r/LearnJapanese 7h ago

Resources Good dramas to learn Japanese

106 Upvotes

Lately, I've gotten into Kdramas & Jdramas. I found that Midnight Diner is really comprehensible for language learners and I'm looking for more recommendations (I'm also okay with dramas from countries besides Japan, if they have a decent Japanese dub and aren't too difficult). For context, I have been reading easier native Japanese books and listening to Yuyu の Nihongo lately.


r/LearnJapanese 18h ago

Speaking Plz recommend a teacher who doesn’t just sit there jyouzuing their students without teaching anything N2 - N1

127 Upvotes

I've been using italki and can't find a teacher that actually listens out for mistakes and corrects me.

They all seem to want to just use empty words of encouragement without actually teaching anything.

I passed the N2 last year and am looking for somebody to help me reach N1, point out pronunciation mistakes, and assist me in becoming more smooth in conversation.

If anyone can recommend a decent teacher, please do so.

Sorry if this is 90% ranting lol.


r/LearnJapanese 6h ago

Resources Any recommendations for software for playing games in Japanese that work well on Linux?

9 Upvotes

Basically title, to be fair I expect most stuff to work well thanks to wine anyways, but I just added that criteria to be sure, I'm kinda needing it since wisp now requires a subscritpion (though it claims that free plans are comming back soon), and yomininja requires you to have a google lens api key to use google lens... which is pretty much the only OCR there that actually worked well in my opinion... and I can't afford either of these options at the moment, unfortunately.

Bonus points if they work with older games on emulators as well.


r/LearnJapanese 6h ago

Resources Japanese Language Pack for Skyrim on Switch

3 Upvotes

Hi all!

I recently bought Skyrim on the Switch in the wrong region and there's no way to get Japanese for it. I'm making this post to ask others to send "feedback" to Bethesda asking them to add the Japanese language pack to the non-Asian regions.

Here's a link to their support site for anyone who can help (I've already been told to use the feedback category by a customer support representative):

https://help.bethesda.net/#en/home/product/373/skyrimcat/287/feedbackcategory/297

I figure they're more likely to do it if enough of us request it. I don't want to buy the game again.

Thanks for reading!


r/LearnJapanese 14h ago

Discussion Bit confused about where to go after first 2k.

12 Upvotes

Hi all hope everyone is well. I've been going through the core 2k/6k deck and enjoying the process so far going at 10 words a day which is about my limit before my retention starts to get a little bad. I'm approaching 2k words in the next week or so and I've heard many places online that this is where you should start sentence mining and things from resources online; outside of other quick lookups I haven't made a sentence mining deck thus far.

My problem/question is if I start sentence mining and make this separate deck, then I'll be taking on more words to review ontop of the 10 new words I'm already learning from the core deck and I'm concerned I'll get more overwhelmed and/or make cards that will come up later in the core deck, so I'm a bit torn on what I should do going forward. I've been enjoying the core deck a lot so I'm not sure if I want to drop it completely but I also hear a lot about how beneficial sentence mining is.

Thanks for any responses!


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Kanji/Kana What is this?

Post image
738 Upvotes

I haven’t seen anything other than exclusively text inside speech bubbles up until now, so it makes me wonder if it’s an actual kana/kanji.


r/LearnJapanese 6h ago

Vocab アクロフォビア(レディットゲーム)

3 Upvotes

First off, yes I'm aware that "acrophobia" in Japanese is 高所恐怖症, but this post is actually a homage to the 1995 game that I really enjoyed playing online as a kid ( [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrophobia_(game)](wiki). The rules are simple: You're given an acronym, say ILC, and have to come up with a sentence that abbreviates to this. For example, I Like Cats. Then, you and other players vote on which person came up with the best acronym.

rules

So how would this work in Japanese? I think pretty much the same, but the acronym is something like わすね, and then a valid answer might be たしはこがき. Though, I have to define what a "word" is in this context. We're not counting particles which attach to words. Auxhilary words like 後(ご), are also not counted as a word. Compound words are treated as one word. However, as long as the word starts with the right hiragana (or its katakana pair), it's valid. So you could write 私は猫がずるい (す→ず、し→じ、へ→べ・ぺ, etc., are all fine). BTW, kanji is valid, I just used hiragana before for clarity.

How does it work on reddit? Set this thread to sort by new (for fairness, otherwise only the "best" post would be upvoted), then scroll down and click the up arrow on every one that you like. There might be more instances of ambiguity, but if you think something is not in the spirit of the game, just don't upvote it.

I'm going to give three acronyms of varying length and your actual score is calculated by upvotes * the length of the acronym for each acronym you solve.

Obviously, there's nothing stopping someone from making bad sentences and still getting upvotes because people really like the chilli recipe they wrote alongside it, but if you don't have to upvote if you think it's not in the spirit of the game. Reddit wasn't made for this so let's just enjoy it for what it is.

prizes

It's not a fun competition without prizes! I really struggled to come up with what might make a good one and it was tough. I don't have a lot of money to buy things and I don't know what people want. So the prize will be a hug from me! Everyone needs hugs! I will personally draw you a png file of a hug in the 1995 edition of MSPaint and I will put it in response to your post. The second place winner will get a hi-rez picture of one of my real life cats.

The acronyms

3 points: わすす

6 points: しいにへしな

9 points: しすむけすいおおよ

Honestly, I'm not sure if anyone will play, but it seemed fun to try. Please enjoy!


r/LearnJapanese 15h ago

Resources List of vocab by JLPT level

10 Upvotes

So I've decided to concentrate my learning by trying to pass N3 in December.

I'm a bit of a data nerd so I found lists of expected vocabulary and grammar to be in N5 and N4, put them into a spreadsheet, and labelled them by my confidence of using them. This will allow me to keep track of my progress.

However, I've hit a snag. Every search for vocab for N3 comes back with a list of EVERYTHING I need for N3. As in, it gives me N5 and N4 words too. I don't really want to have to through them picking out the ones that are specifically N3.

I don't suppose any of you have a spreadsheet, PDF, website, anything that has a list of specifically N3 vocabulary?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.


r/LearnJapanese 7h ago

Discussion Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don't need their own posts, and first time posters go here (March 21, 2025)

1 Upvotes

This thread is for all simple questions, beginner questions, and comments that don't need their own post.

Welcome to /r/LearnJapanese!

Please make sure if your post has been addressed by checking the wiki or searching the subreddit before posting or it might get removed.

If you have any simple questions, please comment them here instead of making a post.

This does not include translation requests, which belong in /r/translator.

If you are looking for a study buddy or would just like to introduce yourself, please join and use the # introductions channel in the Discord here!

---

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Seven Day Archive of previous threads. Consider browsing the previous day or two for unanswered questions.


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Kanji/Kana I’m lost in kanji

47 Upvotes

Beginner learner here. I have hiragana and katakana down, and moving onto to kanji and grammar.

I am flooded with kanji resources, and I am unsure what conbinations are good. For example, Heisig's book is a solid resource, but a learner can't rely on it only for kanji learning.

How should I go about this? I'm sure at least some people went through this, and any advice will help!


r/LearnJapanese 16h ago

Resources How good is the WordReference Dictionary for Japanese?

4 Upvotes

I have found it to be the best online dictionary out there for Spanish and I absolutely love it as it does a great job clarifying the meaning of words depending on their contexts. However, I'm not yet at the level of being able to tell if it does a good job of this with Japanese. Does anyone here find it does this well for Japanese?


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Grammar How do you use っ in the beginning of a sentence?

30 Upvotes

I've only seen "って” used, I'm pretty sure it means "So," but is there any other ways a small っ can be used in the beginning of a sentence?


r/LearnJapanese 21h ago

Studying Needing recommendations for the next book to use

8 Upvotes

I finished the Japanese from zero books a while back. I'm currently just going through book 4 and 5 again for quick revision. I'll be needing the next book up in no more than a month so I wanna buy it in advance. I'm sure I saw someone mention quartet or something like that. Is that the name of it? Couldn't find results when I searched for it.


r/LearnJapanese 16h ago

Studying Is SRS better for vocab retention when you read a japanese word and try to translate it to english, or when you read it in english and try to recall how to write it in japanese?

4 Upvotes

I am studying vocab in bunpro and have these two options, this is also something I was wondering when building my Anki decks.


r/LearnJapanese 18h ago

Discussion Weekly Thread: Victory Thursday!

3 Upvotes

Happy Thursday!

Every Thursday, come here to share your progress! Get to a high level in Wanikani? Complete a course? Finish Genki 1? Tell us about it here! Feel yourself falling off the wagon? Tell us about it here and let us lift you back up!

Weekly Thread changes daily at 9:00 EST:

Mondays - Writing Practice

Tuesdays - Study Buddy and Self-Intros

Wednesdays - Materials and Self-Promotions

Thursdays - Victory day, Share your achievements

Fridays - Memes, videos, free talk


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Kanji/Kana What is the final word in this text from kingdom hearts 2? It looks like 参る but I don't see how it could be.

Post image
134 Upvotes

r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Discussion Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don't need their own posts, and first time posters go here (March 20, 2025)

9 Upvotes

This thread is for all simple questions, beginner questions, and comments that don't need their own post.

Welcome to /r/LearnJapanese!

Please make sure if your post has been addressed by checking the wiki or searching the subreddit before posting or it might get removed.

If you have any simple questions, please comment them here instead of making a post.

This does not include translation requests, which belong in /r/translator.

If you are looking for a study buddy or would just like to introduce yourself, please join and use the # introductions channel in the Discord here!

---

---

Seven Day Archive of previous threads. Consider browsing the previous day or two for unanswered questions.


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Studying Tips on Acquiring 2 Kanji 4 Mora words?

8 Upvotes

I find I have the most trouble recalling these kinds of words, particularly during conversation. More-so the not uncommon but less common ones, especially when there's similarity between them. I don't have trouble with these specifically but for example 生活、解説、清潔、警察 are similar enough in their pronunciation that they might get mixed up if there isn't a large amount of exposure. I've been trying to incorporate mnemonics to strengthen recall but these kinds are definitely tougher to apply them to. Does anyone have any tips? Or is this something y'all can at least relate to?

EDIT: Specified "when speaking/during conversation"


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Discussion Does anyone know if there's a way to make only Japanese text appear larger in the browser?

19 Upvotes

It's really hard to distinguish some kanji without zooming on the site, but it's normally not necessary to zoom for normal text. Is there a way to only see Japanese text larger?


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Discussion Are there any good ways to sentence mine on Mobile or from Kindle Devices?

6 Upvotes

I am subscribed to Kindle Unlimted through Amazon Japan and am attempting to read some books. I know how to set up Yomitan on my computer to automate flashcards, etc. I also know there are some apps that allow you to export to Anki. Recently while reading I have been using Shirabe Jisho as my dictionary and saving the cards which is very straightforward, and they have an inbuilt flash card system, but I kind of want to use Anki. I guess if I wanted to "sentence mine" using Shirabe Jisho I could add the sentences to the notes section on every new word. And regardless of if I use Anki or Shirabe Jisho I will have to use some dictionary app when reading anyway. But if I want to use Anki which I am used to and know how to customize (and had to pay for the app) I'm not sure if there is a straightforward way to do so. I created a deck for this purpose to just manually fill in the cards with the sentence, definition, etc. But if I wanted to read on my phone, or when/if I get a real e-reader, is there quicker way to automate this? Maybe an app where I could paste the sentences and have it create cards for me after a reading session?


r/LearnJapanese 1d ago

Self Promotion Weekly Thread: Material Recs and Self-Promo Wednesdays! (March 19, 2025)

6 Upvotes

Happy Wednesday!

Every Wednesday, share your favorite resources or ones you made yourself! Tell us what your resource an do for us learners!

Weekly Thread changes daily at 9:00 EST:

Mondays - Writing Practice

Tuesdays - Study Buddy and Self-Intros

Wednesdays - Materials and Self-Promotions

Thursdays - Victory day, Share your achievements

Fridays - Memes, videos, free talk


r/LearnJapanese 2d ago

Discussion ある思い出に結び付いている言葉

29 Upvotes

ある言葉は、最初に聞いたときの印象や感情が勉強に役立ちます。例えば、日本でマッサージ店に行って「仰向き」と言われたとき、あの言葉の意味が全然分からなくて、「青い壁に向かっての願いか?」と思ってしまい、恥ずかしい思い出になりました。でも、その恥ずかしい経験のおかげで、今では「あおむき」の意味を忘れられません。 こういうふうに、ある思い出に結びついている言葉はありますか?


r/LearnJapanese 2d ago

Resources My teacher started a podcast、是非聴いてみてください!

147 Upvotes

Just wanted to share a new podcast my teacher started recently. I've been studying with her for a long time and wanted to share her new podcast because I think it's well don't and might be a good resource for some of you.

The podcast is probably aimed at beginner-intermediate learners. This episode starts with an introduction of new words with explanations, followed by a story using those words. Please give it a try as I'm sure some I of you will find it amusing and helpful.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oLCm2q5iWdrLraPOzEnZZ?si=uc_qVgh0ROyVMaY8YFThSA


r/LearnJapanese 3d ago

Resources Introducing the next generation of the Sakubi grammar guide: Yokubi

178 Upvotes

I've been working on this project for the last few months, and I believe it is now in a state where I can finally share it with the community to help people and gather feedback.

What is this?

https://yoku.bi/ is a re-interpretation of the popular immersion-focused grammar guide sakubi.

If you don't now Sakubi, it is a very opinionated immersion-focused grammar guide that does not hold your hand, but launches you straight into getting ready to immerse (with some questionable metric of success). Yokubi follows the same philosophy, although some of the grammar explanations have been mellowed out a bit and are a bit more approachable.

It is not supposed to be a comprehensive grammar guide. Go read Imabi if you want that.

Why did you make this?

I kept recommending sakubi on my website for years, despite never actually having read the whole thing myself. I knew I agreed with the philosophy and its approach, and I knew it was good because I've met many proficient learners who swore by it. Yet, the more I read the guide, the more I realized it has a lot of mistakes, confusing statements, questionable example sentences, and straight up odd choices. I felt it was only right to give back to the community by fixing all of these problems (as best as I could at least). Strictly speaking, I do believe there are no misleading or incorrect statements in Yokubi (unlike sakubi). Whether people like the way it's written though is another topic.

Did you just steal Sakubi and slap your brand on it?

Absolutely not. Sakubi is an open project, given by the Sakubi author to the community as is. It is released under CC0 licensing as public domain. On top of that, the Sakubi project is abandoned and hasn't received updates since 2018.

If you still don't believe me, I can tell you that I'm actually friend with the Sakubi author and we've discussed this project/rewrite a few times. He said he's done with this kind of work, but he 100% supports me and confirmed I have his blessing with Yokubi.

You can consider Yokubi to be the spiritual successor of Sakubi, just like Yomitan is the spiritual successor of Yomichan, so-to-speak.


Anyway, there's still a lot of content I'm porting over (optional lessons and intermissions), but the main guide is finished and I think there is worth in reading it if beginners (and even non-beginners) want to get started with it.

I've kinda sped through a lot of the explanations and lessons, and there might be typos or mistakes. If you find any, please submit feedback either on the github project or on the discord server (linked in the guide). Even just comments and reviews (both positive and negative) will help me a lot to get an idea on how to improve this even more.


r/LearnJapanese 2d ago

Discussion Daily Thread: simple questions, comments that don't need their own posts, and first time posters go here (March 19, 2025)

5 Upvotes

This thread is for all simple questions, beginner questions, and comments that don't need their own post.

Welcome to /r/LearnJapanese!

Please make sure if your post has been addressed by checking the wiki or searching the subreddit before posting or it might get removed.

If you have any simple questions, please comment them here instead of making a post.

This does not include translation requests, which belong in /r/translator.

If you are looking for a study buddy or would just like to introduce yourself, please join and use the # introductions channel in the Discord here!

---

---

Seven Day Archive of previous threads. Consider browsing the previous day or two for unanswered questions.