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.

当日 may be difficult to get a handle on at first, but that's potentially due to the fact that it can refer to any day in the past or future depending on context.

謎 is a funny Japanese word that can easily be used to create a moment of levity when you don’t understand something.

Make your thank yous more natural by reorienting the phrase around the receiving of the action rather than the giving.