Learn Japanese: The Ultimate Guide For BeginnersLearning Japanese may seem intimidating at first Show
Words seem strange and reading an alphabet youve never even heard of can feel like an impossible task. However,I can tell you from experiencethat 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 toJapans 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 youre looking for the fastest and most enjoyable way to learn Japanese, then I recommend the Japanese Uncovered programme. With Japanese Uncovered youll use my unique StoryLearning® method to learn Japanese through story not rules. Its as fun as it is effective. If youre ready to get started, click here for a 7-day FREE trial. But otherwise, lets continue In this article, Ill show you how to learn Japanese and provide youwith 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. Heres What Well Cover In This ArticleIf youve 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.
Ill start by telling you about the fundamental aspects of the Japanese language and its culture. Then Ill look at one of the major challenges faced by all beginner Japanese learners the writing system. Finally, Ill 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, its quite long! Ive also prepared a special PDF version of the post so you can download it and read it anywhere, anytime.
Ok, now lets get started! Why Should I Learn Japanese? First, its 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 youll need plenty of it! 1. Learning Japanese will improve your memory, concentration and 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 youll be learning one of the worlds most valuable languages; but youll 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. Its 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 youll 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 useskanjicharacters 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. Theres 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! Youll develop reasons that are more personal to you and these will come to be your strongest motivators. Jump back to the contents! What Do I Need To Know About Japanese?Japanese A Linguistic BackgroundJapanese belongs to its own language family, known asJaponic. 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. Its 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 youll quickly pick up on loanwords from English when you start learning! You might be surprised how many Japanese words you already know! For example, youre 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 youd like a deep dive into the history of the Japanese language and its history plus some of its unique aspects, check out this video: The Basics Of Japanese GrammarNow, lets look at a few key aspects of Japanese grammar that you should be aware of when getting started. #1 Japanese Has Only Two Verb TensesJapanese verbs haveonly two main tenses:
The present tense can also represent the future in some cases. Lets take a look at some examples to see how this works in practice. The verb for to eat is: Lets take a look at some examples to see how this works in practice. The verb for to eat is:
This can mean I eat or I will eat depending on context. But what if we want to say I ate?
So, in a nutshell we have:
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:
All modifications toJapanese verbsare done with suffixes. The tricky part is learning the different types of verbs, and how to conjugate polite verbs. But thats not something you need to worry about as a beginner. #2 Japanese Has Very Few Irregular VerbsCompared to English, Japanese has very few 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 dont have to worry about committing numerous irregular verb forms to memorymost of the time, all verbs will conjugate the same way. Heres a quick list of the common irregular verbs and a very brief look at what makes them irregular:
#3 Japanese Nouns Do Not Have Gender Or NumberFor English speakers, the genderless nature of Japanese verbs isnt 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 doesnt mean that Japanese simply cant express pluralityquite 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:
#4 Japanese Pronunciation Is PhoneticPronunciation of words is very regular in Japanese. Unlike in English, all of the syllables are generally pronounced the same way, all the time. You dont have to worry about silent letters or hard/soft consonants when you read a Japanese word, 99% of the time its 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? InJapanese pronunciation, this problem doesnt exist. As an example, lets look at the character た(ta):
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 EnglishJapanese sentence structure is slightly different from what were 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. Lets take a look at an example of how this works. In English, we say:
Notice how the verb comes before the object? In Japanese, this would be:
Theverb 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 ParticlesIn 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 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 dont worry, the more you practice the more youll get used to them. Very soon, youll be able to recognise the function of particles from seeing them repeated in lots of different sentences. Heres a quick list of the most common ones and what theyre used for, just to give you an idea:
Dont 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. Jump back to the contents! What You Need To Know About Japanese CultureAn 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,samuraiandshogun? Theres wealth of Japanese history to learn, see, and discover. Or maybe youre more interested in modern Japanese culture, in which case theres no shortage of wonderful Japanese TV, movies and music to dig into. Whichever appeals to you, youre sure to find plenty of it to enjoy! Lets consider some core aspects of Japans culture, both ancient and modern: 1. Ancient & Medieval Japanese History and CultureIf you are interested in Japans ancient and medieval history, youll 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 Japans biggest industries, the Japanese put a lot of effort into making the countrys history interesting and accessible to visitors and other foreigners. Some of the oldest Japanese historical documents such as theKojikidate back to the 8th century, providing a fascinating window into the world at that time. Similarly, more recent history includes eras such as theSengokuperiod which is the subject of much historical fiction, and theMeijiperiod when the Shogunate was overthrown in order to transition from a medieval society to a modern one. Perhaps one of Japans biggest cultural/historical attractions is the fact that its history is not just merely written. Hundreds of Japans important historical landmarks still exist today and you can visit them yourself! Throughout the country youll find amazingly well-preserved historical sites, including:
As a Japanese speaker, youll be able to more fully understand and appreciate the countrys history and the culture surrounding it. As you can see, Japan is abundant with history both written and tangiblebut what about more modern developments? 2. Contemporary Japanese CultureOne of the most fascinating things about Japan is the preservation of tradition. Even in contemporary Japanese culture, the influence of the countrys 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:
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 MediaIf youre interested in the Japanese language, youve likely had some exposure to Japanese media. Since the 1950s, 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 Japans 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 theres no shortage of it:
Its actually quite difficult to summarise just everything Japan has to offer in terms of culturebut hopefully, youve now got an idea of just how broad Japans cultural appeal is, and how much it has to offer a potential learner! Because culture is such an important part of language learning, Ive included a series of bonus culture lessons in my StoryLearning course, Japanese Uncovered. Get started now with a FREE 7-day trial! Jump back to the contents! Is Japanese Hard To Learn?Japanese is certainly a challenging language, but its far from impossible. In fact, in this section, Im 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 youll 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,FrenchorGerman, 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 theres a lot to learn. Its important to remember that its not necessarily HARD to learn. Once you get past the initial hurdles, youll realize that actually learning Japanese is quite fun and not all that difficult. Its just that there is a massive amount of information to learn and this, naturally, takes time! This is why regular andefficient study habits are especially important for Japanese: you need to always be making a little bit of progress every daybecause theres a lot of progress to make! Try to stay focused and make sure your study is carefully directed so you dont end up losing motivation. Additionally, youll 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:
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. Lets take a closer look at a few of them. Myth #1:KanjiIs Almost Impossible To Learn There Are Too Many Characters!Kanjiis 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 Japanesehiraganaandkatakanacharacters. There are manykanjito learn but you dont actually have to learn a lot ofkanjito become conversational in the language. After all, Japanese children learn to speak the language long before they have an advanced mastery ofkanji. Additionally,kanjiis 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, its easy to quickly commit new characters to memory. In fact, its 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 allkanjiknowledge is cumulative. The morekanjiyou learn, the more words you know. And the morekanjiyou know, the faster you learn new words. Myth #2: If I Get My Japanese Grammar Mixed Up Im Going To Sound StupidJapanese grammar is different than what youre 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 thats normal youre 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 dont 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 theyre making the effort and they want you to succeed. Myth #3: Japanese Involves Too Much Politeness And Can Be Vague And IndirectThe 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 someones 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 beingverydirect; but due to social norms, its 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, dont be afraid to make mistakes or worry too much about sounding rude. Its worth learning how to ask a native speaker for help with politeness, but in general, dont worry too much about formality early onjust focus on enjoying and learning the language. So after many years oflearning Japanese myself, whats my best tip? Jump back to the contents! Getting To Grips With The Japanese Writing SystemJapanese has a total of3 writing systems:
This sounds overwhelming at first, but once you understand each one and the context in which they are used, its actually quite easy to understand. Lets take a look at each of these systems in a little more depth: Hiragana
Katakana
Kanji
Be aware, however, thatkanjiwill notalwayslook like what they represent. Why Does Japanese UseKanji?While were on the subject ofkanjihere, lets look briefly at this integral aspect of Japanese. Masteringkanjiis easily the most challenging part of Japanese, and learning it properly requires commitment but it is entirely within your grasp! More importantly, lets discuss exactly why Japanese useskanji. You may be wondering: Why would Japanese usekanjiwhen it already useshiraganato write words? The answer for this is twofold: Firstly,to distinguish between homophones.There are many homophones in the Japanese language, andkanjihelps to distinguish between different words. For example:
Secondly,kanjihelps to condense the language, make it very information-dense andeasier to read. Japanese can pack more information into a limited space than most other languages can. The fact of the matter is thathiraganais actually quite difficult to read by itself, sokanjiis used to speed up reading. This may seem strange as beginner struggling to get your head around the characters, but once youve started to get the hang of them youll notice the difference they make. Japanese does not use any spaces between words, so another of the primary functions ofkanjiis to help distinguish where words begin and end. So, in a nutshell,why use kanji? Once you are used to it, its faster, easier to read, and makes the meanings of words more apparent becausehiraganaon its own can be very vague and even difficult to read. The Japanese are well-aware of the difficulty ofkanji, and so in certain books and TV shows, etc. thekanjiwill have their phonetic pronunciations written over them, (this is known asfurigana). Whilefuriganaare generally meant for Japanese children who may know words but lack sufficient knowledge ofkanjito read them comfortably, theyre actually wonderful for language learners as well! When you are looking for reading material, make sure you check to see iffuriganais available, as they will no doubt aid you in the early stages of learning to read Japanese. How To Learn The Japanese Writing System1. 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! Dont 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 youll soon get the hang of it. 2. WithKanji, Learn The Radicals First:Kanjicharacters are made up of different elements. One of these elements is a set of characters calledradicals. There are 214 radicals and these are the base characters from which all other more advanced characters are built. When you tackle kanji, 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:Dont 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 youre 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. Thefirst plateauis when you finish learninghiragana/katakanaand 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. Thesecond plateaucomes once you have a mastery of grammar and have to focus on masteringkanjiand increasing your vocabulary. This second plateau isnt something youll have to worry about for a long while; once you start to figure out a routine for learningkanjiyoure 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 newkanji. Jump back to the contents! 5 Pitfalls To Watch Out For As A Beginner Japanese LearnerJapanese is a tricky languageto get started with. Frankly, getting started with Japanese might be the hardest part. Once youre past the start, the rest is mostly smooth sailing. So I want to talk about a few traps that beginners fall into. 1. Dont Try To Learn Too Much Too FastThere 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. Dont underestimate the power of repetition for doing that. Take your time, enjoy the journey and dont try to cram the whole language into your head in just a month or two. Youll 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. Dont TackleKanjiToo EarlyKanjiis really a part of Japanese best learned gradaully. You start learning easykanjiat the beginner level, but you donthave to. Personally, I learnedkanjigraduallybut prioritisedhiragana/katakanaand speaking. I promise you you will spendplentyof time studyingkanjilater on! So dont 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. Dont Try To Learn FromAnimeOrMangaAs A BeginnerIm probably going to upset some people with this one, but hear me out! Its 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.Ifmanga 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. Dont Neglect Speaking & Listening PracticeIf 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 canfind partners online to practise speakingwith. Many people cant 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 aJapanese native speaker, rather than trying to work everything out by yourself! Jump back to the contents! 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 Beginners1. 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 teachers 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. Youre going to need lots of input via reading and listening in order to move beyond beginners Japanese and grow your vocabulary. Thats why Ive created my online Japanese course Japanese Uncovered to teach you through thepower of story. Youll 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 youve finished, youll 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 SuccessIdentifying 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, heres a list of milestones that you can consider your roadmap for successfully learning Japanese:
3. Start With Key PhrasesLearning lists of random words will get you nowhere. What you do need to do is identify the key phrases youre most likely to use and memorise those instead. You dont 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 dont get hung up on the grammar. That doesnt 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 youll be surprised how much you can communicate in a short period of time. Speaking of which 4. Dont Get Hung Up On Japanese GrammarJapanese grammar can feel very alien at first because of its structure, which is very different from what youre used to English. (You can blame the Grammar Villain for that!) Whats important is that you really just get started learning and dont be discouraged. Japanese grammar can be tough, and even the Japanese know this. When youre speaking to a native Japanese speaker, they are most likely just going to be impressed youre learning their language. So,dont be afraid to mess up! There is an excellent quote that says:
This should be your mantra when learning Japanese. You will make mistakes. Embrace them and learn from them, and dont give up! Japanese grammar simply takes time to get used to. The best way to learn it faster is with lots oflistening 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 WithThe final and most important step in learning Japanese ispractising using it with real people! No matter how much you study, youll 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 its easy to find language partners to practice with online even if you cant find an in-person meet-up. My personal favourite isitalki, where you can find language partners or hire private language tutoring in Japanese. Jump back to the contents! Resources To Learn Japanese OnlineThere is a very wide variety of materials available for helping English speakers learn Japanese online. So, to close out this article, Im going to provide you with a nice list of resources to help you along the way. Get Started With Japanese
Learn How To Speak Japanese
Japanese Audio For Listening Practice
Learn & Practice The Japanese Writing System
Jump back to the contents! Now Youre Ready To Start Learning Japanese Online!Follow the tips in this article and youll be speaking Japanese in no time! Ive 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 dont be discouraged by your mistakes early on. In fact, the more mistakes you make, the faster youll 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! Youll 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 its not as hard as you might have thought. The truth is that you dont have to be a genius to learn Japaneseyou just have to stay motivated, challenge yourself, and practice every day! Time will take care of the rest. I hope youve found this post helpful! If you have afriend learning Japanese, please take a moment to share this post with them, it would mean a lot to me! (You canclick hereto send a Tweet!) I know this is a long post and its difficult to take everything in all at once. Thats why Ive created a special PDF version which you can download and refer to any time you need it! And if you download the PDF, Ill send you even more tips to help you as you continue learning Japanese. Click here to download the PDF version of the articleand receive more great language learning tips for free. Recommended Articles5 Amazing Japanese Movies On Netflix That Youll Love As A Japanese LearnerContinue Reading 5 Amazing Japanese Movies On Netflix That Youll Love As A Japanese Learner 7 Must-Know Features Of Spoken Japanese To Understand Native SpeakersContinue Reading 7 Must-Know Features Of Spoken Japanese To Understand Native Speakers 58 Authentic Japanese Idioms For Every OccasionContinue Reading 58 Authentic Japanese Idioms For Every Occasion |
Do most Japanese speak hiragana?
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