What is the best way to learn Nihongo (japanese)?

Question

i want to learn nihogo, or japanese. (long story) i know it takes about six years to learn ANY language, but i have a feeling i might just be stupid enough to add a couple years. i cant ever learn the easiest written alphabet, katakana! 0.o HELP!

Answer 1

The are some good books to start off with. They cover the basics of Japanese grammar and give you some understanding of how you should think when you switch to Japanese from English.
One is,"Japanese for busy people" 1 & 2
They are good for absolute beginners. Also I recomment "A dictionary of Japanese grammar"
It explains the most useful rules of grammar that you will make use of a lot in everyday conversation.
Another bit of advice, I would say get books on Japanese slang and colloquialisms etc. It's best to start straight off speaking a natural brand of Japanese rather than sound like a walking textbook when you finally come here.
Good luck.
It's actually not that hard to learn to communicate if you have the right motivation.

Answer 2

Read it and concentrate to it up to viable. Whether you are looking anime, JDramas, or Japanese dubs of your favourite adolescence caricature, concentrate to it spoken up to viable. Music is well too, however speakme and making a song sound in a different way, so it is not rather as most important. In phrases of studying, attempt to discover a few kid's books or handy manga to experiment your fluency with hiragana. Yostuba!& is a first-rate manga with furigana and in general sensible Japanese that I've been studying in recent times. If you are not able to get your arms at the bodily copies of matters, you'll be able to continually take a look at the piratey facet of matters. Aaaand due to the fact I'm definite that stuff it in general visible, I'll record a few web assets that I've observed rather priceless. And if you have not already, I advocate grabbing a textbook from someplace. Not as priceless as a whole magnificence (which I without doubt advocate if it is viable), simply going via it on your own can internet you a few particularly priceless terms/phrases/grammar/and many others.

Answer 3

Well to start off, I would suggest learning Hiragana, It is a cursive phonetic alphabet that you use in Japanese to write Japanese words.

Here is an okay site:

http://www.yosida.com/en/hiragana.html...

There are many more of course but that one seems like a good beginning point.

Next, you need to learn Katakana. This alphabet is used to spell out foreign words like

ice cream: Aisukuriimu (アイスクリーム)

and of course foreign names.

Here is the same site but with Katakana:

http://www.yosida.com/en/katakana.html...

Next, you're ready to learn some good basic phrases that you can use in common situations

Here is a site that has common basic phrases you can learn:

http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/japa...

When you have some basic phrases its really up to you how far or which way you want to go. My students sometime like to go really technical and get into the whole Japanese grammar thing.

Here is a good site to caiter to that:

http://japanese.about.com/blgrammar.htm...

Also, there are plenty of wonderful textbooks out there that you can find for really good prices.

Here is one you could buy:

http://product.half.ebay.com/japanese-fo...

It is called "Japanese for Everyone" It is a wonderful book if know Katakana and Hiragana already. It goes very very fast but provides wonderful example and It has truly functional Japanese. Not like stick up your butt Japanese that many Language Textbooks promote.

Another good Textbook is "Youkoso" it goes really slow and provides plenty of examples. It doesn't have quite the practicality of " Japanese for everyone" but it is a wonderful book if you are having a hard time learning.

Also, I would suggest buying the Workbook for Youkoso as well. It has plenty of sheets for you to practice writing and all sorts of activities.

If you want or need anything else this is my e-mail:

[e-mail]



Have fun and good luck!

Answer 4

Find a Japanese boyfriend or go to Japan.
Reading and writing Japanese is very hard. Speaking and hearing it is somewhat easy.

Answer 5

Either go to Japan, take up a Japanese-speaking lover and go to Japan, or take classes in college.

Ideally, taking classes as well as going to Japan would be best.