Courses · lessons and practice

Japanese courses

The library is for looking things up; the courses are for learning from the start. Each lesson takes one family of patterns: how it changes, when to use it and how it differs from what it is easily mixed up with. Then you practise, and every answer is checked.

Courses

  1. N5 · 20 lessonsFrom zero to N5: Japanese sentence framesStart from zero: noun sentences, verbs, adjectives and the core particles, one pattern a lesson.20 lessons · 128 practice sets · 783 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 20 lessons
  2. N4 · 32 lessonsN4: saying things more completelyPotential and volitional forms, conditionals, giving and receiving, passive and causative, first keigo.32 lessons · 199 practice sets · 1230 questions · Lessons 1–4 freeSee all 32 lessons
  3. N3 · 30 lessonsN3: saying exactly what you mean「わけ」, 「べき」, 「もの」, viewpoints, concessions and written style: say exactly how sure you are.30 lessons · 190 practice sets · 1133 questions · Lessons 1–3 freeSee all 30 lessons
  4. N2 · 30 lessonsN2: written Japanese and careful speech「〜にあたって」, 「〜ものの」, 「〜からこそ」: read written Japanese and speak with care.30 lessons · 180 practice sets · 1013 questions · Lessons 1–3 freeSee all 30 lessons
  5. N1 · 25 lessonsN1: news, essays and formal JapaneseThe advanced patterns of newspapers, essays and speeches, with long sentences taken apart.25 lessons · 150 practice sets · 823 questions · Lessons 1–3 freeSee all 25 lessons
  6. N5–N4 · 15 lessonsParticles in focus: one small word decides the sentence「は」 or 「が」, 「に」 or 「で」: the easily confused particles, taken apart pair by pair.15 lessons · 91 practice sets · 597 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 15 lessons
  7. N5–N4 · 30 lessonsEveryday situations: Japanese you can use in JapanShops, directions, the doctor, renting a flat, your first day at work: understand, then answer.30 lessons · 206 practice sets · 1176 questions · Lessons 1–3 freeSee all 30 lessons
  8. N3–N2 · 40 lessonsListening N3–N2: everyday and work JapaneseAnnouncements, shops, calls, meetings and chat: listen first, then read the script. Twenty lessons each at N3 and N2.40 lessons · 242 practice sets · 1292 questions · Lessons 1–4 freeSee all 40 lessons
  9. N4–N3 · 15 lessonsKeigo and workplace Japanese: the right words for the roomRespectful and humble forms first, then the phone, business cards, email and customers.15 lessons · 90 practice sets · 512 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 15 lessons
  10. N5–N4 · 20 lessonsKanji N5–N4: reading and recognising 200 charactersOver 200 everyday kanji on cards with readings and words, practised without furigana.20 lessons · 120 practice sets · 701 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 20 lessons
  11. N3 · 20 lessonsKanji N3: 300 characters for notices, work and the news300 kanji from notices, work and the news, on cards with readings and words, practised without furigana.20 lessons · 120 practice sets · 701 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 20 lessons
  12. N2 · 20 lessonsKanji N2: 249 characters for news, society and expertise249 kanji from the news, society and specialist topics, on cards with readings and words, practised without furigana.20 lessons · 120 practice sets · 702 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 20 lessons
  13. N5–N3 · 30 lessonsGraded reading: from N5 to N3Emails, diaries, notices, stories and interviews, ten each at N5, N4 and N3, read aloud.30 lessons · 180 practice sets · 983 questions · Lessons 1–3 freeSee all 30 lessons
  14. N2–N1 · 35 lessonsReading N2–N1: essays, reports and opinionEssays, reports, emails and terms: twenty texts at N2 and fifteen at N1, read aloud.35 lessons · 210 practice sets · 1214 questions · Lessons 1–4 freeSee all 35 lessons
  15. N5–N3 · 20 lessonsCulture and everyday slang: the Japanese textbooks skipTitles, backchannelling, soft refusals, holidays and manners, then slang, internet words and Kansai speech.20 lessons · 120 practice sets · 680 questions · Lessons 1–2 freeSee all 20 lessons

Where to start

  1. Starting from zero

    Learn to read kana first, then work through “From zero to N5” in order, with a few characters a day from “Kanji N5–N4”. After the first few lessons, dip into “Particles in focus” alongside it.

  2. Your sentences keep coming out wrong

    Start with “Particles in focus”. Each lesson sets an easily confused pair side by side, so you soon see where you go wrong, and the practice targets the usual mistakes.

  3. Preparing for the JLPT

    After the N5 course, take “N4” and “N3”, then “N2” and “N1”, with “Kanji N3” alongside N3. Every four or five lessons, do a set of JLPT practice questions to see the patterns as they appear in the test.

  4. Reading more

    “Graded reading” has ten texts each at N5, N4 and N3, read aloud with a translation for every paragraph. After a grammar course, read a few texts at the same level to see the patterns at work.

  5. Living in or travelling to Japan

    Each lesson of “Everyday situations” stands alone, so start with the situations you need now. “Culture and slang” covers names and titles, holidays, manners and how young people talk, so you can follow the people around you.

  6. Working at a Japanese company

    Read the keigo introduction in N4 lesson 31, then take “Keigo at work”: respectful and humble forms first, then phone calls, business cards, email and customers.