It's good practice to double check Japanese phrases you use every now and then, and this month I looked into 改めて (aratamete), which is a nice, polite way to say "again."

事項 is one of the most useful Japanese words, but it's useless on its own. It must link together with another word to take on meaning. This month I look at all the different combinations I could find.

Japanese passive forms can be difficult to get used to at first. Finding a few phrases you understand, such as 初めて言われました, can make it easier to access others.

I like to think of these words (which are literally polite ways to say "your company" and "my company") as "replacement pronouns." Once you learn to differentiate them, this concept makes using them a breeze.

I'm taking a break this month, so enjoy this look back at my online writing over the past 18 years.