The Best Way to Learn Japanese as an English Speaker
Japanese (日本語, nihongo) is spoken by about 125 million people, almost all of them in Japan. Here is what makes it hard, what makes it easier than it looks, and the plan that works.
The short answer
Learn hiragana and katakana in your first two weeks, then build vocabulary through easy reading and listening while you add kanji a few at a time. Book a native tutor early, because Japanese pronunciation is easy but understanding real speech is not.
Is Japanese hard to learn?
The US Foreign Service Institute, which trains American diplomats, puts Japanese in Category IV, the hardest group (about 2,200 class hours). Japanese is Japonic, not related to any European language, and it uses three scripts at once: hiragana, katakana and kanji (Chinese characters).
What makes it hard
- The writing system is the big wall. Hiragana and katakana take a couple of weeks, but the official list of everyday kanji has 2,136 characters, and most of them have more than one reading.
- Word order runs the other way round from English: the verb comes last, and the topic of the sentence often goes unsaid.
- Politeness is built into the grammar. The verb form changes depending on who you talk to, so you learn plain, polite and humble forms of the same word.
- Almost no vocabulary is shared with English, apart from the loanwords written in katakana (terebi, konpyūtā).
What works in your favour
- Pronunciation is simple. Japanese has five vowels and very few sounds that English speakers struggle with.
- There are no genders, no articles and no plurals to learn, and verbs do not change for I, you or they.
- Japanese media is everywhere. Anime, games, YouTube and podcasts give you endless listening practice for free.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
Professional working level takes about 2,200 hours of study for an English speaker, according to the FSI. Those are hours in small, intensive classes. On your own, count on more.
At one hour a day, 2,200 hours is about 72 months. At 30 minutes a day, double it. You will hold simple conversations long before that: most learners manage everyday topics after three to six months of daily practice with a tutor.
The best way to learn Japanese for free
- NHK World Easy Japanese: free audio lessons from Japan's public broadcaster, made for beginners.
- NHK News Web Easy: real news rewritten in simple Japanese, with furigana over the kanji.
- Jisho.org: a free online dictionary that also shows kanji readings and example sentences.
- Anki: free flashcard software; the shared kanji and vocabulary decks save you hours.
Free material covers reading and listening well. Speaking is the gap: you need someone who answers back.
The best way to learn Japanese online
One-on-one lessons with a native tutor are the fastest way to start speaking. You get corrected on the spot, you hear real pronunciation, and the lesson goes at your pace. Many tutors offer a cheap trial lesson, so you can try two or three before you pick one.
A beginner plan for your first month
- Week 1: Spend the first ten to fourteen days on hiragana and katakana only. Every textbook and graded reader assumes you can read them, and romaji (Japanese in Latin letters) slows you down later.
- Weeks 2 to 4: learn the 300 most common words and the basic sentence patterns, 20 to 30 minutes a day with flashcards and a course.
- Every day: 15 minutes of listening, even if you understand little. Your ear needs time before your mouth.
- From week 3: one or two short lessons a week with a native tutor, and easy reading at your level.
Can you learn Japanese on Duolingo?
Yes, Duolingo has a Japanese course for English speakers, and it is fine for learning the kana and basic phrases. It will not get you to conversation on its own. Pair it with reading and a tutor once you know the kana.
Read Japanese from the first week
Short stories with the English text next to the Japanese let you read real sentences before you could manage them alone. You check the meaning without a dictionary and keep going.
Questions about learning Japanese
What is the best way to learn Japanese?
Learn hiragana and katakana in your first two weeks, then build vocabulary through easy reading and listening while you add kanji a few at a time. Book a native tutor early, because Japanese pronunciation is easy but understanding real speech is not.
Is Japanese hard to learn for English speakers?
The US Foreign Service Institute puts Japanese in Category IV, the hardest group (about 2,200 class hours). The main hurdle: The writing system is the big wall. Hiragana and katakana take a couple of weeks, but the official list of everyday kanji has 2,136 characters, and most of them have more than one reading.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
Reaching professional level takes about 2,200 hours of study for an English speaker. At one hour a day that is roughly 72 months. Basic conversation comes much sooner, usually within the first few months of daily practice.
What is the best way to learn Japanese for free?
Start with NHK World Easy Japanese, NHK News Web Easy, Jisho.org, Anki. Add free native listening every day, and read easy texts at your level. Free resources cover reading and listening well; speaking is where a tutor or a language partner makes the difference.
Can you learn Japanese on Duolingo?
Yes, Duolingo has a Japanese course for English speakers, and it is fine for learning the kana and basic phrases. It will not get you to conversation on its own. Pair it with reading and a tutor once you know the kana.
Should I learn kanji from the start?
Learn the kana first, then add kanji from week three or four, a few a day, always inside words you are learning anyway. Learning hundreds of single characters with no words attached is the slowest route.
Can I learn Japanese from anime?
Anime is good listening practice and keeps you motivated, but the speech is often exaggerated, rude or old-fashioned. Use it next to a course or a tutor, not instead of one.
Learn another language
Looking for reading material? See the best language learning books.