Japan is a country where people will always be excited to travel to for the first time and be equally as excited to travel back to the second, third, fourth, or tenth time. It’s a beautiful country with deeply entrenched culture and traditions, making it an exciting experience for any person.
One of the best ways to immerse yourself into the country is to learn a little bit of the language before you go. As English is not widely spoken there, this will assist you in connecting with the locals better as well as feel as though you’re not quite an outsider in the foreign country.
In this digital age, accessing the resources to learn a language is easy-peasy! There are literally hundreds of apps online that you can access tips and lessons with the tap of your finger via your phone.
Below we’ve listed the top 10 best mobile apps to learn Japanese online!
1. Duolingo
Most people would have heard about the Duolingo app. It’s a globally-renowned app that’s fantastic to learn any language, and is particularly popular for Japanese language learners.
If you’re a complete beginner, Duolingo is the perfect starting point. It’s also designed for intermediate/advanced users as well.
It’s a visually stunning app that places emphasis on learning how to use Japanese in sentences as well as widening your vocabulary. One of its greatest features is that once you’ve completed a lesson, a power bar will appear below it. The power bar will eventually deplete over time, and when it gets to a certain level, it will prompt you to refresh the lesson again.
2. Yomiwa
Yomiwa is an easy-to-use app that’s particularly useful for translating Japanese and learning Kanji. It’s popular for its ability to scan over a Japanese word/sentence in question and then automatically translate it into your native language for you to learn.
Not only will it translate it, but it will provide the meaning, correct pronunciation, and allow you to practice writing the word on the screen using your finger.
3. Learn Japanese JLPT by Coto
If you’re studying for the JLPT N3, N4 or N5, this is a fantastic app to help you prepare for it. It takes on the idea of using “flashcards” in-app to test your JLPT grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and much more. You can take your quizzes in both Katakana and Hiragana.
If you’re a little more studious, this is the perfect app for you. With all quiz results comes a proper and detailed breakdown of your results. This is a great feature for those looking to improve for future JLPT tests.
4. Mondly
Mondly is a standard albeit easy-to-use and popular app for Japanese language learners of all levels. It works fantastic if you’re looking to learn bits and pieces here and there, and if you’re looking for a study guide along your lessons.
Mondly offers daily Japanese lessons, a chatbot conversation simulator, audio guides, and tests that will correctly gauge your language level for further study.
If you are stuck learning the Hiragana and Katakana, you can switch to a non-digital method and try to display Japanese alphabet as much as possible at home. For example, this mug is very useful when it comes to learn Hiragana and Katana all day long.
5. Lingodeer
Lingodeer is a bit different in that it offers a more contextual way of learning a language. Through this popular app, you are likely to be able to learn Japanese that’s used in everyday life and applied on a daily basis.
Lingodeer provides flashcard content learning styles for vocabulary and grammar. Any reading lessons that you take will also come with an audio clip that provides the correct pronunciation of words. It’s no wonder this is a popular app for those at the beginning/intermediate language level.
6. Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese
If you’re looking for a logical and organised way to study Japanese or a simplistic way to review and strengthen your grammar and vocabulary, this is it.
Whilst this app is not known for its fun or aesthetic interface, it’s one of the most effective apps for those looking for structure in their Japanese language study. You can expect organised learnings, crystal clear explanations, and lessons on basic grammar.
7. Renshuu
Renshuu is a highly engaging Japanese language learning app that doubles as a game as well. For those who like games-based learning styles, this is a great option!
Renshuu offers in-depth explanations in vocabulary, grammar, and Kanji, as well as personalised quizzes tailored for your learning. Renshuu also offers customisable flashcards so that you learn at the pace and style you need.
At the end of the day, you can earn cute rewards as you level up with your language skills.
8. Anki
Anki is probably the most popular flashcard-style learning app. Anki allows you to import Kanji and/or vocabulary “decks” from popular textbooks or JLPT lists. It will then convert them into flashcards for you to study at your own leisure.
These flashcards can range from anything between just singular words to sentences to help you understand the context better. You can opt to have audio cues and images to supplement your learning too.
9. Obenkyo
Obenkyo is a great tool for those who like to learn through multiple-choice and writing quizzes. You start off with the basics of katakana and hiragana and advance through to kanji and extended vocabulary.
This app has been hailed as a great study guide for all JLPT levels, as Kanji lists can be displayed according to your level. One of the best features of this app is its ability to correct your writing form and stroke order when practicing your Japanese words.
10. WaniKani
WaniKani is a fantastic app to further your Japanese learning if you have at least a basic understanding of hiragana and katakana. WaniKani boasts over 2000 Kanji and 6000 words, and uses repetition to teach you Japanese.
This app is less of a contextual, grammatical learning app, and more for those wanting to simply learn Japanese words. You can freeze your progress levels if you need to come back another time, and reset your level if you feel like you want a redo.
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There’s quite a variety of mobile apps to learn Japanese here and we hope you find one that works for you! Learning a new language is always difficult, but the best way to go about is to find a learning technique and style that suits you and go from there.
Whether you’re all about quizzes, flashcards, or simple memorisation, we know that there’s one here just for you!
If you want more tips about learning Japanese, you can also read this: Best Youtubers To Learn Japanese and How To Learn Japanese With Anime.