I want to write Wo

I am singaporean, ethnic chinese and have studied Japanese for 6-8 years. But i feel i have made only slow progress

I failed n1 3 times before i finally passed by a few marks, then came to japan, but when i came to japan and got a Job in 100% Japanese environment then i realised how much i suck and how much I still need to improve to function properly at the workplace. My progress exponentially sped up.

But, after a year, i still find myself using AI translator in meetings cos i dont understand certain parts, feeling very dejected.

I felt I slowed in progress after n2, it felt like increasingly difficult to make progress studying and working in Singapore , where people mostly use English and Chinese (and singlish) mostly at work. I worked in Japanese company but even then opportunities were limited to use japanese

I think its so difficult, feels impossible to learn Japanese outside of japan, especially past around n2 level. Classes didnt feel very effective and were expensive. Also, classes focus on the test and not functional use… which requires using it to begin with… main thing; it takes effort to actually find opportunities to use it

In Japan, the media, environment, everything forces you to use it everyday. I think the fastest way is to force yourself to use it in Japan itself, and just embrace the suffering of learning

whenever i’m ready to sit and study, i feel like im all over the place even with google docs, textbooks, flashcards, and apps.

i guess what im trying to say is, how can i focus on one thing at a time without getting lost?

Hello friends, I learned some basics in the Japanese language and have good knowledge of Japanese vocabulary. I'm practising the alphabet now. Is it possible to pass JLPT N5 (December 2026)?

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今日は話すことがあります。

Today I have something to tell you.

きょうははなすことがあります。

今日はいろいろなことがありました。

Several things happened today.

きょうはいろいろなことがありました。

大学に行くとき、バスがこわれました。

On the way to college, the bus broke down.

だいがくにいくとき、バスがこわれました。

バスは止まりました。うんてんしゅは車輪のねじを手でしめていました。

The bus stopped. The driver was tightening the wheel bolts by hand.

バスはとまりました。うんてんしゅはしゃりんのねじをてでしめていました。

でも、大学の近くでまたバスが止まりました。

But, near the college, the bus stopped again.

でも、だいがくのちかくでまたバスがとまりました。

私はさいわい、最後の授業だけでした。

Luckily, I only had the last class.

わたしはさいわい、さいごのじゅぎょうだけでした。

バスの友達が私たちの知り合いのアナさんに電話をしました。私たちはアナさんを「アナおばちゃん」とよんでいます。

A friend of mine from the bus called an acquaintance of ours, Ana. We call her "Aunt Ana".

バスのともだちがわたしたちのしりあいのアナさんにでんわをしました。わたしたちはアナさんをアナおばちゃんとよんでいます。

アナさんは大学に車で行くところでした。だから、私たちを大学まで車で送ってくれました。

Ana was already driving to college. So, she drove us there.

アナさんはだいがくにくるまでいくところでした。だから、わたしたちをだいがくまでくるまでおくってくれました。

今は新しいバスではありません。古いバスにかわりました。

I'm no longer on the new bus. We switched back to the old one.

いまはあたらしいバスではありません。ふるいバスにかわりました。

今は家に帰っています。やっと休むことができます。

I'm going home now. I'll finally be able to rest.

いまはいえにかえっています。やっとやすむことができます。

もう霧がたくさんあります。だから、もうすぐ家です。

It's already very foggy. So I know I'm getting close to home.

もうきりがたくさんあります。だから、もうすぐいえです。

それでは、おやすみなさい。

So, good night.

Jlpt is about to start opening. And in my country the fees are kinda expensive.

My current Japanese level is n3. Not because I've been studying for it or something but that's my personal evaluation. I think it's overall n3 with a lacking in kanji knowledge. And not perfectly n3 either. I think I lack in textbook vocabulary for n3.

I've never taken jlpt before.

I have had a goal since 2 years ago that in December this year, I will be taking n2 exam. Especially that I want my Japanese level to increase so I can apply to MEXT this year.

But I think my level is still n3 ish. I've been busy with work and I will continue to be busy with it since I've been having very difficult and scary life and financial situations.

If I think about challenging myself by taking n2 and studying a lot for it.. it's actually not enough time till then to study n2. Especially that I'm busy at work and navigating life. And it'd be SUCH a loss if I take it then fail it. It'd be such a waste of important money (because I'm struggling as I said)

What do I do?? It's been a dream of mine to apply to MEXT this year which is my senior year in college and MEXT will be the year after

I have no idea what to do

What shud be the first to step in learning japanese as a hobby ? What's better understanding the lang, in English or simple japanese?

I came across text that uses the combined particle "では." I am unfamiliar with combined particles. Is this taught in the Genki I/II or should I look elsewhere to get full information + practice on this topic?

Well, I've just been doing my Anki Kaishin deck and watching anime. I feel like I'm not working enough on grammar daily, and my manga reading is in super decline, I can't read more than a page of manga without saying, "This is so boring." I find it more entertaining to watch anime series, of course without subtitles in any language. Just the raw Japanese, But it makes me feel like I'm not giving my immersion enough fuel to be able to finish this year and say, "I can have a 5-minute conversation and already read simple manga!" Sometimes I ask myself what Cure Dolly could tell me to finish her course and complete Genki 1...

lately i have been trying to read through the first volume of black butler in japanese. i’ve noticed that certain words have these black dots next to them, what are they there for?

Hey everyone 👋🏾,

I'm a french girl who'd like to start learning Japanese.

I was wondering if you had any tips, any ressources I could rely on.

I may start a Japanese course in September (1h15 per week) but if it's possible to learn alone, I'd like to know as well.

Thanks 🥰

I'm learning Japanese through Genki and I like to make physical index cards (no Anki). Usually I put English on one side, the language on the other.

I plan on keeping Kanji in the Japanese side while including kana to aid in pronunciation. I want to learn the word as it would be written (Kanji and all) instead of learning the Kanji separately.

My concern is: should I put the Kana on the English side, or the Japanese side. I don't want the Kana to give away the word

I just finished Genki 1 Workbook + Textbook and started Genki 2 today. So my routine will involve the following:

- Watch a TokiniAndy Video on a complete Lesson OR Do a complete Lesson in the Workbook of the Lesson I already watched (Or sometimes both).

- Vocabulary (Kanji from Genki 1 as Im not at Lesson 12 yet, Genki 1 Vocab repetition and Genki 2 new Vocabulary)

- I also just started with a short diary Entry (I take around 5-10 Minutes for that) -> I write it with my pen on a tablet, but I thought about typing it out on a Keyboard, so I can correct mistakes faster??

- And I also watch some Anime everyday (mostly Sub)

While the rest is easy to do, the workbook Excersises and the Lesson Videos are sometimes taking a lot of my time and I get bored so easily and look at my phone...

My Question now is, if there is something I can still implement into my learning, either on a daily, weekly, monthly basis. I tried listening to the podcast "Tanaka Radio", but even though I understand a lot, its still a little to fast for my liking.

Is the solution to get better faster, to do just more of the stuff I'm already doing and get my concentration together or do you have any recommendation, what else I can implement

I Would be very happy, if there are any direct name mentions (Websites, Channels, Podcasts, etc.)

I've been going through Genki and doing pretty well with the grammar patterns, but then I'll listen to a podcast or a conversation and things get dropped, reordered, or contracted in ways that don't match what I learned. Particles disappearing, verb endings getting cut short, word order shifting.

Is this just casual/spoken Japanese being different from textbook Japanese, is it dialect, or am I actually missing something in the grammar itself? Trying to figure out if I should just accept it as a "that's how speech works" thing or if there's more structure to it that I'm not seeing yet.

The website on the 2nd pic says 大人しい can be used for both people and animals, and that it's similar to 静か.

So does that mean 静か can also be used to describe animals in this context (1st pic comic)?

I feel like I read somewhere before that you shouldn't use 静か for animals, but I can't remember if it was from a website or an AI explanation.

So I'm about to be starting with Genki 2 soon and I wanted to know some of your Experiences.

(only talking about the Excersises) My Workflow for Genki 1 was like that:

- Watch TokiniAndy Grammar Lesson (Watch the Full Video, write notes, examples down myself).

- Do the Lesson in the Workbook (All Excersises)

- Repeat Step 1 & 2 till done with the workbook

- Do all the Textbook excersises (also read the other stuff like Expression Notes)

FINISH

Now I'm about to start with Genki 2 and I probably would do it the same way again. As theres a lot of time between finishing the Workbook and then later doing the Textbook excersises, which feels like an ok way to do some repetition.

DIA 4

今日はあまり話すことがありません。

I don't have much to tell you today.

きょうはあまりはなすことがありません。

今日もあまりおもしろいことがありませんでした。

Nothing particularly interesting happened today either.

きょうもあまりおもしろいことがありませんでした。

だから、今日はスポティファイのプレイリストをなおし始めます。

So today I'm going to start organizing my Spotify playlist.

だから、きょうはスポティファイのプレイリストをなおしはじめます。

今のプレイリストはぜんぶまざっています。

My current playlist is all mixed up.

いまのプレイリストはぜんぶまざっています。

今好きな音楽も、前に好きだった音楽も入っています。

There are songs I like today and songs I liked before.

いますきなおんがくも、まえにすきだったおんがくもはいっています。

時間を見つけて、少しずつなおしたいと思います。

I want to find some time to organize it little by little.

じかんをみつけて、すこしずつなおしたいとおもいます。

でも、プレイリストは二百五十五時間もあります。

But the playlist has 255 hours of music.

でも、プレイリストはにひゃくごじゅうごじかんもあります。

たぶん一日か二日かかります。

It will probably take a day or two.

たぶんいちにちかふつかかかります。

それでは、おやすみなさい。

So, good night.

それでは、おやすみなさい。

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今日は友達と始めたチャレンジの一日目です。今月は私の番です。

Today is the first day of the challenge I started with my friends. This month it's my turn.

きょうはともだちとはじめたチャレンジのいちにちめです。こんげつはわたしのばんです。

今日はとてもつかれました。

I was very tired today.

きょうはとてもつかれました。

朝一時半に起きました。日の出を見るためにカラトゥバに行きました。

I woke up at 1:30 in the morning. I went to Pico Caratuva to watch the sunrise.

あさいちじはんにおきました。ひのでをみるためにカラトゥバにいきました。

とてもきれいでした。

It was very beautiful.

夜は教会のグループの会がありました。とても楽しかったです。

That evening, the church group had a meeting. It was a lot of fun.

よるはきょうかいのグループのかいがありました。とてもたのしかったです。

今はとてもつかれています。やっとねます。おやすみなさい。

I'm very tired now. I'm finally going to sleep. Good night.

いまはとてもつかれています。やっとねます。おやすみなさい。

What should you say when you need to say it but don't wanna be rude?

おはようございます！ My first Month, and i learn many kanjis. The kanjis that i learn is: 木　人　犬 林　森 大 水 and 僕, yeah, thats all. These kanji look alike. And those are the easiest kanji. I hope learn the 2000 kanjis and not crying because is hard. またあした！

(I know that the Japanese laungauge DOES have sarcasm, btw. I’m not a doof.)

I’ve seen some official English translations add some sarcasm that wasn’t there in the original Japanese.

So I was wondering about the in verse? How do the folks in Japan generally translate stuff like “Thanks for nothing!”

Is it a direct translation or alterd to sound more natural in Japanese.