75 lessons · 1 Start Guide · 74 task-focused lessons
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10 lessons
Begin with the Start Guide, sounds, writing systems, first phrases, and ways to ask for repetition or clarification.
Start learning Japanese by choosing one immediate real-life task, opening the right beginner route, and practicing one useful exchange.
Can-do: Choose one immediate Japanese need, select a route, and open its first useful lesson.
Learn how hiragana, katakana, and kanji share one Japanese message, what job each script often does, and how to sort one mixed sign.
Can-do: Identify the hiragana, katakana, and kanji parts of one mixed Japanese word or message.
Use a 46-character hiragana chart as a five-vowel sound map, add one row at a time, and read short Japanese words without relying on romaji.
Can-do: Read the five vowel hiragana and identify the main sound rows.
Use the 46-character katakana chart with sounds you know, read common loanwords in Japanese sound units, and spot the long-vowel mark on real signs.
Can-do: Recognize common katakana words on menus and signs.
Start Japanese pronunciation with five stable vowels and visible timing positions. Use コーヒー to find a missing long sound before judging your whole accent.
Can-do: Pronounce the five Japanese vowels and hear the difference made by sound length.
Choose Japanese greetings by time, place, and relationship. Start with morning, daytime, and evening, then learn the likely reply and common work or home routines.
Can-do: Choose an appropriate Japanese greeting for the time and relationship.
Build a short Japanese self-introduction with four parts: a first-meeting greeting, your name, one relevant fact, and a closing that leaves room for a reply.
Can-do: Give a 20-second Japanese self-introduction.
Learn what arigatou means and choose among seven everyday thank-you forms by relationship, role, and timing, with one clear reply.
Can-do: Thank someone in casual and polite everyday situations.
Learn how sumimasen gets attention, makes an everyday apology, or acknowledges someone's effort, then choose the next move from the reply.
Can-do: Use sumimasen to get attention, make a small apology, or acknowledge another person's effort.
Learn how to ask for slower speech in Japanese, request one repetition or name the missing part, and confirm one recovered word, number, or place.
Can-do: Ask a speaker to slow down or repeat, then confirm one recovered detail without ending the conversation.
65 lessons
Handle daily life, official forms and appointments, work, and core grammar through one practical Can-do at a time.
Say kore wa ikura desu ka, identify one item, confirm the yen amount you hear, and decide whether the price fits your budget.
Can-do: Ask one item's price, confirm the yen amount, and use it to make a budget decision.
Use 20 Japanese shopping phrases in store order: find an item, check stock or size, try it, then either leave politely or choose, pay, and answer a checkout question.
Can-do: Move through a simple store interaction from finding an item to paying.
Choose kore, sore, or are from the current speaker's position as the scene changes, then use kono, sono, or ano before a noun.
Can-do: Point to nearby and distant objects with the correct Japanese demonstrative.
Order a menu item and quantity in Japanese, listen to the staff repeat-back, add or correct one detail, and ask for the check after the meal.
Can-do: Order a menu item, quantity, and drink, then ask for the check.
Learn 25 Japanese restaurant phrases by stage—entrance, table, service, and payment—and recognize common staff questions without memorizing one fixed script.
Can-do: Handle common restaurant questions from arrival through payment.
Use food allergy Japanese phrases to name an allergen, ask separately about ingredients and shared preparation, treat checks as pending, and decline when facts remain unknown.
Can-do: State a food allergy, ask about ingredients and shared preparation as separate facts, and decide whether to order from the restaurant's current answer.
Ask for directions in Japanese by naming a destination, catching one direction and landmark, confirming the first step, and moving without guessing the full route.
Can-do: Ask where a destination is and confirm the first route step.
Use Japanese train phrases to ask for the current platform and transfer point, repeat both details, and follow the live departure sign when service changes.
Can-do: Find the right platform and ask where to transfer.
Ask whether a specific train goes to your destination, listen for a direct yes or no and a transfer instruction, repeat the next action, and decide whether to board or wait.
Can-do: Confirm a train's destination and recognize when a transfer is required.
Recognize Japanese convenience-store questions from the checkout stage, the object being indicated, and a key word, then answer each choice briefly.
Can-do: Answer common convenience-store checkout questions with short responses.
Check in at a Japanese hotel by showing the reservation, giving the exact booking name, waiting for staff confirmation, and asking one facility or room question.
Can-do: Check in and make one clear request at a hotel.
Use Japanese doctor phrases to give a symptom, location, start time, and change, show medicines and allergies, then confirm one printed instruction without guessing.
Can-do: Describe one symptom, body location, and duration, then confirm medicine timing.
Use Japanese emergency phrases to ask for help, call 119 or 110, give an address or landmark, report what you know without guessing, and listen for the next question.
Can-do: Ask for emergency help and give a simple location and problem.
Use Japanese workplace greetings when you arrive and leave: say おはようございます, use お先に失礼します, and recognize the reply お疲れさまでした.
Can-do: Greet coworkers on arrival and leave work politely.
Use a short Japanese neighbor greeting, give your name and location, recognize the likely reply, and close without blocking the other person's next step.
Can-do: Introduce yourself as a new neighbor and close the exchange naturally.
Understand Japanese topic-comment structure, particles, verb-final order, flexible word order, and why subjects are often omitted.
Can-do: Build a simple Japanese sentence with a topic, information, and final verb or predicate.
Learn how desu completes polite noun and adjective sentences, what it does not mean, and how desu changes in negative and past forms.
Can-do: Make basic polite noun and adjective statements with desu.
Compare wa and ga through topic, identification, new information, and contrast, with practical beginner tests instead of one rigid translation.
Can-do: Use wa to establish a topic and ga to identify or present focused information in basic sentences.
Choose ni for destinations, existence, and time, and de for the place or means of an action, with paired real-life examples.
Can-do: Use ni for a destination or existence and de for where an action happens.
Use the four core polite Japanese verb endings—masu, masen, mashita, and masen deshita—with practical time expressions and examples.
Can-do: Say what you do, do not do, did, and did not do in polite Japanese.
Use practical Japanese bus phrases to find the stop, board the right service, understand payment instructions, and confirm where to get off.
Can-do: Board a local bus, follow the payment flow, and confirm where to get off.
Ask whether a bus goes to your destination in Japanese, then understand a yes, no, different-stop, or transfer response before boarding.
Can-do: Ask whether a bus goes to a destination and act on the driver's answer.
Tell a Japanese taxi driver your destination, show an address, request a safe stopping point, understand confirmation, and state how you will pay.
Can-do: Give a taxi destination, confirm the stop, and complete payment.
Use Japanese at an airport check-in counter to show a reservation, answer baggage questions, confirm a seat, and find the next departure step.
Can-do: Check in for a flight and confirm baggage, seat, and the next departure step.
Report a lost item in Japanese, describe what it looks like, say where and when you last had it, and understand the next recovery step.
Can-do: Report one lost item and provide the place, time, and identifying details.
Understand basic Japanese train delay announcements, ask how long the delay may be, and confirm an alternative route or the next available service.
Can-do: Identify a train delay and confirm one workable next travel step.
Ask where and how to add money to a Japanese transport IC card, state the amount, recognize a balance problem, and confirm payment completion.
Can-do: Ask to add a chosen amount to an IC card and confirm the new balance.
Use Japanese pharmacy phrases to report symptoms and current medicines, reach the right professional, and confirm the exact product label or referral.
Can-do: Describe one symptom and confirm whether and how to use a pharmacy product.
Use Japanese clinic reception phrases to separate emergencies from routine check-in, complete forms, present current coverage information, and confirm the waiting step.
Can-do: Check in at a clinic and confirm the form, waiting, and language-support steps.
Recognize Japanese instructions during shaking, separate tsunami evacuation from ordinary after-shaking decisions, ask for the current route, and report hazards.
Can-do: Recognize one immediate earthquake instruction and confirm where to move next.
Recognize current Japanese typhoon and alert-level language, separate JMA hazard information from municipal evacuation instructions, and verify one transport or facility notice.
Can-do: Recognize one typhoon warning and confirm the current local action.
Use Japanese police station phrases to separate urgent 110 calls from consultation, report observed facts, preserve records, and confirm the police-directed next step.
Can-do: Explain one non-emergency problem and follow the next police instruction.
Tell postal staff where a parcel is going, ask about service choices, complete the required form, and confirm payment and receipt.
Can-do: Present a parcel and confirm the destination, service, form, and payment steps.
Read the key parts of a missed-delivery notice, identify the parcel, request redelivery, and confirm the date and time window.
Can-do: Use a missed-delivery notice to request and confirm redelivery.
Confirm a delivery time, ask for a short wait, identify the recipient, and close a simple doorstep parcel exchange in Japanese.
Can-do: Confirm and complete a simple home-delivery handoff.
Ask how to classify one household item, read common category labels, and confirm the local disposal method without assuming national rules.
Can-do: Ask which local waste category one item belongs to.
Ask when and where to put out a waste category, understand weekday and time replies, and verify the current neighborhood schedule.
Can-do: Confirm when and where one waste category is collected.
Report a water, gas, or power problem, give the address and visible facts, understand urgent instructions, and confirm who will respond.
Can-do: Report one utility problem and follow the provider or manager's immediate instruction.
Report a non-emergency apartment problem, describe where it is, arrange access, and confirm the repair visit without making legal claims.
Can-do: Describe one apartment fault and confirm the next repair step.
Ask factual questions during a rental viewing about size, equipment, access, and listed costs, then record what needs later confirmation.
Can-do: Ask and record the basic facts of one rental property viewing.
Tell city hall staff you need address-registration help, present the requested documents, ask about a form, and confirm the next counter.
Can-do: State the address-registration task and follow the staff's document, form, and counter instructions.
Ask for a copy of a residence certificate, state whose record and how many copies, and confirm the form, fee, and collection step.
Can-do: Request the intended residence-certificate copy and confirm the collection process.
Identify who owns one health-insurance task, show the complete notice and exact change dates, distinguish current qualification documents, and repeat the official next step.
Can-do: Present one health-insurance administrative issue and follow the official next instruction.
Ask where to write your name and address, clarify script and date format, identify required fields, and request help without sharing unnecessary data.
Can-do: Complete the identity and address fields of a basic form with staff guidance.
Tell bank staff you want to ask about opening an account, show requested documents, clarify a form, and understand whether another step is required.
Can-do: Ask about account opening and follow the bank's current document and application instructions.
Recognize common ATM actions, select withdrawal, enter an amount, identify a failed transaction message, and ask staff for help safely.
Can-do: Recognize and complete the visible steps of a basic cash withdrawal or stop safely when it fails.
Present a payment slip, ask whether it can be paid at the counter, understand the amount and deadline, and confirm receipt of payment.
Can-do: Present one payment slip and confirm whether and how it can be paid.
Ask which payment methods are accepted, state one method, distinguish one-time and split payment questions, and confirm transaction completion.
Can-do: Ask which payment methods are accepted and complete one supported payment.
Present an item and receipt, state the observable problem, ask about the store's return or exchange process, and understand the decision.
Can-do: Explain one purchase problem and understand the store's return or exchange response.
Make or confirm a salon appointment, show a reference, describe length conservatively, understand confirmation, and close the visit.
Can-do: Show and confirm a basic haircut request before the cut begins.
Present an item for cleaning, point out a stain or special concern, understand the price and collection date, and collect it with the receipt.
Can-do: Leave one clothing item for cleaning and confirm collection details.
Request a restaurant reservation, give the date, time, party size, and name, understand availability, and repeat the confirmed booking.
Can-do: Request and confirm one restaurant reservation.
Ask whether takeout is available, order an item and quantity, understand preparation time, and confirm what is included before leaving.
Can-do: Place and collect one simple takeout order.
Explain a vegetarian or vegan restriction, ask about animal-derived ingredients and broth, understand uncertainty, and choose a safer next action.
Can-do: Explain one dietary boundary and act on the staff's ingredient answer or uncertainty.
Ask a coworker for bounded help, explain what you tried, identify the blocked step, understand availability, and agree on the next action.
Can-do: Request focused workplace help and agree on the next action.
Ask when a task is due, distinguish a draft from final delivery, confirm date and time, and report a possible delay early.
Can-do: Confirm the exact due date, time, and expected deliverable for one task.
Report that a task is complete, identify the delivered file or location, mention one remaining check, and understand the manager's response.
Can-do: Report one completed task and clarify its delivery and remaining check.
Ask to discuss a planned absence, give the date, note the affected work, and confirm your workplace's next step without giving labor-law advice.
Can-do: State a requested absence and understand the workplace's next procedural step.
Open a basic phone call, identify yourself and the reason, ask for the relevant person, repair poor audio, and repeat the agreed next action.
Can-do: Open one phone call, state its purpose, and confirm the next action.
Repeat a work instruction, confirm the object, owner, and timing, state what you understood, and invite correction before acting.
Can-do: Restate one workplace instruction and obtain confirmation or correction.
Identify the child and class, report an absence or lateness, give a concise reason when appropriate, and understand what the school needs next.
Can-do: Report one child's absence or lateness and confirm the school's next request.
Open a short teacher conversation, ask about one specific concern, understand an observation or request, and agree on one follow-up action.
Can-do: Ask a teacher about one concern and agree on a follow-up action.
Introduce yourself as a parent or caregiver, name the child connection, exchange a simple greeting, and close without oversharing personal details.
Can-do: Make a short adult-to-adult introduction through a child or school connection.
Ask whether you can join a neighborhood event, confirm date, place, cost, and what to bring, then accept one simple volunteer task.
Can-do: Confirm the practical details of one community event and join appropriately.
State a practical problem at a community consultation desk, ask about language support, show the relevant notice, and confirm the referral.
Can-do: Explain one practical problem and follow a confirmed referral to the right support.
