LLearn Japanese

Daily Thread: for simple questions, minor posts & newcomers [contains useful links!] (November 18, 2025)

  • November 18, 2025

This thread is for all the simple questions (what does that mean?) and minor posts that don't need their own thread, as well as for first-time posters who can't create new threads yet. Feel free to share anything on your mind.

The daily thread updates every day at 9am JST, or 0am UTC.

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Past Threads

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by AutoModerator

8 comments

  1. Renshuu’s first N4 grammar lesson says てくれる is for friends/family and て上げる else. So this makes sense to me:

    >お母さんは私たちに料理してくれた

    But why does this:

    >おじいさんに本を読んで上げます

    Use 上げる? Isn’t grandfather also family?

  2. I just need somewhere to vent! I’m studying N1 vocabulary in anki and recently hit a trove of onomatepea words. I’m not sure if that’s the right term… Words like めきめき and さばさば. They are SO hard. Haha.

  5. In my book in an example sentence it says 日本とアメリカ(と)の間には海しかない。is the とin parentheses optional? The book doesn’t explain why it’s in parentheses 

  7. im aware 美化語・尊敬語・謙譲語 is used by service industry workers (eg cashiers, waitresses etc) to customers but, are there other scenarios where its heavily used and required? is it even required in casual conversation when talking abt someone respected?

  8. I learned 靴 to be shoes from Genki but 土足 to be shoes from Kodansha. Wasn’t really satisfied with the Google answer for the difference. Would anyone mind explaining with an example or two for context?

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