The Best Way To Learn Japanese

Take The Easy Path To Learn Japanese Language With The Ling App

Why Learn Japanese with Ling?

Discover The Easy Path To Hard Languages. Learning Japanese with Ling! Our app understands and values Asian languages, especially those with a non-Latin script. That’s why we got native Japanese speakers to craft our lessons. Explore audio from native speakers, advanced hiragana stroke exercises, and more. Learn basic Japanese words to advanced phrases with the easiest way to learn Japanese – Ling!

Quick Japanese Must-Knows

Want to know more about the language in Japan? Here are some must-knows!

Number of Speakers: 120 million (besides Japan, also spoken in USA, Peru, Argentina, Australia, Canada, and the Philippines)

National Language in: Japan

Region: East Asia

Language Family: Japonic

Writing System: Mixed scripts of Chinese characters (Kanji) and Japanese characters (Hiragana and Katakana), left-to-right (modern Japanese)

Tonal or Non-Tonal Language: Non-tonal, mora-timed

Basic Word Order: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)

Fun Japanese Language Facts

1
Politeness Levels:

Japanese has a complex system of honorifics and polite language known as keigo. This means speakers adjust their speech based on social hierarchy and the level of formality required in
a given situation.

2
No Gender Pronouns:

Japanese doesn’t have gender-specific pronouns like “he” or “she.” Instead, gender is often inferred from context, and specific pronouns are relatively uncommon in everyday speech.

3
Common Use of Homophones:

Japanese has a high number of homophones, words that sound the same but have different meanings. This characteristic can lead to playful wordplay and puns in everyday conversation and literature.

Did You Know This About Japan?

Innovative Vending Machines: Japan is known for its abundance of vending machines, offering anything from beverages and snacks to clothing and electronics. Some vending machines even dispense hot food like ramen or freshly cooked pancakes!

Love for Kit Kats: Japan has a unique obsession with Kit Kats, with over 300 flavors available, including green tea, sake, sweet potato, wasabi, and more. Kit Kats are even given as good luck gifts, especially during exams.

Learn Basic Japanese For Travel

Ever wondered how to say how are you in Japanese? Now you can! Learning with Ling means you can learn Japanese online, on-the-go, anytime! For more, check out Ling, the best app to learn Japanese.

こんにちは
Kon-ni-chi-wa
Hello
おはようございます
O-ha-yo go-za-i-ma-su
Good morning
元気ですか?
Gen-ki de-su ka
How are you?
元気です
Gen-ki de-su
I’m fine.
こんにちは
Kon-ni-chi-wa
Good afternoon
あなた の 名前 は なんですか?
A-na-ta no na-ma-e wa nan-de-su-ka?
What is your name?
私の名前はメアリーです
Wa-ta-shi no na-ma-e wa Me-a-ri de-su
My name is Mary
よろしく お願い します。
Yo-ro-shi-ku o-ne-gai shi-ma-su
Nice to meet you
ありがとう
A-ri-ga-to
Thank you
さようなら
Sa-yo-u-na-ra
Goodbye

The Easy Path Philosophy

1
2 minutes to...

Learn new words and how to use them in a sentence.

2
3 minutes to...

Review vocabulary from current and past lessons with a variety of reinforced gamification techniques.

3
5 minutes to...

Listen and learn from natives through a conversation taken from a real-life context between 2 people.

4
And more...

Explore grammar-specific lessons, review features, and culture notes.

Kudos From Our Learners

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Frequently asked questions about learning Japanese

Is It Hard To Learn Japanese?

Japanese is one of the most complex languages to learn along with Korean, Arabic, and Chinese.

Despite the language’s many rules, learning Japanese can be so much fun! With language learning apps, like Ling, you’ll forget you’re even learning!

Here are some quick facts about Japanese:

  • Grammar: Unlike many languages, Japanese has sentence-end particles even if it follows the Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order.
  • Vocabulary: A significant portion of Japanese vocabulary uses onomatopoeia and historical lexicon from Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese, among others.
  • Speaking/Listening: Japanese culture values politeness and a hierarchical inflection system. When learning the pronunciation, be careful of the “r” and “j” consonants.
  • Reading/Writing: Japanese script can come in the form of traditional vertical writing (縦書き – tategaki) or modern horizontal writing (横書き – yokogaki). The Japanese script contains three main writing systems or characters: Hiragana (ひらがな or simple characters), Katakana (カタカナ or partial characters), and Kanji (漢字 or Han characters from China).
How Can I Learn Japanese On My Own?

The first step in learning Japanese is knowing why you want to study the language in the first place. After that, you can learn Japanese on your own with various online learning materials.

By far, the best language learning tool out there is the Ling app, which contains over 200 lessons per language. If you want to become fluent in Japanese, Ling has plenty of lessons, all the way from beginner to advanced.

Learning a language by yourself can be challenging at times, but don’t give up! Here are other ways you can learn Japanese:

  • Set realistic language goals
  • Watch Japanese movies, dramas, or anime
  • Learn about a variety of topics when practicing hiragana, katakana, or kanji
  • Read Japanese poetry or Haiku (俳句)
  • Speak Japanese out loud so you can hear your own pronunciation
  • Download the Ling app to learn new vocabulary, phrases, and topics quickly
How Quickly Can I Learn Japanese?

According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI), the average learner can reach proficiency in Japanese after at least 2200 hours. That means 12-18 months of intensive courses if you’re trying to finish fast!

If you have no prior experience with learning other languages, it might take you a minimum of 3-5 years to reach proficiency. That’s mainly because of the language’s complex writing systems, but we suggest you focus on hiragana and katakana first.

If you want to learn Japanese, you should start speaking from day one! Japanese isn’t easy, so don’t waste your time. Start with easy, simple vocabulary, phrases, and topics. From there, you can slowly start to learn the more difficult parts of the language.

 

Is Japanese Worth Learning?

With nearly 128 million speakers, Japanese is a very fascinating language to learn. Apart from its cute aesthetic and kawaii culture, Japan has been revered as one of the best in innovation and technology.

Here are some other reasons to learn Japanese:

Language Of Business Giants

As the Japanese economy continues to increase, so do business opportunities.

Imagine how much easier it will be to communicate with your business partner or potential client if you can speak Japanese!

Build Appreciation For Japanese Culture

When people think of Japan, they usually think of its rich culture. If you learn Japanese, there’s no doubt that you’ll appreciate and understand Japanese culture even more!

May Help You Learn Other Languages

Being one of the world’s most challenging languages, learning to speak Japanese is a huge feat.

After learning Japanese, you should find learning other character languages, like Chinese, much easier. So, if you want to learn multiple languages, Japanese is a great place to start!

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