Start with a small task you want to do, such as greeting a teacher or asking where the station is.

The idea

Learn hiragana and katakana in small groups while listening and reading short words. Alongside them, practise greetings, は and を, and polite verbs in useful sentences. Add kanji with a word and its reading, such as 水（みず）. Return to material over several days, try to recall it without looking, and use it in a short exchange.

Patterns to compare
JapaneseMeaning
ひらがなhiragana: basic phonetic script
カタカナkatakana: another phonetic script
水みずを飲のみますI drink water: a useful sentence

Examples

  • 先生せんせい、おはようございます。Good morning, teacher.
  • これはわたしの本ほんです。This is my book.
  • 私わたしは日本語にほんごを勉強べんきょうします。I study Japanese.
  • 私わたしは水みずを飲のみます。I drink water.
  • 駅えきはどこですか。Where is the station?
  • 明日あした、友達ともだちに会あいます。I will meet a friend tomorrow.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not wait to master every character before speaking or rely on romaji indefinitely. The N5 label is an approximate starting level, not an official list of topics.

Try it yourself

  1. Ask where the station is. 駅えきの場所ばしょを聞ききます。駅えきは＿ですか。（どこ／だれ）

    Show answer or example answer

    どこ

    どこ asks for a place, so it fits a question about the station’s location.

  2. Complete the sentence “I study Japanese”. 日本語にほんごを＿。（勉強べんきょうします／勉強べんきょうです）

    Show answer or example answer

    勉強します

    勉強します is the polite verb “study”; 勉強です does not make this verb sentence.

  3. Say that you drink water. 水みずを＿。（飲のみます／読よみます）

    Show answer or example answer

    飲みます

    飲みます means “drink”; 読みます means “read”.

Use it today

Choose a greeting and a destination question. Practise them aloud, then write two kana you want to revisit tomorrow.