Start with the basics (and win early)
Japanese looks huge at first, but the beginning is simple: master the sounds, learn the two alphabets, and start speaking set phrases. Early wins build confidence, especially for beginners learning online for free.
Keep your first goals small and clear. Aim for 20–30 minutes a day. Focus on repetition, not perfection, and track just a few skills: reading kana, core phrases, and one small grammar point at a time.
- Pick a purpose: travel, anime, work, or culture. It’ll guide your word choices.
- Set a micro-habit: 25 minutes daily (timer on), 5 days a week.
- Build a simple toolkit: online dictionary, spaced-repetition flashcards, and a small notebook.
- Track progress weekly: new kana learned, phrases you can say, and minutes studied.
Hiragana and Katakana first
Start with hiragana, then katakana. These two syllabaries are the gateway to real Japanese. Skip heavy romaji reliance—kana trains your eyes and ears from day one and makes learning faster for any beginner.
Use printable PDF charts or mobile references and learn in tiny groups of 5–10 characters. Read them aloud, write them by hand, and mix them in simple words. You’ll read menus, names, and signs much sooner than you think.
- Learn 5–10 kana per session; review yesterday’s set before adding more.
- Say characters out loud as you write them to link sound, shape, and motion.
- Use a kana quiz tool online daily for quick checks.
- Keep a one-page PDF cheat sheet for rapid review on your phone.
Sound it out: speaking and listening
Japanese sounds are consistent, so listening early pays off. Mimic short phrases exactly as you hear them—this shadowing style builds natural rhythm and helps beginners avoid fossilizing mistakes.
Pitch accent matters, but don’t stress at A1–A2. Focus on clear vowels, steady rhythm, and sentence patterns. Record yourself, compare to native audio, and adjust.
- Shadow 1–2 minutes of slow audio daily; repeat until it feels automatic.
- Practice core phrases: greetings, ordering, asking prices, and simple requests.
- Use free online audio: news for learners, podcasts, or phrase videos.
- Record yourself on your phone and compare with native clips.
- Build a mini phrase bank you can say without thinking.
Build simple sentences fast
Japanese word order is Subject–Object–Verb. Start with sentence frames and add words like blocks. Learn the basics first: particles (wa, o, ni, de), the polite form (-masu), and the copula desu.
Keep it practical and repeatable. You don’t need complex kanji yet; write in kana and grow from there. The goal is to speak and understand simple things cleanly.
- I am a student: Watashi wa gakusei desu.
- I eat sushi: Watashi wa sushi o tabemasu.
- I go to Tokyo by train: Watashi wa densha de Tokyo ni ikimasu.
- Where is the station?: Eki wa doko desu ka?
- Please give me water: Mizu o onegai shimasu.
Your free online plan and resources
Here’s a simple 4-week plan you can follow yourself, fully free. Use online flashcards, learner audio, and printable PDF checklists to stay organized. Keep reviews short and frequent.
If you like structure, search for beginner word lists (N5 level) and kana drills. For reading practice, look for graded passages or news for learners. Download a weekly goals PDF to tick off tasks and keep motivation steady.
- Week 1: Hiragana + 20 survival phrases (greetings, numbers, yes/no).
- Week 2: Katakana + shopping/food phrases; start -masu verbs.
- Week 3: Particles (wa, o, ni, de) + sentence frames; daily shadowing.
- Week 4: 30 starter kanji (days, numbers, basic nouns) + short readings.
- Search ideas: “kana chart pdf”, “JLPT N5 vocabulary pdf”, “beginner japanese audio online”.
FAQ
- How long does it take to learn the basics at A1–A2?
- With 20–30 minutes a day, many beginners reach solid basics in 8–12 weeks: kana fluency, common phrases, simple sentences, and a small core vocabulary.
- What’s the best free way to learn Japanese online as a beginner?
- Combine daily kana drills, shadowing short audio, spaced-repetition flashcards, and one clear grammar point per day. Keep sessions small, consistent, and trackable.
- Are PDF resources useful for beginners?
- Yes. Keep a one-page kana chart PDF, a weekly goals checklist, and a compact N5 wordlist. PDFs make offline review easy and help you organize learning.
- Should I use romaji or learn kana first?
- Use romaji sparingly. Learn hiragana first, then katakana. Reading real kana early makes pronunciation, listening, and vocabulary stick much faster.
- How can I practice speaking by myself for free?
- Shadow slow native audio daily, record and compare, and rehearse mini dialogs. Read example sentences aloud and recycle them with new words to build fluency.