hannahmuniz Last updated: December 20, 2022

The 3 Best Translation Apps for Learning and Understanding Japanese

Nowadays, translation apps have everyone talking. Literally.

They allow people with two different mother tongues to have full-on conversations, no interpreter and no money required.

But finding the right Japanese translation app for you can prove troublesome if you’re unfamiliar with what’s available. And, naturally, what’s perfect for you depends on your reasons for wanting a translation app.

Whatever your case, one of the three Japanese translation apps below can offer a much-needed hand.

Why You Should Switch to Japanese Translation Apps
How to Find the Best Japanese Translation Apps
3 of the Best Japanese Translation Apps You Can Download for Free
How to Use a Japanese Translation App

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Why You Should Switch to Japanese Translation Apps

They’re convenient. Japanese translation apps can be downloaded directly on your smartphone, so all you’re doing is sacrificing a hundred or so megabytes of space—not gaining ten pounds in travel necessities. (Seriously, have you ever tried lugging around a dictionary?) The best part is that you can delete translation apps at any time, and presto! Immediate storage space.

They’re free. Sure, you could fork out a good half of your paycheck for the most technologically advanced app. Or you could, you know, just download a couple of free ones containing the same basic functions. Maybe it’s just me, but I like my apps how I like my food: simple in flavor, filling and cheap as heck.

They’re easy to use. The cheaper the app, the simpler it’ll be. But simpler doesn’t always equate to worse. Rather, it just means the app will have fewer advanced features (which are usually expendable anyway). And when you’re on the go, the last thing you’ll want to do is spend hours toying with an overly-complicated app.

They’re communicative tools. Japanese translation apps aren’t just Japanese-English dictionary apps disguising themselves as cooler-sounding upgrades. In reality, they’re far superior, flaunting an impressive combination of dictionary-like features, full-sentence translations and pronunciation aid. If you find yourself stuck trying to say something in Japanese, pulling out a dictionary will do little to help facilitate the conversation and clarify your intentions. But whip out a smartphone and you’ll have the ability to sustain a fully functional conversation in two languages—with no need for an interpreter.

How to Find the Best Japanese Translation Apps

Avoid dictionaries and beginner’s phrasebooks. As previously mentioned, translation apps are different from dictionaries. So when you get to searching an app store for Japanese translation apps, look for titles with the words “translator” and “translate” and avoid anything solely labeled as a “dictionary” or “beginner’s phrasebook.” Dictionary and phrasebook apps aren’t poor, per se, but they won’t offer comparable bilingual capability.

Expand your search to include multi-language translators. Although your main language of study is 日本語 (にほんご – Japanese), don’t restrict your searches to “Japanese translation apps.” There are a ton of high-quality, multi-language translation apps with crisper interfaces and savvier features. Plus, if you’re a traveler, you’ll probably prefer the breadth of language options in a multi-language translator anyway.

Look at ratings and reviews. It’s important to remember that the people downloading Japanese translation apps are, in one way or another, a lot like you: They’re Japanese learners, language lovers and travelers. They’re not going to rely on some crummy, confusing app to teach them how to communicate, and neither should you. So put some trust in the ratings and make sure to skim the reviews to get an idea of the pros and cons of each app that appeals to you.

Test out (free) apps. Sometimes it’s a good idea to dip your toes in the water before diving in, right? If you find a Japanese translation app you like, give it a download—so long as the app is free or a free version. Never purchase a translation app without testing it first. After your self-determined trial period, if you like the app, keep it and consider purchasing its upgrade in the future. But if you’re absolutely unimpressed, dump it like an old boyfriend and never look back.

3 of the Best Japanese Translation Apps You Can Download for Free

Japanese English Dictionary & Translator Free by Bravolol

Android app | iPhone app

Ideal User: Beginner or intermediate Japanese learner; Japan traveler

Although primarily advertised as a dictionary, Bravolol’s Japanese Dictionary app offers an in-depth resource for the most common formal and informal phrases you’ll hear in Japan. The app is home to more than 350,000 words and phrases, including far more examples and sentence fragments than any old dictionary or phrasebook.

It comes with an audio feature, which you can use to listen to Japanese pronunciation at varying speeds, from tortoise (slowest) to hare (fastest). (For the record, the “hare” speed is incredibly quick and not the least bit natural, so stick to a speed in the medium or medium-fast range.)

In addition, the app is entirely offline, so if you’re headed somewhere with no guaranteed Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection, you’ll love the convenience of this handy digital translator.

Waygo Translator & Dictionary by Translate Abroad

iPhone app

Ideal User: Beginner, intermediate or advanced Japanese learner; Japan traveler/inhabitant

Ever tried and failed miserably to read a sign in Japanese? Well, with Waygo, you don’t have to play the part of embarrassed 外人 (がいじん – foreigner) anymore.

This is a neat, handy little app geared toward translating everyday Japanese, Chinese and Korean characters into English. Unlike other translation apps, Waygo uses your smartphone’s camera function to capture images of Japanese words and kanji, and then instantly displays a translation.

This app can be used for kanji practice as well as everyday translation of signs and notices. If you’re living in Japan, this is the app for you. Honestly, it sure beats memorizing thousands of kanji just so you can read the name of that one mouth-watering entrée.

Japanese Translation by Excite Japan Co., Ltd.

Android app | iPhone app

Ideal User: Intermediate Japanese learner; Japan traveler

Japanese Translation might look like any other translation app at first, but it’s got some advantages, especially for those living or traveling in Japan. For one, the app was made by Excite Japan, a Japanese company, and has been downloaded over a million times in Japan alone. So, if you’re planning on using it to talk to someone in Japan, chances are they might already know how to work the app.

As with all translators, Japanese Translation produces the occasional awkward translation here and there. But it also does something other apps don’t: It re-translates translated text back into the original language, which effectively suggests how accurate (or inaccurate) the translation might be. If the re-translation sounds nothing like your original text, you can go back and alter various parts of what you wrote to test for clarity. Pretty cool, huh?

How to Use a Japanese Translation App

Apps are more than just games and music—they’re learning aids, teachers and mediators. And by downloading any of these free Japanese translation apps, you’re sure to improve your communication skills and increase your overall linguistic confidence.

As a final word of caution, though, I want to remind you that a translation app is not…

100% accurate. All translation apps are computer programs, not geniuses. Translations will never be 100% accurate, 100% of the time.

Always free. While the list above contains free (and free versions of) Japanese translation apps, not all translation apps run as cheap. It’s up to you to decide what kind of translator you’re looking for and if it’s worth the investment.

Always ad-free. It’s a bummer, yes. But on the bright side, most free translation apps have at most the occasional full-screen ad (usually pleading for you to upgrade to the pro version) and some banners. Nothing more.

Always available to use offline. The majority of translation apps rely on an Internet connection to perform the translation process. Some are offline but not all, so if you’re planning to travel without access to Wi-Fi or 3G/4G, be prepared to think outside the box in the event your app can’t perform its tasks.
Suitable for language learning. You won’t learn Japanese vocabulary or grammar well with just a translation app, even a hefty, multi-featured one. The purpose of translation apps is to provide you with fast and convenient translations–not to elaborate on the mechanics of the Japanese language. To carry on a full, fluent conversation you’ll need a language learning app (and a lot of dedicated study time) instead.

To counteract some of these issues, I recommend pairing your translation app with a strong language learning program. An immersion program, or one based on real Japanese content, is a great way to add context to anything you find on your translator.

With FluentU, for example, you could look up any words that you want to learn more about and see them in authentic Japanese videos. This immersion program has hundreds of native Japanese videos like movie clips and trailers, news segments, commercials, music videos and more.

Videos are paired with accurate and interactive subtitles, so you can check the meaning of any word in any video, or save it as a flashcard. These meanings are contextual, meaning you’ll only see the meaning that’s being used in the sentence where the word appears.

The program also integrates video into each flashcard, so you can read (or hear) example sentences and watch clips of the word in use in other FluentU videos. You can also review saved words with personalized quizzes that include listening, reading, typing and speaking practice. By adding a lot of context to the words you find and define in your translator, you’ll be better equipped to use them in conversations of your own when the time comes.

These days, there’s no need to stress about using Japanese. Whether you’re practicing alone or conversing with a Japanese friend, with any one of these translation apps you’ll become a native Japanese speaker instantly—and have loads of fun doing it.

So what’s my last piece of advice?

Start speaking Japanese and make sure your phone is fully charged!