Editorial Methodology

How we ensure our nuanced explanations are accurate, natural, and helpful.

1. Content Selection

We focus on words that are common in daily life, manga, and literature but difficult to translate with a single English word. We prioritize words where the "feeling" (nuance) is the primary driver of its usage.

2. The Nuance Framework

Each entry is built around four pillars:

• The Core Image: What is the mental picture this sound creates?
• Syntactic Usage: Does it take "to," "suru," or "no"? Is it mostly used in conversation or writing?
• The "Not" Definition: What common translation is actually misleading? When is it incorrect to use this word?
• Comparative Context: How does it stack up against its nearest neighbor?

3. Example Sentence Policy

We do not use generic, context-free sentences. Every example sentence is designed to highlight a specific usage case or nuance explained in the main text. We provide context tags for every example so you know if it's "manga-stye" or "polite workplace" Japanese.

4. Human Review & AI Disclosure

We use AI to assist with initial data structure and drafting, but human editors review and finalize every published page. We verify naturalness with native or near-native speakers and cross-reference with multiple linguistic sources.

A page marked as "human-reviewed" means an editor has personally verified the nuance descriptions and example sentences for accuracy and naturalness.