The good reasons for learn Japanese there is no shortage of ideas: preparing for a trip to Japan, starting a business with Japanese people, communicating easily with a Japanese friend, or simply better enjoying and understanding manga.
The big question we often ask ourselves is: how to learn this language easily? First of all, you should know that there is no no miracle method that will allow you to master Japanese in two weeks .
However, here are some tips that should help you learn it efficiently and more quickly.
Start with the basics, the kana
Even if your motivation is strong, there is no point in rushing. For good learning Japanese , it is important not to skip the steps and to always start with the basics: the Kana.
Those are characters of Japanese writing , different from the letters of the Latin alphabet that we use in our countries. Depending on the transcription of the words, we can distinguish two types of Kana:
- The Hiragana
- The Katakana
The former are used to write grammatical morphemes and Japanese terms. The latter, however, are used to transcribe foreign words.
Please note that the effectiveness of your learning depends largely on your mastery of Japanese Kana.
Whether you take online or in-class courses, your training must allow you to recognize Kana, read them and then write them. If you have free time, you will only need at most a month to master them. Once this is the case, you can move on to the next step.
Japanese grammar and vocabulary
Learning a language involves mastering vocabulary and grammatical rules above all. Japanese is obviously no exception.
After learning Kana , go directly to the basics of Japanese grammar and the most frequently used vocabulary. Do not hesitate to consult books or use cards and cards to memorize simple words and sentences. And if you do well in English, certain applications like Mirai Japanese can also allow you to assimilate vocabulary more quickly thanks to quizzes.
Finally, Taking classes obviously remains one of the best ways to learn Japanese . But in any case, it is essential to follow your own pace. Above all, do not compare yourself to other learners. Don't try to go too fast. Take all the time you need, have a good foundation and you will see that everything will be easier in the future.
Now it's time to tackle Kanji
Kanji are ideograms of Chinese origin used in the Japanese writing system. These symbols, which have varying meanings, can be difficult to learn. There are in fact thousands of them. However, there are only about 2000 kanji used on a daily basis. To master the Japanese language, you must be able to recognize them, know their meanings, read and write them. Understand that this will not be easy at all. But if you proceed methodically, you can easily get through it.
Therefore, to write the kanji, we advise you to do it in the initial order. To help you, you can use cards showing the order in which the lines are drawn. This will make your job easier. For reading, also remember to learn each kanji contained in a Japanese vocabulary. Memorizing them one by one remains the best way to learn them.
Finally, never forget to practice again and again. If you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to join discussion groups or participate in activities. However, you need to know how to take the time to rest and let go of some weight. There are a lot of kanji to memorize and if you go too quickly you risk stressing out, which can be bad for your learning.