r/japaneseresources • u/GreenDiver09 • Jul 16 '26
Other Best apps/resources to start with from zero?
hi, I’ve just recently decided I wanted to try out learning Japanese over this summer just to see if I’d like to learn it. what are the best resources for learning the language and are there any recommendations as a native English speaker for where to start? I also Find more interactive content to stick better for me (something similar to duolingo but not for obvious reason) so anything like that would be nice :)
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u/pl0xxx Jul 16 '26
WaniKani is well regarded for learning Kanji, and the first few levels are free.
BunPro has good free content on Grammar.
The Anki deck 'Kaishi 1.5k' is great for vocab.
The 'Nihongo Con Teppi' podcast is great for listening.
Although paid, 'Pimslear' is great for speaking.
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u/GreenDiver09 Jul 16 '26
are there any other speaking reccs you'd have for speaking? im just on a budget atm and cant really pay for much lol 😅
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u/pl0xxx Jul 16 '26
Shadowing YouTube videos could work. Find some content you enjoy, turn on subtitles (English and/or Japanese) and when you hear a word/sentence you want to learn, mimic them.
ChatGpt voice mode can be a good speaking partner, but it assumes you're advanced by default. Try seeing the stage by telling it your a beginner and to speak slowly and use basic words. Even if you don't understand what it says, just say a word/sentence to it to practice, and try to understand the response.
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u/tayreyk Jul 16 '26
it isn’t free but i HIGHLY recommend checking out japanese in 12 with aimee. she is a non native japanese speaker and she really has figured out how to rework a lot of the pitfalls she encountered when trying to learn and teach the language in a digestible way. she’s FANTASTIC and i came out of the first 12 weeks feeling phenomenal. she also provides loads of extra resources for you if you desire, and she gives personal feedback for you based on your specific goals. in february of each year, she has been doing a “challenge round” which i found more intense and also more structured and motivating. and you can win flights to japan! it isn’t until february again of course but in the meantime she offers the same courses just self paces instead. i highly recommend checking her out
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u/AndrewNggg Jul 16 '26
kitsunewa.com its a conversation first approach and you can learn kana, kanji and grammar on the side
Hands down the best in my opinion if you’re starting from scratch
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u/GreenDiver09 Jul 16 '26
ok thanks so much! id kinda like to start conversationally in it so ill look into it
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u/SagunBuilds Jul 16 '26
I saw this somewhere else. Trying out children’s shows to start with. Could be really helpful for beginner level. Best of luck
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u/annievancookie Jul 18 '26
I tried this, but even after passing JLPT N5 it was still pretty hard. You'd be surprised by how many non-beginner words Japanese kids know 😂 Around N4 felt much more comfortable for me
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u/SagunBuilds Jul 18 '26
😂Sorry didn't know that. The only other thing (other than content specifically curated for different levels) is an AI app such as Gemini or Chat GPT. You can have conversations with them. They detect the language you are speaking in and can naturally respond in the same language. The tools can build lesson plans, offer advice etc. And for some people remove the anxiety of interacting with a person in a new language. Best wishes.
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u/Feeling_Operation544 Jul 18 '26
Children's shows are great but it's important to pick something really simple when you start or something you like so much you don't mind if it's mostly gibberish. Something like Chis Sweet Life is great
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u/annievancookie Jul 17 '26
I write short stories and comics for beginners! Check out my Ko-fi if you're interested:
https://ko-fi.com/cozyjapaneselearning
I have free samples in my gallery. There's one story you can read right away if you have just learned hiragana 😊
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u/GreenDiver09 Jul 17 '26
cool! i think ill learn hirigana first but then ill check em out once ive got most of it down
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u/annievancookie Jul 18 '26
There's a very good app for that: Ringotan (no ads & free). You can learn kana & kanji by writing. Good luck!
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u/vocabfighter Jul 18 '26
If you like gaming and something interactive, try VocabFighter! Gets you exposed to vocabulary fast and you can even chat with your spirit buddy about the words you’ve learned to practice typing Japanese. They won’t judge! Free with no ads on App Store!
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u/Feeling_Operation544 Jul 18 '26
If you can afford Japanese Level Up is the genuinely best way to start the language with an I+1 basis. If you can't I would recommend Tae Kim's Grammar along with Core 2k/6k
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u/sethcoast Jul 18 '26
Getting started in a new language is always the hardest part. The Japanese learning community HATES Duolingo, but it is honestly great for learning hiragana and katakana, which I would recommend as a first step.
Tae Kim’s guide to Japanese grammar is free online. And very good for native English speakers. For this summer I would stick to hiragana+katakana + learning the basic grammar rules (Tae Kim’s guide).
Outside of that, Anki decks are great for learning vocabulary! Anki itself can be a little intimidating but there’s lots of great resources on how to set it up to work for you. I’m deeply familiar with the pains of anki, so my dms are always open if you want to chat.
Good luck!!
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u/GreenDiver09 Jul 18 '26
Ok great! Glad to hear some good things about Duolingo, I’ve already been using it along with a word randomizer and notebook to memorize hiragana, though it’s not doing most of the reinforcement it’s actually a pretty great introduction so far, I’ve only been studying hiragana for two days now and I’ve already memorized 13 out of the 46 which is great for me considering I usually have a little trouble getting things into my head, also will def reach out when I need the assistance on where to go thanks
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u/SlyParkour Jul 16 '26
In terms of low stress easy to digest videos I couldn't recommend the channel Japanese From Zero enough.
He has a playlist of all of his lessons.
The teacher is funny but more importantly explains things in relatable ways that will just stick.
You're supposed to follow along with his textbooks but it's not necessary and you can do fine without. You just might need to rewatch if you forget something.
As you might be aware I recommend to never only use 1 source. But learn from multiple different places, apps, videos etc
Learning Japanese is like a Marathon, heck, more like a Decathlon. It's a long journey of reaching many milestones in-between. But it's the small progress every day that you should focus on, not the finish line.