Start Learning Japanese– category –
New to Japanese? Start here. Beginner guides covering the learning path, kana, numbers, basic phrases, and core grammar. See /how-to-start-learning-japanese/ for a curated starting point.
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Japanese Expressions for Agreeing and Disagreeing Politely
【The Art of Japanese Indirect Disagreement】 Direct disagreement in Japanese is often softened, hedged, or avoided entirely — especially in formal contexts. Understanding how Japanese speakers express disagreement without saying "no" di... -
Japanese Greetings: A Complete Guide to Every Situation
【Japanese Greetings Go Beyond Konnichiwa】 Most learners know おはようございます and こんにちは. But Japanese has a rich system of situational greetings — for leaving home, arriving at work, before eating, meeting someone for the first ... -
Japanese Daily Expressions: 50 Phrases for Everyday Conversation
【50 Phrases You'll Use Every Day】 These are the bread-and-butter expressions of Japanese daily life — phrases that native speakers use multiple times a day. Memorise these first before moving on to grammar. Fluency starts here. 【Agree... -
Hiragana K, S, T, N Rows: Full Guide with Examples and Memory Tricks
【The Core Consonant Rows of Hiragana】 After the five vowels (あいうえお), the K, S, T, and N rows form the most essential consonant sounds in Japanese. Combined, these 20 characters give you the building blocks for hundreds of common w... -
Hiragana vs Katakana: Combined Review and Study Strategy
【You've Learned Both — Now What?】 Many learners reach a frustrating plateau: they know hiragana well, katakana less well, and mixing both in real text feels overwhelming. This article shows you how to bridge the gap and start reading n... -
Japanese Kana Reading Practice: 50 Exercises from Beginner to Intermediate
【How to Use This Practice Guide】 This article gives you 50 kana reading exercises across four levels. Cover the answers, attempt to read each word or sentence aloud, then check. Work at your own pace — the goal is zero hesitation, not ... -
The Katakana Long Vowel Mark (ー): How and When to Use It
【What Is the Long Vowel Mark?】 The horizontal line ー (called the choonpu, 長音符) appears constantly in katakana text. It simply means: extend the previous vowel for one extra beat. Examples: コーヒー = ko-o-hi-i = "koohii" (coffee) —... -
Katakana for English Speakers: The Complete Learning Guide
【Why Katakana Is Easier Than You Think】 Many English-speaking learners dread katakana because it looks "spiky" and foreign. But here's the good news: once you know what katakana is used for, your English knowledge becomes a huge asset.... -
Hiragana H, M, Y, R, W Rows: Full Guide with Stroke Order and Examples
【Overview: The Final Rows of Hiragana】 After mastering the A, K, S, T, and N rows, these five rows complete the hiragana syllabary. They include some of the trickiest characters for beginners — especially the R-row (which has no Englis... -
Katakana Loanwords: 100 Essential Words Every Japanese Learner Should Know
【Why Katakana Loanwords Are Your Secret Weapon】 Here's a fact that often surprises beginners: as an English speaker learning Japanese, you already "know" thousands of Japanese words. Japanese has borrowed extensively from English, and ...
