Some of you may have heard the phrase “Sayounara,” which means “Good bye” or “See you”. It is a formal expression that you can use when you say “Good bye” in a business situation, or something that you say to someone who is older than you. However, this expression is too formal for families or friends.
Instead of “Sayounara”, using expressions like “Matane” and “Jyaane” will add the feeling of closeness to a conversation. They are short and easy-to-say. Let’s look at a conversation between two friends- Saori and Miki, who just finished having lunch at a restaurant.
Saori : Today’s lunch special here was pretty good!
Miki : Yeah, let’s come here again soon.
Saori : Agreed! Oops, my lunch break is almost over. I need to get going to work. See you later !
Miki : Good luck! See you around !
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Japanese-Online has content suited to varying levels of study, including lessons for beginners as well as lessons tailored for those who need grammar and writing resources. Lessons are best suited to those who have basic understanding of hiragana and katakana alphabets before moving on to the more advanced grammar and particle lessons. Grammar lessons focus on learning about writing and creating more complex sentences and most lessons will not use romaji (Japanese sounds written with roman letters). Kanji is used in the lessons with hiragana and English translations provided.