Start learning Japanese

Where the language comes from

Japanese is part of the Japonic language family. It has used Chinese characters for centuries, while kana developed as ways of representing Japanese sounds. Modern text combines kanji, hiragana and katakana. The origin of kana does not mean modern Japanese and Chinese are mutually intelligible. Start with everyday spoken Japanese and build reading skills alongside it.

Writing and sounds

Learn the 46 basic hiragana and 46 basic katakana, then voiced forms and small combinations. A mora is a timing unit: きゃ is one, while きや is two. Small っ marks a pause before a consonant; ん has its own beat. Long vowels matter: おばさん and おばあさん differ. Katakana often uses ー for length. Romaji below is a bridge, not IPA and not a pitch-accent dictionary.

Your first conversation

Use こんにちは (konnichiwa), ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) and すみません (sumimasen). The written は in こんにちは is pronounced wa. Try わかりません (wakarimasen) when you do not understand. Read kana in short groups, then hide the romaji. Listen to the entire phrase instead of forcing equal stress onto each syllable.

Grammar to start with

A useful starting pattern is これは本です (This is a book). は marks the topic and is pronounced wa in this role; を marks many direct objects and is pronounced o. Verbs often come at the end. Learn polite です/ます forms as a consistent first register. Japanese often omits information that is clear from context, so a pronoun need not appear in every sentence.

Culture and a seven-day plan

Register changes with relationship and situation; observe how people introduce themselves rather than assuming a single etiquette rule. Names plus さん are a useful starting point for many introductions. Day 1–2: five kana rows. Day 3–4: the remaining basic kana. Day 5: five polite phrases. Day 6: small っ and long vowels. Day 7: introduce yourself, then review without romaji.