You cannot read kana yet
Hiragana begins inside the course with optional rōmaji support that decreases as recognition grows.
JAPANESE FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS
Learn Japanese for beginners — without guessing what comes next.
Start from zero with a guided N5 course that introduces kana, vocabulary and grammar in the order you need them, then turns each lesson into reading, listening and your own answers.
No Japanese requiredRōmaji support that fades15 beginner lessons free
WHY THIS MATTERS
A clear first route through Japanese
Beginning Japanese can feel like starting four subjects at once: hiragana, katakana, kanji and a grammar system that does not behave like English. The problem is rarely a lack of resources. It is knowing what to learn first and how the pieces fit together.
Japanese begins with a carefully ordered N5 path. Kana arrives alongside useful words, grammar appears inside situations, and review brings the same language back in more than one form. You build a foundation without spending weeks preparing to begin the real language.
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
Start here even if Japanese currently looks like four subjects at once.
This path is built for a true beginner, a returning learner with gaps or someone who has collected resources but never found a reliable order.
You have tried apps but cannot build a sentence
The course reconnects vocabulary, grammar and listening around practical unit goals.
You remember pieces but not the system
Use placement and review to keep secure knowledge while repairing gaps in the N5 foundation.
FROM KNOWING TO DOING
Your first milestones in Japanese.
A beginner path that removes support at the right time.
Read your first Japanese
Move from rōmaji to direct hiragana and katakana recognition, with support available while the scripts are new.
Build complete sentences
Learn particles, word order and verb forms through messages you might actually need to understand or express.
Hear familiar language
Connect written words to Japanese pronunciation through lesson audio, listening questions and dictation.
Know what to study today
Follow the next lesson, clear due reviews or choose one focused practice mode when a skill needs attention.
HOW THE APP TRAINS IT1 2 3 4
Learn kana in context
Practise hiragana and katakana directly, then meet the same characters inside words and sentences.
Use grammar immediately
A new form is explained, contrasted with likely mistakes and used before the lesson ends.
Recall without the answer
Support is gradually removed so recognition can become independent reading and production.
Return at the right time
Spaced repetition brings back fragile knowledge sooner while secure items receive more space.
CONCRETE LEARNING MAP
The first milestones are practical, not arbitrary.
You do not need to finish an entire script chart before meeting useful Japanese. The course introduces just enough support for the next real task.
StageFocusPracticeEvidence of progress
First sessions
Hiragana, greetings, names and Japanese sound
Character recognition, audio and short introductions
Read and adapt a basic self-introduction
Early N5
Time, places, food, people and daily actions
Particles, polite forms and guided exchanges
Ask and answer concrete everyday questions
Complete N5 base
Past, negatives, adjectives, counters and connected basics
Reading, listening, kanji and practical missions
Follow and create short messages without a script
A FIRST BEGINNER SENTENCE
Introduce yourself without copying a script
はじめまして。マヌです。Hajimemashite. Manu desu.Nice to meet you. I’m Manu.
WHAT THE EXERCISE TRAINS
The lesson begins with meaning and pronunciation, connects はじめまして to the situation where it belongs, and shows how です completes a polite introduction. Later prompts change the name, question or reply so you have to build the response yourself.
- Hear and repeat the sentence
- Read it without rōmaji
- Build a changed introduction
A PLAN YOU CAN REPEAT
A beginner routine that survives busy weeks.
Consistency matters more than occasional long sessions. Use the full routine when possible and keep the review step on shorter days.
- 5 MIN
Read and hear yesterday’s Japanese
Clear a small due set, speaking the answer where possible instead of tapping through recognition only.
- 8–12 MIN
Complete the next lesson
Follow one goal from explanation through practice and finish the changed sentence or mission.
- 3 MIN
Close without support
Write one sentence or recall five items with rōmaji and translations hidden.
AVOID THE COMMON DETOURS
Waiting to master kana before learning Japanese
Weeks of isolated charts can drain momentum and delay meaningful language.
Learn kana alongside first words, grammar and audio, then reduce rōmaji gradually.Memorising translated sentences
A fixed script works until one detail changes.
Change the person, time, place or answer and rebuild the sentence.Starting too many resources
Different orders and terminology make progress difficult to see.
Use one main path and keep other resources for a clearly defined gap.WHAT IS ACTUALLY INCLUDED
What the first stage of the course actually covers.
Concrete coverage for this level or skill, connected to lessons, practice and review.
What does the beginner course cover?
The N5 path covers kana, introductions, numbers and time, family, food, shopping, places, directions, everyday actions and the grammar needed to connect them. Each unit ends with a practical mission rather than an isolated word total.
When does kanji begin?
Kanji appears with words you already have a reason to learn. Form, reading, meaning and writing practice stay connected, so characters do not become a separate wall of symbols.
What happens after N5?
The same course structure continues into N4 and N3. Sentences become longer, situations become less predictable and the focus moves from immediate needs toward explanations, stories, register and nuance.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Know what to expect before you start.
Direct answers about level, scope, support and offline learning.
Do I need to learn hiragana before I start?＋
No. Hiragana and katakana are part of the beginner path. Optional rōmaji helps at first, then fades as direct kana recognition develops.
How long is a beginner lesson?＋
A normal lesson is designed for around 8–12 focused minutes. Due reviews or a short kana session can keep momentum on busier days.
Can I learn Japanese for free?＋
The first three N5 units contain 15 full lessons and are free, together with the placement test, dictionary, daily goals and core practice.
Is the beginner course available offline?＋
Lessons, progress, reviews, saved words and the dictionary are designed for offline study. Pronunciation uses the Japanese voice available on your device.
15 COMPLETE BEGINNER LESSONS FREE
Request by email Start with the real course, not a reduced demo.
Learn, practise, review and complete the first three N5 units before deciding whether to unlock the full path to N3.