Join Our Newsletter
  • Visit Our Store
  • Come Write for J-List!
J-List Blog
Visit J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan
No Result
View All Result
J-List Blog
No Result
View All Result

A Song of Ice, Fire and Nihongo

Peter Payne by Peter Payne
13 years ago
in Your Friend in Japan

When learning Japanese, there are various yardsticks students will use to measure their progress. Are you able to converse normally with Japanese on everyday subjects? Can you “think” in Japanese without translating things to your native language first? Can you describe to the pizza delivery man how to get to your house without him realizing you’re a foreigner? (That’s not easy, trust me.) It’s common for Japanese people to compliment gaijin on their Japanese ability, but serious students know that the real goal is to get to the point where they don’t tell you nihongo ga jozu (“your Japanese is very good”) but just shut and talk to you normally. The official measure of fluency is, of course, the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, the 5-level test that helps you increase your language skill year-by-year, with the highest level (N1) being required for entering a Japanese university. I recently discovered a level that’s even higher than that, when I was watching the Game of Thrones series with my wife and she asked me to explain all the relationships in the series to her in Japanese…Baratheon, Lannister, Stark and Targaryen. I was ready to die just then.

Want a challenge? Try explaining Game of Thrones to someone in Japanese.

Tags: gaijinGame of ThronesJapanese languageLearning Japanese

More Posts Like This

When The Subtitles Substitute Name For Onii Chan
Your Friend in Japan

Onii-chan, No! When Translators Don’t Follow Japanese Naming Conventions

by Peter Payne
8 months ago

How do you feel when you're watching anime and a character uses an honorific like "Onii-chan," but the subtitles use...

Japanese Is Similar To Spanish Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Why Is Japanese So Similar to Spanish? Let’s Compare Both Languages!

by Peter Payne
10 months ago

Everyone knows that Japanese is a hard language to learn, right? But I found it surprisingly easy, partly because it...

What Does Bitch Mean In Japanese

Bitch Means What in Japanese?? Nine Times Japan Changed the Meaning of Words

11 months ago
Is Japan Xenophobic

No, Japan Is Not Xenophobic. Here’s Why.

1 year ago
Watashi No Shiawase No Kekkon

‘My Happy Marriage’ is a Serotonin Boost For Your Brain

2 years ago
Learn Japanese Through Anime! Otonari No Tenshi

Learn Japanese With Anime! Otonari no Tenshi-sama Edition

2 years ago
Next Post
Jlistfront J2onju W

Gaishi-kei: Foreign Companies in Japan

Trending Today

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime Web Cover
News

Spring 2025 Ecchi Anime and Where to Watch Them

4 months ago
The Top 11 Anime Sex Scenes Blog
Your Friend in Japan

Happy Sex Day! Let’s Rank the 11 Most Surprising Ecchi Scenes in Anime

1 month ago
Yandere Dark Elf Episode 1 Featured Image
Featured

Yandere Dark Elf, Episode 1 — Love Heavier than Chocolate Melons!

3 months ago
Haite Kudasai, Takamine San Episode 9 Featured Image
Featured

Haite Kudasai, Takamine-san, Episode 9 — Slippery When Wet!

1 week ago
Dengeki Moeoh August 2025 Cover
Anime Magazine

What’s Inside Dengeki Moeoh August 2025? Ecchi Illustrations, Posters, Art, and More!

3 days ago
Get the Newest Figures from J-List - Your Favorite Online Shop and Friend in Japan
Seishun.Buta.Yarou.wa.Santa.Claus.no.Yume.wo.Minai Blog Post
Your Friend in Japan

Seishun Buta Yarou Returns! Why You Should Not Miss ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus’

by Peter Payne
July 14, 2025

Grand Blue S2, Episode 1 — Sister Knows Best

Chuhai Lips — It’s Fap Material

Seishun Buta Yarou Returns! Why You Should Not Miss ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus’

Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World S4 — To the Watchtower

My Dress-Up Darling S2, Episode 13 — Bunny Girl Wuv Is in the Air

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Discord
  • YouTube

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured
  • News
  • Gallery
  • Product Reports
  • Your Friend in Japan

© J-LIST. All trademarks, characters and images are property of their respective owners.