Differences between 近頃 vs この頃:
• 近頃 (i.e. ~past few months) has a broader time span as compared to この頃 (i.e. ~past few weeks).
• 近頃 is preferably used with external situations, whereas この頃 is preferably used with personal experiences.
• 近頃 is commonly used in news/reports, whereas この頃 is commonly used in conversation.

“Latlely” is a near (chikaku) approximate time (goro)

LATELY, I've been finding (chika)n gross(goro).

Oooh! Was a うわさ rumor spreading?

Hey yoU, WAS A gossip spreading RUMOURS around here just now?

U was a うわさ spreader of the rumor, people realized after a while, and you eventually lost all your friends

Oooooo, I saw.... うわさ

Both の and こと turn verbs into nouns, but they feel different:
————————

こと is more conceptual and abstract. It treats the action as a general idea and sounds more detached. It's often used for information, ideas, or facts.

の feels more direct and personal. It points to the actual action as it happens. It sounds more immediate, and it's commonly used for things you directly see, hear, feel, or control.
————————

→ 私は死ぬことが怖い = "I'm afraid of death"
Here, the action is treated as a general concept.

→ 私は死ぬのが怖い = "I'm afraid of dying"
This feels more immediate and personal, as if you're afraid of dying rather than death as an abstract idea.
————————

The difference becomes clearer with direct perception. When you directly witness something, you usually use の.

→ 私は子どもが泣いているのを見た = "I saw a child crying"
What you saw wasn't the concept of a child crying—you saw the action itself.

The same contrast appears with hearing, especially when comparing direct perception and reported information.

→ 火山が噴火したことを聞いた = What you heard was the news of the volcano erupting.
Here, you received information about the event.

→ 火山が噴火したのを聞いた = You were there when the volcano erupted. You directly heard it.
In this case, you experienced the sound itself.
————————

Finally, when talking about actions you can directly control, の is usually preferred.
→ 酒を飲むのをやめた = "I quit drinking"

Here, the action feels concrete and personally managed rather than abstract.
————————

Quick rule of thumb:

Directly experienced / immediate / personal → の
Abstract / conceptual / informational → こと

Source: part of this video: [www.youtube.com]

in conversation, knowing when to use その and あの when referring to a subject/situation is important

use その when the subject is not known to both speakers
use あの when the subject is known to both speakers

(both speakers refers to you and whoever you're talking to)

Ah! No! It’s THAT!

I know the perfect house for you but it's some distance off

“Ah, no… that one.”
Imagine you’re trying to recall or point something out:

You see a book across the room and go “Ah… no, that one over there.” → あの.

皆: All of us (me included)
皆(みんな): colloquial usu. hiragana.
方々: All of them; People (honorific) (sometimes singular)
全員: All members (emphasis the inclusion of the members)
各位: Each one of you (emphasis on the individual listener)
誰も: Nobody; Unspecific group (people in general) (always. negative )

You think I made food just for ME? NAHH (みんな), it's for everyone!

MINNA no nihongo = EVERYBODYS Japanese

Everybody's MEAN-A to me!

In Smash Bros, Marth says in one of his taunts "みんな、見ていてくれ!" or "Minna, miteite kure!" which translates to "Everyone, please watch me!"

Everybody gets white spoons! 皆

In math, the "mean" of something is the average. In other words: the average is the mean of ("mean a") everything, everyone, or all of the data.

みなさん doesn't have the additional ん but みんな does.

To quote Cure Dolly: 'anything contained in the は particle only 'flags' what the sentence is talking about, and is never part of the grammatical structure as a whole.'

[youtu.be]

Can be used like “Xは?: As for X?” Usually used when asking for opinion of someone or when a customer is asked what they would like. Very contextual can be used in many senses like “Where?” “What?” Or even complex sentences.

Other particles like も can be used similarly, but this particle directly uses the information from the conversation to ask about another thing/situation. Similar to “What about” in “Mom is at home.” “What about Dad?”.

Pronounced as "wa" (not "ha") when used as the topic-marking particle.

forever

ずっと and はるかに can both mean “by far” or “much,” but differ in tone. ずっと is casual and common in conversation, used for clear or ongoing differences (彼の方がずっと上手だ). はるかに is more formal and emphatic, often used in writing or objective statements to stress a striking gap (富士山は他の山よりはるかに高い).

only use 2. and 3. during comparisons

例

お寿司はラーメンよりずっと美味しいです

I feel like I've been living in a Zoo (ず) Today (と)! Luckily I don't live here continuously

What's the deal with her? She's always wearing her SUIT(O)?

When "Zootopia" {ずっと} came out, I was continuously stuck in my seat the whole time watching it, as it was by far the best movie around at the time!

For meaning 2 (much more, by far), ずっと is similar to もっと, which means some more, even more, longer, further.

Prince Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) never stopped. He was searching for the Avatar *all the time*. Zuko was zutto (ずっと).

ZUkO (from Avatar) is much more likeable at the end, when he goes all the way/zutto for Team Avatar

He's been doing JUDO(ずっと) the whole time.

The Zoo Today continuously feeding its animals.

しゃべる means talking about things that are not very important. Like chatting with friends, talking too much, small talk etc.
It usually sounds casual or chatty in everyday use. However, しゃべる is often used like 話す. Ex : 電話でしゃべりした。implies casual chatting, while 電話で話をした。 could be either serious or casual.
So, you can use 喋る when you want to emphasize the talk that you did was small or of little importance, or you talked too much or even if you talked with your relatives.

目 (め) で 見る (みる、1)
耳 (みみ) で 聞く、聴く (きく、0)
鼻 (はな) で 嗅ぐ (かぐ、0)
口 (くち) で 話す (はなす、2)
手 (て) で 触る (さわる、0)

言う (いう) is the most basic and neutral. It simply means to put something into words. It doesn't require a listener. The focus is on the verbalised words themselves.

これは日本語で何と言いますか？ = "How do you say this in Japanese?"

—————————

話す (はなす) shifts the focus toward communication. It normally assumes some kind of interaction or listener. It's what you use for speaking a language (日本語を話す) and for having a conversation (先生と話した).

少し日本語を話せます = "I can speak a little Japanese."

—————————

しゃべる is basically a casual version of 話す. It means to talk or chat, but it carries a lighter, sometimes slightly negative nuance. You wouldn't use it in formal situations.

彼はよくしゃべる = "He talks a lot" or "He chats a lot" (can be used in a negative sense).

—————————

語る (かたる) feels heavier and more deliberate. It's used when someone recounts something in a structured way—a story, a life experience, a belief system. It often has a literary, emotional, or thematic depth to it.

Both of these mean "I talk to my friend(s) about music", but the one using 語る implies a more deliberate, deeper conversation.

友達と音楽について語る。
友達と音楽について話す。

—————————

述べる (のべる) is formal and often appears in writing, speeches, or official contexts. It's commonly used with things like 意見 or 考え. It means to state or express something in a structured, often objective way.
You wouldn't normally use it in casual conversation with friends; it feels academic/formal.

自分の意見を述べた = "I expressed my opinion." (formal/structured)
自分の意見を言った = "I said my opinion." (casual/spoken)

—————————

Sources: [ja.hinative.com]| [www.youtube.com]| [japanese.stackexchange.com]

話： A talk
話す： To talk
話をする: To have a talk

The difference between the last two is the first means the action while the second is the conversation specifically; the emphasis is on a particular topic.
Basically talk have a chat or conversation about something.

90% of the time they are interchangeable. In some cases like speaking IN a language using the later would mean speaking about it.

はなし - A talk/ speech
はなす - TO talk/ speak

Hana likes to talk!

HANA's SUper power is to talk super loudly

When in a couple, someone says:
"Look, we have to talk 話す"...
Well it usually ends up in a separation 離す

Hana soon will be speaking

My friend and I saw a combination of a flower (はな) and an eggplant (ナス) and we were talking about it all day!

めっちゃ is the slang version of とても.

非常に（ひじょうに） extremely / highly. Formal, objective, and common in writing, news, business, and academic contexts.
随分（ずいぶん） quite / considerably / rather. Often implies a difference from expectation or a noticeable degree. Frequently carries a sense of "more than I would have thought."
とても very. The standard, neutral word for expressing a high degree. Natural in both speech and writing.
すごく very / really. More conversational and expressive than とても. Often conveys the speaker's feelings more strongly.
めっちゃ really / super. Casual slang. Much less formal than the others and common in everyday speech, especially among younger speakers.

Formality: 非常に > とても > すごく > めっちゃ

Mega Mecha!

The more drunken 😵‍💫 酔い よ/い, the more weak 🤢 弱い よ/わ\い I became. (Low pitch on よ)

The stronger 🦾 強い つ/よ\い, the better 👏🏻 良い よ\い (high pitch on よ)

Used when both the speaker and the listener know about the situation equally — Genki II
部長 は 親切な 人 だ よね。

Usually implies that you expect the other person to agree with you. It has a "you agree with me, right?" vibe rather than being a neutral question.

目 (め) で 見る (みる、1)
耳 (みみ) で 聞く、聴く (きく、0)
鼻 (はな) で 嗅ぐ (かぐ、0)
口 (くち) で 話す (はなす、2)
手 (て) で 触る (さわる、0)

観る is usually used as "to watch" (i.e: 映画を観る)

見る (見) – "to see / look at / watch"
The neutral, everyday verb. Used in most situations: seeing something, watching TV, checking something, meeting someone, etc.
Note: This is the default way it's written in almost all cases.

観る (観) – "to watch (as an experience)"
Used when watching something you appreciate or take in intentionally, like films, theatre, concerts, or sports.
Note: In everyday writing, people still usually write 見る, unless they want to be precise.

視る (視) – "to observe / examine"
More formal and analytical. Implies carefully examining or viewing something from a technical or objective perspective.
Note: Rare on its own in daily life, but common in compounds like 視点, 視覚, 視野.

見る - to see, to watch, to look at

見える - to be seen - because えveryone can see (見る) you

見せる - to show or display せomething; to make せomeone see (見る) せomething.

The extra letters can help you remember what aspect of "seeing" it means

I can see I can see I can see you in the Miru (mirror)

If you know Spanish:
mirar = to look / watch
みる (miru) - to look / watch / see
Pretty similar.

The doctor has to SEE (見る / みる) you in order to EXAMINE (診る / みる) you.

I think of 'admire'.
See -> Admire -> Ad *mir* e -> Miru

Visit the ill* 🛌 見舞う み/まう
I come to SEE you 見る not to EXAMINE 🧑‍⚕️ 診る you, why open your mouth👄 (まう)?

Visit a person* 🧒 訪ねる た/ずね\る
My TAsk (た) is NOT (ず) to ASK 尋ねる if I could SLEEP 🛏️ ( ね) here.

Visit a place* 🎢 訪れる お/とずれ\る
There is too much NOISE ( 音 おと) here. I could NOT (ず) hear you, please REpeat (れ) 🦻 .

It sounds similar to "mirror" and you "look" (to see) into a mirror

Something abstract, not material, like actions and feelings.

abstract thing

verb cannot connect to particle directly, need to put koto to join them together

Generally, 事 (こと)is used to mean thing. When in doubt, if you use こと, you will rarely make a mistake.

事項（じこう) gives the image of each item (事柄). It is close in meaning to 'item.'



事柄（ことがら) is more abstract, relating to the appearance or content. It is close to 事象.



Note that 事項 and 事柄 are not commonly used in everyday conversation; they are used in business and official documents.

[hinative.com]

こと is used for actions, events, or abstract matters, while もの is for things, concepts, or objects that feel more static or concrete.

For example, 愛 (noun) is a concept, so 愛というもの means "this thing called love", while 愛する (verb) is an action, so 愛するということ means "this thing called loving".

Similarly, 生命, life as a concept, takes もの, but 生きる, the act of living, takes こと.
The distinction also appears in phrases like 大切なもの, "important things" (often emotionally valued), versus 大切なこと, "important matters" or "important actions".

An example with people or possessions: 彼のこと refers to abstract things about him or matters concerning him, while 彼のもの means "his thing" or something he owns.

Source: the first few minutes of this video [www.youtube.com]

Both の and こと turn verbs into nouns, but they feel different:
————————

こと is more conceptual and abstract. It treats the action as a general idea and sounds more detached. It's often used for information, ideas, or facts.

の feels more direct and personal. It points to the actual action as it happens. It sounds more immediate, and it's commonly used for things you directly see, hear, feel, or control.
————————

→ 私は死ぬことが怖い = "I'm afraid of death"
Here, the action is treated as a general concept.

→ 私は死ぬのが怖い = "I'm afraid of dying"
This feels more immediate and personal, as if you're afraid of dying rather than death as an abstract idea.
————————

The difference becomes clearer with direct perception. When you directly witness something, you usually use の.

→ 私は子どもが泣いているのを見た = "I saw a child crying"
What you saw wasn't the concept of a child crying—you saw the action itself.

The same contrast appears with hearing, especially when comparing direct perception and reported information.

→ 火山が噴火したことを聞いた = What you heard was the news of the volcano erupting.
Here, you received information about the event.

→ 火山が噴火したのを聞いた = You were there when the volcano erupted. You directly heard it.
In this case, you experienced the sound itself.
————————

Finally, when talking about actions you can directly control, の is usually preferred.
→ 酒を飲むのをやめた = "I quit drinking"

Here, the action feels concrete and personally managed rather than abstract.
————————

Quick rule of thumb:

Directly experienced / immediate / personal → の
Abstract / conceptual / informational → こと

Source: part of this video: [www.youtube.com]

I refuse 断る ことわる to admit we're different 異なる and that's it! This matter 事 こと is now な close.

"oh gee, i have to go to an urgent matter/thing/business about a KOTO instrument. let me grab my COAT of concepts" (idk, imagine raccoons/kids in a trench coat pretending to be a man)

ない is the present negative form of ある.

-when usage at the end, softens the conversation/uncertainty/less confrontational/open ended/-can be used to disagree/invitation

Also recommend watching this video:
[youtu.be]

Notes from Kaname Naito's YouTube Video "けど Is Not Always But"
(use hlthere's link to view the video)
1. used to express opposition or contrast of two sentences (e.g. 頑張って勉強したけど、試験に落ちた。I studied hard, "but" failed the exam.)
2. used to introduce condition or situation before main point (e.g. さっき田中さんにメロンもらったんだけど、食べる? Tanaka gave me a melon just now, do you want to eat it? - where 食べる/do you want to eat it? is the main point)
3. used to request someone do something without directly stating the request/command, which could sound impolite or too invasive if stated directly (e.g. すみません、さっき注文したビールまだ来てないんですけど。Excuse me, we still haven't gotten the beer we ordered. - here けど implies 早くしてください please bring it quickly, without actually saying it)
4. used to identify yourself over the phone to people who already know you (e.g. もしもし? 要だけど。Hello, it's Kaname.)
5. the function of けど and が are basically the same, but が is more formal and is used more for very formal speech and writing, whereas けど is used more often when speaking, especially casually

I think I'm cool, *𝗯𝘂𝘁* my "kiddo"「KEDO けど」says I'm not.

Ryan Gosling is a person but けn is a どll.

しかし Standard way to start a sentence with "However" in essays or news.

だけど or でも Casual. Used at the start of a sentence in daily conversation.

けど or けれど Connective. These join two clauses in one sentence (e.g., "I like it, but it's expensive").

ですが polite version of けど. Used at the end to soften the sentence.

Clipping of けれども (see also けれど, けども)

It means giving up or handing over something tangible or intangible. It may imply a degree of generosity (giving up your seat), sacrifice, or a sense of duty (job, deed).

When compared to 渡す it also means handing over but that is mostly but not necessarily physical (handing an object to another), and has no special implications that 譲る has. Like when you hand over money to the cashier, it is neutral. The focus is on the act of transfer itself.

After you use it (ゆずる) you hand it over

Hand over the ゆず and nobody gets hurt!

HAND OVER your USER name so that I can play the games on your account

The tiger king was told “hand over ゆずる “

Can also be placed at the end of a clause to show that the following clause is different or unexpected. It essentially makes it a BUT statement. Example: 多い友だちがいるーがー全てが優しくない。(I have many friends BUT none of them are nice.)

Notes from Kaname Naito's YouTube Video "けど Is Not Always But"
(use hlthere's link to view the video)
1. used to express opposition or contrast of two sentences (e.g. 頑張って勉強したけど、試験に落ちた。I studied hard, "but" failed the exam.)
2. used to introduce condition or situation before main point (e.g. さっき田中さんにメロンもらったんだけど、食べる? Tanaka gave me a melon just now, do you want to eat it? - where 食べる/do you want to eat it? is the main point)
3. used to request someone do something without directly stating the request/command, which could sound impolite or too invasive if stated directly (e.g. すみません、さっき注文したビールまだ来てないんですけど。Excuse me, we still haven't gotten the beer we ordered. - here けど implies 早くしてください please bring it quickly, without actually saying it)
4. used to identify yourself over the phone to people who already know you (e.g. もしもし? 要だけど。Hello, it's Kaname.)
5. the function of けど and が are basically the same, but が is more formal and is used more for very formal speech and writing, whereas けど is used more often when speaking, especially casually

面倒 -> annoying to do
煩わしい -> more of a mentally fatigue feeling

面倒 vs 厄介

面倒 is something that takes time and effort and has a nuance of "やりたくない I don't want to do it".

厄介 is something that not only takes time and effort but is also problematic or difficult to deal with and has a nuance of "どう処理しようか how do I handle it".

If something gives you trouble, you'll probably try to MEND it.

men down, that means we’re in trouble

A troublesome situation should be mended (めんどう)

It will take care and attention and great difficulty, but you can mend (めんど) it.

道 is a general word for roads, routes, paths, or ways (both natural and man-made). Can also be used abstractly to mean a "way" or "method" of achieving something, e.g. 優勝への道.

道路 is a constructed road or highway, specifically designated (by law) for vehicle traffic.

通り (とおり) usually refers to a street or road in a town or city, typically lined with buildings.

The まち (town) has みち (roads).

Mi cheat code was lost somewhere along the street

There is a guy named Mitch and he tells you which road to take. What a guy

In Sailor Moon, Haruka is a race car driver. You can frequently see her and her girlfriend MICHIru out on the MICHI (road).

Oh no, mi cheese! (みち) I dropped it on the road!

Michi leads to machi (town).

変える means to change the form, shape, nature, etc of an object.
替える and 換える are used with the same meaning, to make something the same as others of it's kind, or to replace something old with something new
代える to make something else fulfill the roles or function of something

(credit to kmeconopsis10 on HiNative)

He had to return home (かえる) to change (かえる) clothes after a frog (かえる) jumped on him.

When the princess kissed the frog かえる it transformed.

With a kiss the FROG かえる transformed かえる (変える) back into a prince and then returned かえる (帰る) to live in his castle.

かえる nuances
変える (to change into something else)
替える (to exchange used for new)
代える (to act as a substitute for)
換える (to exchange for something different, but of equal value)

Sideshow Bob was there from the 'Beginning' of The Simpsons.

I always sigh at the beginning of every show

Before the big show" let's BEGIN with the "SIDE SHOW"

To differentiate 最初 and 最後, at the beginning you SHOW up and at the end you GO away.

Saishyo gu - First comes rock (Hunter x Hunter)

I am at the BEGINNING of my career at the SIDESHOW

Not to be confused with 最小