InfoCoBuild

Learning Japanese

This brings a list of online resources for learning Japanese, including grammar lessons, Kanji, vocabulary, useful expressions, listening practice, and video lessons to teach how to speak Japanese. And it also includes some links to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), which can help learners test their Japanese proficiency. It is designed to help learners easily find these resources to learn Japanese in one place.

Learning Japanese


Online Dictionary

Denshi Jisho provides an ease-to-use online Japanese-English dictionary that allows users to find words, kanji and example sentences by searching in many ways.

JapaneseDictionary.org provides free online Japanese-English dictionary service with over 25,000 Japanese words, each of which is accompanied by the English translation and the pronunciation (Romanization) of the Japanese word.

RomajiDesu is a free online bi-directional Japanese-English dictionary, a Kanji dictionary, and Romaji to Hiragana/Katakana Converters for Japanese learners. It features sample sentences, multiple radical lookup, audio pronunciation, and Kanji stroke orders.

Tangorin is a free online bi-directional English-Japanese dictionary with a fast, responsive interface that helps you search through over million entries with various look up methods.

Websaru.info offers Free Japanese dictionary with bilingual example sentences, online translate tool and quizzes, English to Japanese and Japanese to English.

English-Japanese dictionary at bab.la offers an interactive online English-Japanese translation service, which allows users to suggest their own translation for words in Japanese.


JLPT Exam

The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test is the official website of the JLPT, providing basic information about the JLPT such as test dates, contents of the test, sample questions and summary of results for the past tests.

JLPTstudy.net provides JLPT study stuff for JLPT levels (N5, N4, N3 and N2), including vocabulary, kanji, expressions, reading material, quizzes, and grammar points.

JP Drills is a free online Japanese practice site. Especially, it offers a set of free Japanese quizzes on grammar, vocabulary and kanji, corresponding to the JLPT levels.

U-big.org: JLPT provides free tests in grammar, Kanji and vocabulary as well as some example sentences for studying JLPT.

JLPT Study Material | MLC Meguro Language Center provides downloadable JLPT study material for the JLPT levels N5 to N1, which contains Kanji list, vocabulary list and grammar points for each level.


Hiragana and Katakana

Hiragana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is an article about hiragana: the set of hiragana characters, the history of hiragana and how to write hiragana.

Katakana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia is an article about katakana: the set of katakana characters, the history of katakana and how to write katakana.


Japanese Kanji, Vocabulary and Useful Phrases

Japanese-Kanji.com offers free flashcard programs that can help you review Japanese Kanji, test your knowledge about the Kanji and prepare for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).

Kanji Practice is a site which helps learners of Japanese to master reading and writing kanji. Kanji are grouped in sets of 50, and for each kanji, a brushstroke image and sample sentences for On and Kun readings are offered.

Learning Japanese | Yoshida Institute provides a Kanji study guide for people preparing for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT).

Learning Japanese through Kanji explains the origin, meaning, and modern usage of 200 Japanese Kanji, which can help Japanese learners enrich vocabulary.

Japanese Kanji Dictionary is a free online dictionary for learning Japanese Kanji used in daily life. This contains more than 3000 Kanji and provides the details and pronunciations of the Kanji.

Learn Japanese Language Free and Easy provides Japanese language study material for beginners, including hiragana, katakana, kanji and vocabulary.

LearningChocolate.com provides Japanese vocabulary learning material designed to learn Japanese words in an easy and efficient way, by using pictures, sounds and games.

Charles Kelly's Online Japanese Language Study Materials offers free web-based Japanese language study materials including Romaji, Hiragana, Katakana, vocabulary and JLPT exam and containing thousands of quizzes and flashcards.

Japanese Phrases for Travelers offers basic and useful Japanese vocabulary and expressions for travelers to Japan. This covers a wide range of subjects: greeting, accomodations, transportation, food, restaurants, shopping, weather, family, holidays, and more.


Grammar Lessons

A Guide to Japanese Grammar offers Japanese grammar lessons that can help learners build a solid grammatical foundation, covering from the basics to more advanced topics in Japanese grammar.

Teach Yourself Japanese explains the basics of the Japanese language such as hiragana, katakana, numbers, basic grammar and vocabulary, in an easy-to-understand way.

A Logical Japanese Grammar provides free Japanese grammar lessons covering basic phonics, word order, nouns, verbs, and particles in an easy-to-understand way.

Visualizing Japanese Grammar provides links to 66 flash animations of various grammatical structures in Japanese and 12 downloadable appendices.

JGram provides a Japanese grammar database that can be used as a Japanese grammar reference, grammar quizzes, and useful expressions for business email and social email.

U-biq offers free text-based lessons helpful in learning Japanese, featuring hiragana, katakana and Japanese grammar.

Japanese Language Free Study Material | MLC Meguro Language Center provides free study stuff, including worksheets, things about Japanese grammar, Kanji and useful daily expressions.


Japanese Language Lessons and Socializing Sites

NHK Lessons offers audio lessons with situational conversations, designed to teach useful Japanese vocabulary and expressions for everyday life.

About.com: Japanese Language is written by Namiko Abe who is a Japanese teacher and translator, and offers lessons and articles about the Japanese language and Japanese culture.

TheJapanesePage.com offers free audio and video podcasts, forums and Japanese lessons about grammar, kanji, vocabulary and Japanese culture.

Learn Japanese Free provides basic lessons of the Japanese language such as Hiragana, Katakana, basic grammar, and useful expressions.

Free Japanese Lessons provides free lessons that can help learners learn the basics of the Japanese language.

Podcasts | LearnJapanesepod.com provides a lot of downloadable audio files for those who want to learn Japanese in a fun and easy way.


Listening Practice

Audio | TheJapanesePage.com offers online audio lessons, songs, audio books, and podcasts designed to help learn Japanese.

Japanese Classical Literature at Bedtime provides free audio books of some Japanese classical and modern literature. Many of the audio books have e-text or links to e-text.

NHK News brings news videos about politics, economy, science, sports, and society from Japan and the world.


Video Lessons

Let's Learn Japanese (Basic I & II) is a complete collection of video lessons from a television course for those who wish to learn the fundamentals of the Japanese language.

JapanesePod101's YouTube Channel includes lessons that help learn Japanese Kanji and vocabulary for everyday life.

Videos | TheJapanesePage.com brings free video lessons helpful in learning Japanese language, including grammar, vocabulary, Japanese culture, proverbs, and Yuki's story.