Vocabulary

Language Deep Dive

Oct 5, 2026

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3 min read

The Kana Blur Has a Grammar

ゆっくり, ちゃんと, しっかり and きちんと are filed in the same drawer as きらきら. The endings are a system, and you can read words you have never met.

Vocabulary

Oct 1, 2026

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3 min read

The Deadline Nobody Set

Everyone says to switch to a Japanese-only dictionary around N2. We went looking for whoever decided that, and could not find them.

Language Deep Dive

Sep 10, 2026

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3 min read

Sumo Names the Ending, Not the Move

Two verbs, one slot, and a reading trick that works on words you have never studied

Language Deep Dive

Jul 30, 2026

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7 min read

The Feelings Family

Four words for "feeling," and the one question that sorts them

Vocabulary

Jun 18, 2026

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9 min read

The 17-Day Vocab Triage

Your SRS pile isn't a list. It's a sorting task. The 4-bucket rule, the 3-second test, and a 20-minute sort for the final stretch.

Mike Svensson

Verbs

開く or 開ける? Here's the rule nobody gave you 🍵

May 28, 2026

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6 min read

開く or 開ける? Here's the rule nobody gave you 🍵

Three patterns, one question: and the wall becomes a door

Mike Svensson

Habits

Your mouth doesn't know what your brain knows 🧠

Feb 12, 2026

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1 min read

Your mouth doesn't know what your brain knows 🧠

You didn't forget the word. You never taught your mouth to say it.

Habits

You're not learning the word. You're learning the picture. 🎴

Feb 5, 2026

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1 min read

You're not learning the word. You're learning the picture. 🎴

When flashcard images help, when they hurt, and how to tell the difference