Which one: のおかげで or のせいで

Smiley face .............. non-Smiley face

When you want to say “ because of ———“, which do you use?

のおかげで　　　のせいで　　or maybe　  によって

Let’s go through these expressions of giving accreditation/fault to someone else and see the difference of usage.

• のおかげで

This probably can be best translated as ‘ thanks to ‘ when you want to give credit to someone’s action. It has a positive feeling and is usually associated with positive emotions.

Stephanie:  Carlos とても嬉しそうにしてるけど、何かあったの。
　　　Hey Carlos, you look really happy. Something good happened?
　　　　　
Carlos: 彼のおかげで悩んでる問題がやっと解けた。
          Yeah, I finally solved the bloody question thanks to him.

How to use  ----そう & ----ところ

It's almost Valentine's!!

仕事が始まりそうです。

しごとがはじまりそうです。

My work is about to begin.

電車が来そうです。

でんしゃがきそうです。

The train is about to come.

彼らは結婚しそうです。　　　
する conjugates to し when followed by そう

かれらはけっこんしそうです。　　　

They are on the verge of getting married/They seem likely to get married

ーーそう　has meanings of " about to " " on the threshhold of " " on the verge of "about a certain action. Notice that it's not confirmed yet, it's just in the process of confirming a certain action. Which means that there is a small amount of doubt or gap that exists. [Most likely to] would probably be another close meaning. 

**Keep in mind that this is not a direct translation, but more of a translation that can be understood in English. 

Replying with はい,はーい or はいはい??

Mom,,,, look at me, I'm a bird !! 

In Japanese, はい means yes.

There are several versions of はい and are used in specific situations. Understanding the differences and being able to use those versions effectively can give you an edge with your conversational Japanese. 

• The normal はい

This is what you would learn in a grammar book. But, how and when is it used? And in what context?

This is the polite version of うん which also means yes. はい is used towards strangers, people you are not that close to, and in professional environments. 

Cashier: 牛乳の瓶を袋に入れましょうか？

　　　　ぎゅうにゅうのびんをふくろにいれましょうか？

　　　　　Shall I put the bottles of milk in a plastic bag?

You:　　はい、お願いします。

　　　　はい、おねがいします。

　　　　Yes, please. 

The difference of あります & います

猫が。。。。？　ありますorいます？

Alright, so I’ve noticed a lot of mistakes when it comes to differentiating ある（あります） and いる（います）for Japanese learners.

They sound similar, and they both have pretty much the same meaning(to be/to exist).

It’s much more difficult to quickly differentiate them when speaking in Japanese since you only have so much time to think and voice your thoughts.

Let’s look at some examples and see the difference. Also, let’s try to figure out a quick way to utilize them in spoken Japanese.

Natural Replies in Japanese - 自然な返事

Yes, literally,,,,,,,, 

In Japanese there are many ways to reply. Some are distinguished between polite and impolite replies. 

I’d like to introduce replies used in the household as well as in business. 

Household(can also be used with friends, people you are close to) or casual replies: 

• うん(yes, sure, alright)

Mom:ケン、皿洗いしといてね！！
　　　Ken, please have the dishes washed!! 
Son: うん。　
           Sure. 

頃(ころ) vs. 時(とき) - Which one??

Don't do this at the shopping mall....... unless you're looking for leftovers

1.デパートへ歩いた時に雨が降った。

2.デパートへ歩いた頃に雨が降った。

The rain fell when I walked to the department store.

Which is more suitable? 

The answer is 1, or at least that’s the natural way to go. 

時（とき）&　頃（ころ）both have the meaning of ‘when’, however the context in which they are used creates the difference. 

Top 5 Japanese Puns(ダジャレ) that impress

Maybe not included in the Japanese Puns,,, but hey, it's weird and funny,,,, this counts

There's nothing weirder and more interesting than Japanese jokes (ギャグ) when exploring the Japanese language and culture. One branch of jokes known as Japanese puns （ダジャレ）plays with the meaning and pronunciation of Japanese words. They can be used sparingly but caution is required when using the same set very frequently. They can get old with your buddies. It can also be seen as an 'old thing' that has passed it's generation at times so keep that in mind. But most people won't worry if you are a foreigner; they'll understand your desire to become a 日本人.