Uki Uki mini 1

Uki Uki mini is a new, quick biweekly episode that is dedicated to answering your questions. It’ll also have updates on upcoming lessons.

Q1 from Koronbia Yin: 何歳ですか vs おいくつですか

They both mean “How old are you?” 何歳ですか (nansai desuka) is more commonly used. おいくつですか(oikutsu desuka) is a bit more formal, so if you’re asking about the age of someone you’re not particularly close to (such as your coworker’s brother’s age), おいくつですか sounds better.

Q2 from ikemansen yo: いえ vs うち

They are slightly different ways to say “house” or “home.” いえ(ie) simply means the place where you live. うち(uchi) in certain contexts can mean a lot more: myself, my family, my company, etc.

e.g. うちはその商品、もう扱ってないんですよね。(Uchi wa sono shouhin, mou atsukatte naindesu yone.)
Sorry, but our company isn’t carrying that product any more.

Q3 from BlackSarSoul: 十人十色

十人十色 (juunin toiro) is also a 四字熟語 (yoji jukugo), Japanese 4-character idioms. The literal translation of 十人十色 is “10 people, 10 colors.” It means 10 different people naturally have 10 different tastes or preferences. It’s similar to “To each his own” in English.

Q4 from Banana!rocket: 恋 vs 愛

恋(koi) and 愛(ai) both mean “love” in English. While 恋 only means a romantic kind of love typically before marriage, 愛 can mean love of all kinds, e.g. love for parents/children/friends/country, etc.