Learn Japanese for beginners

Japanese is written in the Japanese script. You learn to read it alongside speaking; you do not have to master it first.

Japanese puts the verb last and marks each part of the sentence with a small particle such as は, を or に. Rebuilding sentences makes that order familiar, and saying them aloud gets the rhythm right. Pitch accent matters, so listen closely.

• こんにちは: hello
• ありがとう: thank you
• 駅はどこですか。: where is the station

1. 1

   Listen first

   Hear the Japanese sentence before you try it so your ear knows the target.

2. 2

   Say it out loud

   Say the sentence three times. Slow first, then natural speed.

3. 3

   Build it

   Rebuild the sentence from its words so the word order sticks.

4. 4

   Repeat tomorrow

   Start the next session with yesterday's sentences.

• Only reading and tapping, and never saying anything aloud.
• Memorising word lists with no sentences around them.
• Waiting until you feel ready to speak. You get ready by speaking.
• Studying for two hours once a week instead of fifteen minutes daily.
• Expecting fast results. Japanese takes about 2,200 hours to reach working proficiency, but basic spoken Japanese comes much sooner.