Guides, tips, and insights to help you on your kanji learning journey.
How the Japanese particle を works: why it's pronounced o, how it marks direct objects, why it appears with motion verbs like 歩く and 出る, when が replaces it, and when it gets dropped.
How Japanese counters work, the twelve you'll use most (個, つ, 人, 枚, 本, 匹 and more), the sound changes behind いっぽん and さんびき, and where the counter goes in a sentence.
What to put on the front and back of a kanji flashcard, single kanji versus vocabulary cards, recognition versus writing, how many new cards to add a day, and whether paper or an app suits you better.
Japanese verbs fall into three groups: godan, ichidan and two irregulars. Learn how to tell them apart, which る verbs are godan in disguise, and how to build the ます, ない, た, て, potential and volitional forms.
How to say good morning, hello, good evening and good night in Japanese, plus the set phrases for leaving and coming home, greetings at work, and why こんにちは ends in は.
What the joyo kanji list is, how the 2010 revision changed it, the 1,026 kyoiku kanji taught in elementary school grade by grade, what sits outside the list, and what it means if you're learning Japanese.
How to make the Japanese te-form for every verb ending, the 行く exception, adjectives and nouns, and the grammar it opens up: ている, てください, てもいい, てはいけない and てから.
月曜日 to 日曜日 with readings, the sun, moon and five planets they're named after, the one-kanji abbreviations on calendars and signs, and how to ask 何曜日.
How kanji mnemonics work: splitting a character into components, tying them together with a story, worked examples like 休 and 男, what separates a good mnemonic from a bad one, and where they stop helping.
は marks the topic and が marks the subject, but that only gets you so far. Here's how the two work with new information, question words, contrast, clauses and words like 好き, with examples.
What hiragana, katakana and kanji each do in a real Japanese sentence, where romaji fits in, why kanji was never dropped, and the order to learn them in.
How the JLPT N5 is structured: the three test sections and their timing, how scoring and the pass marks work, roughly how much kanji and vocabulary to expect, when the test is held and how to prepare.
ありがとう, ありがとうございます, どうも, すみません and the other ways to say thank you in Japanese, ordered from casual to formal, with when to use the past tense and how to reply.
The real numbers behind kanji goals: 2,136 joyo kanji, 1,026 taught in elementary school, rough JLPT totals from N5 to N1, and why a few hundred characters cover most of what you read.
The full katakana chart, what katakana is used for, how to tell シ from ツ and ソ from ン, the long vowel mark, extra combinations like ティ and ファ, and loanwords to practice on.
A plain guide to the 15 Japanese particles beginners meet first: what は, が, を, に, で and the rest do, why three of them aren't said the way they're spelled, and which ones get dropped in casual speech.
Why kanji have Chinese-derived and native Japanese readings, the rules of thumb for picking the right one, and the exceptions like 今日 and 大人 that follow no rule at all.
The full hiragana chart with dakuten and combination sounds, the look-alike pairs that trip up beginners, how small っ and long vowels work, and a day-by-day plan for learning it all in a week.
Learn the kanji for Japanese numbers, why 4 and 9 have two readings, how 万 and 億 change the way big numbers work, and where you'll actually see kanji numerals in Japan.
Compare the most effective methods for learning Japanese kanji — from textbooks and flashcards to apps and immersion. Find the approach that fits your life.
Looking for something simpler than Anki for Japanese study? Compare the top alternatives — from WaniKani and Duolingo to Daily Kanji and more.
An honest head-to-head comparison of WaniKani and Daily Kanji — features, pricing, learning approach, and who each app is best for.
Understand the science behind spaced repetition — how algorithms like FSRS schedule reviews at the optimal moment to lock kanji into long-term memory.
The essential guide to all 80+ JLPT N5 kanji — what they mean, how to study them, and the best order to learn them as a beginner.
Practical strategies for learning Japanese kanji using just your smartphone — turn screen time into study time with the right apps and habits.