6 docs tagged with "register"

Casual Speech (タメ口): How Native Speakers Actually Talk

Casual speech in Japanese (タメ口) explained: the contractions (てる, なきゃ, とく, じゃん), dropped は/を particles, casual sentence-final particles, and questions without か.

Code-Switching (Style-Shifting): When Japanese Speakers Mix Registers

Code-switching in Japanese is the style-shift between です・ます and plain form mid-conversation. Learn what each shift signals and how to read them.

Formal Written Japanese (である調): The Register

Formal written Japanese (である調) explained: the である copula, kango, omitted subjects, nominalization, classical-derived forms, and where 論文 and 公文書 use them.

Japanese Speech Levels: Plain, Polite, Formal, and Literary Register

Japanese speech levels explained: the four-way split of plain (タメ口), polite (です/ます), formal (改まった), and literary (文語), and why register isn't keigo.

Spoken-Word vs. Written-Word Japanese: 話し言葉 vs. 書き言葉

Spoken vs. written Japanese explained: contractions and particles vs. full sentences and kango, plus swap pairs でも→しかし and すごく→非常に.

When to Switch from です/ます to Plain Form

When to switch from です/ます to plain form in Japanese: who signals the switch, the cue phrases, the never-switch contexts, and how to ease in gradually.