Complete Beginner's Guide to Learning Japanese (2026)

Introduction

You've decided to learn Japanese — but where do you actually start?

There's a lot of contradictory advice out there. Learn hiragana first! No, use romaji to begin! Focus on grammar! No, just immerse yourself! It's overwhelming.

Here's the truth: Japanese has a clear learning path, and beginners who follow it consistently reach conversational ability faster than those who jump around. This guide maps out that path — from your very first day to JLPT N4 level.

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: Start by learning hiragana and katakana (2–4 weeks), then build core vocabulary with basic grammar simultaneously. Focus on JLPT N5 content (800 words, 100 kanji, 72 grammar patterns) for your first 3–6 months, then progress to N4. Consistent daily practice of 30–60 minutes beats occasional intensive sessions.

Step 1: Learn the Writing Systems

Before anything else, you need to learn Japanese scripts. In order:

1. Hiragana (ひらがな) — Week 1–2 46 basic characters covering all Japanese sounds. Everything can be written in hiragana. Learn this first — it's your doorway into Japanese literacy.

2. Katakana (カタカナ) — Week 3–4 Another 46 characters representing the same sounds but used for foreign words, emphasis, and certain terms. It looks harder but follows the same logic as hiragana.

3. Kanji (漢字) — Ongoing, from Month 2 Chinese-origin characters used throughout Japanese writing. At JLPT N5, you need 100 kanji. At N4, 300. Start slowly and build up over time.

Why not use romaji (romanized Japanese)? Romaji is a crutch that slows you down. Real Japanese texts don't use romaji. Learning the actual scripts from day one trains you to read authentic Japanese from the start.

Step 2: Build Your Core Vocabulary

Japanese vocabulary builds systematically. Here's what to focus on as a beginner:

Priority 1: Basic nouns People (人, 先生, 学生), places (学校, 駅, 家), time (今日, 明日, 毎日), numbers, and common objects.

Priority 2: High-frequency verbs The 50–100 most common Japanese verbs get you surprisingly far. Start with: ある (to exist/have, inanimate), いる (to exist, animate), 行く (to go), 来る (to come), 食べる (to eat), 飲む (to drink), 見る (to see), 聞く (to hear/ask), 話す (to speak), 書く (to write).

Priority 3: Adjectives い-adjectives (大きい, 小さい, 新しい, 古い) and な-adjectives (きれいな, 便利な, 大変な) together with their negative and past forms.

Daily vocabulary practice: Aim for 10–15 new words per day using spaced repetition (Anki is excellent for this). Review is just as important as learning new words.

For a complete structured N5 vocabulary list with example sentences, our JLPT N5 Study Workbook is organized by topic to make learning faster.

Step 3: Learn Basic Grammar

Japanese grammar is different from English — but it's also very consistent once you understand the patterns.

The most important grammar concepts for beginners:

Word order: Japanese is Subject-Object-Verb (vs. English's Subject-Verb-Object)

• English: "I eat sushi" → Japanese: 私はすしを食べます (I — sushi — eat)

Particles (助詞): Small words that mark grammatical function

• は (wa) — topic marker
• が (ga) — subject marker
• を (wo) — object marker
• に (ni) — direction/time/location
• で (de) — location of action/means

Verb conjugation: Japanese verbs conjugate for tense and politeness, but not for person or number

• 食べます (eat, polite) / 食べません (don't eat) / 食べました (ate)

Politeness levels: Japanese has formal (〜です/〜ます) and casual (plain form) speech. Learn the polite forms first — they're used in most everyday situations.

Your First 6-Month Roadmap

Month 1: Scripts and basics

• Hiragana: complete in Week 1–2
• Katakana: complete in Week 3–4
• Begin N5 vocabulary (10 words/day)
• Basic greetings and introductions

Month 2–3: N5 vocabulary + grammar

• Daily vocabulary (10–15 words/day, target 400+ words)
• N5 grammar patterns (particles, verb forms, basic sentence patterns)
• Start simple reading practice (hiragana-only texts)
• Begin N5 kanji (5 per day)

Month 4–6: N5 completion and N4 preview

• Reach 800+ vocabulary words
• Complete N5 grammar patterns (72 total)
• Read simple texts comfortably
• Take a practice JLPT N5 test
• Begin N4 vocabulary and kanji

What Makes Japanese Hard (and What Isn't)

Genuinely difficult things:

• Writing systems: memorizing 3 scripts takes real time and effort
• Keigo (politeness levels): there are different ways to say almost everything depending on context
• Kanji: you'll need thousands over time

Things that aren't as hard as you expect:

• No articles (no "a" or "the")
• No plurals (same word for one cat or many cats)
• Very consistent pronunciation — much easier than English
• No gendered nouns (unlike French or Spanish)
• Verb conjugation is simpler than European languages — same form for I, you, we, they

Example Sentences

Common Mistakes

1. Skipping hiragana/katakana to start "faster" Romaji feels faster at first. But reading actual Japanese (menus, signs, apps) requires knowing the scripts. Invest 3–4 weeks upfront — you'll recoup that time immediately.

2. Trying to learn too many things at once Beginners often try to learn grammar, vocabulary, kanji, and listening all simultaneously from day one. Pick 1–2 priorities per month and go deep on those.

3. Not speaking out loud Japanese pronunciation seems simple, but the rhythm and pitch patterns take practice. Say everything out loud from the beginning — even when studying alone.

4. Waiting to understand everything before responding In real Japanese (and JLPT listening), you won't understand every word. Practice processing the gist — the meaning doesn't always require every word.

5. Comparing progress to others Some learners progress faster than others based on prior language experience, study time, and goals. Focus on your own improvement week to week.

Tips for Speakers of Other Languages

Learning beginner Japanese can feel different depending on your native language. Here are specific tips:

For Korean speakers (한국어 화자) You have the biggest advantage of any language group. Japanese grammar follows the same SOV order as Korean, and particles (は≈은/는, が≈이/가, を≈을/를) work almost identically. You can focus less on grammar and more on vocabulary and pronunciation from day one.

For Chinese speakers (中文母语者) Kanji gives you a massive head start in reading — you'll recognize many characters immediately. However, Japanese grammar (particles, verb conjugation) has no Chinese equivalent, so budget extra time for grammar study. Don't skip hiragana/katakana thinking kanji is enough.

For Vietnamese speakers (Người nói tiếng Việt) Vietnamese and Japanese share many Sino-Vietnamese cognates (大学 = đại học, 注意 = chú ý). Your tonal ear helps with Japanese pitch accent. The biggest challenge is Japanese verb conjugation, which Vietnamese doesn't have.

For Spanish speakers (Hablantes de español) Great news: Japanese vowels (a, i, u, e, o) are nearly identical to Spanish vowels, giving you excellent pronunciation from the start. The main challenge is the SOV word order and the particle system, which have no Spanish equivalent.

For Indonesian speakers (Penutur bahasa Indonesia) Indonesian and Japanese share some loanwords from Dutch/Portuguese and similar social hierarchy concepts. The SOV word order and particle system will be your biggest adjustment. Your experience with formal/informal registers (saya vs aku) helps with understanding Japanese politeness levels.

Real Learner Insights

Based on common patterns we see among Japanese learners:

• The "aha" moment: Many beginners report that Japanese suddenly clicks after they master hiragana and start reading real Japanese words — the moment when symbols become sounds becomes meaning, and you realize you're actually reading Japanese.
• Common confusion point: It's completely normal to confuse は (wa) and が (ga) for the first several months. Even intermediate learners occasionally hesitate. Don't let this slow you down — understanding comes gradually through exposure.
• What works: Learners who study every day for 20-30 minutes progress dramatically faster than those who do weekend-only sessions of 3+ hours. Consistency beats intensity at the beginner level.

Practice Tips

1. Study every day, even briefly 20–30 minutes daily is far better than 3 hours on weekends. Daily exposure keeps Japanese in your active memory.

2. Use mnemonics for hiragana and kanji Associating characters with images or stories makes them stick. "Ku (く) looks like a beak" — use whatever works for you.

3. Label objects around your home Put Post-It notes with Japanese words on household items. Passive exposure throughout the day reinforces vocabulary.

4. Find enjoyable Japanese content Anime, J-Pop, Japanese cooking videos, anything that keeps you engaged. Enjoyment sustains motivation through the long haul.

5. Track your progress Note how many vocabulary words you know, which kanji you've learned, and which grammar patterns you've mastered. Seeing real progress is motivating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How long does it take to become conversational in Japanese? With consistent daily study (1 hour/day), most learners reach conversational ability around the JLPT N3 level — typically 1.5–2.5 years. "Conversational" is achievable; "fluent" takes several more years.

Q: Should I learn kanji from the beginning? Yes, but slowly. Start with N5 kanji (100 characters) in your second or third month. Learning kanji from the start builds reading ability gradually, rather than creating a large backlog later.

Q: Is Japanese hard for English speakers? Japanese is officially classified as one of the most difficult languages for English speakers by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (Category IV — 88 weeks/2,200 hours for professional working proficiency). But "hard" is relative — millions of people have learned it, and the early stages are genuinely accessible.

Q: What's the best app for beginners? Apps like Duolingo can supplement study but shouldn't be your only resource. A structured textbook (like Genki or Minna no Nihongo) combined with Anki for vocabulary and actual Japanese content is more effective.

Q: Do I need to move to Japan to learn Japanese well? No. While immersion in Japan accelerates learning, countless successful Japanese learners live outside Japan. The internet provides unlimited access to Japanese media, teachers, and language partners.

Q: Is Japanese easier if I already speak Korean? Significantly. Korean speakers often reach N5 level in half the time of English speakers because the grammar structure (SOV word order, particle system, honorifics) is nearly identical. You can focus on vocabulary and writing systems instead.

Q: Can Chinese characters help me learn Japanese? Absolutely. If you read Chinese, you'll recognize many kanji immediately. This gives you a huge vocabulary head start. However, readings are different (Japanese has on'yomi and kun'yomi), and you still need to learn hiragana, katakana, and Japanese grammar from scratch.

Related Resources

• JLPT N5 Study Workbook — Start Your Journey
• JLPT N4 Study Workbook — Next Step Materials
• Watch: Beginner Japanese Lessons on YouTube

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