Beginner guide Β· Free
Learn Japanese for beginners
New to Japanese and not sure where to start? Follow these six steps in order. Each one has real examples you can tap to hear, so you are learning from the very first minute.
π Tap any card to hear it read aloud.
Learn hiragana first
Hiragana is the basic Japanese alphabet: 46 characters that can write every sound in the language. Start here, a row at a time. Here is the first row:
Then katakana
Katakana makes the same sounds with different shapes, and is used for foreign words like γ³γΌγγΌ (coffee). Learn it once hiragana feels comfortable.
Your first phrases
Start speaking straight away. These are the greetings you will hear every day in Japan. Tap to hear a native speaker:
Manekkoβs beginner phrase decks show you the English and you type the Japanese, with a native voice reading each one back. Itβs free.
Count to ten
Numbers come up constantly: prices, times, dates. Once you know 1 to 10, the rest follow a simple pattern.
Start on simple kanji
Kanji look scary, but the first ones are friendly. Learn them inside real words and they stick much faster:
Practise a little every day
Ten minutes a day beats two hours once a week. The key is reviewing each word just before you would forget it, which is called spaced repetition. Manekko does that for you automatically.
Free Japanese flashcards you type, with native audio and spaced repetition, from your first γ to JLPT N1.
Questions
Is Japanese hard for beginners?
The start is easier than people expect. Pronunciation is simple and regular, and hiragana can be learned in a couple of weeks. Kanji take longer, but you learn them gradually alongside everything else.
What should I learn first in Japanese?
Hiragana first, then katakana, alongside a handful of everyday phrases and numbers. After that, start on simple kanji and JLPT N5 vocabulary.
What is the JLPT?
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test has five levels, from N5 (beginner) up to N1 (advanced). Many learners use the levels as a roadmap even if they never take the test.
Can I learn Japanese for free?
Yes. Everything on Manekko today is free, including beginner phrases, hiragana and katakana practice, and JLPT decks from N5 to N1.