Japanese looks impossible from the outside — three writing systems, a different word order, politeness levels. But learned in the right order, it's logical and deeply rewarding. Here's where to start.
Learn kana before anything else
Begin with hiragana and katakana — the two phonetic alphabets (about 46 characters each). They're learnable in a couple of weeks and unlock correct pronunciation and real reading. Kanji comes gradually afterwards; don't let it block you now.
Your first words and phrases
Start with greetings (こんにちは konnichiwa, ありがとう arigatō, さようなら sayōnara), self-introduction (はじめまして), and the verb pattern ～ます. Japanese grammar is regular, which is a gift for learners.
The grammar that matters first
- Particles — は (wa), が (ga), を (o), に (ni), で (de) mark the role of each word.
- The polite ～ます form for verbs.
- Word order — subject, object, verb (the verb comes last).
- i-adjectives and na-adjectives.
A realistic roadmap
Expect A1/N5 basics in a few months, building toward conversational Japanese. The JLPT (N5 → N1) gives you clear milestones if you want certification for study or work in Japan.
Japanese rewards steady daily effort more than almost any language. Small, consistent steps win.
Make Japanese approachable
Our Japanese course teaches a lesson a day — speaking-first, with live correction, explained in your own language so nothing feels like a mystery. Start free or see pricing.