Hand Tutorial -Tips+Reference- By =Qinni

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Below you will find my Academia FAQ. If you still can’t find something feel free to ask! My Study Tips page should be helpful, as well.

Study Strategies

How do you organize your notes?

How do you take notes in class?

Have any tips of binder organization?

How do you study before tests?

How do you write science papers?

I forgot everything from last semester… What should I do?

How do I deal when there’s so much to do but so little time!?

What is the “blank sheet method”?

How do you study for finals? x and x

Rewriting my notes works for me; how can I do it more effectively?

“How should I study for…?”

How should I study for chemistry?

How should I study for organic chemistry?

How should I study for calculus?

How should I study for [other specific class]?

How should I study to get 5s on my AP exams?

School Supplies

Do you have a basic list of study supplies? x and x

Where did you buy your book stand? | Is it good for heavy textbooks?

Do you buy physical textbooks or eBooks? | Where do you buy them?

What’s the hype with mini Moleskines? | Where can I buy some?

What should I put in the mini Moleskines?

Is there a better alternative to Moleskine notebooks?

Best books for bio/biochem/chem majors?

What do you use your colored pens for? | What pens do you use for notetaking?

What are your favorite pens?

Where did you get your laptop stand?

What are some good study apps?

Tablets or real notebooks?

Where do you buy your Cornell notebooks? | Are they helpful?

Do Bose Noise-Cancelling Headphones work?

Where is your desk from? & What is on your desk?

What kind of calculator would you recommend?

General College

Should I expect freshman year of college to be a breeze or really difficult?

How can I study more efficiently so I have time for friends and extracurriculars?

My professor doesn’t lecture well; what should I do?

What’s the most challenging part of college?

I have to work a lot to pay for college; any advice?

How do I get into a research lab?

How can I stay on top of studying, extracurriculars, work, and friends? x and x

How many clubs should I participate in?

How should I deal with mental illness in college?

What can I do to stay involved while still being able to maintain a good GPA?

How can I figure out my learning style?

What are the most important things you’ve learned in college?

College Majors and Pre-Career

Any advice for undecided majors? x and x

What kind of classes can I expect as a chem major?

I really love biology and chemistry; is biochem the major for me?

How do I choose between biochemistry and chemistry as a major?

I want to be a neurosurgeon; what major should I choose?

Why did you switch from pre-MD/PhD to pre-PhD?

Why did you decide against medical school?

My advisor said I don’t have the mind for chemistry. Should I switch majors?

I’m not that great at math… Should I give up on science?

What are the pros and cons of a double major?

GPAs and Grades

How do I recover from a bad exam grade?

How do I recover from a bad semester?

Can I get As without pulling all-nighters?

I’ve been giving 200% but only getting Bs; how can I fix this?

I’m average or low GPA; am I taking the right path?

Is my high school GPA a good indicator for university and career performance?

Studyblr

What studyblrs would you recommend? x and x

How can I become a successful studyblr?

Any tips for writing original posts?

Books BTS wants us to read

100 Delicious, Dirt-Cheap Recipes for the Starving Student

Most students don’t have a lot of cash to spend on food, but that doesn’t mean you have to go hungry. With the right recipes and some kitchen savvy, you can eat great even on a student’s budget. Here we’ll share 100 tasty recipes that you can make on the cheap. Along with saving money on meals, budget-savvy students can also save big on a college education by attending inexpensive online colleges.

Breakfast

Get a good start to your day with these cheap-o breakfasts.

Hash browns: Hash browns are cheap and easy to make, and cheaper than a trip to IHOP.

Puff pastry chicken and bacon: You can make bacon and chicken in puff pastry using this recipe.

Microwave scrambled eggs: Make scrambled eggs in the microwave with this recipe.

Breakfast burritos: You can make these burritos ahead for a quick microwave breakfast.

Onion quiche: This quiche makes a delicious, incredibly cheap breakfast.

Omelet in a bag: Boil eggs and some handy ingredients for this simple, cheap omelet.

Frittata: Add eggs to cheese, vegetables, and herbs you have handy in your fridge to make a frittata.

Ramen

A college staple gets dressed up in these recipes.

Antipasto ramen salad: With ramen, pepperoni, black olives, onion, and Italian dressing, you’ll find yourself with a great ramen salad.

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ramen: This dish makes a delicious stir fry from ramen.

Chinese style ramen with veggies: Make your ramen a little bit healthier with some vegetables added in.

Ramen noodle alfredo: Turn your ramen noodles Italian with this recipe.

Beef & Broccoli Ramen: Add some meat and veggies to your ramen to make this dish.

Spring ramen salad: Take a fresh approach to ramen with recipe.

Hamburger ramen: Ground beef with ramen makes for a great meal.

Chicken hollandaise ramen: Add chicken and hollandaise to your ramen for this meal.

Egg drop noodle soup: You’ll combine ramen, eggs, and flour to make this tasty soup.

Lo mein ramen: Follow this recipe for ramen lo mein style.

Creamy veggies and ramen: Add celery soup and vegetables to ramen, and you’ll have a great meal.

Pasta ramen salad: Use ramen as the base to make this delicious pasta salad.

Sandwiches

Use these recipes to step up your sandwiches.

Hot Dog Egg Sandwich: Get a good portion of protein and flavor from this sandwich.

Egg Salad Sandwich: Cook up some hard boiled eggs for a cheap, tasty sandwich that’s really versatile.

Monte Cristo Sandwich: This sandwich is a delicious hybrid of grilled ham, cheese, and french toast.

Grilled chicken and apple sandwich: This hot sandwich is healthy, affordable, and delicious.

Canned salmon sandwich: Add celery, horseradish, and swiss cheese for a delicious, healthy meal from a can.

Turkey, chutney and avocado grilled sandwich: This sandwich is an exotic, cheap treat.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich: The classic college staple, grilled cheese sandwiches pack a lot of flavor for very little cost.

One Pot

These simple recipes can be pulled off in one pot.

Creamy cauliflower soup: This vegetable soup is cheap, easy, and surprisingly tasty.

Cheap chili: Use chopped beef, tomatoes, and more for this cheap chili.

Butternut Squash Soup: Take advantage of cheap winter vegetables with this soup.

Slow cooker BBQ chicken: Combine cut up chicken with your favorite barbeque sauce for this recipe.

Crockpot lemon chicken: Get inexpensive cuts of chicken and make this lemony meal for lots of flavor without lots of money.

Minestrone soup: Eat this classic soup for a healthy, cheap meal.

Cheeseburger soup: This soup is hearty enough to be a meal.

Slightly Italian crockpot chicken recipe: With chicken, artichoke, onions, and spices, you’ll get an Italian chicken meal in a slow cooker.

Cranberry pot roast: Beef roast and cranberries offer a lot of flavor in this crockpot meal.

Crockpot potato soup: Make this soup from chicken broth and potatoes.

Corn, Bacon, and Potato Chowder: This hearty chowder is great for winter eating.

Chilled avocado soup: Check out this recipe for a healthy, refreshing treat.

Slow cooker pulled pork: Make pork shoulder in the crock pot using this recipe.

Middle East Chicken Soup: This ethnic chicken soup is a cheap, tasty, treat.

Bean soup: In this bean soup recipe, you’ll find lots of protein for just a little money.

Salads

Use these healthy recipes to make cheap, delicious salads.

Caesar salad: Combine romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, and dressing for a classic salad.

Simple spinach salad: In this tasty salad you’ll find sweet pears and spinach.

Bowtie Pasta Salad: Throw together some pasta, tomatoes, and other vegetables for this salad.

Cucumber salad: This salad is fresh, delicious, and cheap.

Caprese salad: This caprese salad is simple and delicious.

Chicken Caesar salad: Eat this recipe as a salad, or put it into a wrap for a healthy, cheap treat.

Simple green salad: Here you’ll find a simple, inexpensive salad with great flavor.

Pecan mandarin orange salad: Get a bright and sweet salad from this recipe.

Cucumber salad with sour cream: This salad is cheap and refreshing.

Salmon orzo salad: With salmon filets, or even canned salmon, you can put together this salad treat.

Casserole

You’ll find delicious casseroles in these recipes.

O’Brien Casserole: Use O’Brien potatoes, beans, lean meat, and some veggies for a great potato casserole.

Baked Tuna Chow Mein Microwave Casserole: Pop this tuna casserole in the microwave for a quick meal.

Easy cheap casserole: This casserole combines easy, affordable ingredients.

Penne Pasta Casserole: Make this tasty pasta casserole for $3 or less.

Meatloaf: ground beef combined with ketchup, onions, and more makes a great meal for less than a dollar per serving.

Four Bean Casserole: This casserole is popular at potlucks and with barbequed meals.

Tuna casserole: With canned tuna, you can make a healthy, delicious tuna casserole on the cheap.

Pizza & Pasta

Get your grains with these recipes.

Microwave Mexican pizza: Use tortillas, cheese, salsa, and sour cream for this pizza.

Bagel pizza: Use this recipe to make pizza on a bagel.

Spaghetti: Pick up multigrain pasta with tomato sauce and mushroom for a big meal without a big budget.

Feast of Pasta: Create this casserole with pasta, onions, and other simple ingredients.

Shrimp with ricotta sauce on pasta: Upgrade your pasta dish with this recipe.

Easy calzones: Use cheese, vegetables, and pepperoni in these easy calzones.

Olio e Aglio Pasta: This side dish combines angel hair with oil and garlic.

Pasta salad: Combine your favorite pasta with salad dressing, and olives, vegetables, or herbs you have handy.

Pasta and Ricotta Cheese: This pasta favorite is a crowd pleaser.

Entrees

These recipes offer affordable main dishes.

Baked potato: Often served as sides, a baked potato can be the main dish-just add lean meat, beans, or chili.

Mexican hot dogs: This twist on hot dogs is extra delicious.

Chili: With beef, tomatoes, and beans, you can make a delicious chili.

Tuna patties: Put tuna, egg, relish, crumbs, salad dressing, and other simple ingredients together to create yummy tuna patties.

Cheap beef stroganoff: This recipe offers a cheap version of beef stroganoff.

Vegetarian chili: Use soy protein, tomatoes, and beans for a protein and fiber packed chili without any meat.

Eggplant parmesan: Eggplant parmesan makes a cheap and delicious vegetarian meal.

Vegetarian sweet and sour tofu: If you’re looking for a great vegetarian meal on the cheap, check out this recipe.

Parmesan chicken: With breadcrumbs, parmesan, and chicken, you can make this very tasty main dish.

BBQ chicken: Slather chicken with barbeque sauce, pop it in the oven, and enjoy.

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken: Make some delicious chicken in a slow cooker with this recipe.

Salmon patties: Use canned salmon, bread crumbs, and other simple ingredients for this healthy, cheap dish.

Meatballs and orzo: Make these easy meatballs instead of using store bought frozen ones.

Sides

Use these recipes to complement your entrees on the cheap.

Buttered baby carrots: Sweet, tender carrots make up this side dish.

Roasted asparagus: Follow this simple recipe for a healthy, cheap vegetable side.

Spicy mac: Make macaroni and cheese with Taco Bell hot sauce.

Garlic toast: Use this recipe for delicious garlic bread that will please any taste.

Microwave macaroni and cheese: Make your own homemade mac and cheese in the microwave.

Pesto stuffed cherry tomatoes: Pesto, ricotta, and tomatoes come together for this delicious side that’s great for potlucks.

Scalloped potatoes: These scalloped potatoes are easy and creamy.

Bean and rice salad: This salad is delicious and cheap.

Green beans amandine: With this recipe, you can omit almonds for even more money savings.

Onion scones: In these simple scones, you’ll find lots of flavor.

Potato croquettes: These croquettes are a great way to use your leftover mashed potatoes.

Twice-baked potatoes (microwave): Make this cheap potato classic in the microwave for easy cooking.

Broccoli and cauliflower salad: This salad is cheap and packed full of nutrients.

Desserts

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these affordable dessert recipes.

Chocolate chip cookies: Create cookies with chocolate chips, M&Ms, nuts, or even pretzels with this recipe.

1 step brownies: Turn a chocolate box cake into simple, cheap brownies using this recipe.

Balsamic strawberries with marscapone cheese: A few delicious ingredients make for a tasty, cheap treat.

Cheap and quick cookies: This recipe will show you how to turn cake into cookies.

Lemonade pie: Simple ingredients go into this delicious, cheap pie.

Easy baked apples: Apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, and raisins come together in this microwave recipe.

Super easy microwave peanut butter fudge: Only two simple ingredients to into this peanut butter fudge.

http://sevencamels.blogspot.ca/2008_12_01_archive.html

Made this because my friend didn’t know this was a thing, so I thought maybe others don’t either? Hope it helps someone out!

How to Write a Novel:  Tips For Visual Thinkers.

1.  Plotting is your friend.

This is basically a must for all writers (or at least, it makes our job significantly easier/less time consuming/less likely to make us want to rip our hair out by the roots), but visual thinkers tend to be great at plotting.  There’s something about a visible outline that can be inexplicably pleasing to us, and there are so many great ways to go about it.   Here are a few examples: 

The Three-Act Structure

This one is one of the simplest:  it’s divided into the tried-and-true three acts, or parts, a la William Shakespeare, and includes a basic synopsis of what happens in each.  It’s simple, it’s familiar, it’s easy to add to, and it get’s the job done. 

It starts with Act I – i.e. the set-up, or establishing the status quo – which is usually best if it’s the shortest act, as it tends to bore audiences quickly.  This leads to Act II, typically the longest, which   introduces the disruptor and shows how characters deal with it, and is sandwiched by Act III (the resolution.)  

The Chapter-by-Chapter

This is the one I use the most.  It allows you to elucidate on the goings on of your novel in greater detail than the quintessential three act synopsis generally could, fully mapping out your manuscript one chapter at a time.  The descriptions can be as simple or as elaborate as you need them to be, and can be added to or edited throughout the progression of your novel.

Can easily be added to/combined with the three-act structure.

The Character Arc(s)

This isn’t one that I’ve used a lot, but it can be a lot of fun, particularly for voice-driven/literary works:  instead on focusing on the events of the plot, this one centralizes predominantly around the arc of your main character/characters.  As with its plot-driven predecessors, it can be in point-by-point/chapter-by-chapter format, and is a great way to map out character development.  

The Tent Moments

By “tent moments,” I mean the moments that hold up the foundation (i.e. the plot) of the novel, in the way that poles and wires hold up a tent.  This one builds off of the most prevalent moments of the novel – the one’s you’re righting the story around – and is great for writers that want to cut straight to the action.  Write them out in bullet points, and plan the rest of the novel around them.

The Mind Map

This one’s a lot of fun, and as an artist, I should probably start to use it more.  It allows you to plot out your novel the way you would a family tree, using doodles, illustrations, and symbols to your heart’s content.  Here’s a link to how to create basic mind maps on YouTube.

2.  “Show don’t tell” is probably your strong suit.

If you’re a visual thinker, your scenes are probably at least partially originally construed as movie scenes in your head.  This can be a good thing, so long as you can harness a little of that mental cinematography and make your readers visualize the scenes the way you do.

A lot of published authors have a real big problem with giving laundry lists of character traits rather than allowing me to just see for myself.  Maybe I’m spoiled by the admittedly copious amounts of fanfiction I indulge in, where the writer blissfully assumes that I know the characters already and let’s the personalities and visuals do the talking.  Either way, the pervasive “telling” approach does get tedious.

Here’s a hypothetical example.  Let’s say you wanted to describe a big, tough, scary guy, who your main character is afraid of.  The “tell” approach might go something like this:

Tommy was walking along when he was approached by a big, tough, scary guy who looked sort of angry.

“Hey, kid,” said the guy.  “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to a friend’s house,” Tommy replied.  

I know, right?  This is Boring with a capital ‘B.’  

On the other hand, let’s check out the “show” approach:

The man lumbered towards Tommy, shaved head pink and glistening in the late afternoon sun.  His beady eyes glinted predatorily beneath the thick, angry bushes of his brows.

“Hey, kid,” the man grunted, beefy arms folded over his pot belly.  “Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to a friend’s house,” Tommy replied, hoping the man didn’t know that he was ditching school.

See how much better that is?  We don’t need to be told the man is big, tough, and scary looking because the narrative shows us, and draws the reader a lot more in the process.  

This goes for scene building, too.  For example: 

Exhibit A:

Tyrone stepped out onto his balcony.  It was a beautiful night.

Lame.  

Exhibit B: 

Tyrone stepped out onto his balcony, looking up at the inky abyss of the night sky, dotted with countless stars and illuminated by the buttery white glow of the full moon.

Much better.

3.  But conversely, know when to tell.

A book without any atmosphere or vivid, transformative descriptors tends to be, by and large, a dry and boring hunk of paper.  That said, know when you’re showing the reader a little too much.

Too many descriptors will make your book overflow with purple prose, and likely become a pretentious read that no one wants to bother with.

So when do you “tell” instead of “show?”  Well, for starters, when you’re transitioning from one scene to the next.

For example:

As the second hand of the clock sluggishly ticked along, the sky ever-so-slowly transitioning from cerulean, to lilac, to peachy sunset.  Finally, it became inky black, the moon rising above the horizon and stars appearing by the time Lakisha got home.

These kind of transitions should be generally pretty immemorable, so if yours look like this you may want to revise.

Day turned into evening by the time Lakisha got home. 

See?  It’s that simple.

Another example is redundant descriptions:  if you show the fudge out of a character when he/she/they are first introduced and create an impression that sticks with the reader, you probably don’t have to do it again.  

You can emphasize features that stand out about the character (i.e. Milo’s huge, owline eyes illuminated eerily in the dark) but the reader probably doesn’t need a laundry list of the character’s physical attributes every other sentence.  Just call the character by name, and for God’s sake, stay away from epithets:  the blond man.  The taller woman.  The angel.  Just, no.  If the reader is aware of the character’s name, just say it, or rework the sentence. 

All that said, it is important to instill a good mental image of your characters right off the bat.

Which brings us to my next point…

4.  Master the art of character descriptions.

Visual thinkers tend to have a difficult time with character descriptions, because most of the time, they tend to envision their characters as played their favorite actors, or as looking like characters from their favorite movies or TV shows.

That’s why you’ll occasionally see characters popping up who are described as looking like, say, Chris Evans.  

It’s a personal pet peeve of mine, because A) what if the reader has never seen Chris Evans?  Granted, they’d probably have to be living on Mars, but you get the picture:  you don’t want your readers to have to Google the celebrity you’re thirsting after in order for them to envision your character.  B) It’s just plain lazy, and C) virtually everyone will know that the reason you made this character look like Chris Evans is because you want to bang Chris Evans.  

Not that that’s bad or anything, but is that really what you want to be remembered for?

Now, I’m not saying don’t envision your characters as famous attractive people – hell, that’s one of the paramount joys of being a writer.  But so’s describing people!  Describing characters is a lot of fun, draws in the reader, and really brings your character to life.

So what’s the solution?  If you want your character to look like Chris Evans, describe Chris Evans.

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

Exhibit A:

The guy got out of the car to make sure Carlos was alright, and holy cow, he looked just like Dean Winchester!

No bueno.  Besides the fact that I’m channeling the writing style of 50 Shades of Grey a little here, everyone who reads this is going to process that you’re basically writing Supernatural fanfiction.  That, or they’ll have to Google who Dean Winchester is, which, again, is no good.

Exhibit B:  

The guy got out of the car to make sure Carlos was alright, his short, caramel blond hair stirring in the chilly wind and a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose.  His eyes were wide with concern, and as he approached, Carlos could see that they were gold-tinged, peridot green in the late afternoon sun.

Also note that I’m keeping the description a little vague here;  I’m doing this for two reasons, the first of which being that, in general, you’re not going to want to describe your characters down to the last detail.  Trust me.  It’s boring, and your readers are much more likely to become enamored with a well-written personality than they are a vacant sex doll.  Next, by keeping the description a little vague, I effectively manage to channel a Dean Winchester-esque character without literally writing about Dean Winchester.

Let’s try another example: 

Exhibit A:

Charlotte’s boyfriend looked just like Idris Elba. 

Exhibit B:  

Charlotte’s boyfriend was a stunning man, eyes pensive pools of dark brown amber and a smile so perfect that it could make you think he was deliciously prejudiced in your favor.  His skin was dark copper, textured black hair gray at the temples, and he filled out a suit like no other.

Okay, that one may have been because I just really wanted to describe Idris Elba, but you get the point:  it’s more engaging for the reader to be able to imagine your character instead of mentally inserting some sexy fictional character or actor, however beloved they may be.

So don’t skimp on the descriptions!

5.  Don’t be afraid to find inspiration in other media!

A lot of older people recommend ditching TV completely in order to improve creativity and become a better writer.  Personally, if you’ll pardon my French, I think this is bombastic horseshit.  

TV and cinema are artistic mediums the same way anything else is.  Moreover, the sheer amount of fanart and fanfiction – some of which is legitimately better than most published content – is proof to me that you can derive inspiration from these mediums as much as anything else.

The trick is to watch media that inspires you.  I’m not going to say “good media” because that, in and of itself, is subjective.  I, for example, think Supernatural is a fucking masterpiece of intertextual postmodernism and amazing characterization, whereas someone else might think it’s a hot mess of campy special effects and rambling plotlines.  Conversely, one of my best friends loves Twilight, both the movies and the books, which, I’m going to confess, I don’t get at all.  But it doesn’t matter that it isn’t good to me so long as it’s good to her.   

So watch what inspires you.  Consume any whatever movies, books, and shows you’re enthusiastic about, figure out what you love most about them, and apply that to your writing.  Chances are, readers will find your enthusiasm infectious.

As a disclaimer, this is not to say you get a free pass from reading:  I’ve never met a good writer who didn’t read voraciously.  If you’re concerned that you can’t fall in love with books the way you used to (which, sadly, is a common phenomenon) fear not:  I grappled with that problem after I started college, and I’ll be posting an article shortly on how to fall back in love reading.

So in the meanwhile, be sure to follow my blog, and stay tuned for future content!

(This one goes out to my friend, beta reader, and fellow writer @megpieeee, who is a tremendous visual thinker and whose books will make amazing movies someday.)

Japanese learning mistakes… There are TONS. Should you be worried and give up? NO! Because making mistakes and SCREWING UP is a NECESSARY part of learning. Only after you make a mistake and get corrected is when you get better!

So here’s a big list of Japanese Mistakes lesson for you. So that you get better at Japanese. Hope you enjoy!

Source – Taken from

For Learners: Top 52 Japanese Mistakes That Beginners Make

http://www.linguajunkie.com/japanese/japanese-mistakes-by-learners

1. Mistaking Particles Wa & Ga

は・が

This is one of the most common Japanese mistakes that learners make.

It is really hard to suggest a solution for this  since even Japanese have moments where they doubt which one of these should be used. You really need to get used to it with time. But, let’s try anyway:

Solution: To put it simply:

は identifies the topic of the sentence

が identifies the subject of the sentence

2. Mistaking Particles Ni & De

に・で

Another common one. Both of these are connected with actions, but to make it a bit simpler let’s say that.

Solution…

に identifies and indicates “existence”, the location of the object.

で on the other hand indicates the location where the action is taking place.

3. Adjectives ending with い in the past tense

Yet another common mistake which pops up even if you’re not a beginner. Let’s take the word 寒い (cold). You see many learners who use 「寒いでした。」It’s wrong.

Solution:

The correct and polite way of saying  “It was cold” is 「寒かったです。」.

It is important to pay attention to what type of an adjective you are using な or い.

4. Saying “You” in Japanese

あなた・君

Unlike English, one doesn’t really use the word you while talking to Japanese people.

Solution:

Instead we use the name of the certain person instead of saying you.「今日太郎に会えて良かった。」 is one example. Or, don’t say “you” at all. It’s kind of confrontational.

5. Saying “I” in Japanese

俺 – Ore (masculine)

僕 – Boku (masculine)

私 – Watashi (m/f)

あたし – Atashi (feminine)

There is a large number of personal pronouns in Japanese and the usage also depends on the gender, age, context, and of course your relation and the position of the person you are talking to.

Just be careful to use the gender appropriate pronoun, otherwise you might be frowned at.

Solution:

Say watashi for now. It’s safe and polite. Later, once you understand the full nuances, use them as you wish.

6.The Little Tsu

っ・ッ

Stop! Another one of the common Japanese mistakes here!

Okay this tiny little thing changes the pronunciation of your word and along with it most likely even the meaning. It basically is used to double the sound of the consonant. If you pay attention to your pronunciation, this shouldn’t be a huge problem.

7. Long vowels

Yet another pronunciation mistake pretty similar to the one above. More often than not the meaning of the word will change depending on the length of the vowel, for example:

おばさん (aunt)

おばあさん (grandmother)

8. Iru & Aru in Japanese

いる・ある

Mixing these up is a very common Japanese mistake.

These are words indicating existence of living beings and things respectively. It is common to see learners use ある when talking about animals, but you should keep in your mind that with animals and birds, and everything else that can breathe you use いる.

Solution:

Living Beings: Use いる

Inanimate Objects: Use ある

9. Katakana – カタカナ

For some reason many learners find it harder to remember katakana compared to hiragana and kanji. A

And yet another issue is we never seem to understand what the katakana words mean since they often do not match their English pronunciations. Hence, we too pronounce English words wrongly when we try to change them into katakana.

This would go on the “understandable” Japanese mistakes list. If you make it, I can sympathize.

10. The excessive usage of と

と is pretty much the equivalent of “and” in English. However it cannot be used in every situation. For example when you are connecting adjectives you can’t use と.

Solution:

Instead you will have something like this: 「可愛くて、美しくて、素敵だった」. In other words the form of the word itself changes.

11. Apologizing in Japanese

There are a lot of words in Japanese that can be used for apologizing, and they vary from situation to situation. However let’s concentrate on 「ごめんなさい」 and 「すみません」. They are quite interchangeable but to make it easier for you:

Solution

Let’s say that:

ごめんなさい is equivalent to “sorry”

すみません is “excuse me”.

Keep it simple and use them like that.

12. Japanese Greeting Mistakes

The most common greeting in Japan is 「こんにちは」. However when meeting close friends it is better to avoid this phrase, since it is formal.

Solution

You’d have better chances of bonding with your friends if you use おっす/hello for bye orおつかれ/otsukare for bye.

13. Dakara and Kara

だから・から

And again, learners tend to use だから even when から is supposed to be used. A simple example of this will be 「美味しいだから」.

Solution

だから is usually used with nouns and な type of adjectives, not with verbs or い adjectives.

14. Misusing Desu kara

～ですから

We often use this when we are explaining something, or pointing reasons for this or that. However to most Japanese this will sound like you are trying to find an excuse for your actions.

15. Calling someone “san”

～さん

Now 「さん」 is a suffix that we add when we are talking to somebody, but a lot of Japanese learners seem to add this even to their own names when talking about themselves. Just DO NOT ever do this.

16. Thanking someone in Japanese

ありがとう・ありがとうございます

Well the main difference here is informal/formal.

However you should be careful when using the informal version. If you are talking to somebody who is clearly above you, be it age-wise or position-wise, no matter how close you are there are situations when it’s better to use the formal version. For example, when you have asked them for a favor.

17. Keigo – 敬語 (formal speech)

Now, this is the opposite of the above above. Do not talk to your close friends in 敬語 (unless you have to ask them to do a big favor to you), because this will make them think you are trying to distance yourself from them and all of this can get in the way of your friendship.

18. Sorea, Are, Soko, Asoko

それ – Sore – That

あれ – Are – That (over there – further than sore)

そこ – Soko – Over there

あそこ – Asoko – Way Over there (further than asoko)

These mean that and there if you look for the English equivalents. However as in everything else with Japanese, the nuances matter. To put it simply それ indicates closeness to the person you are talking to, while あれ suggests that the thing is not close to either of you.

19. Gender appropriate

Japanese is a very gender specific language, like it or not. It’s not like you will become a social outcast but people will point out that you sound girly, or that you have a very dirty and boyish vocabulary for a young girl.

20. The Overall Mess of Kanji

We can turn this article into 1,000 Japanese mistakes if we expanded on this.

So!

If you have been learning Japanese for any period of time and do not have Chinese or Korean background, kanji has probably been a pain in the neck for you. You miss one tiny part and the meaning of the word changes. Not to mention there are hundreds and hundreds of them to memories.

21. Confusing words that have the exact same pronunciation

Okay, this might be a bit tricky, but you have to figure out the meaning out of the context or depending on the kanji and intonation. Not much else can be done.

Here are some examples:

地震・自身 – both are “jishin”

橋・箸・端 – all are “hashi”

22. ～してもいいですか・～してもよろしいでしょうか

They both basically mean “can i do this”, however the main difference is in the level of politeness. If you are talking to a senpai, teacher, professor, boss, somebody who is older than you, or somebody who is above you in any way, it is highly recommended to use the latter rather than the former.

23. Kawaiisou vs Kawaisou

可愛いそう – Kawaiisou

可哀そう – Kawaisou

When you try to describe something, you usually add ~そう at the end of your い adjective. To do this you cut the い and replace it with the ～そう. However, even though the difference is clear in written form thanks to kanji, a mistake in pronunciation will change the meaning from “cute” to “pitiful”.

24. Misusing Morau, Ageru, Kureru

もらう・あげる・くれる

I don’t know about you but learning the difference between these was a burning hell to me. もらう means to receive, while the other two mean to give.

However, depending on how you use these, the meaning can get pretty confusing, i.e. 「手伝ってくれてもいいですか。」 is offering your help to someone, so be sure to use もらう instead if you are looking for help!

This is one of those Japanese mistakes even the pros make at times.

25. The Particle No

の

A lot of people seem to misuse 「の」. For example, using a の in between an adjective and noun –「厳しいの先生」– Kibishii no sensei – strict teacher.

The 「の」here is redundant and there is no need to use it at all. Why? Because the adjective already modifies AND belongs to the noun.  That’s the job of an adjective, to modify a noun. There’s no need to use の.

http://www.linguajunkie.com/japanese/japanese-mistakes-by-learners