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Why learn Japanese?
Japanese is spoken by around 125 million people and uses three writing systems - hiragana, katakana, and kanji. Its grammar is highly regular, and its pronunciation is simple for English speakers, with just five vowel sounds.
In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Japanese is a Category IV language - about 2200 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Japanese forms its own branch - learners commonly study it alongside Korean or Chinese.
The 50 most common Japanese words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Japanese sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | の | noh | of |
| 2 | に | nee | to |
| 3 | は | wah | (topic particle) |
| 4 | を | oh | (object marker) |
| 5 | が | gah | (subject particle) |
| 6 | と | toh | and |
| 7 | も | moh | also |
| 8 | で | deh | at |
| 9 | から | kah-rah | from |
| 10 | か | kah | (question particle) |
| 11 | ない | nahy | not (negation) |
| 12 | だ | dah | be |
| 13 | する | soo-roo | do |
| 14 | いる | ee-roo | be |
| 15 | ある | ah-roo | be |
| 16 | なる | nah-roo | become |
| 17 | 言う | yoo | say |
| 18 | 思う | oh-moh-oo | think |
| 19 | 見る | mee-roo | see |
| 20 | 来る | koo-roo | come |
| 21 | 行く | ee-koo | go |
| 22 | 分かる | wah-kah-roo | understand |
| 23 | できる | deh-kee-roo | can |
| 24 | 人 | hee-toh | people |
| 25 | こと | koh-toh | thing |
| 26 | これ | koh-reh | this |
| 27 | それ | soh-reh | it |
| 28 | 何 | nah-nee | what |
| 29 | 私 | wah-tah-shee | I |
| 30 | あなた | ah-nah-tah | you |
| 31 | 時 | toh-kee | time |
| 32 | 今 | ee-mah | now |
| 33 | 日 | hee | day |
| 34 | 中 | nah-kah | in |
| 35 | 前 | mah-eh | before |
| 36 | 上 | oo-eh | top |
| 37 | いい | ee | good |
| 38 | そう | soh | so |
| 39 | ため | tah-meh | for |
| 40 | もの | moh-noh | thing |
| 41 | 年 | toh-shee | year |
| 42 | 話す | hah-nah-soo | talk |
| 43 | 聞く | kee-koo | hear |
| 44 | 出る | deh-roo | leave |
| 45 | 持つ | moh-tsoo | have |
| 46 | 使う | tsoo-kah-oo | use |
| 47 | みんな | meen-nah | everyone |
| 48 | とても | toh-teh-moh | very |
| 49 | 一つ | hee-toh-tsoo | one |
| 50 | 家 | ee-eh | house |
Useful phrases in Japanese
- こんにちは · kon-nee-chee-wah · Hello / Good day
- お元気ですか? · oh-GEN-kee dess-kah · How are you?
- ありがとう · ah-ree-GAH-toh · Thank you
- お願いします · oh-neh-GAI shee-mahss · Please
- 私の名前は... · wah-tah-shee no nah-mah-eh wah · My name is...
- ...はどこですか? · ...wah DOH-koh dess-kah · Where is...?
- さようなら · sah-yoh-NAH-rah · Goodbye
- すみません · soo-mee-mah-SEN · Excuse me
- わかりません · wah-kah-ree-mah-SEN · I don't understand
- 手伝ってもらえますか? · teh-TSOO-daht-teh mo-rah-eh-mahss-KAH · Can you help me?
- いくらですか? · ee-KOO-rah dess-kah · How much is it?
- また明日! · mah-tah ash-TAH · See you tomorrow!
Learn Japanese with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Japanese, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Japanese learning community
Collaborate with native Japanese speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
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Frequently asked questions about learning Japanese
How difficult is it to learn Japanese?
Japanese has three writing systems and a very different structure from English, so it takes time, but its pronunciation is simple and its grammar is highly regular. The Foreign Service Institute rates it among the most challenging, at roughly 2,200 hours of study.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Japanese?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Japanese?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level within 18-24 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 125 million people across 1 countries speak Japanese, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Japanese vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Japanese pronunciation hard?
Japanese pronunciation is one of the easiest parts of the language for English speakers, with just five vowel sounds and no tones. Pitch accent adds nuance but rarely causes misunderstanding early on.
How do I get Free Japanese speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Japanese alphabet first?
Japanese uses hiragana and katakana (two 46-character syllabaries) plus kanji; starting with the kana early makes everything else easier. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.