How to start learning Japanese: a beginner’s route from kana to conversation

Start learning Japanese by connecting hiragana and katakana to sound, following one beginner course, and practising short exchanges from your first lessons. Add kanji through useful words as they appear. Reading and conversation support each other; neither needs to wait until you have “finished” the other.

If your goal is to study in Japan, start with situations you will actually meet: introducing yourself, understanding a class time, ordering a meal and asking someone to repeat a question. Those tasks give your study plan a clear direction and make progress easier to notice.

Still deciding which language to focus on? Compare Korean, Japanese and Mandarin against your goals.

Decide what you want Japanese to help you do

“Learn Japanese” is too broad to plan a week around. Choose a nearer goal, such as introducing yourself to classmates or reading a simple message from your school. Then decide what you need to hear, say and read to complete it.

A language-school stay, a Japanese-taught degree and an interest in films can lead to different priorities. You can change your goal later. For now, write down one situation, one small task and the time you can realistically study each week.

Step 1: learn kana with audio and words

Hiragana and katakana represent Japanese sounds. Hiragana appears in grammatical endings and many words; katakana is common in borrowed words and names, among other uses. Kanji appears alongside both. The three are used together in normal Japanese text.

Start with a small group of kana, hear each sound and read simple combinations. Then practise recognising the same symbols in a mixed order. Reciting a chart from memory is a different skill from reading a word you have not seen before.

Use our hiragana and katakana practice plan to organise the first stage. Keep audio close by: a written approximation cannot show every feature of timing or pronunciation. Gradually reduce your dependence on romanization as the kana become familiar.

You can learn a greeting and practise a short introduction while you are still learning kana. There is no need to postpone speaking until you recognise every symbol instantly.

Step 2: notice timing as well as individual sounds

Listen for vowel length, the small っ or ッ, and the rhythm of a short phrase. These details can distinguish words. When you meet a new word, learn it from audio with its spelling and meaning, rather than guessing the pronunciation from English letters.

Use a short practice loop:

1. Listen to a word or phrase at a comfortable speed.
2. Identify the part you are trying to improve.
3. Repeat it and record a short attempt.
4. Compare with the model, or ask for feedback.
5. Use the phrase again in a simple exchange.

Work on one feature at a time. A recording is more useful when you know what you are listening for than when you simply decide whether you “sound Japanese.”

Step 3: choose one main beginner course

Your main course should provide a sequence, audio, explanations and opportunities to use what you learn. A dictionary, review app and enjoyable reading can support it, but they do not need to compete as separate full curricula.

The Japan Foundation's Marugoto series includes a Starter A1 level, with material for communication and for understanding the language used in those activities. Its e-learning resources give you a practical place to explore a structured approach.

After a lesson, ask three questions: What can I now say? What can I understand when I hear it? What still needs correction? If the only answer is a vocabulary count, add a small speaking or listening task before collecting more material.

Step 4: learn grammar through situations

Japanese sentence structure and particles may feel unfamiliar at first. Learn them in short, meaningful sentences, then change one detail to see how the pattern works. Begin with introductions, questions, location, time, requests and simple descriptions.

Keep the context attached to each example. Who is speaking, to whom, and for what purpose? A line from a textbook introduction and a line shouted by a fictional character may serve very different relationships.

For early conversations, practise the polite forms your course introduces, including common です and ます patterns. As your understanding grows, learn where other forms belong. Our guide to polite Japanese and keigo gives context for the choices; beginners do not need to memorise a full business honorific system before speaking.

Step 5: learn kanji inside useful words

Kanji can have different readings in different words. Study a character with a word you need, its pronunciation and a sentence you understand. A list of isolated shapes and English meanings leaves out too much of how reading works.

Notice components and recurring patterns, but check the actual word rather than assuming a component always gives the pronunciation. Our guide to essential kanji for learners can help you build a routine.

Separate three abilities when you review:

• Recognition: can you recognise the word in a new sentence?
• Reading: can you say the word and understand it?
• Production: can you type or write it when the task requires that?

You do not need to learn a fixed number of kanji before starting conversation. Equally, a kanji count does not prove that you can understand a notice or follow a story. Use short texts to test how the knowledge works together.

A first-month route from kana to conversation

Treat these weeks as adjustable study blocks. If you need longer for a stage, repeat it and keep using the language you already know.

Focus	Practice task	Useful check
Week 1: kana and sounds	Read small groups of kana with audio; practise a greeting	Can you recognise the symbols outside chart order?
Week 2: introductions	Give a short introduction and answer a simple question	Can you respond when the question changes slightly?
Week 3: daily situations	Practise a class time, a location or a food order	Can you understand a short answer without seeing the script?
Week 4: review and feedback	Read a learner dialogue and record your own version	Can you use a correction in the next attempt?

For a short daily session, try a few minutes of audio, a focused lesson task and a brief recall check. Schedule a separate conversation or corrected writing task when you can. Adjust the workload to your week rather than letting an ambitious plan collapse after a few days.

Keep a note of one successful task and one gap. “I could introduce myself but missed the follow-up question” tells you to practise listening to questions next.

Practise speaking and listening together

Learning a script is a start. Being able to use it requires variation. Once an introduction feels comfortable, change the order of the questions. Once you can ask a class time, listen to several different answers.

Use short audio with a transcript. Listen once for the main point, check what you missed, and listen again without reading. Revisit the same recording later rather than treating every exercise as something to finish once.

In conversation, practise asking for repetition and checking your understanding. Those are useful communication skills at every level. They let you stay in an exchange when you do not know every word.

Let anime and other interests support the routine

Anime, games and films can give you a reason to return to Japanese. They also contain speech that may be stylised, abrupt or unsuitable for a new acquaintance. Check an expression's context before adopting it as everyday language.

Our guide to learning Japanese through anime explains how to work with short scenes. Pair that activity with course dialogues, learner reading and real conversation so your listening practice includes language you can use comfortably.

Use the JLPT for the goal it measures

The JLPT runs from N5 to N1, with N5 assessing some basic Japanese and N1 the most advanced level of the test. The official level descriptions are more useful than a promise that a particular number of months will deliver a level.

The test sections assess language knowledge, reading and listening. The JLPT does not directly test a live conversation or a piece of free writing. A passing score is therefore not the same as a guarantee of speaking fluency.

If you need an exam goal, use our JLPT preparation guide alongside the official current materials. Keep speaking and writing in your wider study plan, and check the exact requirement of any institution you want to apply to.

Choose a Japanese program that matches your starting point

When you are ready to study in Japan, compare the course level and schedule before choosing a city.

The Core Japanese Course at GenkiJACS is an option for learners considering practical Japanese study across its listed campuses. Check the selected campus's age rules, beginner start dates, course length and available class level before booking.

For a longer course in Nagoya, review the I.C.NAGOYA Japanese Language 1-Year Course. Its published entry requirements normally include prior Japanese study or language evidence. It should not be treated as an automatic route for someone who has never studied Japanese. Ask for the exact course dates and requirements for your intended intake.

Bring your available dates, current level and study goal to Asia Pathway. We can help you compare a suitable language program and identify what to prepare before you arrive.