#learn nihongo

[goodplan-ipromise]

[corvid-language-library]

One of my Japanese colleagues told me that she's so bad at reading katakana that one time she was in a zoom meeting with her colleagues and one of them had their name in katakana and she just kept calling them "sensei" because she wasn't sure how to read their name 😂

So anyway I forgive myself for the time I went to the cup noodle museum and spent way too long trying to figure out what "cup taadoru" might be because I mixed up タ and ヌ

[linguajunkie]

Duolingo alternatives

Duolingo’s been in the news for going all AI. Of course, if AI is your bag, that’s cool. But if you’re interested in learning language from resources made by real native speakers and humans…

Here are some suggestions…

Speaking/Listening

-Innovative Language (known for JapanesePod101, koreanclass101, spanishpod101 and their collection of 30+ language programs - teaches languages through conversations (you listen to a convo between two native speakers and then get it explained). Lessons are about 5–10 min on average in audio/video format https://www.innovativelanguage.com/online-language-courses

Pimsleur - similar approach as above but lessons are longer - 30 min and audio only - https://www.pimsleur.com

Reading

LingQ - learn by reading native content and breaking down the words inside. https://www.lingq.com/en/

ReadLang - a browser based tool that translates articles and books you read. https://readlang.com

Satori Reader - (for Japanese) - read level appropriate stories (my fav for reading)

Vocabulary

Anki - not sure if this needs extra explanation - most language learners love Anki’s flash card approach https://apps.ankiweb.net

Clozemaster - learn words in sentence context (instead of just words alone) https://www.clozemaster.com

[warau-okami]

How to Ditch Duolingo and Actually Learn Japanese

Want an alternative to Duolingo now that they're firing workers and resorting to AI slop? Here's a much better way to study Japanese.

[mekuscore]

Got a question for all those who studied or know the history of the Japanese language, how come they've never discovered or added the f, v or l sounds? It's not like they're difficult sounds to produce, they are pretty basic so I don't really understand how, especially "la" is so easy to create as a sound.

[hamusuke-japanese-learning]

I have collected the four most basic Japanese verbs.

[blnxpc]

血

血[chi] = blood

[inkichan]

YouTube Channels for Kids by JLPT Levels

(⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧ resources

こんにちは, Japanese learners! Learning a language is an exciting adventure, isn't it? To add a spark of joy to your Japanese learning journey, here's a collection of YouTube channels tailored for kids. Organized by JLPT levels, these channels offer a blend of education and entertainment for learners at different stages. Keep in mind, though, that JLPT levels aren't an exact science like math – language learning can be subjective in terms of difficulty. However, these resources provide a fantastic starting point and a fun way to explore the world of Japanese language and culture. Let's hop into this delightful world of animated learning and playful discoveries!

Friendly reminder to adjust your way of learning in order to make the most of what you're studying to reach the goal you truly want! read my post about it (ᵔ◡ᵔ)

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴N 5 ╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

— Curious George (N5 level)

— Japanese folk tales/anime series (Japanese audio/Japanese subtitles) from BomBom Academy (N5 level)

— Peppa Pig (N5-4 level)

— Anpanman (N5-4 level)

— NHK education (N5-4 level)

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴N4 ╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

— Cinnamon Roll, Sanrio (N4 level)

— [Anime] Atashin'chi (N4-3 level)

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴N3 ╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

— Sesame Street Japan (N3 level)

— Chibi Maruko Chan (N3-2 level)

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴N2 ╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

— Precure (N2 level)

またね～@inkichan

꒰ა ˚₊ ✧・┈・╴﹕꒰ ᐢ｡- ༝ -｡ᐢ ꒱﹕╴・┈・𐑺 ‧₊˚໒꒱

[kumabenkyou]

あいさつ！

Greetings!

[anza-langblr]

部屋探し｜Apartment Hunting

Let me share with you my current struggles on finding a place to stay in Japan with this long vocabulary list!

住宅（じゅうたく）housing, residential building

住宅街（じゅうたくがい）residential area

最寄り駅（もよりえき）nearest train station

共同住宅（きょうどうじゅうたく）residential complex, apartment house

不動産屋（ふどうさんや）real estate agent

物件（ぶっけん）object, property (real estate)

ネット上（じょう）on the internet

掲載する（けいさい）post, insert (advertisement)

家賃（やちん）rent

共益費（きょうえきひ）common fee, utility fee

加算する（かさん）add

月額（げつがく）monthly amount

初期費用（しょきひよう）initial costs

入居する（にゅうきょ）move into

翌月（よくげつ）next month

翌月分（よくげつぶん）next month's rent

礼金（れいきん）key money (fee paid for rental rights)

敷金（しききん）deposit

保証金（ほしょうきん）deposit

清掃費（せいそうひ）cleaning fee

火災保険料（かさいほけんりょう）fire insurance fee

内見（ないけん）viewing

賃貸（ちんたい）lease, rent

賃貸借契約（ちんたいしゃけいやく）rental contract

借り主（かりぬし）debtor, tenant

貸主（かしぬし）lender, landlord

大家さん（おおや）landlord

一時に（いちどき）at once

滞納（たいのう）falling behind (with a payment)

Moving into a Japanese property comes with high initial costs which can be broken down into numerous different fees. Unfortunately, share houses are not necessarily fully excluded from this, but it really depends on the company. I'm glad that I could take some time to work and save up money before going to Japan. The first month will be very expensive.

[mizukixyamadaxmimi]

The amount of study materials that I have physically (a.k.a. Books) is insane. I am just now realizing it.

Yes I know it's stupid of me to have this much, but i like a variety of materials (even if they might be the same or not) ((the stuff in the last pic: One has just notebooks, the middle has various things, and the last set there are more elementary type learning?)) (( pic before that is word searches or crosswords))((with the magazines, the last plus a little of the middle are Junon magazines from years ago))

I also have a few learning varieties such as documents, photos and audio clips on my pc.

[goodplan-ipromise]

[corvid-language-library]

I asked my supervisor - who has lived in Japan for 17 years, speaks fluent Japanese and reads Japanese documents/emails on a daily basis for work/general life (including helping us with complicated official paperwork) - how to read a fairly basic word (人物 - じんぶつ). He stared at it for a moment and was like, yeah I'm not actually 100% sure.

It's an N3 word btw, but those kanji are N5/N4.

If someone who's fluent in Japanese and has lived in Japan for 17 years and is generally pretty interested in languages doesn't always remember how to read N3 vocab then you really don't need to kick yourself for not remembering all the kanji readings all the time.

[linguajunkie]

English/Japanese bilingual music… about dinosaurs!

And also quite a bop.

By Annie the Clumsy and Whaletalx

[dokushoclub]

Japanese Reading Resources for Absolute Beginners

A question I encounter often is "How much Japanese should I study before I can begin reading in Japanese?"

From my experience as a learner and reader myself and from managing a Japanese book club for other learners I can honestly say that you can start way earlier than you probably think!

There are many resources that only require knowing hiragana. Those texts usually teach vocabulary through pictures and only use basic grammar.

Some are even simpler than that: The Japan Foundation's Hiragana Books are great for those, who are still remembering hiragana characters. Every short book introduces only 1-2 new characters, so it's a great reading exercise for those who've just started.

The free graded reader 「どうぞ、どうも」 by the NPO Tagengo Tadoku only uses the words 「どうぞ」 and 「どうも」 to write an entire story. Again, this makes for a great exercise in reading hiragana and understanding context. Another "level 0" recommendation by the same NPO would definitely be 「しろい？くろい？」. This book uses the full range of hiragana characters but the grammar is simple and all used vocabulary is illustrated.

Another site with great resources for absolute beginners is Nihongo Tadoku Dōjō. If you have memorized both hiragana and katakana and know how the particles を and で work you will be able to read this text about stationary (ぶんぼうぐ) and understand everything by looking at the pictures!

The resources linked so far can all be accessed completely free on the linked websites. If you have the money to spare, please also have a look at the box 「スタート」 from the series reberubetsu nihongo tadoku raiburarī published by the NPO Tagengo Tadoku and ASK (affiliate link). This box includes 8 little books in very simple Japanese.

All these texts for absolute beginners will get you started reading in Japanese with very little knowledge of characters and vocabulary.

Reading in Japanese is a skill that requires practice. But once you get used to it, it can be such a valuable tool to reinforce new vocabulary and grammar. So please don't wait until you're "ready" before you start reading - start early at your own level!

[helenstudies]

me: hey, japanese language might be convoluted but it's still very enjoyable to learn!

japanese language: oh! by the way the kanji for おいしい is 美味しい :)

me: one day i will kill you with my bare hands