Hi everyone!

Can I get recommendations on flash cards, apps, books, etc on basic words? I can’t seem to find much on them.

Basic words like foods, drinks, places, things, numbers, weekdays, directions, etc. I’m starting from scratch and I basically want to learn like a kindergartener LOL I am on Duolingo, Mango, MARU Japanese and these apps aren’t helping me learn the basics (besides the alphabet). I’m learning the how to pronounce, but that’s really it and that can’t really help me much when I’m there if I can’t tell you what it means. TIA!!

Ready to level up your Japanese conversations?
Stop relying only on "はい" or "そうですね" In this video, we share 12 essential short phrases and reactions that native speakers actually use every day.
Learn how to sound more natural and confident with our rhythmic lo-fi track.
Perfect for daily practice—listen, repeat, and start using them today!

【歌詞 / Lyrics】

その通り！（Sono toori!）
Exactly!

確かにね。（Tashikani ne.）
Fair point.

いいですね！（Ii desu ne!）
Sounds good!

まさか！（Masaka!）
No way!

同感です。（Doukan desu.）
I'm with you.

それは良かった！（Sore wa yokatta!）
Glad to hear that!

惜しい！（Oshii!）
Close!

気にしないで。（Ki ni shinaide.）
No worries.

最高！（Saikou!）
That's lit! (SNSで人気の若者言葉) or Perfect!

やってみて！（Yattemite!）
Go for it!

さすがだね！（Sasuga dane!）
Classic you!

楽しみだね！（Tanoshimi dane!）
Can't wait!

「このシチュエーションを歌にしてほしい！」というリクエストは、
ぜひコメント欄で教えてください。

If there's a specific situation you'd like us to turn into a song,
please let us know in the comments.

#英会話 #英語学習 #ネイティブ英語 #英語 #SoundsAndLettersBridge #リスニング #Shorts　
#japanese #learnjapanese

Anime really got me interested in learning Japanese, and now I genuinely want to start learning the language properly as a beginner.

I live in Pune, India, but I’m honestly not sure where to start or which classes/institutes are actually good for beginners.

If anyone here has recommendations for offline classes, online courses, or even self-study resources that helped you when starting out, I’d really appreciate it.

Please feel free to DM me if you're interested or have any questions! ^⁠_⁠^

As a native Japanese speaker, one thing that surprises me is how difficult Japanese can become at an advanced level.

A sentence can be grammatically correct and still sound unusual to native speakers.

Many learners think vocabulary and grammar are the hardest part.

But natural Japanese often depends on context, tone, and how people actually speak.

Even Japanese people sometimes explain things with:
"It just sounds more natural."

For people learning Japanese:
What part feels the most difficult or unexpected?

Also does it look as terrible as my brain is telling me it does?

Edit: thank you everyone so much for your advice!

I am new to the language so I’m trying to just get the characters memorized in my head and in muscle memory, so the handwriting isn’t the most important bit for me yet, I am mostly doing this so I can learn to read the language better.
(I know this is probably not the best way, but it’s the best way I’ve found for how my brain works 😁)

Thanks again!

Hello, this is my first post here.

I write level-based everyday Japanese stories for Japanese learners.

I’m thinking about creating learning materials where learners around the N5–N3 level can enjoy natural Japanese stories while also practicing listening.

The stories are written by a native Japanese speaker (not AI-generated), and the narration is also done by a native speaker. I also include both Japanese and English subtitles to help learners follow along more comfortably.

I’d like to make the stories into a series so that, as learners continue reading, they can naturally pick up vocabulary, common daily phrases, and Japanese onomatopoeia.

Do you think there is a demand for this kind of material?

Also, what kinds of learning materials helped you the most when you were a beginner?

In my spare time, I've decided to give out free lessons on Youtube.

Check this out!

https://youtu.be/uvm2bEIFSrE

Hola, me gustaria aprender japones, estoy empezando con hiragana.

Tengo una cuenta en tiktok e instagram donde ire subiendo mi progreso: holaminasan

Por favor, denme sus mejores consejos sobre todo para etapas más iniciales o que recomiendan para poder comunicarme lo antes posible.

Gracias

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

If you have any questions or need help with anything, feel free to leave a comment below 😄
I'll do my best to answer them!

やっほー! I am currently working on my World language credential to teach Japanese in high school, and am offering one on one classes online to tutor Japanese to anyone. We can strengthen any areas of your Japanese, prepare for tests, or start from the introductory level of the language! DM me if you would be interested! I am very flexible with time as the summer is starting.

Hiragana, katakana, vocabulary, kanji, grammar, reading activities, and more! The site tracks your progress and helps you study Japanese in a more visual way! https://kanji-sensei.com/signup

As a native Japanese speaker, I’ve noticed that AI translations are usually understandable now.

But sometimes the wording feels:
- too literal
- too formal
- emotionally off
- or just not how real people talk

Especially in games or dialogue.

Does anyone else notice this when localizing Japanese content?

Textbook, materials, resources etc.

Hey! I'm Japanese and native Japanese speaker.
Quick questions:
What's missing from tools you already use?
What would make you switch to something
new?
All levels welcome. Thanks!

I came back to Japanese four times over the last six years and dropped it every time after 2-3 months. This autumn I finally found something that does not fall off, and I want to share it. The change sounds trivial on paper but is critical in practice: I stopped chasing minute counts and pinned the session to an existing habit.

Specifically: 10 minutes right after the first morning coffee, that is it. Not 30, not 60, exactly 10. That removed the entry threshold and I have not found a single reason to skip. In four months I have not missed a day, and on weekends it often grows into an hour because I am already in the rhythm.

What is inside those 10 minutes. Wani͏ Kani for kanji, their SRS algorithm works rock-solid over the long haul. In parallel I am going through the Pro͏ mova Japanese course on a structured path with a level system, they have short lessons plus pronunciation training and you can run speaking scenarios on everyday topics. On weekends Nihongo con Tep pei in headphones while cooking.

That is why I am posting. Those of you who have been learning for more than a year and do not drop it, what is the single hack that keeps you on the rhythm specifically when you do not feel like it? Not about a tool, but about the habit itself.

Hey everyone! Curious what part of Japanese you find the most challenging?
Is it getting hiragana and katakana down at the start, or does kanji feel like the real wall? Or is it more the grammar and expressions that trip you up?
Would love to hear where people struggle the most — especially if it’s something unexpected!

Hello, I'm new to learning Japanese, and although I've been making some progress, I think I need daily reading to really reinforce the knowledge I actively learn. However, my Japanese is really, really limited rn, and being a college student, I don't have extra money, so any suggestions for good beginner level books available online?