Learn Japanese from the alphabet to your first conversations

Start with the two kana alphabets, hiragana and katakana, then learn the 101 most common JLPT N5 kanji and the everyday phrases you will hear in Japan. Every character and phrase on this site has audio.

KaiwaGo is the free web companion of the Learn Japanese Conversation app. Everything here can be studied in the browser: charts you can tap to hear, stroke order diagrams, readings in romaji and phrase lists grouped by situation. When you want daily review, the app keeps track of what you know.

あ い う え おJapanese alphabetHiragana and katakana charts with romaji, audio, dakuten and combined sounds.日 月 火 水 木Kanji N5101 beginner kanji with meaning, readings, stroke order and example words.こんにちはJapanese phrases205 everyday phrases in 12 situations, each with audio and an English meaning.

A simple study path

  1. Week 1–2: read and write hiragana, the basic Japanese alphabet (46 characters plus dakuten and combined sounds).
  2. Week 3: katakana, used for foreign words and names such as コーヒー (coffee) and テレビ (TV).
  3. Week 4 onwards: kanji N5 a few at a time, with their on and kun readings and two example words each.
  4. Along the way: learn the phrases of one situation a week — greetings, thanks, apologies, shopping, travel.

Hiragana · Katakana ·Kanji N5 · Phrases

Japanese phrases

FAQ

Where should a beginner start learning Japanese?

Start with hiragana. Almost every Japanese word can be written with it, textbooks use it to show readings, and it takes most learners one to two weeks. Katakana and kanji come next.

Do I need to learn kanji to speak Japanese?

Not to speak, but you need them to read. The 101 kanji of JLPT N5 cover numbers, days of the week, time and the most common words, so they are worth learning early.

Is this site free?

Yes. All charts, kanji pages and phrase lists are free to read and listen to in the browser. The mobile app is also free to download.