isshuukan mae)3 weeks later: 三週間後 (sanshuukan go)

Months:

This month: 今月 (kongetsu)Last month: 先月 (sengetsu)Next month: 来月 (raigetsu)Every month: 毎月 (maitsuki)A couple of months: 数ヶ月 (suukagetsu)End of the month: 月末 (getsumatsu)Two months ago: 二ヶ月前 (nikagetsu mae)A few months later: 数ヶ月後 (suukagetsu go)

Years:

This year: 今年 (kotoshi)Last year: 去年 (kyonen)Next year: 来年 (rainen)The year before last: 一昨年 (ototoshi)The year after next: 再来年 (sarainen)Every year: 毎年 (maitoshi)A few years before / years ago: 数年前 (suunen mae)A few years later: 数年後 (suunen go)

As you can tell, there are some patterns here! For example:

先 (sen or saki) means “previous”今 (ima or kon) means “now” or “current”来 (rai) means “coming”後 (ato or go) means “after”前 (mae) means “before”

So knowing these kanji can help you make various measurements of current, past, and future time.

By the way, “days” in Japanese, 日々, is more poetic and has a nuance of “day after day” rather than “days”. Otherwise, you would usually only use “day” in Japanese, 日, and mark it with the number of days as needed.

Bonus: Telling Time in Japanese

You can’t plan your schedule in Japanese without knowing how to tell time! Thankfully, it’s pretty simple if you already know your Japanese numbers.

1 o’clock: 1時 (ichiji)2 o’clock: 2時 (niji)3 o’clock: 3時 (sanji)4 o’clock: 4時 (yoji)5 o’clock: 5時 (goji)6 o’clock: 6時 (rokuji)7 o’clock: 7時 (shichiji)8 o’clock: 8時 (hachiji)9 o’clock: 9時 (kuji)10 o’clock: 10時 (juuji)11 o’clock: 11時 (juuichiji)12 o’clock: 12時 (juuniji)

For minutes, you use the number + 分 (fun, bun, or pun), such as 12:15 is じゅうにじじゅうごふん (juuniji juugofun). Or for “half past 12” it’s じゅうにじはん (juuniji han). 半 (han) means “half.”

Plan Tomorrow’s Agenda in Japanese!

Now you’ve got the essentials for planning out your schedule or calendar. And in fact — that’s a great way to practice what you’ve learned today!

Try writing out your weekly schedule using the days of the week in Japanese. Practice reading the time and calendar using the Japanese words. Date your journal entries with Japanese. And if you’ve got an online tutor, you can schedule your next meeting with them using the vocabulary you’ve learned in the post!

The more you practice, the easier it gets. So don’t waste anymore time — go use your new Japanese skills!

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