me and my gf are trying to learn Japanese. any tips? the only tip I got so far was to… - Feed Post by omidaz

• 
  ciliath

  start by learning the hiragana alphabet, it will be a huge step into learning the rest :)

  December 7, 2012 at 5:28am
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  tamamiko

  try also watching japanese drama & listen to the japanese song.

  December 7, 2012 at 12:21pm
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  dondon

  try translating everything you see into their equivalent Japanese terms- e.g vending machine as じどうはんばいき, water as みず etc. if you don't know, note it down and look it up.. works for me, hopefully it works for you both too. :>

  December 7, 2012 at 10:29pm
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  bakanishi

  I learn japanese by myself, my tips ~ i watch anime and read manga, and practice japanese everyday.

  December 8, 2012 at 12:42am
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  Jadore_Violet

  Try and watch japanese films, anime, videos on you tube and listen to japanese music etc. learn the kana first and don't worry about kanji too much at first. when you can read kana and have acumulated a vocabulary borow some childrens biligual or pure japanese books.
  You can make japanese friends on the internet or meet up at clubs and exchange contact info.
  depending on your prefered learning style it may be worth investing in a text book (look for reviews online before deciding whats right for you)
  try and teach what you learn as this aids you memory and try to use the vocab you learn in every day situations.

  December 8, 2012 at 6:13am
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  Jadore_Violet

  I am curently reading and trying to translate japanese kids books into english. I borrowed them from the libary it may seem strange but when learning a new language you are kinda like a baby. learning vocab then forming grammer etc. also it is worth geting a pocket dictionary or a good dictionary app so when ever your out and about and think "oh i wonder how to say that in japanese" you'll have the means to find out sraight away rather than forgeting about it.

  December 8, 2012 at 6:17am
• 
  NumberTwo

  As others have commented, a good place to start is by listening to Japanese through anime, movies, dramas and the like. You also need a good grasp of vocabulary and grammar, however. Thankfully though, there are a lot of great, free resources for learning Japanese online.
  
  http://www.digitaldialects.com/Japanese.htm
  This is a great place to start learning hiragana, katakana, and basic vocabulary such as colors and the names of everyday objects. The drawback is that the games are not randomized, and quickly become repetitive.
  
  http://hiraganaquiz.com/
  Once you become more confident in you knowledge of the kana, try the hiragana and katakana quiz. This site was invaluable for helping me master them.
  
  http://www1.curriculum.edu.au/nalsas/explorers/japanese/index.html
  This site is really, really great. While it's not targeted towards the complete beginner, once you have a basic grasp of concepts such as colors, shapes, and numbers, the games and interactive stories will really help with learning Japanese vocabulary and grammar.
  
  http://ankisrs.net/
  A flashcard program I use for offline learning. You can download premade flashcard decks, or with a little knowledge of basic HTML, make your own flashcards. It also supports recording voice and playing back sound clips so you can become familiar with how to pronounce Japanese words.
  
  http://www.tofugu.com/2010/04/06/tofugu-100-best-japanese-learning-resources/
  While I'm not a huge fan of Tofugu (I find them a bit biased), they do have a very comprehensive list of learning resources. A lot of them cost money, but if you can afford the investment, they are invaluable. Tofugu's list of free resources is a lot less comprehensive, but still worth a look as they do recommend several social networking sites where you can find people who are willing to participate in language exchange.
  
  http://www.j-comi.jp/
  Read manga, in the original Japanese, 100% free and legal? Yes please! Well, that's what I said, but if you enjoy manga, then this is the place for you.
  
  If possible, try to find a person to set up a language exchange with (fortunately, i have friends who do speak the language, so I am able to get quick and dirty lessons every now and again). It is much easier to learn to speak Japanese than it is to learn to read and write Japanese. The benefit of learning to speak is that you'll already have a grasp of the vocabulary so that associating words with their respective kanji becomes much easier.
  
  Last thing: Don't give up if you don't 'get it' right away. Anything worth doing takes a lot of effort, and if you keep with it, you'll be really rewarded when everything does finally click into place.

  December 8, 2012 at 2:18pm
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  omidaz

  wow, was not expecting this much help. thank you all, me and my gf wish you good luck as well.
  
  can't thank you all enough. <3

  December 10, 2012 at 10:42pm