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By Namiko Abe
Guide since 1997

Guide to Japanese Language

It is always exciting to start learning a new language, whatever the reasons are. At the same time where to start is often overwhelming. I believe learning a language should be fun. These resources will help you to learn the basics of Japanese and make your learning enjoyable.

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Introduction to Japanese

Are you new to Japanese? Familiarize yourself with Japanese and start learning basic vocabulary and phrases here.

Grammar

Verbs, adjectives, pronouns, particles, and much more. Theses resources offer clear explanations of Japanese grammar.

Expressions

Learn basic expressions to expand your level of communication.

Useful phrases

Your confidence with Japanese will grow by using these day-to-day phrases.

Learning Japanese writing

There are three types of scripts in Japanese: kanji, hiragana and katakana.

Pronunciation and Comprehension

It is essential to hear a native speaker when practicing pronunciation. These resources include various audio files to help with your self-study.

Dictionaries and translations

Choosing the right words for a translation can be difficult. These resources give you an idea about what kind of a dictionary to get.

Japanese for travelers

If you need quick survival skills for your trip, try these resources. It makes your stay much more fun and interesting when you are able to speak with locals in their language.

Displaying Japanese characters

There are several ways to display Japanese characters depending on your operating system.

Fun ways to learn Japanese

I think the most important thing when learning a language is to enjoy it. You can learn from anything you are interested in.

Writing

By Namiko Abe, About.com Guide to Japanese Language

Japanese characters are very different from those found in western alphabets. You might think it is hard to learn, but I think it is the most interesting and fun part of the Japanese language. There are three types of scripts in Japanese: kanji, hiragana and katakana. The combination of all three is used for writing. Already confused? Don't worry; these resources will help you to understand Japanese writing step by step.

Kanji

Kanji are used for writing nouns, stems of adjectives, adverbs and verbs.

Hiragana

Hiragana is used for grammatical endings of verbs, adjectives and nouns, as well as for particles, and several other words of Japanese origin.

Katakana

Katakana is generally used for foreign names, places, and the words of foreign origin.

Calligraphy

Japanese calligraphy is the art of drawing characters with a brush to express spiritual depth and beauty.

Japanese Culture

By Namiko Abe, About.com Guide to Japanese Language

Culture is an important part of a language. Learning the culture makes a language more interesting. These resources will show you many Japanese cultural aspects that are related to the language. When you are tired of studying grammar, vocabulary etc., try them to make learning more fun.

Japanese seasonal events

There are many seasonal events throughout the year deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Manners

Each country has its own social manners. It is important to understand them especially when you visit a country.

Education system

Japanese education system is a little different from one in North America. Learn why with these resources.

Relationships with nature

Learn about how Japanese interpretations of nature has affected its culture.

Japanese baby names

These resources help you to understand the meanings of Japanese names, and provide a reference for hundreds of Japanese baby names.

Royal Family

The Japanese imperial family is the oldest hereditary monarchy in the world.

Movies

Interesting aspects about how western movie titles or dialogue are translated into Japanese.

Japanese zodiac

Unlike the Western Zodiac, which is divided into 12 months, the Asian Zodiac is divided into 12-year increments. Each year is named after an animal.

Love expressions

Learn how to express feelings of love and caring in Japanese.

Tattoos

These resources help people find kanji characters for tattoos.

Let's learn hiragana with Japanese culture

Articles about Japanese society and culture make hiragana practice fun and memorable!

Sports

Ever since the Japan Football League started in 1999, soccer’s popularity has increased.

Miscellaneous

Here are some miscellaneous topics to learn more about Japanese culture.