Eriko Sato

Eriko Sato is a lecturer of Japanese language at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she received her PhD degree in linguistics. She also is the Founding Director of the Pre-College Japanese Language Program as well as the Executive Director of the Japan Center at the same university. When she started her graduate work in 1988, she decided to devote her career to Japanese-language education and research. She studied Japanese and English linguistics and foreign languages, including Chinese, French, and Korean, to prepare herself to be a teacher and researcher who understands students’ linguistic backgrounds and difficulties. She has written many articles for linguistic and education journals, and she has written three books on Japanese language: a textbook for young children, a textbook for college students, and a manual for Japanese/English translators.

Articles & Books From Eriko Sato

Article / Updated 12-09-2021
When traveling in Japan, the words and phrases you'll use most frequently will be the common Japanese greetings (gashi). These Japanese greetings and goodbyes will quickly become second nature because you use them day in and day out with everyone you come across.In Japan, greetings are given great importance. It is considered rude to fail to greet someone or even to greet them in a lazy or offhand manner.
Article / Updated 11-08-2021
When making plans, appointments, and travel arrangements in Japanese-speaking countries, you need to be able to state dates and other calendar terms in Japanese. Understanding the days of the week, the months of the year, and how to tell time in Japanese can help you to avoid confusion. Days of the week The Japanese names for the days of the week all end with yōbi.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-11-2021
If you're learning Japanese, you need the basics — numbers, questions, and phrases—for meeting, greeting, and being polite. In Japanese, verbs change according to whether they're negative or affirmative but not according to the person who's the subject of the action. Japanese also has particles rather than the articles and prepositions of English — all of which adds up to a fascinating learning experience.
Article / Updated 01-13-2020
Learning the proper way to make introductions in Japanese can help you get off to the right start. The Japanese language is more formal than American English. Consequently, introductions in Japanese follow more of a pattern than they sometimes do in the United States.If you know someone who can introduce you to the others in a group that is best.
Japanese For Dummies
Learn to speak JapaneseJapanese language enrollment is up by 27.5 percent since 2006, making it the sixth most popular language studied on college campuses. Whether studying for school, business, or travel, Japanese For Dummies provides complete coverage of all Japanese language essentials including grammar, usage, and vocabulary.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Exploring Japan can be quite an adventure, but you need to know how to ask for directions in Japanese and how to understand the directions you are given. After all, if you don't know how to understand what you're told, you might miss the very things you hoped to see. The first thing you need to know is how to ask for directions.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Whether you're on a short visit to a Japanese-speaking country or planning to live there, knowing how to order food in Japanese is essential. Knowing some basic restaurant (resutoran) vocabulary can make the experience of eating out in Japan a lot more fun. In Japanese-speaking countries, as in most of the rest of the world, there are three main shokuji (shoh-koo-jee) (meals) of the day: chōshoku (chohh-shoh-koo) (breakfast), chūshoku (chooo-shoh-koo) (lunch), and yūshoku (yooo-shoh-koo) (dinner).
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The Japanese place a premium on politeness, so the Japanese language includes key phrases to keep conversation on a polite footing. The following list sets out common courteous Japanese phrases and questions:
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
By mastering the basics of polite conversation, you can put yourself and the person you're talking with at ease. There are some essential conversation words and phrases that everyone should master before traveling to Japan. These words and expressions are sure to come up in most everyday conversations. Courtesy phrases Being polite are just as important in Japan as they are in America.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
An important form of Japanese courtesy is knowing how to refer to people. When meeting people in Japan, be sure to use the appropriate formal title. San is the most commonly used respectful title placed someone's first or last name, regardless of their gender or marital status. Sama is a more formal respectful title — use it after the family names of your clients, customers, or those to whom respect is due.