Polyglot Journey Diary

Native portuguese speaker | C1 English | N5 Japanese

[polyglotfox]

✩ Langblr intro ✩

✩ About me ✩ 

Call me Vixen or Vi (in jp: both 狐/きつね and ヴィキセン are okay. in hb: סוֹרֶרֶת is fine)

late 20s

they/them | elu/delu | הוּא

✩ Languages I speak ✩

Portuguese (Native)

English (C1)

✩ Languages Im studying ✩

English (C1)

Japanese (N5)

Hebrew (on hold)

High Valleryan (on hold)

✩ Languages I want to learn ✩

Mandarin

Spanish

French

LIBRAS (Brazilian Sign Language)

Arabic

Yiddish

✩ How I learn languages ✩

Complete Japanese + The Complete Guide to Japanese Kanji

Comprehensible Japanese videos

Reading books, academic articles and news articles

Language Cafe (Discord Server)

✩ Goals ✩

Reach level N2 in Japanese

Being approved for MEXT Gradschool Program

Go back to learn Hebrew and HV

Start Yiddish and LIBRAS

Be fluent in at least 4 languages

✩ What expect from this blog? ✩

Daily updates of my language learning journey

Vocab lists from my deepdive studies

Vents about the process

Cultural aspects of the cultures that speak the languages im learning (cuz learning a language also means learn a new culture!)

✩ Other links ✩

Main

WWE blog

Fandom blog

My study schedule

Master post

[vixen-academia]

2026 goals

Study

Go to grad school

Graduation

N5/4 JLPT

B2 Spanish

Sports

Improve kung fu

N2 solid tumbling

Start learning N4 stunting skills

Get stronger

Others/Personal

Read at least 12 books

Travel abroad

Content creation

Spend more time with friends

[nihongonotabi]

ways to say "only", "just" in Japanese

When I started learning Japanese, I quickly discovered that “only” translates to だけ (dake). Soon after, I learned about しか (shika) and then ばかり (bakari). This led me to wonder how many ways there are to express the idea of "only" or "just" in the Japanese language. I began exploring the fascinating world of adverbs that convey limitation or exclusivity, each with its own specific nuance.

Here are some of the terms I’ve discovered (which I may continue to expand upon):

だけ (dake): Strongly emphasizes exclusivity, meaning that nothing else is included or considered. Example: 水だけください。 (Please give me only water.)

しか (shika) (used with a negative verb): Often conveys a sense of disappointment or limitation, implying that there’s nothing but the mentioned item, often with a sense of restriction. Example: 私は日本語しか話せません。 (I can only speak Japanese.)

ばかり (bakari): Suggests the dominance or prevalence of something, often with a sense of excess or monotony and a negative nuance. It does not imply strict exclusivity. Example: お菓子ばかり食べている。 (I’m only eating snacks.)

ばかし (bakashi): A casual variant of ばかり, used mostly in spoken language. It conveys a similar meaning but carries a more informal tone. Example: 遊んでばっかしいる。 (He’s only playing.)

のみ (nomi): Used in formal or written contexts, conveying exclusivity. It can sound elegant and refined. Example: 本日のみ有効です。 (Valid only today.)

ばかりか (bakari ka): This expression expands the meaning by introducing additional information, indicating more than just "only." Example: 彼は優しいばかりか、面白いです。 (He is not only kind but also funny.)

だけしか (dake shika) (used with a negative verb): This term combines だけ and しか, emphasizing strong exclusivity when used with negative constructions. Example: これだけしかない。 (There is only this.)

こそ (koso): Indicates that the highlighted item is particularly special or the best choice, often implying that nothing else can compare. Example: 今日こそ勉強する。 (Today, of all days, I will study.)

たった (tatta): Implies that an amount is minimal and often inadequate, highlighting a sense of limitation. Example: たった一人で旅行した。 (I traveled with just one person.)

わずか (wazuka): Emphasizes a minimal quantity or degree, often with a sense of surprise. Example: わずか10分で終わった。 (It only took 10 minutes.)

ほんの (honno): Indicates a small or trivial amount, often used to downplay something. Example: ほんの少しだけ食べた。 (I ate just a little bit.)

に限る (ni kagiru): This expression is used to convey that something is the best or only suitable choice for a situation. Example: 夏はアイスクリームに限る。 (Ice cream is the best for summer.)

だけでなく (dake de naku): Similar to ばかりか , this phrase is used to express that there’s more than just one thing happening. Example: 彼女は賢いだけでなく、優しいです。 (She is not only smart but also kind.)

単に (tan ni): Indicates simplicity; often used to clarify or explain something in a straightforward manner. Example: 単に冗談だよ。 (It’s just a joke.)

あくまで (akumade): Suggests that something is true only to a certain extent or in a specific context. Example: あくまで私の意見です。 (This is just my opinion.)

たかが (takaga): Often carries a dismissive connotation, suggesting that something is not very important. Example: たかが試験一回でどうなるものか。 (It’s just one exam; it won’t change much.)

I love discovering all these subtle differences and nuances, even if it can be frustrating at times. If you know of any more, please share!

[polyglotfox]

me: oh, no, sorry, i don’t speak spanish at all… i studied in school but i don’t remember anything

also me: *speaking in spanish in Chile for a whole week and being the one that was responsible for dealing with locals that didn’t speak english nor portuguese cuz i was the only one able to understand them and making them understand me*

my friends: are you sure you don’t speak spanish?

natives: yeah, you actually DID speak spanish with us???

me: oh, no! that’s not spanish, i’m sure i can’t speak it!

them: 🤨🫠

[polyglotfox]

Actual Study Schedule (October/2025)

Study method: 50/10 pomodoro

Weekdays

Comprehensible Japanese video

Listen the first time with cc, then rewatch taking notes of vocab stuff and chosing one full phrase to write down.

Kanji Study

Daily challenge, reading practice and application in context.

Grammar Time

Study using the textbook and do immediate practice exercises.

Writing Practice

Write 3-5 phrases using the day's grammar and vocab

Private Lessons (Tuesdays & Thursdays)

Main grammar and conversation practice.

A specific time dedicated to focus in one of the five following aspects: Grammar, Situational Communication, Vocab, Reading and Week review

Grammar: Focus in the pratical use of grammar rules and study of possible rules that I keep mistaking during mock tests and exercises

Situational Communication: Study of japanese culture and etiquet applied in daily life and conversation practice.

Vocab: Study of vocab related to my fieldstudy and/or a hobby

Reading: Reading a more complex text and trying to interpretate, resume and give an opinion about it.

Week Review: A big review exercise list of all the deep dives of the week

TOEFL Prep A dedicated 60-minute session with a different focus each day:

Reading & Vocabulary: Deep read an academic article and mine for vocabulary.

Writing: Analyze a model essay, create an outline, and do a timed writing practice.

Speaking: Practice timed tasks and analyze your own recorded speech.

Listening: Practice with a lecture audio, take notes, and do a forensic analysis of your errors.

Strategic Deep Dive: A rotating weekly focus on a specific, difficult TOEFL skill like note-taking or inference questions.

Spanish

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 1 block of study (input & vocab or grammar & practice). Other days: 30 min study

Weekends

Saturday: Alternating Mock Test Day

Week A

Morning: TOEFL Mock Test

Afternoon: Spanish Mini-Test

Week B:

Morning: JLPT Mock Test

Sunday

Correction of Saturday's mock test + filling the error log.

Weekly planning for the upcoming week.

Passive learning daily tasks

Anime watching (for Japanese).

Podcasts or videos in English about pop culture.

Academic podcasts, lectures, and video essays in English.

Spanish comprehensible input (e.g., podcasts or YouTube channels).

[sarasarastudy-deactivated202511]

2025.09.04 — studyblr intro

まず自己紹介しないとね！

サラと申します〜　今年、やっと日本語能力試験１級を取る予定で、ちゃんと勉強するためにstudyblrでもやろうかな？っと思って、このブログで自分の勉強日記、そして日本語勉強のコツやオススメもシェアするつもりで。ちなみに、今年比較文学の博士プログラムに応募するつもりなんだから、それについても投稿しるかも。

とにかく、今日からよろしくね！

---✍︎

welcome to my studyblr!

my name is sara, and i'm starting this account to keep myself accountable with my studies for the JLPT N1 this december. i plan to use this blog as a personal study diary, with some tips and advice for newer japanese language learners too! i will also be applying to comparative literature phd programs this fall, so i'll most likely post about that as well! ^_^

[icon illustration by selynn lee]

[haru-dipthong]

Did you know that the english word “star” and the japanese word 星（ほし）don’t actually mean the same thing?

Language does not simply name pre-existing categories; categories do not exist in 'the world'

— Daniel Chandler, Semiotics for Beginners

I read this quote a few years ago, but I don’t think I truly understood it until one day, when I was looking at the wikipedia article for “star” and I thought to check the Japanese article, see if I could get some Japanese reading practice in. I was surprised to find that the article was not titled 「星」, but 「恒星」, a word I’d never seen before. I’d always learnt that 星 was the direct translation for “star” (I knew the japanese also contained meanings the english didn’t, like “dot” or “bullseye”, but I thought these were just auxiliary definitions in addition to the direct translation of “star” as in "a celestial body made of hydrogen and helium plasma").

To try and clear things up for myself, I searched japanese wikipedia for 星. It was a disambiguation page, with the main links pointing to the articles for 天体 (astronomical object) and スター（記号）(star symbol). There was no article just called 「星」.

It’s an easy difference to miss, because in everyday conversation, 星 and star are equivalent. They both describe the shining lights in the night sky. They both describe this symbol: ★. They even both describe those enormous celestial objects made of plasma.

But they are different - different enough to not share a wikipedia article. 星 is used to describe any kind of celestial body, especially if it appears shiny and bright in the night sky. “Star” can be used this way too (like Venus being called the “morning star”), but it’s generally considered inaccurate to use the word like this, whereas there is no such inaccuracy with 星. You can say “oh that’s not actually a star, it’s a planet”, but you CAN’T say 「実はそれは星ではなく惑星だよ」 (TL: that’s not actually a hoshi, it’s a planet). A planet IS a 星.

星 is a very common word, essentially equivalent to “star”, but its meaning is closer to “celestial body”. I haven’t looked into the etymology/history but it’s almost like both english and japanese started out with a simple, common word for the lights in the sky - star/星 , but as we found out more about what these lights actually were, english doubled down on using the common word for the specific scientific concept, while japanese kept the common word generic and instead came up with a new word for the more specific concept. If this is actually what happened, I’d guess that kanji probably had something to do with it - 星 as a component kanji exists inside the word for planet, 惑星, and in the word for comet, 彗星, and in the scientific word for “star”, 恒星, so it makes sense that it would indicate a more general concept when used standalone.

This discovery helped me understand that quote - categories don’t exist in the world, we are the ones who create them. I thought that the concept of “star” was something that would be consistent across all languages, but it’s not, because the concept of “star” is not pre-existing. Each language had to decide how to name each of those similar star-like concepts (the ★ symbol, hot balls of gas, twinkling lights in the sky, planets, comets, etc), and obviously not every language is going to group those concepts under the same words with the same nuance.

Knowing this, one might be tempted to say that 恒星（こうせい） is the direct translation for “star”. But this isn’t true either. In most of the contexts that the word “star” is used in english, the equivalent japanese will be simply 星. Despite the meanings not lining up exactly, 星 will still be the best translation for “star” most of the time. This is the art of translation - knowing when the particulars are less important than the vibe or feel of a word. For any word, there will never be an exact perfect translation with all the same nuances and meanings. Translation is about finding the best solution to an unsolvable problem. That's why I love it.

[polyglotfox]

Vocab list of the day: Academics

大学 (だいがく) - University

大学院 (だいがくいん) - Graduate School

学部 (がくぶ) - Faculty / Department (Undergraduate)

学生 (がくせい) - Student

教授 (きょうじゅ) - Professor

指導教員 (しどうきょういん) - Academic Advisor

研究 (けんきゅう) - Research

研究室 (けんきゅうしつ) - Research Laboratory / Professor's Office

専門 (せんもん) - Specialization / Major Field

論文 (ろんぶん) - Thesis / Academic Paper

参考文献 (さんこうぶんけん) - Bibliography / References

資料 (しりょう) - Materials / Documents

授業 (じゅぎょう) - Class / Lesson

学期 (がっき) - School Term / Semester

課題 (かだい) - Assignment / Task

提出 (ていしゅつ) - Submission (of an assignment)

発表 (はっぴょう) - Presentation

試験 (しけん) - Exam / Test

合格 (ごうかく) - Passing (an exam)

卒業 (そつぎょう) - Graduation

修士 (しゅうし) - Master's Degree

博士 (はかせ) - Doctorate (PhD)

奨学金 (しょうがくきん) - Scholarship

図書館 (としょかん) - Library

意味 (いみ) - Meaning

[polyglotfox]

Polyglot Life Plan Map

Last update: 08/25/25

This post is just to keep my goals and the roadmap i draw to reach my dream of being a polyglot. This might being updated at any moment.

Level Goals

English: C1 ✅

Japanese: JLPT N2

Hebrew: Level Vav / Ptor

Mandarin: HSK 6

Spanish: DELE B2

Yiddish: B2

Korean: TOPIK 4

Arabic: B1

LIBRAS: B1

High Valyrian: Hobby level

The Roadmap

Starting Point

Focus: Japanese

Low-Intensity: Spanish

Maintenance: English

Trigger: Spanish reaches B2 → Spanish moves to Maintenance

Phase 2

Focus: Japanese

Low-Intensity: Hebrew (Initial Goal: Reach Level Gimel)

Maintenance: English, Spanish

Trigger: Japanese reaches N2 → Japanese moves to Maintenance

Phase 3

Focus: Hebrew

Low-Intensity: Mandarin (Initial Goal: HSK 4)

Maintenance: English, Spanish, Japanese

Trigger: Mandarin reaches HSK 4 → Mandarin moves to Maintenance

Phase 4

Focus: Hebrew

Low-Intensity: Korean (Initial Goal: TOPIK 4)

Maintenance: English, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin

Trigger: Hebrew reaches Level Vav / Ptor → Hebrew moves to Maintenance

Phase 5

Focus: Mandarin is promoted here (Final Goal: HSK 6)

Low-Intensity: Arabic (Initial Goal: B1)

Maintenance: English, Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew, Korean

Trigger: Mandarim reaches HSK 6 → Mandarim moves back to maintenance

Phase 6

Focus: Yiddish

Low-Intensity: Arabic

Maintenance: English, Spanish, Japanese, Hebrew, Korean, Mandarim

Trigger: Yiddish reaches B2 and/or Arabic reaches B1 → Yiddish/Arabic moves to maintenance

[dubiousdisco]

how do you say "o buraco é mais embaixo" in english? The hole is lower? is it just "its not that simple"?????

[dubiousdisco]

Accidentally telling an english speaker "the hole is lower" and they are scandalized but interested, then I realize it and explain I meant the problem runs deeper than originally thought and they are slightly disappointed

[tokidokitokyo]

試行錯誤

しこうさくご

trial and error

試行錯誤は進歩に不可欠だ。

しこうさくご は しんぽ に ふかけつ だ。

[la-galaxie-langblr]

Local language learning hobbyist realises that they do in fact have to dedicate time to learning vocab to learn more words

[redhairclips]

Ain't that the truth 😭

[kumabenkyou]

Scanned book : にほんちずえほん (Japan illustrated map)

A book for kids about Japan geography, each page is dedicated to a prefecture and everything is written with hiragana and pictures help a lot to understand words. Sentences are also easy to understand and are adapted for N5 learning people.

It's also a good resource if you want to learn more about japan prefectures, cities and local facts.

I will scan and post pages, with their translation and vocabulary.

I choose Narita prefecture as a 1st page because it's a main access to Japan as a foreigner with the なりたくうこう (Narita Airport) :)

Each page of the book has always the same presentation with the name of the prefecture (けん), the number of inhabitants (じんこう) and the area (めんせき).

しょうゆ : soy sauce

ちばし : Chiba city

なりたこくさいくうこう (Narita International Airport)

なりたしにあるよ。ここからたくさんのひこうきががいこくやこくないをいったりきたりするよ。

It's in the city of Narita. From here, many planes leave and arrive from foreign countries or the interior of Japan.

らっかせい : peanuts

Please feel free to download and use this scanned content for you! Have fun reading!

[polyglotfox]

08072025 kanji list

少

Meaning: small, few

Kunyomi: すく.ない、 すこ.し

Onyomi: ショウ

スープの味が少し薄かったので、塩を少々入れて、味を整えた。(スープのあじがすこしうすかったので 、しおをしょうしょういれて 、あじをととのえた 。) = The soup was a little bland, so I added a little salt to balance the flavor.

多

Meaning: many, frequent, much

Kunyomi: おお.い、 まさ.に、 まさ.る

Onyomi: タ

多くの人が抹茶を好みます。(おおくのひとがまちゃをこのみます 。) = Many people like matcha.

小

Meaning: little, small

Kunyomi: ちい.さい、 こ-、 お-、 さ-

Onyomi: ショウ

Jukugo

小学校 (しょうがっこう)

Primary school

子供たちは小学校に通います。(こどもたちはしょうがっこうにかよいます 。) = The children attend elementary school.

大

Meaning: large, big

Kunyomi: おお-、 おお.きい、 -おお.いに

Onyomi: ダイ、 タイ

Jukugo

大学 (だいがく)

College/university

私は大学で地理学を学びました。(わたしはだいがくでちりがくをまなびました 。) = I studied geography at university.

大変 (たいへん)

Terrible, awful

今日は大変気分。(きょうはたいへんきぶん 。) = I feel really bad today.

大切 (たいせつ)

Important

勉強は大切です。(べんきょうはたいせつです 。) = Studying is important.

安

Meaning: relax, cheap, low, quiet, rested, contented, peaceful

Kunyomi: やす.い、 やす.まる、 やす、 やす.らか

Onyomi: アン

Jukugo

安全 (あんぜん)

Safety

あなたの安全が最優先です。(あなたのあんぜんがさいゆうせんです 。) = Your safety comes first.

安心 (あんしん)

Relief

勉強を終えて、安心気持ちになりました。(べんきょうをおえて 、あんしんきもちになりました 。) = After I finished studying, I felt relieved.

高

Meaning: tall, high, expensive

Kunyomi: たか.い、 たか、 -だか、 たか.まる、 たか.める

Onyomi: コウ

Jukugo

高校 (こうこう)

High school

十代の若者は高校に通います。(じゅうだいのわかものはこうこうにかよいます 。) = Teens go to high school.

新

Meaning: New

Kunyomi: あたら.しい、 あら.た、 あら-、 にい-

Onyomi: シン

Jukugo

新聞 (しんぶん)

news paper

私はあまり新聞を読みません。(わたしはあまりしんぶんをよみません 。) = I don't read newspapers very often.

古

Meaning: Old

Kunyomi: ふる.い、 ふる-、 -ふる.す

Onyomi: コ

この本は古いです。(このもとはふるいです 。) = This book is old.

早

Meaning: Early, fast

Kunyomi: はや.い、 はや、 はや-、 はや.まる、 はや.める、 さ-

Onyomi: ソウ、 サッ

私は早起きするのが好きではありません。(わたしははやおきするのがすきではありません 。) = I don't like getting up early.

[polyglotfox]

08052025 Study log

yeah... today a lot of stuff happened so i didnt study all i needed... nor i will tomorrow cuz i have a hair appointment

English

→ TOEFL speaking ❌

→ Podcast or video essay ✅

Japanese

→ Comprehensive Japanese ✅

→ Kanji study ✅

→ Grammar ✅

→ Writing ❌

→ Deep dive: kanji ❌

kanji

[polyglotfox]

08052025 kanji list

何

Meaning: what

Kunyomi: なに, なん

Onyomi: カ

Jukugo

何時 (なんじ)

what time?

何時に帰りますか。(なんじにかえりますか 。) = What time you come back home?

何時間 (なんじかん)

how many hours?

旅行には何時間かかりますか。(りょこうにはなんじかんかかりますか 。) = How many hours the travel will take?

何語 (なにご)

what language?

何語を話しますか。(なにごをはなしますか 。) = what language(s) do you speak?

時

Meaning: Hour, time

Kunyomi: とき, -どき

Onyomi: ジ

Jukugo

九時 (くじ)

9 oclock

私は午前九時に起きます。 (わたしはごぜんくじにおきます 。) = i wake up at nine am.

四時間 (よじかん)

4 hours

四時間旅行しましょう。(よじかんりょこうしましょう 。) = we will travel for 4 hours.

時計 (とけい)

clock

私は赤い時計を持っています。(わたしはあかいとけいをもっています 。) = i have a red clock.

分

Meaning: part, minute, rate

Kunyomi: わ.ける、 わ.け、 わ.かれる、 わ.かる、 わ.かつ

Onyomi: ブン、 フン、 ブ

Jukugo

五分 (ごぶん)

五分以内にそこに着きます。(ごぶんいないにそこにつきます 。) = i will be there in five minutes.

三十分 (さんじゅうぷん)

thirty minutes

仕事に行くのに三十分かかります (しごとにいくのにさんじゅうぷんかかります 。) = i take 30 minutes to get to work.

半分 (はんぶん)

half

サンドイッチは半分残りました。(サンドイッチははんぶんのこりました 。) = half of the sandwich was left.

間

Meaning: interval, space

Kunyomi: あいだ、 ま、 あい

Onyomi: カン、 ケン

Jukugo

時間 (じかん)

time

日本語を勉強する時間です。 (にほんごをべんきょうするじかんです。) = it's time to study japanese.

一週間 (いっしゅうかん)

one week

私は一週間ベレンに旅行しました。(わたしはいっしゅうかんベレンにりょこうしました 。) = i travaled to Belém for a week.

AとBの間 (AとBのま)

between A and B

私の家は薬局と映画館の間にあります。(わたしのいえはやっきょくとえいがかんのまにあります 。) = my house is between the pharmacy and the cinema.

この間 (このあいだ)

the other day

この間、散歩中に友達に会いました。(このあいだ 、さんぽちゅうにともだちにあいました 。) = the other day, I met a friend while out for a walk.

間に合った (まにあった )

on time

彼は何とか授業に間に合った。(かれはなんとかじゅぎょうにまにあった 。) = he managed to make it to class on time.

半

Meaning: half, part, semi

Kunyomi: なか.ば

Onyomi: ハン

Jukugo

七時半 ( しちじはん)

7:30

私のクラスは七時半です。(わたしのクラスはしちじはんです 。) = my class is at seven and a half.

一時間半 (いちじかんはん)

one hour and a half

この映画は一時間半の長さです。(このえいがはいちじかんはんのながさです 。) = the film is an hour and a half long.

午

Meaning: noon

Kunyomi: うま

Onyomi: ゴ

Jukugo

午後 (ごご)

pm

私は午後十時に寝ます。(わたしはごごじゅうじにねます 。) = i sleep at ten pm.

前

Meaning: in front, last, before

Kunyomi: まえ

Onyomi: ゼン

Jukugo

午前 (ごぜん)

am

午前九時に勉強を始めます。 (ごぜんくじにべんきょうをはじめます 。) = i start studying at 9 am.

後

Meaning: behind, back, later

Kunyomi: のち、 うしろ、 うしろ、 あと、 おく.れる

Onyomi: ゴ、 コウ

今

Meaning: now; the present time; just now; soon; immediately

Kunyomi: いま

Onyomi: コン、 キン

Jukugo

今月(こんげつ)

this month

今月は漢字を勉強します。(こんげつはかんじをべんきょうします 。) = this month i will study kanji.

今日(きょう)

today

今日はサロンに行きます。(きょうはサロンにいきます 。) = i'm going to the salon today.

週

Meaning: week

Onyomi: シュウ

Jukugo

来週 (らいしゅう)

next week

来週はサンパウロに行きます。(らいしゅうはサンパウロにいきます 。) = next week i'm going to são paulo.

年

Meaning: year

Kunyomi: とし

Onyomi: ネン

Jukugo

来年 (らいねん)

next year

来年私は日本に行きます。(らいねんわたしはにほんにいきます 。) = next year i will go to japan.

今年 (ことし)

this year

今年はサンティアゴで競技します。(ことしはサンティアゴできょうぎします 。) = this year i will compete at santiago.

毎

Meaning: every

Kunyomi: ごと、 -ごと.に

Onyomi: マイ

Jukugo

毎日(まいにち)

every day

私は毎日勉強します。(わたしはまいにちべんきょうします 。) = i study every day.

[polyglotfox]

Study log 08042025

Back on track, finally!

English

→ TOEFL mock test - listening✅

→ Podcast or video essay ✅

Japanese

→ Comprehensive Japanese ✅

→ Kanji study ✅

→ Grammar ✅

→ Writing ✅

→ Deep dive: grammar ✅

Kanji list

Deep dive