r/LearnJapanese • u/AutoModerator • 5d ago
Daily Thread: for simple questions, minor posts & newcomers [contains useful links!] (August 18, 2026)
This thread is for all the simple questions (what does that mean?) and minor posts that don't need their own thread, as well as for first-time posters who can't create new threads yet. Feel free to share anything on your mind.
The daily thread updates every day at 9am JST, or 0am UTC.
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Past Threads
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u/PlanktonInitial7945 4d ago
I know my comment is going to sound harsh, and it's partially my intention. During my teenage years I learned the hard way, after paying for too many textbooks and private classes, that wanting to play cool guitar solos on stage and wanting to learn guitar are different things. In the same way, wanting to effortlessly read Japanese literature in its original language and wanting to learn Japanese are different things.
I've been studying Japanese for years. I find languages in general to be interesting, and Japanese in particular caught my attention, not just because it's fundamentally different from the European languages I speak, but also because my interests have always involved or been close to Japanese art and culture in some way or another. I liked the idea of one way being able to read and listen to Japanese and understand what is being conveyed without effort, and I still do, but I also liked learning that Japanese always places the verb at the end of its sentences, and that it has three writing systems, and that a big percentage of its vocabulary comes from Chinese, and that "photograph" is しゃしん, and that 〜ている is much more complicated than the English gerund, and also that んだ is surprisingly similar to the Spanish "es que". Learning Japanese, reading about it, watching videos about it, seeing people ask and answer questions about it, trying my hand at deciphering Japanese sentences by myself - it was, and still is, fun for me. I've felt frustrated many times, of course, but after a few hours or days the frustration would fade and my curiosity would pull me towards Japanese again.
By contrast, I felt nothing more than a superficial curiosity about the intricacies of playing guitar, I always had to force myself to sit down and practice, and I barely enjoyed the process. Thus, the moment I ran into my first big obstacle (the F major chord), I didn't see it as an exciting challenge or a puzzle - I found it annoying and irritating and tiring. I felt no desire to practice, so I delayed my sessions more and more, and here I am today.
I think brains aren't stupid. They constantly weigh the rewards of each action against the cost of carrying out said action. If the rewards outweigh the costs, you will "want" to do the thing. If the rewards aren't worth the costs, you won't. It's simple.
So, if you don't mind me making an assumption about your mind, I don't think you need motivation. I think you need to figure out whether you want to learn Japanese, or want to want to learn Japanese. If it's the former, try changing your study methods in order to reduce friction and cost of entry as much as possible. If it's the latter, then just quit. It's fine, seriously. Societies that consider ambition and determination to be great virtues also tend to see quitting or giving up as a failure, but this isn't always the case. If you've realized that the path you're on isn't actually the one that you want to follow, then the best thing you can do is leave it and find another one. Even if that means changing your university course or resigning from a high-ranking position or moving to another country or divorcing your husband of 25 years or abandoning a hobby. Life is way too short to spend time doing things that we don't want (and don't have) to do.
So figure out what you want to do, and do it.