Learn Japanese for beginners — start free
Learn Japanese from zero with 12 free beginner lessons, hiragana and katakana charts, human-recorded listening and explained quizzes. Follow the seven-day plan or start a five-minute lesson. Your progress saves in this browser; no account is needed.
Start with one clear step
What should I learn first?
Start with the five hiragana vowels and a greeting. Add numbers and everyday phrases, then practise recall. The 7-day beginner plan gives you one short task each day.
Quick Japanese answers
- Till next time in Japanese: またね and ではまた
- Ga in Japanese: what が means and when to use it
- Japanese for 3: 三 (san), 三つ and 三人
Learning Japanese online: where to start
Can I learn Japanese online for free?
Yes. Start here with 12 free beginner Japanese lessons, kana charts, explained quizzes and short human-recorded listening exercises. You do not need an account. Progress is stored in this browser, so it will not automatically follow you to another device. Open the free beginner plan.
How do I start learning Japanese from scratch?
Begin with the five hiragana vowels and one greeting. Read and say a small amount, cover the answer, then recall it. Add numbers and everyday phrases gradually. The seven-day plan gives you one task per day; Week 2 reuses the phrases in new situations. See where to start.
Who are these beginner Japanese lessons for?
The guides are written for English-speaking beginners who want a practical first step. Each foundation lesson introduces three expressions and a recall check. This is an introduction, not a full Japanese course or a complete JLPT N5 syllabus. Find a guide for your next question.
About the site
The twelve foundation lessons introduce everyday expressions for greetings, shopping, directions and travel. The original JLPT-style practice is independent of the exam organisers.