{"id":106051,"date":"2024-03-05T22:06:03","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T03:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/how-to-learn-japanese-fast\/"},"modified":"2025-02-04T07:13:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-04T12:13:24","slug":"how-to-learn-japanese-fast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/japanese\/how-to-learn-japanese-fast\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Learn Japanese Faster [13 Steps]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Obviously, you can\u2019t learn a language instantly, but there are many ways to fast-track your language-learning abilities.<\/p>\n

I became fluent in Japanese even with a full-time job. What saved me time was knowing my goals, and then working through a series of clear steps to reach them. After the basics, it became all about keeping up the practice and doing plenty of immersion in Japanese<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are 13 tips to get you started on your journey to fast Japanese fluency.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Set Goals and a Time Frame<\/h2>\n

Why do you want to learn Japanese?<\/p>\n

Getting clear on this will help you prioritize what you need to learn.<\/p>\n

If you’re looking to take a trip to Japan, you need to know phrases and vocabulary specific to travel<\/a> and asking questions. If you’re doing business with Japanese speakers<\/a>, you’ll need to learn language specific to your line of work.<\/p>\n

These specifics will help you narrow down the vocabulary and material<\/strong> you need to achieve that goal.<\/p>\n

You should also identify a time frame<\/strong> in which you’d like to accomplish certain goals. For instance, if you’re tackling hiragana for the first time, try saying “I want to learn hiragana in one week.”<\/p>\n

However, it has to be something that’s actually achievable. A goal like “I want to memorize all 2,136 official kanji in one month” is highly unlikely to happen. It takes Japanese children 18 years to learn all of them!<\/p>\n

Instead, try for “I want to learn 15 kanji per day.” Way more reasonable!<\/p>\n

With a solid plan, you\u2019ll be able to hit the ground running and make progress right away.<\/p>\n

2. Commit to Specific Learning Resources\"Minna<\/h2>\n

Having reliable and engaging resources is vital for keeping you on track during your studies\u2014and they can also serve as a roadmap for you to follow.<\/p>\n

You can commit to studying Japanese textbooks<\/a> or audio resources<\/a> every day.<\/strong>\u00a0One great textbook for Japanese beginners is \u201cJapanese for Everyone.”<\/a>\u00a0It introduces you to the most basic grammar structures all in kana, and conveniently includes the most basic introductions and pleasantries.<\/p>\n

To round out your language learning, pair your studies with an effective language-learning app<\/a><\/strong>. Many of these have progress trackers and can recommend lessons based on your Japanese level.<\/p>\n

For example, FluentU<\/a> allows you to watch and learn directly from Japanese videos.<\/p>\n

Japanese Immersion from Your Device<\/h2>\r\n

I get it\u2013learning Japanese isn\u2019t always a walk in the park. But it doesn\u2019t have to be a boring, tedious, or hair-pulling experience either. In fact, making it fun is key to your success!<\/p>\r\n

With FluentU, you can learn Japanese naturally by turning any YouTube or Netflix video with subtitles<\/strong> into an interactive language lesson. I\u2019m talking about language immersion from the convenience of your device.<\/p>\r\n

\"FluentU-Japanese-video-on-youtube\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

You can even import your favorite YouTube videos into your FluentU account to learn from them using the app or website. Or browse our curated library of videos<\/strong> handpicked for beginners and intermediate learners. <\/p>\r\n

\r\n\"FluentU-Japanese-video-library\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

While you watch a video, FluentU\u2019s interactive subtitles<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, example sentences, images, and audio. No more pausing and searching for translations\u2014everything you need is right there!<\/p>\r\n

\"FluentU-Japanese-video-with-interactive-subtitles\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

It's all built to help you learn how to use words in real contexts. And as you learn, you can add new words to your flaschards<\/strong> with just a click! For example, if I tap on the word \u4e88\u7d04, this is what pops up:\r\n

\r\n\"FluentU-Japanese-vocab\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Learn even faster with built-in quizzes<\/strong> that reinforce vocab from every video. FluentU tracks your progress, gives you extra practice with tricky words, and reminds you when it\u2019s time to review\u2014so your learning is always personalized and effective<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n

\"FluentU-Japanese-vocab-quiz\"<\/a><\/p>\r\n

Try FluentU today on your computer or tablet, or download our app from the App Store<\/a> or Google Play<\/a>. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/strong><\/a> (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/p>\n

3. Learn Hiragana and Katakana<\/h2>\n

I highly recommend learning the hiragana and katakana writing systems before you start diving into learning words, phrases and grammar.<\/p>\n

Knowing how to read and say the hiragana and katakana letters will tremendously improve your pronunciation from the start. Romaji (Japanese words spelled with English letters) might help you learn basic words like “hello,” but it will get in the way of your speaking skills if you start to rely on it.<\/p>\n

Luckily, you can learn hiragana and katakana in a few hours.<\/p>\n

4. Learn Essential Japanese Vocabulary and Phrases<\/h2>\n

Now that you know how to read Japanese<\/a>, put your new alphabet skills to use by learning the most important Japanese words and phrases.<\/p>\n

By “most important,” I mean the ones that will have the most impact on your fluency progress\u2014such as the most commonly used words.<\/p>\n

You can find tons of resources with these vocab words online by searching for “most commonly used Japanese words.” For example, this resource from iKnow!<\/a> teaches you the most commonly used 6,000 words. Each webpage contains 1,000.<\/p>\n

I also highly recommend our master list of core Japanese vocab:<\/p>\n

The Master List of Core Japanese Vocabulary<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n