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Guide: How to Say “Journey” in Japan

Whether you’re planning a trip or simply want to expand your language skills, learning how to say “journey” in Japanese is a great start. In this guide, we’ll cover the formal and informal ways to express this word, allowing you to navigate conversations with ease. We’ll also include some useful tips and examples along the way to help you grasp the nuances. Let’s begin by exploring the formal way to say “journey” in Japanese.

Formal Ways to Say “Journey” in Japanese

1. 旅（たび）: The most common and formal term for “journey” in Japanese is 旅（たび）(tabi). This word captures the essence of a journey in a broad sense, referring to travel experiences of various durations and purposes. For example, you can say: この旅は私にとって非常に重要です。 (Kono tabi wa watashi ni totte hijō ni jūyō desu.) (This journey is very important to me.) 2. 旅行（りょこう）: Another formal way to express “journey” is 旅行（りょこう）(ryokō). This term specifically refers to a trip or voyage and is commonly used when talking about organized travel or vacations. For instance: 私たちは次の旅行で東京に行こうと計画しています。 (Watashitachi wa tsugi no ryokō de Tōkyō ni ikō to keikaku shiteimasu.) (We are planning to go to Tokyo on our next journey.) 3. 移動（いどう）: When referring to a more literal sense of “journey,” such as moving from one place to another, you can use the term 移動（いどう）(idō). This word is often used when discussing transportation or relocation. For example: 電車での移動は便利です。 (Densha de no idō wa benri desu.) (Traveling by train is convenient.)

Informal Ways to Say “Journey” in Japanese

1. 旅行（たびこう）: In informal contexts, the term 旅行（たびこう）(tabikō) is commonly used to refer to a journey or trip. It is a more casual version of the formal word 旅行（りょこう）mentioned earlier. For example: 友達と一緒に楽しい旅行に行きたい。 (Tomodachi to issho ni tanoshii tabikō ni ikitai.) (I want to go on a fun trip with my friends.) 2. 旅（たび）: Just like in formal language, the term 旅（たび）(tabi) can also be used informally to express “journey.” This word is versatile and suitable for various situations. For instance: 彼は未知の地への旅に出ることを決めました。 (Kare wa michi no ji e no tabi ni deru koto o kimemashita.) (He decided to embark on a journey to unknown lands.)

Tips and Examples

1. Regional Variations: While there are no significant regional variations for expressing “journey” in Japan, it’s essential to consider local dialects when interacting with the locals. Some regions may have unique terminologies related to travel, so staying open-minded and respectful of these dialects can enhance your cultural experience.

2. Politeness Levels: Remember to adjust your language based on the politeness level required in each situation. Japanese is rich in honorifics and polite expressions, which can significantly influence how you communicate. When discussing a journey with someone of higher social status or during formal settings, it’s recommended to use more formal terms like 旅（たび）(tabi).

3. Contextual Usage: Language is highly contextual, and using the right term at the right time is crucial. While the words mentioned in this guide are generally accepted, it’s important to pay attention to the context and choose the most appropriate word based on the situation. Listen to native speakers, read Japanese literature, and practice in various scenarios to develop a good sense of contextual usage.

Note: Remember, spoken language and written language may differ slightly. The examples provided were for reference purposes and may vary based on the context in which you are using them.

Now armed with the formal and informal ways to say “journey” in Japanese, you can confidently engage in conversations related to travel. Remember to embrace the cultural diversity of Japan and enjoy your linguistic journey as you explore this fascinating country!

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The South Indian phrase - “ninnade kaNugalu tuppuko.” is wrong. “tuppuko” is not a word in kannada. Informally, we’d say…

Good luck Gracie Wren on your first London marathon . Your dedication and hard work will pay off.

You wrong Bruh. "While some Jehovah’s Witnesses may choose to celebrate birthdays..." NOPE! They forbid it. https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/birthdays/

I have always pronounced it with the third syllable "e" vul-GA-te. Could this be wrong in the original Latin?

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Translation of journey – English-Japanese dictionary

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(Translation of journey from the Cambridge English–Japanese Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translation of journey | GLOBAL English–Japanese Dictionary

(Translation of journey from the GLOBAL English-Japanese Dictionary © 2022 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Examples of journey

Translations of journey.

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ride off into the sunset

to begin a new, happy life at the end of a story

Searching out and tracking down: talking about finding or discovering things

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What is the translation of "journey" in Japanese?

"journey" in japanese, journey {noun}, outward journey {noun}, funeral journey {noun}, solitary journey {noun}, incident-filled journey {noun}, translations, context sentences, english japanese contextual examples of "journey" in japanese.

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English how to use "journey" in a sentence, english how to use "outward journey" in a sentence, english how to use "funeral journey" in a sentence, english how to use "solitary journey" in a sentence, synonyms (english) for "journey":.

• journal of one's travels
• journalist identification
• journalistic
• journalization
• journey of life
• joy and sorrow alternating in one's heart
• joy of being born a woman

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Japanese Phrases for Tourists: 116 Essential Phrases for Your Japanese Vacation

Before I traveled to Japan for the first time, everyone assured me that “Everybody speaks English there,” and I wouldn’t need to use Japanese at all.

But in reality, most of the people I encountered in Japan had a fairly elementary level of spoken English .

For a better travel experience, you should learn some basic travel words and phrases in Japanese.

Greetings and Basic Japanese Phrases

Airport phrases you’ll hear, airport phrases you’ll use, asking for directions, receiving directions, transportation phrases, hotel phrases, eating and drinking in japan: what you’ll hear, eating and drinking in japan: what you’ll say, shopping in japan: phrases you’ll hear, shopping phrases you’ll use, number of items in japanese, tips to use your new phrases: politeness and pronunciation, how to study these japanese travel phrases.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

I’ll provide the hiragana, kanji and romaji for each word, and will explain the use of certain Japanese phrases for tourists in context.

1. Hello — konnichiwa

2. good morning — ohayou gozaimasu, 3. nice to meet you — hajimemashite, 4. goodbye — sayounara, 5. please — onegaishimasu, 6. thank yo u — arigatou gozaimasu, 7. you’re welcome — dou itashimashite, 8. excuse me/sorry — sumimasen.

This is definitely one to memorize. I say すみません at least 30 times a day in Japan. It’s a magical word.

It helps you push through a crowd, get attention from a waiter, ask for directions or be excused for basically any touristy blunder.

Simply saying すみません and gesturing is a pretty good way to express that you need help, but don’t speak Japanese.

9. Yes — hai

10. no — iie, 11. let’s eat/ “bon appetit” — itadakimasu .

Similar to the French “ bon appetit” , this is what Japanese people say before they eat. It doesn’t have a literal translation in English, but it’s a way to give thanks for a meal .

You should also remember this phrase’s pair: ごちそうさま (gochisousama) or ごちそうさまでした (gochisousama deshita). These phrases are used at the end of a meal and translate as “What a good meal,” or “Thank you for the meal,” the latter being the more polite form.

12. I don’t understand — wakarimasen 

13. i don’t speak japanese —   nihongo o hanashimasen, 14. do you speak english — eigo o hanashimasu ka , 15. can you please repeat that — mou ichido itte kudasai, 16. can you please speak slowly — yukkuri hanashite kudasai, 17. what is your name — onamae wa nan desu ka, 18. my name is… — watashi no namae wa…, 19. what is this — kore wa nan desu ka.

これ and それ literally just mean “this” and “that.”

20. How much does this cost? — kore wa ikura desu ka? 

If you’re pointing at something that you can’t reach, you say それは いくらですか？

21. Can you please help me? — tasukete moraemasuka ?

Japanese airports aren’t just places to land: they’re an entire cultural showcase on their own. For example, at the Narita Airport , you’ll see pet hotels , gacha machines , the (in)famous smart toilets and even a Pokémon Store !

22. Welcome, please come in — yokoso, o-hairi kudasai

23. please show your ticket — chiketto o misete kudasai, 24. please show your passport — pasupooto o misete kudasai, 25. what is your reservation name — yoyaku-mei wa nan desu ka, 26. the flight is delayed — furaito chien shiteimasu, 27. the flight has been canceled — furaito kyanseru saremashita, 28. baggage claim is this way — baggeji kureimu wa kochira desu, 29. we have arrived at … airport — … kuko ni tochaku shimashita, 30. we will depart for … airport — … kuko e shuppatsu shimasu, 31. there is a delay in the flight — furaito ni okure ga arimasu, 32. there are restrictions on carry-on baggage — kinai mochikomi no nimotsu niwa seigen ga arimasu.

33. Please tell me how to get to the airport — kuko e no ikikata o oshiete kudasai

34. is this a departure flight — korewa shuppatsu-bin desu ka, 35. is this an arrival flight — korewa tochaku-bin desu ka, 36. where is the boarding gate — tojyo-guchi wa doko desu ka, 37. i’ll check my baggage — tenimotsu azukemasu, 38. please call a taxi — takushii o yonde kudasai, 39. i’d like to rent a car — rentakaa o karitai desu, 40. where is the gate for the connecting flight — noritsugi-bin no geeto wa doko desu ka.

Asking for directions is sort of daunting, especially when the person answers in a whole stream of fast-paced Japanese.

But you’ll find that Japan is one of the best places to be a lost and hopeless tourist. There’s always someone nearby who’s more than happy to help. I’ve even had people take time out of their days to walk me where I needed to go!

Simply say wherever it is that you want to go followed by どこですか？ — doko desu ka? (Where is …?).

41. I want to go… (here) — (koko) ni ikitai desu 

Say ここ if you have an address written down or a point marked on a map of where you want to go.

If you know the name or address of the place where you want to go, simply say the place name followed by に行きたいです . For example, if you want to go to Shinjuku station, you simply say 新宿駅に行きたいです   — Shinjuku eki ni ikitai desu . (I want to go to Shinjuku station.)

42. Where is the…? — …wa doko desu ka?

43. can you please show me where we are on the map — watashitachi ga doko ni iru no ka, chizu de oshiete kudasai.

This might seem like an odd question (and a bit of a mouthful), but it can be a lot more helpful than asking for directions from someone who doesn’t know English.

44. Is it near? — chikai desu ka?

45. is it far — tooi desu ka.

46. Go straight ahead — massugu itte kudasai 

47. turn left — hidari ni magatte kudasai, 48. turn right — migi ni magatte kudasai.

In Japan, public transportation is how most people get around. If you’re not used to taking the bus, train or anything similar, better keep the following phrases handy!

49. Take me to this address, please — kono jyusho made tsureteitte kudasai

50. what is the fare — ryoukin wa ikura desu ka, 51. stop here, please — koko de tomatte kudasai, 52. does this bus go to (street name) — kono basu wa … ni ikimasu ka, 53. does that train stop at … — sono denshya wa … de tomarimasu ka, 54. a map, please — chizu o onegai shimasu, 55. this hotel — k ono hoteru, 56. the subway — chikatetsu , 57. the train station — denshya no eki, 58. the bus stop  — basutei, 59. the taxi stand — takushii noriba, 60. the exit — deguchi, 61. the entrance — iriguchi, 62. the bathroom — toire.

Like other service-oriented businesses in the country, Japanese hotels subscribe to the concept of omotenashi , which roughly translates to pouring your whole heart into service. That means you can expect employees at Japanese hotels to go above and beyond when it comes to making you feel welcome.

63. I have a reservation under the name of … — … no yoyaku o shiteimasu

64. i would like to check-in — chekkuin shitai desu, 65. what time is check-in — chekkuin wa nanji desu ka, 66. is breakfast included — choshoku wa fukumareteimasu ka, 67. where is my room — watashi no heya wa doko desu ka, 68. please give me a wake-up call at …  — … ni weikuappu kooru onegaishimasu., 69. where is the nearest convenience store — ichiban chikai konbini wa doko desu ka, 70. can you recommend a good restaurant nearby — chikaku no oishii resutoran o shokaishite moraemasu  ka, 71. what time is check-out — chekkuauto no jikan wa nanji desu ka, 72. where can i store my luggage — nimotsu wa dokoni azukeraremasu ka, 73. is there wi-fi in the hotel — hoteru ni wa wai-fai ga arimasu ka, 74. where is the nearest atm — ichi-ban chikai atm wa doko desu ka, 75. i’d like to have some extra towels, please — yobun no taoru o kudasai., 76. what time is breakfast served — choshoku wa nanji kara desu ka, 77. excuse me, i need an iron and ironing board — sumimasen, airon to iron-dai ga hitsuyo desu..

Like Japanese hotels, Japanese restaurants also practice omotenashi. Here are some of the more common phrases you’ll hear from Japanese restaurant staff.

78. Welcome — Irasshaimase

79. how many people in your party — nan mei sama desu ka, 80. this way, please — kochira e douzo, 81. certainly (in response to your order) — kashikomarimashita, 82. thank you for waiting — omatase itashimashita.

The best restaurants in Japan are the authentic ones that don’t cater to tourists. But these are also the places that have no English menus, and sometimes no English-speaking waitstaff.

Luckily, it’s very common for Japanese menus to feature photos of all the dishes. And many places have models of their dishes on display, so you likely won’t be going in completely blind.

Use these phrases , and you should be in and out of a restaurant without too many hiccups.

83. A table for two, please —  futari you no teeburu o onegai shimasu

You can also replace futari with the number of people who you need to have seated:

• one — hitori ( 一人 )
• three — sannin ( 三人 )
• four — yonin ( 四人 )

If you’re confused about Japanese numbers and counters, don’t despair. You can just do as the locals do and indicate the number of diners by holding up your fingers.

84. The menu, please — menyu o onegai shimasu

85. what are today’s recommendations — kyo no osusume wa.

If everything on the menu looks appetizing and you’re not quite sure what to order, use this phrase.

86. Water, please — mizu o onegai shimasu

87. two beers, please — biiru o nihai onegai shimasu, 88. can i please have (one, two) of this — kore o (hitotsu, futatsu) onegai でdekimasu, 89. do you have a vegetarian dish — bejitarian youno ryouri ga arimasu ka.

I’ve traveled in Japan with vegetarians twice, and this question usually draws quite strange looks. Vegetarianism basically doesn’t exist in Japan, although Japanese cuisine is generally quite vegetarian-friendly.

It might work better to say これは肉ですか？ — kore wa niku desu ka? , to say “is this meat?” Follow up with 私は肉を食べません — watashi wa niku o tabemasen,  which means “I don’t eat meat,” if you want to make yourself understood.

90. Is … in it? — … wa haitte imasu ka?

Alternatively, you can also ask if specific ingredients are included in your food, so you’ll know whether you should order it or not.

91. That’s okay — daijyoubu desu

You can also use this expression to ask someone if they’re okay. Just add the question particle  ka to the end: 大丈夫ですか ？ — daijyoubu desu ka? 

92. The check, please — okanjyou o onegai shimasu 

Say the above, or you can do as the locals do and catch the waiter’s eye (with a smile!) and draw a clockwise circle in the air with your index finger pointing towards the roof.

In some restaurants, you need to bring the check to the cash register which is usually located by the restaurant’s doorway.

93. Cheers! — kanpai!

94. it was delicious — oishikatta desu, 95. water — mizu, 96. wine — wain, 97. beer — biiru , 98. tea — ochya, 99. coffee — coohii, 100. juice — juusu, 101. meat — niku, 102. chicken — toriniku , 103. pork — butaniku, 104. beef  — gyuniku , 105. fish — sakana , 106. rice — gohan, 107. bread — pan , 108. vegetables — yasai  , 109. fruit — kudamono.

When you’re met with cries of いらっしゃいませ！, you’re not really expected to respond to this greeting. As for me, I just smile and say こんにちは which means, of course, “hello.”

Walking into a department store is particularly surreal, with each assistant taking cues from the others, so that every time a customer walks in, いらっしゃいませ bounces around the entire floor.

110. Are you looking for something? — nani ka osagashi desu ka?

111. is that all — ijyou de yoroshii desu ka, 112. here it is / here you go — hai, douzo.

113. I would like this — kore o onegai shimasu

114. i would like one of those — sore o hitotsu onegai shimasu, 115. i would like to pay in cash  — genkin de onegai shimasu, 116. i would like to pay by credit card — kurejitto kaado de onegai shimasu.

The only real challenge with ordering meals in Japanese is the use of counters.

We have counters in English, too (for example “sheets” of paper, “glasses” of water, “blades” of grass), but not as many or as complicated as in Japanese.

Luckily Japanese has a “universal” counter, つ ( tsu ), which you can use for anything, including food.

The numbers one to four as つ counters are pronounced 一つ ( hitotsu )、 二つ ( futatsu )、 三つ ( mittsu ) and 四つ ( yottsu ). You can use this counter for drinks too, and the waiter will understand you.

However, if you want to be a little more impressive, you can use the drinks counter: 杯 ( hai/bai/pai depending on the number used with it). The numbers one to four using this counter are 一杯 ( ippai )、 二杯 ( nihai ) 、 三杯 ( sanbai ) and 四杯 ( yonhai ).

If you want to learn more about counters, this post explains them  in more detail.

All the examples I’ve given are in the polite, neutral form of speech . You basically can’t go wrong speaking this way in Japan, so you don’t need to worry about making any social faux pas!

Some notes on pronunciation:

• Avoid turning vowels into dipthongs (vowel sounds that run into each other, like the oi in “coin”). Pronounce each vowel on its own even when there are two vowels next to each other. Onegai is read as “o-ne-ga-i,” not “o-ne-gai”
• The sound  ou and repeated vowels like ii and  ee are exceptions: they show an elongation of the sound.  Ohayou is read as “o-ha-yoh,” not “o-ha-yo-u.”
• Treat ん (n)  as its own syllable.   Konnichiwa is read “ko-n-ni-chi-wa,” not “ko-ni-chi-wa.” It’s subtle, but it makes a difference!
• Repeated consonants are pronounced. For an example of how to do this, just read the word “bookkeeper” out loud.
• The small kana っ like in いって signify a break between the sounds —”it-te,” not “i-te.”
• Small y- kana like ゃ in おちゃ add the  y sound to the preceding syllable —”o-chya,” not “o-chi-a.”
• は (ha)  as a particle is pronounced wa,  and を (wo)  as a particle is pronounced  o.

The beauty of Japanese is that it’s an extremely phonetic language, so if you say the words exactly as you read them, you can’t really get them wrong.

Having said that, people will probably struggle to understand you if you speak in a strong non-Japanese accent, so it might pay to listen to some spoken Japanese before you start practicing pronunciation.

The most important thing to remember is that, unlike English speakers, Japanese speakers don’t put emphasis on the second or third syllable of a word—there’s some emphasis on the first syllable, but it’s subtle.

Some ways that you can listen to Japanese being spoken is by watching Japanese films , television programs , anime or YouTube clips .

The Japanese language program FluentU has a little bit of everything in the media, with interactive subtitles and customizable flashcards for a well-rounded learning experience.

Maybe this seems like a lot, but learning Japanese travel phrases for tourists will make your trip run more smoothly, and the people you meet will appreciate your effort.

Speaking the local language tends to get people on your side. They’re less likely to try to rip you off, and often will want to become your best friend.

I like to make little phrasebooks for myself when I travel, so I can have these Japanese travel phrases and vocabulary always on hand.

I’ve been treated to tea and dinner in people’s homes, and once was driven around a city with a personal guide/impromptu friend all day, just because I struck up conversations in the local language.

Don’t be scared! Give it a try!

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Reading help

One single kanji may have more than one different readings. In Japanese, these readings are classified in three different groups: On'yomi, Kun'yomi and Nanori.

The reading is coming from the original Chinese pronunciation of the character. It's commonly used in multi-kanji compound words and usually written in katakana.

The reading is coming from the pronunciation of a native Japanese word. Commonly used in words consisting of just one kanji and usually written in hiragana. Where relevant the okurigana is also included separated by 「·」 . Readings associated with prefixes and suffixes are marked with 「〜」 .

The pronunciations found almost exclusively in Japanese names.

Non-Japanese readings

Chinese pinyin.

Modern PinYin romanization of the Chinese reading of the kanji. The tones are represented by a concluding digit.

Korean (hangul and romanized)

The Korean readings of the kanji both in hangul and in romanized form. The readings are in the (Republic of Korea) Ministry of Education style of romanization.

Vietnamese readings of the kanji.

• Kun'yomi たび

Other readings

• Chinese (pinyin) lu:3
• Korean (hangul) 려
• Korean (romanized) ryeo
• Vietnamese Lữ
• Kantenji (braille kanji) ⣕⣘

Meaning help

The meanings of the kanji in different languages. These meanings may come from both the On'yomi and the Kun'yomi readings.

In case of differences between languages, the English version prevails.

• trip, travel
• viagem, jornada
• viaje, trayecto, excursión

Stroke order

Stroke order help.

There are some generic rules to write kanji properly, specifying the order on which each stroke should be written, and although there are some exceptions, these rules apply most of the time.

This section represents in a visual way the stroke order of the kanji. The animation can be stopped, at any time and each step can be manually advanced.

Components in kanji 旅

Components of this kanji help.

Most kanji can be decomposed into smaller parts. Those parts are called radicals, and they are often semantic indicators of the meaning of the character.

Similar kanji

Similar kanji help.

With the big number of kanji ideograms, it's quite common to see some characters that look alike. These kanji can be difficult to differentiate and to learn.

This section shows kanji that look similar but have different meanings.

Homonyms help

A homonym is a group of words that have the same pronunciation but have different meanings. In Japanese, this is very common, and it's generally considered that kanji helps to differentiate homonyms in written Japanese.

This section shows other kanji that are pronounced the same as the current one, but have different meanings.

Popular words containing this kanji

Popular words containing this kanji help.

Some of the most popular word containing this kanji. The meaning of those words might or might not be related with the meaning of the kanji itself.

Click on the word for more information.

• travel, trip, journey, excursion, tour
• travel, trip, journey
• ryokan, traditional Japanese inn

Extended information

Extended information help.

Extra information about the current kanji. This may include:

The 2,501 most-used characters have a ranking which expresses the relative frequency of occurrence of a character in modern Japanese. The data is based on an analysis of word frequencies in the Mainichi Shimbun over 4 years by Alexandre Girardi.

• these frequencies are biased towards words and kanji used in newspaper articles
• the relative frequencies for the last few hundred kanji so graded is quite imprecise

Dictionary indexes

Index number for the current kanji in several published Japanese dictionaries or reference kanji books.

Query codes

These codes contain information relating to the glyph, and can be use for finding a required kanji.

The System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns (SKIP) is a scheme for the classification and rapid retrieval of Chinese characters on the basis of geometrical patterns. Developed by Jack Halpern, it first appeared in the New Japanese-English Character Dictionary (Kenkyusha, Tokyo 1990; NTC, Chicago 1993), and in successor publications such as the "Kanji Learners Dictionary" (Kodansha 1999,2011) and the "Kodansha Kanji Dictionary" (2013). A description of the coding system is available .

As examples, 割 has a SKIP code of 1-10-2 , indicating it is divided into left-right portions with 10 strokes at the left and 2 at the right. 度 has a SKIP code of 3-3-6 indicating it has a 3-stroke enclosure with 6 strokes inside it.

The descriptor codes for The Kanji Dictionary (Tuttle1996)

The descriptor codes for The Kanji Dictionary (Tuttle 1996) by Spahn and Hadamitzky. They are in the form nxnn.n , e.g. 3k11.2 , where the kanji has 3 strokes in the identifying radical, it is radical "k" in the SH classification system, there are 11 other strokes, and it is the 2nd kanji in the 3k11 sequence.

Four Corner

The Four Corner coding system was invented by Wang Chen in 1928, it has since then been widely used in dictionaries in China and Japan for classifying kanji and hanzi. In China, it is losing popularity in favour of Pinyin ordering. Some Japanese dictionaries, such as the Morohashi Daikanwajiten have a Four Corner Index. An overview of the coding system is available. In some cases a character may have two of these codes, as it can be a little ambiguous, and Morohashi has some kanji coded differently from their traditional Chinese codes. The coding system indexes characters according to the shapes at the corners.

De Roo Codes

The De Roo codes were developed by Father Joseph De Roo, and published in his book "2001 Kanji" (Bonjinsha). They are based on the shapes observed at the top and bottom of the character. A detailed description is available.

As an example, 亜 has a code of 3273 indicating that the top of the kanji is pattern number 32 (兀) and the bottom pattern number 73 (horizontal line with two vertical strokes above it.

### Encodings

The code of the character in the various character set standards. This may include some of the following:

• JIS X 0208 (1997) kuten coding (nn-nn)
• JIS X 0212 (1990) kuten coding (nn-nn)
• JIS X 0213 (2000) kuten coding (p-nn-nn)
• Unicode 4.0 in hexadecimal coding (4 or 5 digits)

Some text in this section has been extracted from the Kanjidic project

Japanese translation of 'journey'

Examples of 'journey' in a sentence journey

Browse alphabetically journey

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Japanese Proverbs: Interesting ways to learn the language and culture

Besides learning kanji from apps and practicing speaking Japanese, knowing inspiring Japanese proverbs is a great way to speed up your study process. You’ll be exposed to new vocabulary—and maybe even gain valuable wisdom.

Japanese proverbs paint a picture of different situations. They reflect Japanese culture and hundreds of years of history. They are interesting to read and unlock a part of Japan you wouldn’t know.

Studying proverbs helps you to learn more about different cultures. In Japanese, proverbs are known as ことわざ (kotowaza).

Here are 30 Inspiring Japanese proverbs that will inspire you to improve your life. We have included example sentences as well so you can understand how to use these sayings!

Be sure to check out Coto Academy if you are interested in learning Japanese !

Coto Academy is a Japanese language school located in Tokyo and Yokohama . With its small class sizes and flexible course schedule , we ensure the students find their community here in Japan and learn practical and useful daily-life Japanese by focusing on conversational practice.

Types of Japanese Proverbs

Like anywhere else, there’s not one type of proverb in Japan. However, Japanese proverbs are boxed into three types, each heavy in history, culture, and traditional values.

1. Iinarawashi ( 言い習わし)

Iinarawashi is a short saying derived from the kanji 言 (say, speech) and 習 (learn).

2. Yojijukugo (四字熟語)

True to its name (四字 meaning four letters), yojijukugo idioms consist of four kanji characters. A lot of Japanese proverbs are taken from Chinese proverbs. Because this particular type uses kanji, it can be hard for beginners to remember them.

3. Kanyouku ( 慣用句 )

You can think of kanyouku as the longest type of Japanese proverb.

1. 自業自得 -じごうじとく

Pronunciation: jigoujitoku

Translation:  “One’s act, one’s profit”

Meaning: You had it coming, or you reap what you sow.

Example Sentence:

• 嘘 ばっかりついてる から 、 皆 に 総すかんを食う ん だ 。 自業自得 だ よ。

You’re always lying, which is why people don’t take you seriously. You get what you deserve.

2.  虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず

Pronunciation: koketsu ni irazunba koji o ezu

Translation:  “If you do not enter the tiger’s cave, you will not catch its cub.”

Meaning: You can’t do anything without risking something / Nothing ventured, nothing gained

• 諺にもある通り 虎穴に入らずんば虎子を得ず だ。

As the saying goes, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

3. 猿も木から落ちる

Pronunciation: Saru mo ki kara ochiru

Translation:  “Even monkeys fall from trees”

Meaning: Even skilled experts can make a mistake / Nobody’s Perfect

• 諺にも 猿も木から落ちる というけど、あんなに頭のいい国語の先生が、字を間違えたな んて信じられない。

As they say, “Even monkeys fall from trees,” but it is hard to believe that such a brilliant Japanese teacher would mess up such a character.

Pronunciation: kouin ya no gotoshi

Translation:  “Time flies like an arrow.”

Meaning: Life is short / Time and tide wait for no man

• 人々が 光陰矢の如し と言うのをよく耳にする。

We often hear people say that time flies.

Pronunciation: fukusui bon ni kaerazu

Translation:  “Spilt water won’t go back into its tray”

Meaning: What’s done is done / It is no use crying over spilled milk

• 諺に、 覆水盆に返らず と言う。

The proverb says that what is done cannot be undone.

6. 明日は明日の風が吹く

Pronunciation:  ashita wa ashita no kaze ga fuku

Translation:  “The winds of tomorrow will blow tomorrow”

Meaning: Do not be worried about your bad situation because things change over time

• 今日は今日の風が吹き、 明日は明日の風が吹く 。

Tomorrow is another day.

Pronunciation:  nana korobi ya oki

Translation:  “Fall down seven times but get up eight times”

Meaning: If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again / Don’t give up

• 人生は 七転び八起き 。転んでもまた立ち上がる。くじけずに前を向いて歩いていこう。

Tomorrow is another day. Even if you fall down, you will get up again. Don’t be discouraged, just keep walking forward.

8. 清水の舞台から飛び降りる

Pronunciation:  nanakiyomizuno-butaikara-tobioriru

Translation:  “Take a leap from the stage of Kiyomizu”

Meaning: Make a resolution/ To take the plunge

• 清水の舞台から飛び降りる 気持ちでダイヤの指輪を買った

I am going to take a big chance buying a diamond ring.

9. 雨降って地固まる

Pronunciation:  ame futte ji katamaru

Translation:  “After a storm comes a calm”

Meaning: Adversity strengthens the foundations / A relationship often gets closer after a quarrel.

• いろいろトラブルもあったけど、 雨降って地固まる ってことになってほしいね。

We’ve been through a rough patch but I hope it will have made us stronger.

10. 三人寄れば文殊の知恵

Pronunciation:  sannin yoreba monju no chie

Translation:  “When three people meet, wisdom is exchanged”

Meaning: The more people you have, the more ideas you will get through the discussion (same as “Two heads are better than one”).

• 三人寄れば文殊の知恵 って言うだろ。みんなで考えれば、いい案が浮かぶかもしれないよ。

Let’s all think on this together and we might be able to come up with some good ideas. They say two heads are better than one.

11. 因果応報 

Pronunciation:  ingaouhou

Translation:  “Cause brings result”

Meaning: What goes around comes around

• 彼は昔ひどいイジメっ子だったので、今は困った時に助けてくれる本当の友達がいない。 因果応報 だね。

He does not have real friends now to help when he’s in trouble because he was a terrible bully in the past. It is “what goes around comes around.

12. 同じ釜の飯を食う

Pronunciation:  onajikama no meshi o kuu

Translation:  “Eating from the same rice pot” 

Meaning: Strengthening the sense of belonging by eating the same meals

• たかしとケンタは 同じ釜の飯を食った 仲だ。

Takashi and Kenta have a very close friendship.

Pronunciation:  neko ni koban.

Translation:  “Gold coins to a cat” 

Meaning: Don’t offer things to those who are incapable of appreciating them.

• 宝石に興味のない人にダイヤモンドをあげても、 猫に小判 だ

For someone who has no interest in precious stones, even giving that person a diamond would be casting pearls before swine.

14. 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず

Pronunciation:  nito o oumono wa itto mo ezu

Translation:  “One who chases after 2 rabbits will not even catch one” 

Meaning: You cannot do two things successfully at the same time.

• 二兎を追う者は一兎をも得ず だよ。一つずつ着実にやり遂げよう！

It says, “Those who chase after two rabbits will not even catch one.” Let’s steadily accomplish one thing at a time!

15. 人のふり見てわがふり直せ

Pronunciation:  hito no furi mite waga furi naose

Translation:  “One man’s fault is another’s lesson” 

Meaning: See other’s behavior and correct yours.

• 友達の言動を批判する暇があったら、 人のふり見てわがふり直せ だよ

If you have time to criticize the behavior of your friend, watch his behavior and correct your own behavior.

Pronunciation:  hana yori dango

Translation:  “Dumplings over flowers” 

Meaning: People are more interested in the practical than the aesthetic

• 我が家は花より団子なので、桜の名所よりおいしい店の方がいいんです

Because our house is a “dumpling over flowers”, it’s more of a delicious restaurant than a place for sakura viewing.

Pronunciation:  kuchi wa wazawai no moto

Translation:  “The mouth is the origin of disasters.” 

Meaning: Careless remarks will invite trouble for yourself, so watch your mouth.

• 人の悪口を言うと良いことないよ。 口は災いの元 だよ！

There’s nothing good about talking ill of someone. It says, “Out of the mouth comes evil!”

18. 初心忘るべからず 

Pronunciation: shoshin wasuru bekarazu

Translation:  “Don’t forget our original intention.” 

Meaning:  Never forget the original enthusiasm when you try new things

• 一度成功しても、 初心忘るべからず で、気を抜かないように

As it says, “Don’t forget beginner’s spirit,” don’t lose focus even if you once succeeded.

19. 縁の下の力持ち

Pronunciation: en no shita no chikaramochi

Translation:  “The strong person under the veranda.” 

Meaning:  Unsung hero / Someone who does a thankless task

• 彼は 縁の下の力持ち だ

He is an unsung hero.

20. ちりも積もれば山となる

Pronunciation: chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru

Translation:  “Even dust, when piled up, can become a mountain.” 

Meaning:  Many a little makes a mickle / Just small effort does make a difference

• ちりも積もれば、山となる というからね。

As they say, even dust when piled up becomes a mountain.

21. 魚心あれば水心

Pronunciation: uogokoroareba mizugokoro

Translation:  “If a fish cares for water, the water will care for the fish.” 

Meaning:  If you do a favor for somebody, you will get a favor in return /  You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours

• 魚心あれば水心 あると言う通り、陽気な男の人があっと言う間に近所の人と仲良くなった

As it is said, if the fish has a heart, the water will also have a heart. Thus the cheerful man was on good terms with the neighbors in the blink of an eye.

Pronunciation: toudai moto kurashi

Translation:  “The darkness at the foot of the light fixture.” 

Meaning: It’s hard to see what is under your nose.

• 会社の金を盗んだのは社長の秘書だった。まさに 灯台下暗しだ 。

It was the president’s secretary who stole the company’s money. It’s hard to see what’s under their nose. .

Pronunciation: kachou fuugetsu

Translation:  “Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon.” 

Meaning: Experience the beauties of nature, and in doing so learn about yourself.

• 花鳥風月を楽しむために都会を離れた

I’m leaving the city to enjoy the wonders of nature.

24.  苦あれば楽あり

Pronunciation: Ku areba raku ari

Translation:  “With hardships comes pleasure and pleasure comes hardships.” 

Meaning: No Pain No Gain

• 人生、 苦あれば楽あり ！ 若いうちは苦労をたくさんした方がいい。

Life is “no pain, no gain”! You should work hard a lot when you are young.

25. 一期一会 

Pronunciation: ichigo ichie

Translation:  “Once in a lifetime encounter.” 

Meaning: Enjoy every encounter to the fullest

• 旅先での素敵な出会いは、まさに 一期一会 だ。

A wonderful encounter on a trip is truly a “once-in-a-lifetime meeting.”

26. 千里の道も一歩から

Pronunciation: senri no michi mo ippo kara

Translation:  “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” 

Meaning: It takes a series of steps to achieve success

• 語学の習得は簡単ではないけれど、 千里の道も一歩から 。小さな積み重ねが大切です。

Mastering a language is not easy, but a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The accumulation of small steps is important.

27. 笑う門には福来たる

Pronunciation: warau kado niwa fuku kitaru

Meaning: Laughter and smiles will bring happiness and fortune

Translation:  “Good fortune and happiness will come into the house of those who smile.” 

• 日本に 笑う門には福来る ということわざがあるように、和やかにお正月の食卓を皆で囲むことが一番で、それで十分です。

Remember the saying “Fortune comes to those who smile”; this means that the most important thing is that everyone comes together to the table for the New Year’s holidays.

Pronunciation: mizu-ni-nagasu

Meaning: Forgive and forget

Translation:  “The water flows.” 

• スージーは物事を 水に流す ことができない性分だ 。

Susie is so constituted that she cannot forgive and forget things.

29. 出る杭は打たれる

Pronunciation: deru kui wa utareru

Meaning: People who stick out too much get punished

Translation:  “The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.” 

• 出る杭が打たれる 会社じゃ 、 大きな成長は望めないね 。

A company that stifles innovation can’t hope to grow very much.

30. 開いた口が塞がらない 

Pronunciation: aita kuchi ga fusagaranai

Meaning: Someone’s words or behavior are appalling and beyond understanding, and you’re lost for words

Translation:  “Open mouth does not close.” 

• 彼の失礼な返事には 開いた口が塞がらなかった

We were taken aback by his rude reply.

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25 Japanese Words With A Deep Meaning Or For Expressing A Concept

The Japanese language is unlike any other. From its distinctive form of Kanji and Kana scripts to its unique sounds, it is lyrical, beautiful, and often inscrutable. With roots in ancient Buddhist notions of life and the soul, and the attitudes of the Shinto belief system , the language also reflects Japanese concepts that are sometimes unfamiliar to most westerners.

Whether you are learning how to speak Japanese , or are just interested in learning some beautiful words and interesting ideas, this list of 25 Japanese words that express concepts and meaning is for you.

Ikigai (生きがい)

A person’s ikigai is what motivates them to lead a meaningful and worthwhile life. Essentially, it’s about one’s reason for being, and the balance between the spiritual and practical aspects of life.

The first step is to figure out your passions (the what) and then the means to achieve them (the how).

Shinrinyoku (森林浴)

A direct translation into English gives you ‘forest bathing’, but this term does not come close to expressing the beauty and simplicity of the word.

Shinrinyoku is the self-care experience of totally immersing yourself in nature, using all of your senses to appreciate its beauty and experience its restorative benefits. It can be as simple as taking a walk in the forest, with health benefits including lower blood pressure and reduced stress hormones.

Kuidaore (食い倒れ)

For those of us who love fine dining and a nice glass of wine, the concept of kuidaore might hit close to home. It means a person who is happy to spend all their money satisfying their culinary tastes.

Kuiadore is also associated with the Osaka district of Dotonbori , which is a famous foodie hotspot.

Komorebi (木漏れ日)

There are few pleasures in life that are as simple as feeling the sunlight on your face, gently filtered through the leaves of a tree. This is especially true during the optimism of spring, with the long, cold winter behind you.

Komorebi is also symbolic, used to refer to the longing you have to be close to someone who is not close enough for a visit.

The perfect time to enjoy some komorebi is when you are taking your Shinrinyoku (filtered sun on your face).

Wabi-sabi (侘寂)

The concept of ‘imperfect perfection’ is much more familiar to Japanese sensibilities than western ones. Essentially, it is the beauty that can be found in things that are imperfect.

With strong Buddhist roots, it is a strong concept in Japanese aesthetic thought, concerning the value of imperfections.

Kogarashi (木枯らし)

Japan is a country that is obsessed with the changes of the seasons and the Kogarashi is the name of the cool, brisk autumn wind that lets you know that winter is on the way.

The word literally translates to ‘wilting wind’ and it is widely used to usher in the coldest months of the year.

Have you ever taken the effort to hike to the top of a high mountain or peak? If you’re lucky enough, you might have seen a wall of clouds to greet you at the top.

When the clouds part and you see the endless horizon before you, the beauty of that moment is the essence of unkai.

Gussuri (グッスリ)

This is the art of sleeping soundly. In English, we might phrase it as ‘sleeping like a baby’ or ‘sleeping like a log’.

Shoganai (しょうがない)

In English, the phrase ‘it can’t be helped’ is the best way to describe shoganai. It refers to a situation where is no realistic way of controlling or fixing it.

It’s a great phrase to encourage complainers to be quiet, for there is nothing they can do to help the situation.

Yūgen (幽玄) 

We might be lost for words when we stand in front of a beautiful work of art or see a spectacular natural wonder . Yūgen is the wonderful feeling you get when you experience immense beauty in art, literature, or nature.

Tsundoku (積ん読)

We all like to think that we love to read, but perhaps we prefer to collect the books rather than put aside the time to read them? This is the notion of having piles of unread books, left to collect dust.

Irusu (居留守)

Irusu is when you’re at home and someone comes to visit but you pretend that the house is empty. Not just one for the introverts, who among us has not been in an irusu situation themselves?

Nekojita (猫舌)

Some of us are more sensitive than others and nekojita is the word to describe the person whose tongue is sensitive to hot food and drink. The word comes from neko – cat and shita – tongue.

Is a cat’s tongue sensitive to heat? The word nekojita certainly implies that it does!

Karoshi (過労死)

The Japanese are famed for their work ethic and many consider that a large part of their identity is tied to their profession. Karoshi means ‘death from overwork’ and it has a rigid definition: a person who works over 100 hours of overtime in the month before they are likely to die.

Natsukashii (懐かしい)

The idea of natsukashii is the positive vices you get when reliving happy memories. It is akin to the word nostalgia in English, but it is more happy and joyful than wistful and sad.

Yoroshiku (宜しく)

Each language has its own unique greeting and Japanese is no different. Literally translated to ‘please be good to me’, it means different things in different contexts.

It can be said when people meet, when one person asks another for a favor, or simply as an expression of friendliness.

Koi no yokan (恋の予感)

This romantic concept is the idea that when you meet another person, it might not be love at first sight, but you have a feeling that you will fall in love in the future.

In English, we might call this ‘a premonition of love’.

Itadakimasu (いただきます)

In French, you might say ‘bon appétit’, while Spanish-speakers would say ‘buen provecho’. A blessing to enjoy the meal in front of you, this phrase literally means ‘I will humbly receive this meal’.

But it is more than that. The word is an expression of gratitude for the food, from the farmers who grew it to the chef who prepared it.

Bimyou (微妙)

There is no direct English translation and bimyou is a concept that is hard to define. Essentially, it is the idea that you might not care about something, or might even dislike it, but don’t want to say so directly.

It is the indirect way to say ‘no’ in Japanese, and might correlate to ‘meh’ or ‘not really’ in English.

Wa is the concept of harmony and peace, but it is more than that. It can refer to something as simple as plating your food for dinner, or a situation with more depth such as avoiding conflict or keeping the peace.

In Japanese culture, wa is all-pervasive, contributing to architectural design, traditional clothing , and even politics.

Kuchisabishii (口寂しい) 

We’ve all been lost for something to keep us busy, and have gone to the fridge to see if there is something to eat. Literally translated as ‘lonely mouth’, kuchisabishii is when we eat or smoke a cigarette without thinking as a way to keep our mouths busy.

Otaku (おたく)

In English, we might call them nerds. They are the people who are obsessed with interests such as anime and manga , often to the detriment of their social lives and personal relationships.

Furusato (故郷)

Although furusato is usually translated into English as ‘hometown’, it actually is more nuanced, encapsulating a traditional and rural way of life; a contrast to the hustle and bustle of daily life in the city.

Majime (真面目)

Majime conjures up descriptive words like serious, trustworthy, responsible, and earnest. It is used to describe a person who would make a great colleague or business partner, and even someone who would be great to bring home to your parents!

Mottainai (もったいない)

With its roots in Buddhist philosophy, this concept of wastefulness follows that all things are precious.

Japanese people will use the word when someone wastes food or gets rid of an object that could be repaired or reused. People can also use it in conversation when they are given a beautiful gift that the receiver might consider is wasted on them.

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Bon Voyage in Japanese: Express Good Journey Wishes

When it comes to sending off your loved ones on their journey, expressing well-wishes in their language can make a big difference. If you have Japanese friends or colleagues, saying “bon voyage” in Japanese is a thoughtful gesture that shows respect for their culture.

In this section, we will explore how to say “bon voyage” in Japanese and teach you some phrases to express good journey wishes in their language. So, whether it’s for business or leisure, you can send off your loved ones with warm and sincere wishes.

Now, let’s dive into the world of “bon voyage” in Japanese and learn how to express it with precision and grace!

How to Say Bon Voyage in Japanese

When sending off your friends or loved ones on their journey, it’s essential to express your good wishes in their language. In Japanese, the equivalent phrase for “bon voyage” is “yoi tabi o.”

The pronunciation of “yoi tabi o” is yoh-ee tah-bee oh. The phrase literally translates to “have a good journey,” and it’s the most commonly used expression for expressing good journey wishes in Japan.

It’s essential to note that Japanese culture places a high value on etiquette, so using the correct phrase is crucial. When unsure, it’s always best to use the longer version, “yoi ryokō o,” which means “have a good trip.”

Expressing Good Journey Wishes in Japanese

When it comes to saying “bon voyage” in Japanese, there are different phrases and words you can use to express good journey wishes. These phrases go beyond the basic translation and convey warmth and sincerity to your Japanese friends. Here are some of the most common Japanese phrases for saying “bon voyage”:

The phrase “いってらっしゃい (itterasshai)” is a common way of saying goodbye in Japan and is often used when someone is leaving for an extended period of time. It expresses the hope that the person will take care and have a safe journey. “ご武運を祈る (gobuun wo inoru)” is a more formal way of expressing good luck and is often used in business settings. “良い旅を (yoi tabi wo)” is a simple and friendly way of wishing someone a good trip.

When saying goodbye to someone in Japanese, it is also common to use the word “行ってらっしゃい (itte rasshai)” which means “go and come back”. This phrase is often used by family members and close friends to express their hope that the person will return soon.

Now that you know some Japanese phrases for saying “bon voyage”, you can add a personal touch to your message and show your Japanese friends that you care.

Bon Voyage in Japanese Writing

If you want to take your message to the next level, you can write “bon voyage” in Japanese in your message or card.

Japanese writing consists of three writing systems: Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Hiragana and Katakana are syllabic scripts, with Hiragana being the more cursive, rounded style used for grammatical particles and native Japanese words, while Katakana is used for loanwords and foreign names. Kanji is the Chinese character-based writing system.

The phrase “bon voyage” is typically written in Katakana, as it is a foreign loanword. The kanji characters for “bon voyage” are also sometimes used, but not as commonly.

Using the Katakana version is the most straightforward way to write “bon voyage” in Japanese. However, if you feel comfortable using Kanji or want to add a touch of elegance to your message, using the kanji characters for “bon voyage” is also a great option.

Cultural Significance of Bon Voyage in Japan

Expressing “bon voyage” in Japan goes beyond just wishing someone a good journey. It is a reflection of their culture and traditions, which place great importance on showing respect and gratitude to others.

In Japan, it is customary to give gifts or cards when someone is going on a journey, especially if it is a long journey or if they are moving away permanently. This is a way to show your appreciation for their friendship and to wish them well on their travels.

The Importance of Respect

In Japanese culture, showing respect for others is essential. When someone is embarking on a journey, it is respectful to acknowledge the significance of their trip and wish them well. This is why saying “bon voyage” in Japanese is more than just a simple farewell.

There are different phrases and words that can be used to express good journey wishes, depending on the context and relationship between the individuals. For example, “yoi ryokou wo” is a common phrase that means “have a good trip,” and “tabi no yorokobi wo” means “may your journey be joyful.”

Traditions and Customs

Beyond the language itself, there are also traditional customs associated with expressing bon voyage in Japan. For example, it is customary to bow or clap your hands in thanks when someone is leaving. Additionally, giving gifts, such as omamori (protective talismans) or small souvenirs from the journey, is a way to show your appreciation and wish them well on their travels.

Understanding the cultural significance of expressing “bon voyage” in Japan is important for showing respect and building connections with your Japanese friends and colleagues. By using the appropriate language and customs, you can show your appreciation for their friendship and wish them well on their journey.

In conclusion, expressing good journey wishes in Japanese is an important way to show your appreciation to your Japanese friends and loved ones. Remember the Japanese translation for “bon voyage” – お元気で – and use it as a starting point for additional phrases like いってらっしゃい or 行ってらっしゃい to express your good wishes.

Writing “bon voyage” in Japanese can also add an extra personal touch to your message, so take the time to learn the characters and writing system used. Finally, keep in mind the cultural significance of expressing “bon voyage” in Japan as a way to show respect for Japanese traditions. So, next time you send off someone on their journey, remember to use these phrases to make their trip a memorable one.

Q: How do you say “bon voyage” in Japanese?

A: The phrase for “bon voyage” in Japanese is いってらっしゃい (itterasshai). It is commonly used to express good wishes and safe travels when someone is leaving on a trip.

Q: Are there other ways to express good journey wishes in Japanese?

A: Yes, there are different phrases you can use to convey good journey wishes in Japanese. Some alternatives include 行ってらっしゃいませ (itterasshaimase), which is a more formal expression, and ご旅行をお楽しみください (goryokou wo o-tanoshimi kudasai), which means “Enjoy your trip.”

Q: How do I write “bon voyage” in Japanese?

A: In Japanese writing, “bon voyage” is written as いってらっしゃい (itterasshai) using the hiragana characters い, て, ら, っ, し, ゃ, and い.

Q: What is the cultural significance of “bon voyage” in Japan?

A: In Japan, expressing “bon voyage” holds cultural significance as it shows respect for the person traveling and acknowledges their journey. It is a way to wish them well and ensure their safety as they embark on their adventures.

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Learning Japanese Guideline for beginner

Learn Japanese Alphabet

Learn Kanji

Learn common Japanese phrases

Explore Japanese Guideline

LET'S LEARN JAPANESE

Table of contents.

• Starting your adventure
• Setting the stage
• Hiragana Basics
• Typing Hiragana in Mobile
• Mastering Katakana
• Guideline for beginners
• Kanji Overview
• Kanji Radical
• On-yomi vs Kun-yomi
• Typing Kanji on Mobile
• Build your words deck
• The SRS Method
• Grammar Foundations
• Self-Guided Grammar Adventures
• Occasional Hurdles
• Choosing Your Companion
• Solo or Supported
• Resource Roundup
• Stepping into Intermediate Territory

Welcome to Your Japanese Journey

Hey there, friend! Welcome to your exciting Japanese adventure! 🎉 I'm thrilled that you've decided to embark on this journey, and trust me, it's going to be an incredible ride filled with new discoveries, challenges, and lots of fun!

Starting your adventure: Keep an open mind and excitement.

First things first, keep that sense of wonder and excitement burning bright within you! Learning Japanese is like unlocking a door to a whole new world, so approach it with an open mind and a heart full of curiosity. Embrace the beauty of the language and culture, and you'll find yourself falling more in love with it every day.

Setting the stage: Goals and mindset for a successful journey.

Let's talk about goals! What are you hoping to achieve on this journey? Whether it's mastering conversational Japanese, understanding anime without subtitles, or simply being able to order sushi like a pro, having clear goals will keep you motivated and focused along the way. And remember, it's not just about reaching the destination, but enjoying every step of the journey. So, let's dive in with positivity and determination!

Unlocking the Japanese Alphabet: Hiragana & Katakana

Let's talk about Hiragana—it's like Japan's special alphabet, the first step on our journey to becoming Japanese reading champs!

Hiragana basics: Your first steps into reading, writing and typing Japanese.

Now, don't worry if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed with the idea of learning a whole new writing system. We've got this together, and I'm here to cheer you on every step of the way.

So, why start with Hiragana? Well, it's kind of like the foundation of the Japanese language. Think of it as the soil from which our language garden grows. Without it, we'd be lost in translation!

I know some folks might say it takes ages to get the hang of Hiragana, but guess what? We're not going to follow that slow lane. Instead of spending weeks doodling each Hiragana character, we'll use some cool tricks and tools to speed up our learning process.

Imagine this: with the help of funny games and handy worksheets, you could be reading Hiragana by tonight! Yes, seriously!

With MochiKana support, we're going to tackle both reading and writing Hiragana at the same time! Now, I know it might sound like a double whammy, but trust me, it's going to work wonders for us.

See, by practicing both skills together, we'll reinforce our understanding of Hiragana even faster. Sure, it might be a tad challenging at first, but hey, that's where the fun is, right?

So, let's jump right in and start decoding those hiragana characters. We'll read them, write them, and watch our skills skyrocket together. I promise you, this approach will make our learning journey all the more exciting and rewarding. With our approach, you'll crack the code of Hiragana in just a day or two, instead of dragging it out for a month. Let's do this! 🚀

Let's do this:

Using MochiKana Mobile App to learn typing Hiragana quickly:

So, what do you say? Ready to tackle Hiragana together and unlock a whole new world of Japanese language and culture? Let's do this! 🎉

Hiragana works sheet

Typing Hiragana in Mobile: Using Romaji is the easiest method

Although I'm a lover of writing Hiragana and Kanji, most of our writing is done on keyboards these days, right? By mastering typing Hiragana, along with a bit of Katakana and Kanji down the line, we'll cover the vast majority of modern writing needs.

And here are the few steps to typing Hiragana on your Mobile:

• Enable the Japanese Keyboard: First, you'll need to enable the Japanese keyboard on your mobile device. You can usually do this through the settings menu under "Language & Input" or "Keyboard Settings."
• Type using Romaji: In the Japanese keyboard, you'll type using Romaji, which is the Romanized version of Japanese characters. For example, type "a" to get あ, "ka" to get か, and so on. The keyboard will automatically convert your Romaji input into Hiragana characters.
• Choose the correct character: Sometimes, the keyboard will offer suggestions for Kanji or Katakana characters based on the context of your sentence. You can select the desired character from the suggestions bar that appears above the keyboard.

Practice Makes Perfect! Like anything worth learning, typing in Japanese takes practice. But hey, we're in this together! Keep at it, and soon enough, you'll be zipping through your Japanese messages like a pro.

Mastering Katakana: Step-by-step guide to reading, typing and writing Katakana.

Understanding the Difference: Hiragana vs. Katakana

Katakana is like the cool cousin of Hiragana. While Hiragana is used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements; Katakana has a sharper, more angular look, reflecting its role in representing foreign words, loanwords, and technical terms. You'll often find Katakana used for words borrowed from other languages, like "コーヒー" (koohii) for coffee or "アメリカ" (amerika) for America. Its distinct appearance sets it apart and signals that you're dealing with non-native vocabulary.

Guideline to Learn Katakana:

• Get Familiar with the Characters: Katakana characters may look a bit different from Hiragana, but trust me, they're just as friendly once you get to know them! Start by familiarizing yourself with the basic Katakana characters and their sounds.
• Learn the Stroke Order: Just like with Hiragana, mastering the stroke order of Katakana characters is key to writing them beautifully. Take your time to practice writing each character following the correct stroke order.
• Associate Sounds with Images: Katakana characters can sometimes resemble the sounds they represent. For example, ソ (so) might remind you of a "sore" shape. Use these visual associations to help you remember the sounds of each character.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you practice, the easier it gets! Set aside some time each day to review and practice writing Katakana characters. You can use worksheets, online resources, or even write Katakana versions of your favorite words.
• Use Mnemonics and Memory Aids: Mnemonics, memory aids, and association techniques can be your best friends when learning Katakana. Create fun stories or visual images to help you remember the shapes and sounds of each character.
• Apply What You Learn: As you progress, start looking for Katakana characters in the wild! Keep an eye out for Katakana words on signs, packaging, and menus. The more you encounter Katakana in real-life situations, the more it will solidify in your memory.
• Stay Positive and Patient: Learning Katakana might feel a bit overwhelming at times, but remember, every step you take brings you closer to your goal. Stay positive, be patient with yourself, and celebrate your progress along the way!
• Learn to read and write Katakana together
• Using MochiKana Mobile App to learn typing Katakana quickly
• Mochikana IOS App
• MochiKana Android App

Katakana works sheet

Remember, we're in this together, my friend! So let's roll up our sleeves, dive into learning Katakana, and unlock a whole new world of Japanese language and culture. You've got this! 🌟

Japanese Pronunciation

Japanese pronunciation is characterized by its relatively simple sound system and syllable structure.

Overview: Understanding the basics of Japanese pronunciation.

1. Vowels: Japanese has five vowel sounds: "a," "i," "u," "e," and "o." These vowels are pronounced consistently, with each having a single, clear sound.

2. Consonants: Japanese consonants are generally pronounced as in English, with a few exceptions:

• "R" sound: Japanese "r" is a single flap sound, similar to the "d" sound in "butter" or "latter."
• "S" sound: Japanese "s" is always pronounced as in "sun," never as in "rose."
• "Tsu" sound: The small "tsu" (っ) indicates a geminate or double consonant sound, where the following consonant is held for a slightly longer duration.

3. Syllable Structure: Japanese syllables follow a strict pattern of consonant-vowel (CV) or vowel-consonant-vowel (CVC) combinations. For example, "ka," "ki," "ku," "ke," and "ko" are CV syllables, while "kaki," "kiku," "kake," and "koko" are CVC syllables.

4. Pitch Accent: Japanese also has pitch accent, where certain syllables in a word are pronounced with a higher or lower pitch. However, pitch accent is generally less important for beginner learners and can be acquired naturally over time through exposure to spoken Japanese.

Guideline for Beginners: 7 steps to master Japanese Pronouncation

Here's a step-by-step guideline to help beginners improve their Japanese pronunciation:

• Master the Vowel Sounds: Start by familiarizing yourself with the five Japanese vowel sounds: "a," "i," "u," "e," and "o." Practice pronouncing them clearly and consistently.
• Learn Hiragana and Katakana: Since each Hiragana and Katakana character represents a syllable, learning these scripts will help you understand and pronounce Japanese words accurately.
• Listen and Repeat: Listen to native speakers of Japanese and try to imitate their pronunciation. Pay attention to the rhythm and intonation of spoken Japanese.
• Practice Basic Words and Phrases: Start with simple Japanese words and phrases and practice pronouncing them aloud. Use resources like language apps, textbooks, or online tutorials to find beginner-friendly vocabulary lists.
• Record Yourself: Record yourself speaking Japanese and listen back to identify areas for improvement. Notice any differences between your pronunciation and that of native speakers, and work on adjusting accordingly.
• Be Patient and Persistent: Like any skill, mastering Japanese pronunciation takes time and consistent practice. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way.
• Seeking Feedback and Persistence: Don't be shy to ask for tips from language buddies or tutors. Keep chatting and practicing regularly to improve. Stick with it—embracing challenges and staying dedicated will speed up your progress!
• Let's try to learn some common Japanese phrases and conversations
• Practice with MochiKana Mobile App

By following these steps and dedicating time to regular practice, you'll gradually improve your Japanese pronunciation and feel more confident speaking the language. Remember, every effort you put in brings you closer to fluency!

Exploring Kanji

Kanji are the beautiful and intricate characters borrowed from Chinese characters, used in Japanese writing. They represent words, ideas, and even entire concepts, making them an essential part of the Japanese language. Think of them as little puzzles waiting to be solved!

Kanji overview: Unveiling the mysteries of Kanji and its significance.

Guideline to learn Kanji

• Start with Basic Kanji: Begin your journey by focusing on the most commonly used Kanji characters. These are the building blocks of the language, so mastering them will give you a solid foundation to build upon. Start with simple characters that appear frequently in everyday words.
• Learn Stroke Order: Just like with Hiragana and Katakana, mastering the stroke order of Kanji characters is crucial. This not only helps you write them neatly but also aids in memorization. Take your time to practice writing each stroke in the correct order.
• Understand Radicals: Kanji characters are often composed of smaller components called radicals. Understanding these radicals can help you break down complex characters into simpler parts, making them easier to remember. Think of it as solving a puzzle!
• Use Mnemonics and Memory Tricks: Kanji can be tricky, but they're also full of stories waiting to be told. Create mnemonics or visual images to associate with each character to make them more memorable. The more creative, the better!
• Practice, Practice, Practice: Repetition is key when it comes to learning Kanji. Set aside dedicated time each day to review and practice writing Kanji characters. Use flashcards, worksheets, or online resources to reinforce your learning.
• Read, Read, Read: Exposure to Kanji in context is essential for mastery. Start reading simple texts, children's books, or manga with furigana (small hiragana characters above the Kanji) to help you along. The more you read, the more familiar Kanji will become.
• Stay Consistent and Patient: Learning Kanji is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient with yourself and celebrate your progress along the way. Consistency is key, so keep at it, and you'll be amazed at how far you've come!

Using MochiKanji Mobile App to learn Kanji easier:

Kanji radical: Easy strategies to begin your Kanji journey.

Kanji radicals are the building blocks of Kanji characters. They are the smaller components or elements that make up more complex Kanji characters. Think of them as the Lego pieces that you can put together to form different structures.

Why are Kanji radicals important?

Understanding Kanji radicals is crucial for several reasons

• Breaking Down Complexity: Kanji characters can be quite complex, but radicals help break them down into smaller, more manageable parts. By recognizing radicals, you can better understand the structure and meaning of Kanji characters.
• Aiding Memorization: Memorizing hundreds or even thousands of Kanji characters can seem daunting, but radicals provide a systematic approach. By learning common radicals and their meanings, you can more easily remember and recognize Kanji characters.
• Enhancing Vocabulary: Many radicals have meanings or associations that carry over into the characters they form. By understanding radicals, you can often guess the meaning of unfamiliar Kanji characters based on the radicals they contain, thus expanding your vocabulary.

Common Kanji radicals:

There are hundreds of Kanji radicals, but some are more common and recurring than others. Here are a few examples of commonly encountered radicals:

• 人 (ひと) - "Person" radical. Examples: 会 (meeting), 仕 (to do), 休 (rest).
• 口 (くち) - "Mouth" radical. Examples: 口 (mouth), 味 (flavor), 同 (same).
• 木 (き) - "Tree" radical. Examples: 本 (book), 林 (woods), 森 (forest).
• 日 (ひ) - "Sun" radical. Examples: 明 (bright), 曜 (day of the week), 時 (time).
• 水 (みず) - "Water" radical. Examples: 河 (river), 波 (wave), 汽 (vapor)

Learning Kanji radicals:

Here's how you can start learning Kanji radicals:

• Study Common Radicals: Begin by familiarizing yourself with common radicals and their meanings. You can find lists of radicals in Kanji dictionaries or online resources.
• Practice Recognition: As you encounter Kanji characters, try to identify the radicals within them. Pay attention to how radicals contribute to the meaning or pronunciation of the characters.
• Create Mnemonics: Some radicals can be quite abstract, so creating mnemonic devices or visual associations can help you remember them more easily.
• Use Radical-Based Learning Resources: There are resources available that teach Kanji characters based on their radicals. These resources often provide mnemonics, example words, and practice exercises to reinforce learning.
• Practice writing Kanji
• Using Mochikanji mobile app to learn Kanji easier
• MochiKanji IOS App
• MochiKanji Android App

By understanding Kanji radicals, you'll gain insight into the structure and meaning of Kanji characters, making the process of learning and memorizing them much more manageable. So, embrace the power of radicals, and let them guide you on your Kanji-learning journey!

On-yomi vs Kun-yomi: What are the differences!

On-yomi (音読み):

• What: Pronunciations borrowed from Chinese.
• Where: Used in compound words, especially those of Chinese origin.
• Example: 大 (big) can be pronounced as "dai" or "tai" in compound words like 大人 (adult).

Kun-yomi (訓読み):

• What: Native Japanese pronunciations based on meaning.
• Where: Used in native Japanese words and expressions.
• Example: 大 (big) can be pronounced as "ookii" in words like 大きい (big).
• On-yomi: Chinese-based, used in compounds.
• Kun-yomi: Japanese-based, used in native words.
• Understanding both helps in reading Japanese text effectively.

How many Kanji should you learn?

While there are technically more than 50,000 kanji characters, there is something known as the Joyo kanji (常用漢字). Joyo kanji refers to a list of kanji characters that are designated as “regular-use kanji” by the Japanese government. The term “Joyo” (常用) translates to “regular use” or “daily use.” However, to be considered fluent in Japanese, you only need to know 1,500 to 2,500 kanji — roughly N2 or N1 level. As you improve your Japanese language skills, you’ll notice that it’s easier to read texts with kanji than texts with just Hiragana and Katakana. Why? Kanji characters provide visual cues and help break up the text into meaningful units. So let's get started to find tips that help you to learn Kanji effectively!

How to learn Kanji? (Tips, methods, materials)

There’s a common misunderstanding that Kanji is a separate part of Japanese alongside vocabulary and grammar. No, it’s not. Kanji is basically the written form of words, and it only makes sense to learn them in the context of a word, not in a vacuum.

Kanji have multiple readings and meanings but you are not required to memorize all of them if you acquire them through vocabulary. For instance, the Kanji character “先”: In the word 先生 meaning teacher, the Kanji “先” is pronounced as “せん - sen,” while in the word “先ず” meaning first, it is pronounced as “ま - ma.”

Furthermore, when learning vocabulary and Kanji at the same time, you could guess the meaning of a word. The side effect of this is that you'll start to pick up on the meaning of the kanji in the words you're learning. I think I responded to you or someone else in that thread but it's like how you'll see that in 最高, 最悪, 最低 they all share the same 最 kanji, which you might look up out of curiosity, and find that it means 'most/highest/extreme'. You'll easily be able to recognize and remember this meaning in any new words you come across containing it, and usually have a good guess at what the word itself means.

Typing Kanji on mobile: Step by step to type Kanji on mobile phone.

Ready to make typing Kanji on your mobile device a breeze? With a few simple steps, you'll be composing messages and texts in Japanese like a pro. Let's walk through the process together, making it easy and enjoyable. Here's how to get started!

• Enable Japanese Keyboard: Go to your phone's settings, add the Japanese keyboard under "Language & Input."
• Switch to Japanese keyboardt: While typing, switch to the Japanese input mode by tapping the globe or language icon on your keyboard until you see "日本語" or "あ"
• Type Using Romaji: In Japanese input mode, type using Romaji (English letters). For example, "tai" for 大 (big) or "eki" for 駅 (station).
• Select Kanji from Suggestions: As you type, your keyboard will suggest Kanji characters based on the Romaji input. Tap the desired Kanji from the suggestions bar above the keyboard.
• Confirm and Continue: Once you've selected the Kanji you want, tap it to confirm, and continue typing or composing your message.

Mastering Kanji & Vocabulary with Spaced Repetition

Build your words deck: gathering words to expand your lexicon..

Gathering words is like collecting treasures for your language journey. Start by immersing yourself in Japanese media you enjoy, like anime, manga, or movies, and jot down any unfamiliar words. Websites and apps like MochiMochi are fantastic resources for discovering new vocabulary. Create your own word deck tailored to your interests and learning goals. The more words you gather, the richer your Japanese lexicon will become.

The SRS Method: A magical tool for memory.

Spaced Repetition System (SRS) is your secret weapon for efficient and effective learning. It's based on the scientifically proven principle that spaced intervals of repetition optimize memory retention. Here's how it works: as you review words in your deck, SRS algorithms determine the optimal timing for future reviews based on how well you remember each word. Words you struggle with appear more frequently, while those you ace are reviewed less often. This ensures you focus your efforts where they're needed most, maximizing your learning potential.

Try MochiMochi - the best app for learning Kanji and Japanese Vocabulary with SRS method:

SRS Tips: For effective SRS practice.

• Consistency is Key: Set a daily routine for reviewing your word deck. Even just a few minutes each day can yield significant results over time. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth or having your morning coffee.
• Mix It Up: Keep your learning fresh by mixing new words with ones you've already mastered. Don't just stick to one source or type of word—variety is key to building a well-rounded vocabulary.
• Use Mnemonics: Get creative with memory aids to help reinforce difficult words. Create vivid stories, visual images, or memorable associations that make the word easier to remember. The more outrageous or absurd, the better!
• Stay Positive: Learning a new language can be challenging, but don't let setbacks discourage you. Celebrate your progress, no matter how small, and recognize that every step forward is a step closer to fluency.
• Challenge Yourself: Don't shy away from difficult words. Embrace the challenge and view it as an opportunity for growth. Push yourself outside your comfort zone and tackle words that stretch your abilities. You'll be amazed at how quickly you improve when you challenge yourself.

By harnessing the power of spaced repetition and incorporating these tips into your practice routine, you'll unlock the full potential of your Japanese learning journey. So gather your words, fire up your SRS tool, and let's embark on this adventure together. Your Japanese fluency awaits! 🌟

The Grammar Gateway for beginner

Grammar foundations: building blocks for constructing sentences..

Think of grammar as the scaffolding that supports your language skills. Start by mastering basic sentence structures and essential grammar points, like subject-object-verb order and basic sentence endings. Practice constructing simple sentences using these building blocks until they become second nature. Don't worry about getting everything perfect right away—learning is a journey, not a race!

Self-guided Grammar Adventures

Ready to embark on your grammar journey? Explore resources like textbooks, online tutorials, and language apps to discover new grammar concepts. Take it one step at a time, focusing on one grammar point at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Use examples, exercises, and practice drills to reinforce your understanding. And remember, it's okay to make mistakes—each one is a chance to learn and grow!

Occasional Hurdles: Accepting and overcoming learning plateaus.

Learning plateaus are a natural part of the language learning process. Accept them as temporary roadblocks rather than insurmountable barriers. When you hit a plateau, take a step back and assess your progress. Are there areas of grammar you need to review or concepts you need to reinforce? Adjust your study approach as needed and keep pushing forward. With perseverance and determination, you'll overcome any hurdle that comes your way!

Additional tips:

• Immerse Yourself: Surround yourself with Japanese as much as possible. Watch Japanese movies, listen to Japanese music, and engage with native speakers whenever you can. Immersion is one of the most effective ways to internalize grammar patterns and natural language usage.
• Practice, Practice, Practice: The more you use grammar in context, the better you'll understand it. Practice writing and speaking Japanese regularly, even if it's just journaling about your day or chatting with a language partner. The more you practice, the more confident you'll become in applying grammar rules.
• Stay Motivated: Learning Japanese is a marathon, not a sprint. Celebrate your progress along the way, no matter how small. Set realistic goals and reward yourself for achieving them. And most importantly, don't forget to have fun! Learning a new language should be an enjoyable experience, so find ways to make it engaging and exciting for yourself.

Remember, my friend, you're on an incredible journey of discovery and growth. Embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and never lose sight of your ultimate goal: becoming fluent in Japanese. Together, we'll navigate the grammar gateway and emerge stronger and more confident than ever before! 🚀

Enriching Your Learning Experience

Choosing your companion: selecting the right textbook or program..

Selecting the right textbook or program is like finding a loyal travel buddy for your language journey. Look for resources that align with your learning style, whether you prefer structured lessons or more interactive approaches. Consider factors like clarity of explanations, variety of exercises, and supplementary materials like audio recordings or online resources. Don't be afraid to try out different textbooks or programs until you find the one that feels like the perfect fit.

Q&A Haven: Getting answers to your burning questions.

Got burning questions about Japanese grammar, vocabulary, or culture? Don't fret—there's a whole world of resources out there to help you find answers. Online forums like Reddit's r/LearnJapanese, language exchange platforms like HelloTalk, and even dedicated Discord servers are treasure troves of knowledge and support. Ask questions, join discussions, and connect with fellow learners and native speakers who can offer insights and guidance along your learning journey.

Solo or Supported: Deciding on self-study vs. finding a tutor.

Deciding between self-study and finding a tutor is a personal choice that depends on your learning preferences, goals, and budget. Self-study offers flexibility and autonomy, allowing you to learn at your own pace and on your own schedule. However, working with a tutor or language partner can provide personalized feedback, accountability, and motivation. Consider your learning style and needs to determine which approach is best for you. And remember, there's no shame in seeking support when you need it!

Resource Roundup: Handpicked books and tools for your journey.

Ready to stock up on tools and materials for your Japanese learning arsenal? Here are some handpicked recommendations to kickstart your journey:

• Textbooks: Genki, Minna no Nihongo, Irodori, are popular choices for beginners.
• Online Platforms: MochiMochi is great for supplementing your studies.
• Language Exchange Apps: HelloTalk, Tandem, and Speaky connect you with native speakers for language practice.
• Podcasts and YouTube Channels: JapanSocietyNYC, NHK, and Miku Real Japanese offer audio and video lessons to complement your learning.

Experiment with different resources and find the ones that resonate with you. Remember, the key is to keep exploring, experimenting, and adapting your approach as you progress on your Japanese learning journey.

You're doing amazing, my friend! Keep up the fantastic work, stay curious, and never stop striving for progress. Together, we'll unlock the secrets of Japanese language and culture, one step at a time. Let's make this journey unforgettable! 🌟

Beyond the basics

Congratulations on reaching the intermediate level of Japanese proficiency! You've mastered the basics and are ready to take your language skills to the next level. Here's how to prepare for the exciting journey ahead:

• Expand Your Vocabulary: Start by building your vocabulary with more advanced words and expressions. Dive into topics that interest you, whether it's politics, technology, or pop culture, and learn vocabulary related to those subjects. Reading Japanese news articles, blogs, or novels can be a great way to discover new words in context.
• Deepen Your Understanding of Grammar: Delve deeper into Japanese grammar by exploring more complex sentence structures and nuances. Focus on intermediate-level grammar points, such as conditional forms, causative verbs, and passive voice. Practice using these structures in various contexts to solidify your understanding.
• Enhance Your Listening and Speaking Skills: Immerse yourself in spoken Japanese by listening to podcasts, watching Japanese TV shows or movies without subtitles, and engaging in conversations with native speakers. Pay attention to natural speech patterns, intonation, and colloquial expressions to sound more fluent and natural.
• Practice Reading and Writing: Challenge yourself with more advanced reading materials, such as Japanese novels, newspapers, or academic articles. Take notes while reading to reinforce vocabulary and grammar concepts. Additionally, continue writing regularly in Japanese, whether it's journal entries, essays, or creative writing exercises.
• Seek Feedback and Guidance: Don't hesitate to seek feedback from tutors, language exchange partners, or online communities. Share your writing or recordings with others and ask for constructive criticism. Take advantage of resources like language exchange meetups, online forums, and language schools to connect with fellow learners and receive guidance from experienced speakers.
• Set Clear Goals and Stay Motivated: Define your language learning goals and create a study plan to track your progress. Break down your goals into smaller, achievable milestones and celebrate your accomplishments along the way. Stay motivated by reminding yourself of the reasons why you're learning Japanese and envisioning the benefits of achieving fluency.

With dedication, perseverance, and a thirst for learning, you'll continue to progress and reach new heights in your Japanese language journey. Embrace the challenges, stay curious, and never stop exploring the rich tapestry of Japanese language and culture. The path to mastery may be challenging, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Keep moving forward, and remember that you're capable of achieving greatness! 🌟

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• Japanese Learning Tips

Learning Japanese may seem intimidating at first…

Words seem strange and reading an alphabet you’ve never even heard of can feel like an impossible task.

However,  I can tell you from experience  that learning Japanese is highly rewarding if you persevere.

Believe it or not, Japanese is one of the most popular languages to learn among Westerners— many people have some exposure to  Japan’s culture , and develop an interest in learning how to speak Japanese as a result.

And rightfully so: Japanese is a wonderful language that provides access to one of the safest places in the world to live, numerous career opportunities, and a wealth of culture and entertainment.

If you're looking for the fastest and most enjoyable way to learn Japanese, then I recommend the Japanese Uncovered programme.

With Japanese Uncovered you'll use my unique StoryLearning® method to learn Japanese through story… not rules.

It's as fun as it is effective.

If you're ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial .

But otherwise, let's continue…

In this article, I’ll show you how to learn Japanese and provide you with a roadmap so you can get your foot in the door and succeed at learning the language.

This language requires a true commitment to learning, but if you stick with it and practice regularly, Japanese will become an invaluable part of your life.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:

If you’ve ever asked yourself any of the following questions, then this article is for you. If you want to skip ahead, just click the section that interests you.

Table of Contents

I’ll start by telling you about the fundamental aspects of the Japanese language and its culture. Then I'll look at one of the major challenges faced by all beginner Japanese learners – the writing system. Finally, I’ll finish with my recommended action steps to so you know how to learn Japanese quickly.

Because this post covers everything you need to know as a beginner, it’s quite long! I’ve also prepared a special PDF version of the post so you can download it and read it anywhere, anytime.

• Click here to grab your copy now! (It’s free)

Ok, now let’s get started!

Why Should I Learn Japanese?

First, it’s important to get motivated to learn Japanese, and what better way than to talk about some of the big benefits of learning the language.

On your journey to learn how to speak Japanese, motivation is your fuel, and you'll need plenty of it!

1. Learning Japanese Will Improve Your Memory, Concentration & Self-Discipline

If you can conquer the Japanese language, then you can learn just about any other language. The learning skills and habits that you pick up while studying Japanese equip you with everything you need to tackle other foreign languages as well.

It goes without saying that you’ll be learning one of the world’s most valuable languages; but you’ll also be training your self-discipline,  memory , and ability to think logically.

2. Japan Has A Rich Culture And A Thriving Economy

Of course, learning Japanese also comes with more concrete benefits. Japan is one of the cultural centres of the world, with one of the largest economies as well. It’s commonly considered one of the safest places in the world to live and the standard of living is very high.

If you wish to travel to Japan, a command of the language can enrich your experience and provide you access to cultural and historical knowledge that might not necessarily be available in English!

3. Japanese Opens The Door To Other East Asian Languages

With a mastery of Japanese under your belt, making the jump to Korean or Chinese is much easier because you’ll have a firm understanding of how these languages work and how to go about learning them.

Korean grammar is very similar to Japanese, and Japanese uses  kanji  characters which are borrowed from Chinese.

While these languages are not related to Japanese, learning them presents many similar challenges and your experience of overcoming those challenges while learning Japanese will make the task much easier if you go on to study other languages afterwards.

4. There Are Over 130 Million Native Japanese Speakers 

Japanese boasts the #9 spot for most native speakers in the world— over 130 million, almost all of them in Japan. But did you know only around 1 million speak Japanese as a second language?

Japanese-English bilingual speakers are in constant demand across a variety of fields, making it a valuable skill to help advance your career, or start a new one!

5. There’s A Whole World Of Japanese Culture And Media To Explore! 

Japanese media is often the way people are introduced to Japanese, as well as their primary frame of reference for it.

Japan has one of the largest entertainment industries in the world, but not everything is translated into other languages. Knowing Japanese provides you with access to a huge library of Japanese-only media!

These are just a few of the major benefits of learning Japanese! Along the way, you are sure to find many more! You’ll develop reasons that are more personal to you and these will come to be your strongest motivators.

What Do I Need To Know About Japanese?

Japanese – a linguistic background.

Japanese belongs to its own language family, known as   Japonic .

Within this family there are many dialects of Japanese that are spoken all over Japan. These dialects generally amount to small differences in grammar and the conjugation of verbs.

It’s unknown when or where the original ‘Japanese’ language came from thousands of years ago. The Japanese people actually had no written language before they were introduced to the Chinese language in the 5th Century

The known history of the modern Japanese language begins sometime before the 5th century AD, after the Chinese language was introduced to Japan.

Educated Japanese people learned to speak and write Chinese, and the Japanese later began using Chinese characters to express their own language in a written form. This can be considered the origin point of the Japanese that is in use today.

Because Japanese shares little in common with most other languages, it is common to think of it as an “isolated” language.

However, though Japanese has few direct linguistic connections, it has been influenced by other languages over hundreds of years, and it borrows many loanwords from them.

As an English speaker you'll quickly pick up on loanwords from English when you start learning! You might be surprised how many Japanese words you already know!

For example, you’re surely familiar with the word ‘pen.’ In Japanese, this is just ペン (pen)!

There are countless other English loanwords in Japanese, so right from the start you can easily begin building your vocabulary with words that are already familiar to you.

If you'd like a deep dive into Japanese language history plus some of the unique aspects of the language, check out this video:

The Basics Of Japanese Grammar

Now, let’s look at a few key aspects of Japanese grammar that you should be aware of when getting started.

#1 Japanese Has Only Two Verb Tenses

Japanese verbs have only two main tenses:

• the present

The present tense can also represent the future in some cases. Let’s take a look at some examples to see how this works in practice. The verb for “to eat” is:

Let’s take a look at some examples to see how this works in practice. The verb for “to eat” is:

• 食べる (taberu)

This can mean “I eat” or “I will eat” depending on context.

But what if we want to say “I ate”?

• First, we drop the -る (ru) ending to get the verb stem 食べ (tabe).
• Then we simply add the ending た (ta) to get 食べた (tabeta) which means “I ate.”

So, in a nutshell we have:

• 食べる  (taberu)  – to eat/I eat/I will eat
• 食べた  (tabeta)  – I ate

Simple, right?

Though some other verbs are a bit more nuanced than this, this is the general pattern you will always follow to conjugate verbs:

• Use a verb stem and add a suffix to create various forms of the verb.

All modifications to  Japanese verbs  are done with suffixes. The tricky part is learning the different types of verbs, and how to conjugate polite verbs. But that’s not something you need to worry about as a beginner.

#2 Japanese Has Very Few Irregular Verbs

Compared to English, there are few Japanese irregular verbs and verb conjugation is very regular.

There are less than 10 irregular verbs in common usage. Compare this to the hundreds of irregular verbs that English uses regularly.

Of these 10 irregular verbs, only two or three of them are used very frequently.

This means that Japanese verbs are very easy to conjugate once you understand the underlying logic behind them. You don’t have to worry about committing numerous irregular verb forms to memory—most of the time, all verbs will conjugate the same way.

Here’s a quick list of the common irregular verbs and a very brief look at what makes them irregular:

• する (suru) – to do:  To understand this verb’s irregularity, let’s compare it to the regular verb 食べる(taberu). As we saw in the previous example, 食べる(taberu) becomes 食べた (tabeta) in the past tense. However, する (suru) becomes した (shita) in past tense. Notice it’s not just the suffix that changes, the first character and the sound it makes change too.
• くる (kuru) – to come  Similar to する (suru), くる (kuru) becomes きた (kita) in past tense. You can clearly see how this is different from the standard form. However, the similarity between how する (suru) and くる (kuru) change means they’re still quite easy to get the hang of.
• ある (aru) – to exist (used with inanimate objects)  This verb’s irregularity comes from its negative form, which looks entirely different from it’s possitive form. It changes from ある (aru) to ない(nai), which you can read as ‘to not exist’.

#3 Japanese Nouns Do Not Have Gender Or Number

For English speakers, the genderless nature of Japanese verbs isn’t an issue, but singular/plural is a major feature of English.

For example, in Japanese, the word 猫 (neko) meaning ‘cat’ and can also mean ‘cats’.

This may seem like it would lead to confusion, but Japanese also has plenty of contextual clues that make it easy to figure out whether something is singular or plural.

Note, however, that this doesn’t mean that Japanese simply can’t express plurality—quite the opposite! There are specific words within Japanese that are used to indicate singular vs. plural when it is absolutely necessary to do so.

One of these is the suffix:

This can simply be added to a word to make it plural. So the word for cat – 猫 (neko) would become:

• 猫たち (neko tachi) – cats

#4 Japanese Pronunciation Is Phonetic

Pronunciation of words is very regular in Japanese. Unlike in English, all of the syllables are generally pronounced the same way, all the time.

You don’t have to worry about silent letters or hard/soft consonants— when you read a Japanese word, 99% of the time it’s going to be pronounced exactly how it looks.

In English, the way a word is written and the way it is spoken can vary quite a bit, and even words that look similar on paper can be quite different when spoken. For example, think about how we say ‘horse’ and ‘worse’… confusing, right?

In  Japanese pronunciation , this problem doesn't exist. As an example, let’s look at the character た(ta):

• わたし (wa-ta-shi) – I, me
• あなた (a-na-ta) – you
• あたま (a-ta-ma) – head
• あした (a-shi-ta) – tomorrow

This character – た (ta) – is pronounced the same way in each of the words above. No guesswork involved. This same idea is applicable throughout Japanese, with very few exceptions meaning pronunciation is very straightforward once you get the hang of the different sounds.

#5 Word Order In Japanese Is Different Than In English

Japanese sentence structure is slightly different from what we’re used to as English speakers.

English uses a SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure, while Japanese uses SOV (Subject-Object-Verb.)

This means that the verb always comes at the end of the sentence, which requires a mental shift in how you think about constructing sentences.

Let’s take a look at an example of how this works. In English, we say:

• I ate the apple.

Notice how the verb comes before the object?

In Japanese, this would be:

• リンゴ  (ringo)  を  (wo)  食べた  (tabeta)

The verb is at the end, rather than being in the middle of the sentence.

This is the pattern that all Japanese sentences will generally follow.

#6 Japanese Uses A System Of Particles

In the example sentence above [リンゴ  (ringo)  を  (wo)  食べた  (tabeta )], you might have figured out that リンゴ  (ringo)  means apple, but what about that little character を  (wo) ? What does that mean?

This is another important aspect of Japanese grammar –  Japanese particles.

In Japanese, particles are used to indicate grammatical function. These grammatical particles have no meaning by themselves, serving only to indicate the roles of words in the sentence.

The particle を(wo) which you saw in the previous example is used to designate the direct object of the verb in a sentence.

Particles are used to express all sorts of things. At first, they may seem confusing and difficult. But don’t worry, the more you practice the more you’ll get used to them.

Very soon, you’ll be able to recognise the function of particles from seeing them repeated in lots of different sentences.

Here’s a quick list of the most common ones and what they're used for, just to give you an idea:

• は  (wa)  – used to express subject of sentence
• に  (ni)  —used to express location, destination, time
• で  (de)  —used to express location of action

Don’t worry too much about memorising them right now. The best way to learn particles is just to get lots of exposure to the language and notice when they appear.

Japanese has a reputation for being tricky , and it has a few differences to get used to, but with steady practice, fluency is well within your grasp.

What You Need To Know About Japanese Culture

An unparalleled mixture of rich ancient and modern culture gives Japan a cultural depth that has something for nearly everyone.

Interested in the feudal era of kingdoms,  samurai  and  shogun ? There’s wealth of Japanese history to learn, see, and discover.

Or maybe you’re more interested in modern Japanese culture, in which case there’s no shortage of wonderful Japanese TV, movies and music to dig into.

Whichever appeals to you, you’re sure to find plenty of it to enjoy!

Let’s consider some core aspects of Japan’s culture, both ancient and modern:

1. Ancient & Medieval Japanese History And Culture

If you are interested in Japan’s ancient and medieval history, you’ll find it has been remarkably well-documented.

Over a thousand years of Japanese history are well-preserved in both ancient documents and historical records all across Japan.

As tourism is one of Japan’s biggest industries, the Japanese put a lot of effort into making the country’s history interesting and accessible to visitors and other foreigners.

Some of the oldest Japanese historical documents such as the  Kojiki  date back to the 8th century, providing a fascinating window into the world at that time.

Similarly, more recent history includes eras such as the  Sengoku  period which is the subject of much historical fiction, and the  Meiji  period when the Shogunate was overthrown in order to transition from a medieval society to a modern one.

Perhaps one of Japan’s biggest cultural/historical attractions is the fact that its history is not just merely written. Hundreds of Japan’s important historical landmarks still exist today and you can visit them yourself!

Throughout the country you'll find amazingly well-preserved historical sites, including:

• Ancient “tumulus” tombs dating back over a thousand years
• Beautiful medieval castles that have been painstakingly preserved
• Hundreds of Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, ranging from massive head shrines to tiny roadside temples
• Sites listed within Japanese mythology, still considered sacred even today

As a Japanese speaker, you’ll be able to more fully understand and appreciate the country’s history and the culture surrounding it.

As you can see, Japan is abundant with history both written and tangible—but what about more modern developments?

2. Contemporary Japanese Culture

One of the most fascinating things about Japan is the preservation of tradition. Even in contemporary Japanese culture, the influence of the country’s past is evident.

The Japanese go to great efforts to preserve traditional art forms and festivals. These festivals and traditions are “living culture” and are a wonderful way to get an up-close look at elements of Japanese culture that have endured for thousands of years.

For example, the ‘ Tanabata ‘ (Star Festival) that is held in July and August each year has remained virtually the same for over a thousand years.

Additionally, there are many craftsmen all over Japan who create works of traditional Japanese embroidery, pottery, artwork, flower arrangement, and more!

As a whole, Japan is full of wonderful things to partake of, including:

• Traditional and modern Japanese cuisine
• Japanese hot springs for rejuvenation and relaxation
• The beautiful mountains, seas, rivers, and forests of Japan
• Festivals, celebrations, and more!

On top of this, Tokyo is the single largest city in the entire world with a population of over 33 million people and a wealth of modern cultural delights. This rich background of modern culture forms the basis for the final category, Japanese entertainment.

3. Japanese Entertainment And Media

If you’re interested in the Japanese language, you’ve likely had some exposure to Japanese media.

Since the 1950’s, Japan has experienced an astonishing cultural boom, and its entertainment industry is now one of the biggest in the world, and as a result, Japanese culture has had a massive impact outside of Japan’s borders.

Japan is well-known for exporting its media, which has led to things like anime and Japanese video games attaining huge international popularity.

It goes without saying that most people will have played a Japanese video game at some point, or seen some anime videos.

Many learners get into Japanese precisely because of Japanese entertainment, and the good news is that there’s no shortage of it:

• Video games/anime (including some not translated into English!)
• Japanese music, TV, plays, and stage performances
• Modern Japanese literature by world-famous authors such as Haruki Murakami
• Traditional Japanese entertainment including noh plays and kabuki

It’s actually quite difficult to summarise just everything Japan has to offer in terms of culture—but hopefully, you’ve now got an idea of just how broad Japan’s cultural appeal is, and how much it has to offer a potential learner!

Because culture is such an important part of language learning, I've included a series of bonus culture lessons in my StoryLearning course, Japanese Uncovered. Get started now with a FREE 7-day trial!

Is Japanese Hard To Learn?

Japanese is certainly a challenging language, but it’s far from impossible. In fact, in this section, I’m going to show you why learning Japanese is actually easier than you think.

Learning Japanese is mostly about smart study habits, regularly challenging yourself, and keeping a good routine.

As I mentioned before, Japanese borrows many loanwords from English, so once you get into the language you’ll be surprised at how many words are already available to you.

Realistically speaking, the average English speaker will take about 2-3 years with full-time study to become ‘fluent’ in Japanese. It all depends on how much time you devote to studying on a daily basis.

It takes quite a bit of time compared to, say,  French  or  German , which can be picked up by an English speaker quite well within 6-8 months of dedicated study.

That said, the reason Japanese fluency takes a bit longer is simply because there’s a lot to learn.

It’s important to remember that it’s not necessarily HARD to learn.

Once you get past the initial hurdles, you’ll realize that actually learning Japanese is quite fun and not all that difficult. It’s just that there is a massive amount of information to learn and this, naturally, takes time!

This is why regular and  efficient study habits are especially important for Japanese : you need to always be making a little bit of progress every day—because there’s a lot of progress to make!

Try to stay focused and make sure your study is carefully directed so you don’t end up losing motivation.

Additionally, you’ll find that while learning Japanese presents different challenges than most Western languages do, Japanese also has some points that are easier than Western languages, for example:

• There are only two verb tenses
• There are no word genders to learn
• It has simple pronunciation rules
• There are very few irregular verbs

Yet, despite all this, there are some persistent myths about the difficulty of Japanese, which can be intimidating for beginners and those considering taking up the language. But in truth, most of these myths are simply not true. Let’s take a closer look at a few of them.

Myth #1:  Kanji  Is Almost Impossible To Learn – There Are Too Many Characters!

Kanji  is one of three elements used in the Japanese writing system. They are a set of characters that have been adopted from the Chinese writing system and are used together with the Japanese  hiragana  and  katakana  characters.

There are many  kanji  to learn but you don’t actually have to learn a lot of  kanji  to become conversational in the language.

After all, Japanese children learn to speak the language long before they have an advanced mastery of  kanji .

Additionally,  kanji  is easier to learn the longer you study it. At first, figuring it out might be tricky, but once you get a little experience under your belt, it’s easy to quickly commit new characters to memory. Did you know that even native Japanese speakers forget kanji characters sometimes?

In fact, it's one of the most reliable conversation topics among native speakers –  “How do you write that word?”  – often leading to long discussions and frantic dictionary-checking.

The good news is that all  kanji  knowledge is cumulative. The more  kanji  you learn, the more words you know. And the more  kanji  you know, the faster you learn new words.

Myth #2: If I Get My Japanese Grammar Mixed Up I’m Going To Sound Stupid

Japanese grammar is different than what you’re used to in English. But the logic underpinning it is not.

Japanese people think, talk about, and do the same things you do. They just express their ideas in a slightly different way.

Japanese grammar will seem alien and confusing at first but that’s normal – you’re just not used to it yet!

Just try your best at it and work on getting a little bit better each day.

Let me let you in on a little secret…

Most Japanese people will just be amazed and impressed that you are going to the trouble of learning their language in the first place.

They are aware that it can be difficult – (because Japanese people struggle with English too!) – and you don’t have to worry about them making fun of you.

Experience has taught me that people are rarely judgemental when it comes to foreigners speaking their language. They appreciate that they’re making the effort and they want you to succeed.

Myth #3: Japanese Involves Too Much Politeness And Can Be Vague And Indirect

The Japanese have a reputation for politeness, which carries over into how they speak.

Often, words or even parts of sentences are omitted so as to not tread on someone’s feelings, or to help mitigate awkward situations. The Japanese even have a whole system of honorific language for this called keigo .

This gives some learners the impression that Japanese, as a language, is very vague.

The truth is that Japanese is perfectly capable of being  very  direct; but due to social norms, it’s frequently impolite to speak frankly.

A second concern is the nature of social hierarchy in Japan and the appropriate manner of speaking to those who are above or below you in social status.

The most important thing to remember is this: the Japanese have different standards for native speakers than they do for non-native speakers.

As a non-native speaker, you are not generally expected to speak with the appropriate politeness level at all times.

When you are in the early stages of your Japanese learning, don’t be afraid to make mistakes or worry too much about sounding rude.

It’s worth learning how to ask a native speaker for help with politeness, but in general, don’t worry too much about formality early on—just focus on enjoying and learning the language.

So after many years of learning Japanese myself, what's my best tip?

Getting To Grips With The Japanese Writing System

Japanese has a total of  3 writing systems :

This sounds overwhelming at first, but once you understand each one and the context in which they are used, it’s actually quite easy to understand.

Let's take a look at each of these systems in a little more depth:

• Hiragana  is the basic Japanese phonetic alphabet, and it represents all of the sounds in the Japanese language
• Hiragana  characters are the most basic form of Japanese, and they are the building blocks for everything else in the language
• The characters themselves do not have any innate meaning—they are just like the letters of the alphabet in English
• Hiragana  is primarily used to express words native to Japanese
• Katakana  is a writing system derived from  hiragana
• Like  hiragana , these characters do not have any innate meaning, however,  katakana  have very specific usage conditions
• Katakana  is used primarily to express words NOT native to Japanese—that is to say, words borrowed from other languages such as English
• Kanji  is a system of Chinese characters   borrowed directly from Chinese starting from sometime before 500 AD. Over time,  kanji  has evolved along with the language
• In modern usage, to be able to read 90% of Japanese material (for example, a newspaper), you will need to know about 2,000  kanji
• There are thousands more  kanji , but most of these are either very uncommon or used only in specific fields (i.e. certain academic research, etc.)
• Every  kanji  character carries one or more meanings innate to the character, and is pronounced in a specific way
• 川 (kawa) – river
• 山 (yama) – mountain
• 門 (mon) – gate

Be aware, however, that  kanji  will not  always  look like what they represent.

Why Does Japanese Use  Kanji ?

While we’re on the subject of  kanji  here, let’s look briefly at this integral aspect of Japanese.

Mastering  kanji  is easily the most challenging part of Japanese, and learning it properly requires commitment— but it is entirely within your grasp!

More importantly, let’s discuss exactly why Japanese uses  kanji .

You may be wondering: “Why would Japanese use  kanji  when it already uses  hiragana  to write words?”

The answer for this is twofold:

Firstly, to distinguish between homophones. There are many homophones in the Japanese language, and  kanji  helps to distinguish between different words. For example:

• 選択 (sentaku) – choice
• 洗濯 (sentaku) – laundry

Secondly,  kanji  helps to condense the language, make it very information-dense and easier to read.

Japanese can pack more information into a limited space than most other languages can. The fact of the matter is that  hiragana  is actually quite difficult to read by itself, so  kanji  is used to speed up reading.

This may seem strange as beginner struggling to get your head around the characters, but once you’ve started to get the hang of them you’ll notice the difference they make.

Japanese does not use any spaces between words, so another of the primary functions of  kanji  is to help distinguish where words begin and end.

So, in a nutshell,  why use kanji?

Once you are used to it, it’s faster, easier to read, and makes the meanings of words more apparent— because  hiragana  on its own can be very vague and even difficult to read.

The Japanese are well-aware of the difficulty of  kanji , and so in certain books and TV shows, etc. the  kanji  will have their phonetic pronunciations written over them, (this is known as  furigana ).

While  furigana  are generally meant for Japanese children who may know words but lack sufficient knowledge of  kanji  to read them comfortably, they’re actually wonderful for language learners as well!

When you are looking for reading material, make sure you check to see if  furigana  is available, as they will no doubt aid you in the early stages of learning to read Japanese.

How To Learn The Japanese Writing System

1. Study Every Day:  Carve out some time to sit down and focus on Japanese for at least 20 minutes each day. If you can find more time, great! Don’t try to force yourself to study too much at once, or you might burn yourself out or become overwhelmed. Break your study goals down into reasonable chunks and work towards them a little each day. The writing system takes time to learn, but with consistent practice you’ll soon get the hang of it.

2. With  Kanji , Learn The Radicals First:   Kanji  characters are made up of different elements. One of these elements is a set of characters called  radicals . There are 214 radicals and these are the base characters from which all other more advanced characters are built. When you tackle k anji , learn these radicals first. It will then be much easier to go on and learn the other characters and the words themselves.

3. Engage in ACTIVE learning:  Don’t let yourself get stuck in the same study routine. Regularly expose yourself to new materials and try different learning exercises. Some days you can practice writing the characters out on a page, other days you could mix things up by studying characters with flashcards or practising some reading. If you’re not putting yourself outside your comfort zone regularly, your progress will be much slower!

4. Beware Of Beginner And Intermediate Plateaus:  There are two common plateau phases in Japanese and both are closely tied to learning the writing system.

The  first plateau  is when you finish learning  hiragana / katakana  and suddenly feel as though you are making much slower progress than before. This is one of the most critical phases for staying motivated. Your rate of progress will feel slower but stick with it and you will quickly adjust.

The  second plateau  comes once you have a mastery of grammar and have to focus on mastering  kanji  and increasing your vocabulary. This second plateau isn’t something you’ll have to worry about for a long while; once you start to figure out a routine for learning  kanji  you’re well on your way.

But when you do reach this plateau, the important thing to do is to start consuming as much Japanese-language material as you can and learning new  kanji .

4 Pitfalls To Watch Out For As A Beginner Japanese Learner

Japanese is a tricky language  to get started with. Frankly, getting started with Japanese might be the hardest part.

Once you’re past the start, the rest is mostly smooth sailing. So I want to talk about a few traps that beginners fall into.

1. Don’t Try To Learn Too Much Too Fast

There is a LOT of knowledge to cover in Japanese, and the fastest way to burn yourself out is to try and learn too fast.

Take it at a pace where you feel comfortable but also challenge yourself regularly.

Remember that in order to achieve fluency, you need to build a strong foundation in the basics of the language. Don’t underestimate the power of repetition for doing that.

Take your time, enjoy the journey and don’t try to cram the whole language into your head in just a month or two. You’ll just frustrate yourself and probably ending up giving up.

Japanese is a very rich and deep language— think of it as a marathon and not a sprint to the finish line.

2. Don’t Tackle  Kanji  Too Early

Kanji  is really a part of Japanese best learned gradually.

You start learning easy  kanji  at the beginner level, but you don't  have to . Personally, I learned  kanji  gradually but prioritised  hiragana / katakana  and speaking.

I promise you… you will spend  plenty  of time studying  kanji  later on!

So don’t rush yourself into it, and start studying it when you feel comfortable with the basics and are ready to move on to intermediate level materials.

3. Don’t Try To Learn From  Anime  Or  Manga  As A Beginner

I’m probably going to upset some people with this one, but hear me out!

It’s perfectly fine if your end goal is to read manga or watch anime without subtitles , but I strongly recommended you do not try to use these things as a beginner learning resource.

The reason being that even ‘easy’ anime/manga is actually going to require a somewhat advanced level of Japanese.  If  manga is what you love, then you should read it whenever you want, just be aware that it will be quite challenging as a beginner.

Entertainment media often involves non-standard grammar and casual expressions which can rapidly overwhelm a new learner and leave them lost and confused.

Once you get to the intermediate level, anime/manga are a great way to learn if you really like them and they can help keep you motivated to learn.

But be warned that the way characters speak in fiction is often very different from how people talk in real life.

4. Don’t Neglect Speaking & Listening Practice

If you can find people in your local community who speak Japanese, or if you have a family member/friend who is Japanese, you are in good shape!

And if not, you can  find partners online to practise speaking   with.

Many people can’t find someone to practice with or find speaking intimidating, so they neglect it. Big mistake!!

Your progress in the language will be MUCH faster if you have regular assistance from a  Japanese native speaker , rather than trying to work everything out by yourself!

Want to download a PDF of this article to read later?  Click here to get your FREE copy.

5 Steps To Learn To Speak Japanese For Beginners

1. enrol in japanese uncovered to learn the fundamentals (and more).

One important thing about learning a language is that it must come from the learner, not the teacher. The teacher’s job is to guide you – but you must do the learning.

This means you will need the necessary tools to learn, and a good beginner course is indispensable.

You’re going to need lots of input via reading and listening in order to move beyond beginners Japanese and grow your vocabulary. That's why I've created my online Japanese course – Japanese Uncovered  – to teach you through the  power of story .

You'll listen to and read your first book in Japanese, and our team of expert Japanese teachers will help uncover the grammar and vocabulary in the story, chapter by chapter.

By the time you've finished, you'll be a confident and well-rounded Japanese speaker, ready to use your Japanese in the real world!

Get started now with a FREE 7-day trial

2. Set Short And Long-Term Goals To Get Yourself On A Path To Success

Identifying your goals will help you stay on-target and help you figure out what you need to focus on at each stage of your Japanese learning.

One of the biggest dangers with Japanese (or any language) is losing focus and not knowing what to do next. This is especially critical in the early stages of learning Japanese.

With this in mind, here’s a list of milestones that you can consider your ‘roadmap’ for successfully learning Japanese:

• Learn  Hiragana / Katakana
• Pick up a textbook and start learning beginner-level grammar and your first, simple  kanji
• Find a speaking partner to begin working on your conversation skills
• Start learning more advanced  kanji  (with a target of 2000 of basic fluency)
• Once you’re fairly comfortable, start looking into Japanese materials that interest you—such as Japanese TV shows , Japanese books , games, comics, etc.
• Continue to focus on vocab and  kanji : you’ll hit a plateau where you feel like your Japanese learning has stalled out, but keep going and you’ll soon start to see further progress
• At this point, you will have reached an upper-intermediate/advanced level!

3. Start With Key Phrases

Learning lists of random words will get you nowhere.

What you do need to do is identify the key phrases you’re most likely to use and memorise those instead.

You don’t always need to understand the mechanics of why you say something in a certain way, especially as a beginner.

‘Why’ is probably a question best kept for later on!

Just try to learn ‘how’ to say these core Japanese phrases and don’t get hung up on the grammar.

That doesn’t sound so hard, does it?

The grammar will start to make sense later on, but for now, just focus on getting started and learning to use the language as much as possible.

There are certain key words and phrases that will give you a huge head start in conversational Japanese. Learn these first and you’ll be surprised how much you can communicate in a short period of time.

Speaking of which…

4. Don't Get Hung Up On Japanese Grammar

Japanese grammar can feel very alien at first because of its structure, which is very different from what you’re used to English. (You can blame the Grammar Villain for that!)

What’s important is that you really just get started learning and don’t be discouraged. Japanese grammar can be tough, and even the Japanese know this.

When you’re speaking to a native Japanese speaker, they are most likely just going to be impressed you’re learning their language. So, don’t be afraid to mess up!

There is an excellent quote that says:

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”

This should be your mantra when learning Japanese. You will make mistakes. Embrace them and learn from them, and don’t give up!

Japanese grammar simply takes time to get used to. The best way to learn it faster is with lots of  listening to Japanese , paying attention to how native speakers use grammar and express themselves. Over time, this will filter through naturally into your own speaking.

5. Find Japanese People To Speak With

The final and most important step in learning Japanese is practising using it with real people!

No matter how much you study, you’ll learn things from conversations that you simply can pick up in a textbook or by watching you favourite anime shows.

You can search online for language meet-up events or look for conversation partners on sites like conversationexchange.com (face to face language exchanges tend to be more serious and last longer).

There are also a number of language exchange apps and websites which you can use to find language partners from around the world. This means it’s easy to find language partners to practice with online even if you can’t find an in-person meet-up.

My personal favourite is LanguaTalk , where you can find talented, native Japanese tutors to help you develop your Japanese speaking skills.

Resources To Learn Japanese Online

There is a very wide variety of materials available for helping English speakers learn Japanese online. So, to close out this article, I’m going to provide you with a nice list of resources to help you along the way.

Get Started With Japanese: Japanese Uncovered

• Already know some Japanese or want to get started? I recommend   Japanese Uncovered which teaches you to speak Japanese through the power of story. This comprehensive beginner programme teaches you Japanese through a fun and natural method that makes learning a pleasure, and grammar a breeze! Get started now with a FREE 7-day trial!

Learn How To Speak Japanese

• My favourite way to learn to speak a new language is to get lessons with a private tutor. You can find talented, native Japanese tutors on LanguaTalk , my #1 recommendation for personalised 1-on-1 language lessons. You can book a free trial session (no card required) here .

Japanese Audio For Listening Practice

• Conversations  – Do you struggle to understand fast, spoken Japanese? Conversations helps you understand real Japanese & transform your listening skills in less than 90 days.

Now You’re Ready To Start Learning Japanese Online!

Follow the tips in this article and you’ll be speaking Japanese in no time!

I’ve provided you with a roadmap and resources to help you on the way, and now the rest is up to you!

The journey to fluency in Japanese is a long one , and the right mindset is important.

Be patient and don’t be discouraged by your mistakes early on. In fact, the more mistakes you make, the faster you’ll find yourself improving.

The study of Japanese is a long journey, but the results are truly worth it.

Japanese has so many hidden treasures to offer learners. Not only does it offer deeper knowledge of Japan and its culture, it also provides possibilities for broadening your own horizons through travel and employment opportunities.

Even more so, learning Japanese will improve you as a person. It will expand your perspective on language, challenge the way you think about your own native language, test your memory and self-discipline, and make you think about things in ways you never have before!

And if you can learn Japanese, you can learn almost any other language! You’ll also have a significant advantage in learning other East Asian languages such as Chinese or Korean. As you can see, learning Japanese comes with plenty of benefits and ways to enrich your life as a whole.

Japanese may seem like an impossible task at first, but I hope you can see that it’s not as hard as you might have thought.

The truth is that you don’t have to be a genius to learn Japanese—you just have to stay motivated, challenge yourself, and practice every day! Time will take care of the rest.

I hope you’ve found this post helpful!

If you have a friend learning Japanese, please take a moment to share this post with them, it would mean a lot to me! (You can  click here  to send a Tweet!)

I know this is a long post and it’s difficult to take everything in all at once. That’s why I’ve created a special PDF version which you can download and refer to any time you need it! And if you download the PDF, I’ll send you even more tips to help you as you continue learning Japanese.

Click here to download the PDF version of the article  and receive more great language learning tips for free.

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Learn Japanese

I want to learn Japanese!

If you follow the instructions in this over the top, step-by-step guide, you will reach your goal of Japanese fluency.

However, this journey is going to take a lot of effort and hard work on your part. Anyone who tells you learning a language is going to be easy is either misinformed or trying to sell you something. And eventually, after the honeymoon phase of learning wears off, progress feels slower. You burn out. Sh*t hits the fan. If you've ever tried learning something new, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Instead, you need to do things the hard way (i.e. the correct way) right from the start.

Just because we're doing it right doesn't mean it has to be inefficient.

This method for learning Japanese starts at the very beginning. I assume you have zero knowledge of the Japanese language and guide you through each step. I'll cover reading, writing, speaking, and listening. And we explain what you should use, when, and why.

This should be everything you need to progress, that way you don't use all of that fresh enthusiasm you're feeling on planning how to learn, and instead spend it on actual learning.

Make like those famous shoes and just do it.

Our goal is to reach Japanese fluency as directly as possible. Unlike a teacher or a textbook, we have the freedom to be ruthless in the path we take to get there.

There are no tests or quizzes to take. You don't have to move at the speed of the slowest learner in your group. All you need to do is follow each step, do the work, and progress.

Just keep in mind that because of this, some steps may seem counterintuitive. They may even seem slow compared to other methods, but everything has been carefully selected to get you to the finish line faster and more efficiently. We'll talk more about that later.

A bit of housekeeping first: This is a living document, meaning it will be updated from time to time. Check back, subscribe to our email list , or follow us on Twitter to know when these updates happen. And, if you already have experience with Japanese, I still recommend you give it a read. There's a good chance you'll find something important to help you on your own Japanese language journey.

Table of Contents

Learn to read hiragana, basic japanese pronunciation, learning to type hiragana in japanese, understanding the concept of "kanji", beginning kanji & stockpiling kanji knowledge, learn to read katakana, learning to type katakana, learning to type kanji, 1. collecting vocabulary, 2. processing, 3. adding the words to your srs, beginning japanese grammar, a beginner's japanese textbook / program, answering your japanese language questions, order of learning, fact checking / cross referencing, do the work, sometimes, you'll just get stuck, optional: finding a japanese language tutor, suggested books and resources, intermediate level japanese, zero knowledge of japanese.

Welcome to learning Japanese! This section is for the true beginner. You know little-to-no Japanese. Maybe a "konnichiwa" here and a "baka" there. These first steps you take are especially important because they're going to set a foundation you can build off of.

The more deliberate your steps, the easier everything that follows will be.

Carefully completing this section is going to be necessary if you want to avoid the thing that takes down most learners: the intermediate wall. Instead, take your time on these foundational steps. What feels slow now is actually speed later on.

Estimated Time: 1 day to 1 week

Hiragana is Japan's version of the alphabet. It is one of three Japanese writing systems you need to learn to be able to read. The other two are katakana and kanji, but hiragana is where everything starts.

The ability to read hiragana is going to be a prerequisite for most beginner Japanese textbooks and resources. It's the first thing you learn in a traditional classroom. Surprisingly, I agree with everyone else. This is a good place to start.

Most Japanese classrooms spend an entire month learning how to read and write hiragana. That's too long! Instead of writing out each hiragana character over and over to memorize them, use the guide below and you may be reading hiragana later tonight. It uses mnemonics and worksheets that are designed to help you learn and be able to recall hiragana faster than you thought possible.

Do it: Learn How to Read Hiragana

It's important to note that this guide is going to teach you how to read hiragana and not how to write it. This has a purpose! While it is important to learn how to hand write Japanese eventually, right now it will slow you down immensely with very little payoff. Typing covers 99% of modern day writing so you will learn how to type hiragana (and katakana and kanji) instead.

This, in combination with mnemonics and worksheets, will allow you to learn how to read hiragana in a day or two instead of a month.

Remember: You're not in a class. You don't have to move at the speed of the slowest 10%. There is no speed limit .

In order to complete this section and move on, you need to get to the point where you can read all of the hiragana. Even if you're slow, as long as you can recall each character, as well as the contractions, without cheating, that's enough. You're about to get plenty of practice and your reading speed will naturally increase over time as you move on.

Note: Read "Japanese Pronunciation, Part 1" (below) before you start learning hiragana.

Estimated Time: n/a

Good pronunciation starts with hiragana. While hiragana alone won't teach you everything, it is the key to understanding how and why Japanese words sound the way they do. It will also help you get the foundation you need for a native-sounding accent. At the very least, hiragana will get you 80% of the way there.

For the remaining 20%, we wrote a guide covering the basics of Japanese pronunciation. Before you begin learning how to read hiragana, you should read up to the "Japanese Sounds and Your Mouth" section.

Once you've finished learning how to read hiragana, go though that section again, but this time read about "Important Differences" as well. This section will cover all of the sounds that don't exist in English, giving you a head start. Make sure you can pronounce all of the hiragana characters correctly before moving on.

Read: Basic Japanese Pronunciation Guide

With pronunciation, it's best to put the time and work in now, at the beginning. Don't ignore it because it's hard. When things get more difficult, it's very important that you've spent time speaking and hearing these sounds so that you can learn about all the differences and exceptions headed your way.

Okay, now go ahead and get back to learning how to read hiragana . Get to the point where you can read and recall everything, then move on to the next section.

Estimated Time: 1-2 days (or less) Prerequisite: Able to read hiragana

Now that you can read and pronounce hiragana (remember, slowly is okay!) it's time to learn how to type it on your computer or smartphone.

First, you need to install a Japanese keyboard. Luckily, you don't have to buy a special piece of hardware or computer to do this thanks to a type of software called an IME (input method editor). You can add an IME onto almost any kind of computer, phone, or operating system. Just follow the instructions in this guide to add them to your devices:

Read: How to Install a Japanese Keyboard

After you’re done installing, it’s time to learn how to actually type. Use the following guide, and only focus on the hiragana portion (since that’s all you know how to read right now):

Read: How to Type in Japanese

Assuming you are able to read hiragana, typing in hiragana is surprisingly straightforward. Once you feel confident in your typing abilities, including trickier things like contractions, small tsu, and dakuten, move on to the next section. It's time to talk about the elephant in every Japanese learner's room: kanji.

In our Japanese learning method, you're going to learn to read kanji characters very early. As soon as you can read and type hiragana it's time to start tackling kanji.

Here is our reasoning:

The most difficult thing about learning Japanese is kanji. At least, that's what people say. But trying to save it or brush it off until later isn't going to help you learn Japanese. Almost everything uses kanji, making it one of the most important aspects of learning this language. Your learning quality of life will drop drastically if you choose to ignore it.

A lot of a beginner’s time when using a textbook is spent looking up kanji and vocabulary. This takes your focus away from the grammar you're trying to learn and makes progression slow and frustrating. Learning (some) kanji and vocabulary first makes learning grammar a lot faster and, more importantly, easier. Think of it this way: you're losing a little time now to save a ton of time later.

Kanji leads to vocabulary, vocabulary aids communication, and grammar is like the glue that holds vocabulary together. Without vocabulary there's nothing for the grammar glue to stick to and everything gets messy. It makes grammar abstract and difficult to learn, when it doesn't have to be.

Like hiragana, we have a way for you to learn kanji that's way more effective than the traditional methodology (rote memorization). Thanks to that, it won't be as difficult as everyone says. It may even *gasp* be a pleasure to learn! Maybe.

This kanji-vocabulary-first route will get you to the point where you can use Japanese quickly. It feels slow at first, but soon you will rocket past your fellow Japanese learning compatriots. You'll also be able to get over that "intermediate wall" easier and quicker than if you were to use a traditional method. This lowers your chances of burnout and giving up all together.

If you're on board with this philosophy, you need to start at the very beginning: understanding what kanji is and how it's used. For that, we have another guide for you to read:

Read: On’yomi vs. Kun’yomi: What’s the Difference?

Once you understand how Japanese kanji readings work, you’ll be ready to learn some actual kanji.

Estimated Time: 1-3 months

Important note about this section: You should start to learn katakana (the next section) at the same time as this step. "Beginning Kanji & Stockpiling Kanji Knowledge" will take 1-3 months. In fact, you can complete all of the steps up to "The Beginner of Japanese" while you work on this one!

Okay, so it's time to actually learn kanji. Let's define what "learn kanji" means before you get started. That way you know what is expected of you.

When I say "learn kanji" I mean learn the kanji’s most important (English) meaning(s), and their most important (Japanese) reading(s). As you know from reading about on'yomi and kun'yomi, some kanji have a lot of readings. And, unfortunately, English meanings are just translations and can't always match the Japanese meaning one-to-one. That means there can be many correct English meanings for a single kanji that you'll need to deal with. We'll narrow those down so you only learn the most important meanings and readings first—the ones used 80-90% of the time. The remaining meanings and readings will come via vocabulary and other practice.

As you learn kanji you will also learn vocabulary that use those kanji. Not only will this help solidify those kanji concepts in your mind, but it will also be where you learn the remaining kanji readings. Plus, as you know, this vocabulary will be used to give you something to glue together with grammar later.

By the end of this guide, your goal is to know around 2,000 of the most important kanji as well as 6-7000 vocabulary words that use them. With this groundwork you should be able to read almost anything—or at least have the tools to easily decipher the rest on your own.

Your goal should be to learn 20-30 kanji and ~100 vocabulary words that use those kanji (and only those kanji) each week. If that seems like a lot, don't worry: there is a method for memorization that will speed things up considerably. Please read up on the Radicals Mnemonic Method. As a bonus, you will learn some important foundational knowledge about how kanji works in here as well.

Read: Learn kanji with the radicals mnemonic method

In this guide you will learn how to narrow down kanji meanings and readings to the most important ones. You will learn how to use radicals and mnemonics and how to create an effective routine.

You should be able to use these techniques to create a weekly study plan on your own for free, as long as you put in the work. But, if you would like all of the above (and then some) in one, complete package, we recommend the kanji learning program, WaniKani .

We'll be referencing it going forward, but just know that creating your own content and schedule is totally fine and doable. You'll just need to make sure you maintain your pace to keep up. Or, for some of you, make sure you slow down so you don't burn out!

Once you begin learning vocabulary in WaniKani (or your own system) read the Basic Japanese Pronunciation Guide from the Pronouncing Vocabulary section all the way through to the end. You will learn about long and short vowel sounds, double consonants, dropping sounds (all common stumbling blocks for beginners), and more. You will also learn about pitch accent. Although it may be difficult now, just knowing pitch accent exists and how it works in Japanese will give you a leg up.

Okay! Make sure you get started now. Do the work, don't just plan to do it! Sitting down and starting is the hardest part.

Estimated Time: 2 days to 2 weeks Prerequisite: Able to read hiragana

Learning katakana is about the same as learning hiragana, with a few Shyamalanian twists. We have yet another mnemonic-based guide for you, and chances are you'll be able to read katakana within the next few days if you're willing to put in the work.

You should get to the point where you can read all of the katakana, however slowly, by the time you start unlocking vocabulary in WaniKani (or by the time you start vocabulary in your own kanji method). Although katakana words won't show up a lot right from the start, there are enough to make it worthwhile. It's also a good way to spend your extra time while the number of kanji you're learning is still quite low.

Do it: Learn to Read Katakana

Note: Katakana tends to give learners more trouble than hiragana. This is because it seems to be used less than hiragana and kanji, especially at the beginning stages. Later on, katakana will appear more frequently, but for now simply being able to read katakana is enough. There will be plenty of opportunities to get better at it—just know that reading katakana may not come as quickly as it did with hiragana. And that's okay. Hiragana and kanji are just more useful right now, so spend your limited time and energy there.

Once you can read each katakana character—no matter how slowly—move on to the next section about typing katakana.

Estimated Time: 1-2 hours Prerequisites: Able to type hiragana, able to read katakana

Katakana is similar to hiragana in many ways, and thanks to this, learning how to type it should be fairly easy. There are a few differences to figure out, but you will be able to apply your hiragana knowledge to it and progress quickly. Jump to the katakana section of our typing guide and get started.

Read: How to Type Katakana

Note: Make sure you keep working on your kanji! If you’re using WaniKani, just do your reviews as they become available. It's important to make this a habit. Because WaniKani is a spaced repetition system there must be spaces between reviews. Longer and longer ones, in fact (though it will depend on how well you're doing). Do your reviews on time and you’ll get through this initial "slow" phase in a week or two. That's a drop in the bucket compared to your entire Japanese-learning career, so try to be patient. The waiting time is critical to testing your ability to recall information.

Estimated Time: 1-2 hours Prerequisite: Able to read 20-30 kanji

Before starting this step, make sure you can read a handful of kanji. Twenty or thirty will do just fine. If you're using WaniKani, this is when you start unlocking vocabulary or are around level 2.

Okay, are you done?

Typing in kanji is a little more complicated than typing in hiragana or katakana, but it still follows similar rules. Learn how to type in kanji using the kanji section of our guide then read to the end. There are some additional tips and tricks in there (punctuation, symbols, etc.) that may come in handy.

Read: How to type kanji

Now you know how to type everything there is to type in Japanese (that is, unless you count kaomoji )! If you can type in English, typing in Japanese is surprisingly easy. With practice, you'll be able to type it as naturally as you type in your native language.

To continue using this typing knowledge, you'll need to know more kanji and vocabulary. Once you get there though, you'll be ready for "The Beginner of Japanese" section!

Before moving on, you should reach level 10 on WaniKani (or around 300 kanji and 1,000 vocabulary words using your own method).

This is an important time in terms of pronunciation too. Make sure you consciously mimic the vocabulary audio. Think about pitch accent as you do it. This work will prepare you for sentences later.

With this kanji knowledge (and good pronunciation, to boot!), grammar is going to come quickly to you. You won't be spending your grammar study time looking up every other word. Instead, you'll be able to focus solely on grammar, and you'll know the contents of 80% of every sentence you see for the first time. When you say these sentences out loud, you won't be tripping over your tongue because you'll already be intimately familiar with Japanese sounds and pronunciation. The time you put into kanji, vocabulary, and pronunciation will begin to pay off.

Put your head down, trust in this, and do the work each day.

Go on, get to it, and come back here when you're done.

The Beginner of Japanese

Being a beginner of anything is great. Everything is new, everything feels like real, tangible progress, and even if you're bad at something, you can't really tell because you don't know enough yet anyway.

Enjoy it while it lasts.

At this point, you have a strong base of kanji and vocabulary. If you are using WaniKani , you should be at level 10 or above. If you are doing kanji on your own, or using another resource, you should know the most common meaning and reading of around 300 kanji and 1,000 vocabulary words. If you are using a resource that only teaches you the meaning of a kanji (and not how to read it), that doesn't count . You need to be able to do the whole thing, not just the easiest 20%.

With this assumption about your knowledge in place, we're going to go through some options for how you can learn Japanese grammar. This includes using a textbook as well as creating your own grammar program from scratch. We offer some of our own material as well. Most likely, you'll end up doing a hybrid of the above. No matter what you choose, your foundation of kanji, vocabulary, and pronunciation will make everything much easier. Without it, even the best Japanese textbook will be a frustrating experience.

Using a Spaced Repetition System For Vocabulary

Estimated Time: 2-4 hours + ongoing

You will learn a lot of vocabulary purely from your kanji studies. As long as you have a good kanji system in place, you shouldn't worry too much. However, you will definitely need to learn all of the words that do not use kanji too. In the beginning, this will largely be grammatical things, and words that don't use kanji, from your textbook. Later it will be vocabulary you pick up from signs, manga, and other real life sources.

It's time to learn how and when to introduce vocabulary words from outside your kanji studies into your study routine. The most important thing is to have a good system in place.

You need to be able to record and store these words so that you can study them later. You also need a good system to handle and process these words. It's a waste if you record them once and never look at them again.

At your currently level, most of the new words you encounter will probably be hiragana or katakana-only words. Once you start reading more and more Japanese, the number of new words you encounter will increase, so being able to keep track and add these to your routine becomes even more important. For now though, your goal is to develop a habit of collecting, processing, and studying vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you. This should become second nature.

Most likely, you will find most of the vocabulary that you want to learn in your Japanese textbook (we'll cover that really soon!). As I mentioned earlier, these might be words that don't have kanji, or maybe they're words that you didn't learn in WaniKani. There are a lot of words out there and no one resource will teach you all of them.

Once you've found some words that you want to learn you need to collect them. How you do this doesn't matter as much as actually doing it. Put them in a spreadsheet, a tool like Evernote or OneNote, or just write them down on a piece of paper. Make sure wherever you put these new words is easily accessible and make a trigger for yourself that essentially says " if I see a vocabulary word I want to learn, then I add it to my list."

There are plenty of list-apps and pieces of paper out there, so it's going to be difficult for me to say what you should use. I'm partial to Evernote and have my own processes built up there. And Airtable is a great spreadsheet app for people who don't think in math. But maybe you like physical pocket-sized notebooks, to-do lists, your smartphone camera (with a special folder for future processing), or something else.

Whatever you use, make sure it's easy for you . Figure out what makes sense and make it work. If this step doesn't happen, everything else will fall apart.

The next step is processing. I'd recommend you create a habit where every day, week, or month (it depends on how much new vocabulary you want to introduce to your routine) you go through this list and put them into your SRS of choice. What is an SRS? I'm glad you asked.

If you've been using WaniKani, you've been using a "Spaced Repetition System" (a.k.a. SRS) this whole time! But you'll want to use something else for the vocabulary you find out in the wild. For this, we wrote a guide. In it you'll learn how to collect vocabulary and add them to your SRS.

Read: Spaced Repetition and Japanese: The Definitive Guide

One additional piece of reading I'd recommend is this article on Keyword Mnemonics. For the non-kanji vocabulary you want to learn this is a surprisingly simple (and effective) mnemonic method which will allow you to learn more vocabulary in one sitting, and be able to recall it for longer.

Read: Keyword Mnemonic Method for Learning Japanese Vocabulary

As I said earlier, you won't be working with a ton of vocabulary at the start. For now, let your kanji studies give you most of your vocabulary. Then, when stray street vocabulary does start coming up, send it through the vocabulary process you've built.

Make this a habit.

Habit generally means 3-6 weeks of doing something regularly. And you should start now, because in six weeks you'll be needing to utilize this habit a lot more.

Estimated Time: It's a mystery

It’s (finally!) time to start learning grammar. If you followed this guide to the letter, you’re probably 2-4+ months into your Japanese studies. If it's more than that, don't worry about it. We all go at our own speeds and the important thing is that you kept moving forward. You should know around 300 kanji and 1,000 Japanese vocabulary words, and your pronunciation should be getting better, or at least you're being conscious about improving it. Now it’s time to kick Japanese grammar's butt.

Let's start by internalizing a philosophy. Carry this with you for the rest of your life:

When learning something new, you should already know 80% of it.

This means that each new thing you learn should be a 20% (or smaller) incremental step. A +1 from where you are, rather than a +20 or +100.

Most people go into a textbook with zero knowledge and wind up spending a large chunk of their time looking up words they don't know. How much of a sentence is vocabulary? Depending on the length, it's easy to answer "more than 80%."

So when you're learning grammar with a textbook, coming into it with prior vocabulary knowledge brings you to that 80%. Leaving you just the grammar, which you can then point your laser-like focus towards. Instead of constantly flipping to the index to look up a word or kanji and deal with context switching when you finally get back to the lesson, all you have to worry about is learning the grammar and nothing else.

That's the +1 we're talking about.

Let's assume for a moment that your Japanese vocabulary knowledge doesn't get you to 80% (or more). If that's the case, there are a few possible reasons:

You don't know enough vocabulary: If you don't know a lot of the words in a sentence before studying with it, then you don't understand 80% of the sentence before you start. In this case, go back to your kanji/vocabulary studies for a while and reconsider the level of the resource you're using. Another solution would be to pull the vocabulary from the resource, study them with your SRS method, and then come back once you've learned them.

You don't know enough grammar: Imagine you're looking at a sentence that contains three separate grammar points. If you're being taught one of the three, but you don't know the other two, you're dipping way below that ideal 80%.

The sentence is very short: If a phrase only has three parts (ex. "[vocabulary] + [particle] + [vocabulary]"), and you don't know one of them, you're going to be at 66%. In cases like this, you can make an exception. Knowing 66% of a three piece phrase, or 75% of a four piece phrase is acceptable. This will be very common in the beginning.

That's the philosophy we're working off of going forward, so double-check that you have that base of kanji and vocab before continuing with this guide. Your failure rate increases dramatically if this foundation is weak!

It's time to take our philosophy and apply it to a beginner textbook. All the things that would have normally tripped you up (the things teachers and textbooks have a tough time explaining, due to the curse of knowledge ) should now be less difficult to deal with. And with kanji and vocabulary already in your tool belt, learning grammar should be much more interesting. You won't be spending 90% of your time and energy on looking up kanji and vocabulary you don't know. Instead, you'll just be doing it.

With this base knowledge, choosing a specific textbook or program to follow becomes less important, but there are still many "good" textbooks and many "bad" textbooks out there. Most will teach you the same content one way or another, so pick one that you feel fits your learning style.

To help you with this choice, we wrote a guide:

Read: The Best Japanese Textbooks for Beginners

Whatever you end up choosing, get started right away. It's so easy for people to get trapped in a "preparation loop" where they spend all of their time planning and getting ready, only to stop before any actual work gets done.

At this point you will focus on working through your textbook of choice. Try to progress through the entire thing from beginning to end. Doing this will create a strong foundation of Japanese inside of you, something you can use to base other knowledge off of.

Once all of the basic, foundational grammar is in place you'll be able to really accelerate and work toward fluency.

It will take around 2-6 months to get through most beginner Japanese textbooks. Though, this does depend on how much time you have to spend on your studies and what grammar method you choose. You can even go through a couple different textbooks at the same time, if you want. What one textbook doesn't teach well, another probably does. That being said, if you don't feel like you understand a concept, or you want to know more, there's plenty of ways to get your questions answered. I recommend not skipping questions—instead, follow your curiosity! Learning is supposed to be fun, though school may have "taught" you otherwise.

Read the next section as you start your textbook studies. You'll eventually run into something you don't know that your textbook doesn't explain. You might as well be ready for it.

As you're going through your textbook, you're going to run into things you don't understand. Or, you'll find you don't know 80% anymore. It's not necessarily a failure of your textbook, it's just that many of them were designed for teachers to use in a classroom. They expect someone to be there to answer questions for you. Or, there just isn't enough paper in the world to cover everything.

Not to worry. When you run into something you don't understand you can look it up. No matter what kind of question you're asking or answer you're searching for, we wrote up a guide that will tell you how to find anything Japanese language related:

Read: How to Answer your Japanese Language Questions

Note: You should continue to use WaniKani (or whatever kanji learning method you chose) as you continue on. You should keep going until you finish, and/or you reach the end of this guide. It is important to keep your kanji-vocabulary knowledge ahead of your grammar knowledge at all times. If you don't, that 80% ratio will tick down until your studies no longer feel sustainable or fun.

Alternative: Learning Japanese Grammar On Your Own

By gathering all that kanji and vocabulary knowledge you’re making it possible to learn grammar on your own. Learning grammar is easy comparatively. That being said, if you decide not to use a Japanese textbook as your main resource, there are some things you'll want to consider:

This is a topic we'll be writing a big guide on. But, it's quite complicated so I haven't gotten around to it yet. We'll fill in this section with that guide in the near future, but for now don't use my slowness as an excuse. Just get started. If you do, ordering will, for the most part, naturally fall into place if you follow the "know 80% of all new things" philosophy.

Don't just trust any ol' thing you read on the internet. The same goes for textbooks and teachers, too. When you learn a new piece of Japanese grammar, make sure to read explanations from multiple sources. Some will be complicated with hard linguistic language while others will be overly simplified. And a few here and there will be just right! Making a habit out of using multiple explanations and resources for one thing will feel like it's slowing you down at first, but it's much faster overall. We'll list some really good reference books at the end of the Beginning Japanese section, so make sure to take a look.

If you're studying Japanese grammar on your own, it's even more important to do the work . It's not hard to study and use what you've learned. It's hard to sit down and start . Even more so than a class or textbook, you'll need to make sure you actually sit down and make progress. Measurable progress, preferably, though you'll have to figure out just how to measure it.

With a textbook, you can just say, "I could answer all the questions," or, "I made it through twelve pages this week." Doing grammar on your own makes it harder to see and feel yourself moving forward. You are, but it's a bit hidden.

If this is happening a lot—and no amount of research gets you through it—you might want to consider finding a professional to help. Speaking of professionals…

This may be the time to consider finding a Japanese language tutor, especially if you feel like you're not able to answer your questions about Japanese on your own. With a foundation of kanji and vocabulary already in place, you will be able to focus on the things that a tutor can help you with the most: speaking, listening, and answering questions.

Keep in mind that focusing on kanji and vocabulary with a tutor tends to be a poor use of this time. Most teachers don't have any idea how to teach kanji (it's just, "go learn these kanji and vocab by next week") and many tutors try to promote rote memorization because that's how they learned as a child.

When using a tutor it's important to focus on things only a tutor will be able to help you with. Those include their ability to speak, think, and explain nuances that haven't been written about or studied (yet).

You're not required to get a tutor or a teacher at this point, but if you were really looking forward to this part, now is the appropriate time to do it. Everything from here on out won't rely on your having access to a teacher, tutor, or native speaker, so you can still progress without needing to complete this step.

As you're moving along, there's always going to be more to learn. Don't be afraid to stop moving forward to indulge your curiosity. These "slowdowns" will speed you up as you strengthen past knowledge and make connections between them.

For times like this, reference books are quite good. If you're only going to buy one, I'd recommend the "Basic" book from the Dictionary of Japanese Grammar series . It is the best Japanese language reference book out there, in my opinion.

Other than that, look through the "Reference Books" section of our Beginner Japanese Textbooks, Reference Books, and Dictionaries article. There are quite a few good ones!

Read: The Best Japanese Reference Books & Dictionaries

Note: With any skill, it's important that you focus on the things you're worst at. "Raise the floor, not the ceiling," so to speak. If you do that, you'll find everything else gets elevated, and you'll be less frustrated overall. You'll have more data to reference in your brain as more unknown ideas and concepts pop up. For example, if you're bad at verbs, pick up The Handbook of Japanese Verbs and just read through it. It might take you an afternoon, but every verb you see from that day on won't be a detriment to your progress. Instead, it will positively affect all other aspects of your Japanese.

Raise the floor, because no matter how high your ceiling, you'll still be down on the ground.

The "intermediate" level of Japanese is by far the worst. Most of the people who ultimately give up on learning do it here (assuming they made it past the first few weeks).

Available resources begin to dry up, in both number and quality, and learners get stuck or plateau. Without guidance, it can feel like progressing is an impossible task.

This is the intermediate wall.

The thing that makes the intermediate level the hardest, though, is what got you here: your competence.

The beginner section was your unconscious incompetence stage. That is, you didn't realize you were incompetent, so you never felt discouraged, overly embarrassed, or stupid. But now you know a thing or two, and it's just enough to know you're not actually amazing at this thing called the Japanese language. It hurts and it's because you are now consciously incompetent, which is no fun at all.

Thankfully, a lot of the pain most learners feel at this stage comes from poor learning or teaching methods from the beginner stages. Things that you, hopefully, avoided. And although everyone will experience conscious incompetence to some degree, some people can get through it quickly and some get trapped here for years. Most, unfortunately, can't make it through at all and give up.

Be the type of person that gets through this stage quickly.

The other side of this wall is extremely fun and rewarding, so don't give up and don't let your conscious incompetence get you down.

Here's how you do it:

Recognize this stage exists and know that you're supposed to feel these uncomfortable feelings. This helps a surprising amount. You don't have to feel dumb because you know that everyone goes through this exact same situation. It's all a part of the process and if other people made it out, you can too.

You've already been preparing for this moment. This guide has prepped you to get through this fairly quickly. You're at an advantage! Most people wallow in the conscious incompetence stage for a long time because they lack two things: kanji and vocabulary. But by this point, you know more kanji and vocabulary than any intermediate level Japanese language student ought to. This is why you spent so much time on WaniKani (or one of its alternatives). It slows you down in the beginning so that you can blast through this wall.

With all that in mind, it’s time to start on some intermediate material. Make sure you are good on 100% of the previous sections before moving on. This is, by far, the most difficult portion of your Japanese education. You must have a good foundation to jump off of. When you're ready, you can start browsing our Japanese articles and Grammar pages . Good luck! 💪🏻