初心者 – 5 Questions Answered for Beginners in Japanese
Below are questions I often see when people want to learn Japanese:
◆ Is Japanese Hard?
◆ What is the Best Place or content to Learn Japanese?
◆ How can I Learn Japanese Fast?
◆ What is the Best Method to Learn Japanese?
◆ Can I Learn Japanese from Anime?
I don’t have the definitive answer to all of these questions as many of them are vague or subjective. But, I will do my best to answer from my own perspective.
INDEX
Is Japanese Hard?
Yes, Japanese is hard to learn. It is a language that has unique features that are not are not in English. That can make it difficult but at the same time interesting.
日本語の特徴 – What makes Japanese Unique
It is a language isolate, meaning it is unrelated to any other languages, (except for the Ryukyuan languages if you don’t consider them dialects).
日本の言語 – The Japanese Language and Japan’s Languages
This means that many of the words and other aspects in the language are unique to Japanese so you don’t have the advantage knowing a related language to make learning easier.
https://japaneseuniverse.com/2024/02/18/pac-man-in-japaneseconcepts-behind-development-to-global-icon/
Japanese is also very contextual. Meaning, depending on who you are talking with or about the words and style of speaking changes. For example, Japanese has 3 types of polite language styles, and several ways to say I or You. Also, If you are talking about your own experience on something, you will say it differently from if you were talking about someone else. Such as the difference between saying Oishii or Oishisou.
美味しそう！ Should I say Oishii or Oishisou?
Despite all of that though, there are ways to make Japanese easier to learn. Don’t worry, though Japanese is not easy, it is likely not as hard as you may be thinking at this point.
簡単に – The Easiest Way to Learn Japanese
Also, as you learn more Japanese it becomes easier to learn harder aspects of the language since the concepts you learned in the beginning will support concepts you learn later on.
What is the Best Place or content to Learn Japanese?
Apps, websites, books, There are endless amounts of material to learn Japanese. There is not just one best place to learn everything though.
Depending on the aspect of the language, such as words, grammar, or writing or what motivates you, the best content will differ.
So, you can check out all the free ways on the internet, to learn Japanese but you will need to use multiple websites, apps, or even books to learn Japanese.
無料 – Free Ways to Learn Japanese Online
You will need a few things no matter what:
◆ Dictionary or Translator
◆ Somewhere to learn the Japanese Writing System
◆ Audio to listen to Japanese Spoken
◆ Course, App, Website, Book anything that will give you an introduction to the Basics of Japanese
Beyond the above four choices, you will need other resources but that will depend on how you want to learn Japanese. You could use Memrise to learn with flash cards, or you could take the Duolingo Japanese Course. The choice will depend on what you enjoy doing.
日本語 – Using Memrise for Japanese
You may decide to focus on memorizing grammar even. There are different sources for that. If you don’t mind putting out a chuck of change, the best material I have found to learn Japanese grammar out of the 20 years I have been studying Japanese is the Dictionary of Japanese Grammar series.
How can I Learn Japanese Fast?
The main factor in how long it takes you to learn Japanese will be the amount of time you spend studying. Obviously the more minutes you have to study the quicker you will learn.
Yes, if you spend hours in a day looking at the same words over and over that you already know, you will not learn as fast as you could. But, as long as you have a good balance between learning new stuff and reviewing old, the main factor will be the amount of time you put into your studies.
There are ways however that you can learn Japanese faster. There are also ways to use your time effectively to find more time to study, even without eliminating other tasks.
What is the Best Method to Learn Japanese
This will tie in with the best material to learn Japanese, but the best method to learn Japanese will be whatever method you are most interested in.
The best way to assure that you learn Japanese is to not quit and keep on going. If you are doing something that is boring then you will probably quit. Many people will have their opinion on the best way to learn a language. They may tell you use flash cards, create mnemonics, don’t study any grammar, do a lot of listening. There are methods that are more effective than others for a majority of people, but the best method for you will be whatever you enjoy the most.
I am just just saying that sound encouraging to just have fun. No, I can tell you from my own experience that anytime I tried to do something that was not enjoyable for me personally, I ended up not learning the material as well. Even if I put more time into it.
Can I Learn Japanese from Anime?
Finally, the last question. Can you learn Japanese from Anime, Manga, Games and so on? Yes! The more Japanese Anime you watch, the more Manga you read or games you play in Japanese, the more your Japanese will improve! Any exposure to Japanese will help you learn.
Just make sure that you have subtitles on when needed, or you write down words to find translations for later on. You can’t just sit down and watch something completely in Japanese if you don’t know Japanese and somehow know what it means. You will need to use other methods to translate what you hear.
Also, remember that the Japanese in Anime is a stylized version of Japanese. Meaning, if you did nothing but learn Japanese through Anime and talked to a Japanese person they would think, wow this person must have learned Japanese from watching anime. Yes, it is that obvious. You can balance this out by also putting effort into learning to speak polite Japanese, and sometimes try watching news or other videos where people speak real life Japanese.
Also, if you are interested in learning Japanese I have reviewed what I consider the best resource for Japanese Grammar below:
