

Typing covers 99% of modern day writing so you will learn how to type hiragana (and katakana and kanji) instead. This has a purpose! While it is important to learn how to hand write Japanese eventually, right now it will slow you down immensely with very little payoff. It's important to note that this guide is going to teach you how to read hiragana and not how to write it. It uses mnemonics and worksheets that are designed to help you learn and be able to recall hiragana faster than you thought possible. That's too long! Instead of writing out each hiragana character over and over to memorize them, use the guide below and you may be reading hiragana later tonight. Most Japanese classrooms spend an entire month learning how to read and write hiragana. Surprisingly, I agree with everyone else. It's the first thing you learn in a traditional classroom. The ability to read hiragana is going to be a prerequisite for most beginner Japanese textbooks and resources. The other two are katakana and kanji, but hiragana is where everything starts. It is one of three Japanese writing systems you need to learn to be able to read. Hiragana is Japan's version of the alphabet. What feels slow now is actually speed later on. Instead, take your time on these foundational steps. The more deliberate your steps, the easier everything that follows will be.Ĭarefully completing this section is going to be necessary if you want to avoid the thing that takes down most learners: the intermediate wall. These first steps you take are especially important because they're going to set a foundation you can build off of. Maybe a "konnichiwa" here and a "baka" there. Welcome to learning Japanese! This section is for the true beginner.

Optional: Finding A Japanese Language Tutor.Alternative: Learning Japanese Grammar On Your Own.Answering Your Japanese Language Questions.A Beginner's Japanese Textbook / Program.Using a Spaced Repetition System For Vocabulary.Beginning Kanji & Stockpiling Kanji Knowledge.There's a good chance you'll find something important to help you on your own Japanese language journey. And, if you already have experience with Japanese, I still recommend you give it a read. Check back, subscribe to our email list, or follow us on Twitter to know when these updates happen. We'll talk more about that later.Ī bit of housekeeping first: This is a living document, meaning it will be updated from time to time. They may even seem slow compared to other methods, but everything has been carefully selected to get you to the finish line faster and more efficiently. Just keep in mind that because of this, some steps may seem counterintuitive. All you need to do is follow each step, do the work, and progress. You don't have to move at the speed of the slowest learner in your group. Unlike a teacher or a textbook, we have the freedom to be ruthless in the path we take to get there. Our goal is to reach Japanese fluency as directly as possible. Make like those famous shoes and just do it. This should be everything you need to progress, that way you don't use all of that fresh enthusiasm you're feeling on planning how to learn, and instead spend it on actual learning. And we explain what you should use, when, and why. I'll cover reading, writing, speaking, and listening. I assume you have zero knowledge of the Japanese language and guide you through each step. This method for learning Japanese starts at the very beginning. Just because we're doing it right doesn't mean it has to be inefficient. Instead, you need to do things the hard way (i.e. If you've ever tried learning something new, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And eventually, after the honeymoon phase of learning wears off, progress feels slower. Anyone who tells you learning a language is going to be easy is either misinformed or trying to sell you something. However, this journey is going to take a lot of effort and hard work on your part. If you follow the instructions in this over the top, step-by-step guide, you will reach your goal of Japanese fluency.
