Anybody here learning japanese?

[Nami]

Hey!
Due to corona lockdown I finally managed to start learning japanese. I was always quite scared because of the Hiragana/Katakana/Kanji, but it actually is quite easy if you remembered the first few. So I am actually quite hyped about it. Now I was wondering if anyone else has started learning japanese or if there are some a "long-time" learner? Do you have specific times/places where you learn? And how to you learn? Online, with textbooks or apps? I love to hear some J-POP during learning, it's totally not my genre but it definitly adds to the fun of it. I also learn in front of my PC because I've got the resources on it (PDF Scans and online resources). And I'd always make a little snack before I start to learn. I can't be the only one! x) Please tell me your stories/experiences and habits while learning japanese (or any other foreign language! I'd love to hear!).
I have to admit I took a day of yesterday after learning for 4 days straight and I'm quite scared that I will already forget what I have learned. xd
Let's encourage each other while learning!

EDIT: English isn't my first language so please forgive any mistakes~

[usagi-sama]

Hi Nami, I've learned some Japanese watching Japanese movies and anime. A friend of mine is an English teacher who learned Japanese and he is fantastic at teaching the basics. I used sites such as (you need an account to see links) and an app on my phone called Japanese Dictionary. It is a hard language to learn but hard work pays off. Do your best Nami!

[konkoct]

I found that reading was the best for grammar once you have a good base. Even if you don't understand every single sentence, you'll still have a good enough idea of the story and pick up on proper grammar.

[MKM]

Hello
I have been taking Japanese classes for 3 years now, so mostly of what I learn is in the class. But a lot of vocabulary can be learnt by hearing the news or watching anime in Japanese. Manga and Anime are great to better understand the use of informal dialogue (in classes we mostly use the formal one).
You can also look for Japanese books for children to train the reading. You will learn a lot by reading and writing as well. Why children books? They only have the most basic kanji, so they are perfect to start. If you want to read manga, but don’t know a lot of kanji, try to look for the ones that have furigana.
For apps, I recommend you Drops: Play with your words. It is also a nice way to learn vocabulary.
Would say that retaining vocabulary is the most difficult thing, but you can get there by writing them a few times and make use of them in any context (starting with writing compositions and then speech).
And good luck with the grammar. It has some similarities with my mother tongue, so I am quite ok. But for some people it is hell.

Actually, during the quarantine I am taking a 5 weeks online course of Chinese
It is good to take our time to learn stuff, isn't it? Trying to see the bright side of things.

Good luck and feel free to pm me.

[Nami]

Hi Nami, I've learned some Japanese watching Japanese movies and anime. A friend of mine is an English teacher who learned Japanese and he is fantastic at teaching the basics. I used sites such as (you need an account to see links) and an app on my phone called Japanese Dictionary. It is a hard language to learn but hard work pays off. Do your best Nami!

Thank you very much! That's nice if you have a teacher who's good in explaining. I'll check out the website and app. I also watch Anime with Subtitles but have read somewhere that the pronounciation is very wrong due to it being comic. Do your best too!

I found that reading was the best for grammar once you have a good base. Even if you don't understand every single sentence, you'll still have a good enough idea of the story and pick up on proper grammar.

Yeah, I already learned Hiragana and a little bit of Katakana and that alone is enough to understand a few simple things. It's super nice! I also try to write everything in Hiragana/Katakana just so I can remember them easier. I've also read that japanese grammer is quite easy since they are omitting a lot.

Hello
I have been taking Japanese classes for 3 years now, so mostly of what I learn is in the class. But a lot of vocabulary can be learnt by hearing the news or watching anime in Japanese. Manga and Anime are great to better understand the use of informal dialogue (in classes we mostly use the formal one).
You can also look for Japanese books for children to train the reading. You will learn a lot by reading and writing as well. Why children books? They only have the most basic kanji, so they are perfect to start. If you want to read manga, but don’t know a lot of kanji, try to look for the ones that have furigana.
For apps, I recommend you Drops: Play with your words. It is also a nice way to learn vocabulary.
Would say that retaining vocabulary is the most difficult thing, but you can get there by writing them a few times and make use of them in any context (starting with writing compositions and then speech).
And good luck with the grammar. It has some similarities with my mother tongue, so I am quite ok. But for some people it is hell.

Actually, during the quarantine I am taking a 5 weeks online course of Chinese
It is good to take our time to learn stuff, isn't it? Trying to see the bright side of things.

Good luck and feel free to pm me.

Wow that is so awesome! How do you feel after 3 years of learning japanese? Do you think you have advanced well or were you quite stuck at some points? I've heard that a lot of people get stuck later because of the amount of Kanji they need to learn so they move forward very little. I'm quite afraid it might happen to me aswelll.
I'm a huge anime fan, so that is where my basic vocabulary is from. I wanted to start reading Manga once I'm fluent in at least Hira-/Katakana so I don't need to look up every character. Would you recommend to also learn a few basic kanjis before starting to read books? Thanks for the tip with the children books, would've never thought about that!
I often write down the vocabulary doubled and then enter them again in anki so I can remember the Kanas better, but I guess I'll continue then! Vocabulary was always the hardest for me, because I'm just too lazy to learn them every day. xD

Wow Chinese is also very interesting! But it consists only of Kanji if I'm right? And now I'm interested what your mother tounge is. If it goes well with learning japanese, I thought of starting another asian language but that's far in the future! xD
And yes it definitly is a good thing, we can't do anything either so why not having a good time while getting smarter!

[MKM]

@(you need an account to see links)
For me, the worst is speaking and reading out loud.
It is pretty easy to understand a text when you know kanji, but since a kanji can have more than one reading, I am never sure which one to use. (I am not referring to Kun-yomi or On-yomi. Even inside this two some kanji have more than one reading.)
Clarification: Kun-yomi-> Japanese reading; On-yomi-> Chinese reading (this is a rough explanation)

In classes, we use books from Japan Foundation, the Marugoto ones. They introduce us to kanji with the vocabulary we learn in each lesson.
But we also use the two volumes of the Basic Kanji Book. Each volume has 500 kanji more or less. You can easily find the pdf available online if you want to check it.
For personal use, I bought a kanji dictionary. Dictionaries are the best. You can search the kanji by its radical which its pretty fast and have several examples in what ways you can use the kanji.
And the app Takoboto is good and easy to use (also available trough the browser). You can look up vocabulary, search for kanji, but the best part is to see the conjugated forms of the verbs when you have doubts (and also has examples).

So first, learn hiragana and katakana really well. For kanji, learn the most basic ones, like the weekdays and so on, is helpful. It will be easier for you in the next steps

Indeed! I love studying.
I bet it will go well for you

[konkoct]

I've never tried language exchange meetups before (not that I'd recommend that during these times...) but has anyone found success in them?

[Nami]

@(you need an account to see links)
For me, the worst is speaking and reading out loud.
It is pretty easy to understand a text when you know kanji, but since a kanji can have more than one reading, I am never sure which one to use. (I am not referring to Kun-yomi or On-yomi. Even inside this two some kanji have more than one reading.)
Clarification: Kun-yomi-> Japanese reading; On-yomi-> Chinese reading (this is a rough explanation)

In classes, we use books from Japan Foundation, the Marugoto ones. They introduce us to kanji with the vocabulary we learn in each lesson.
But we also use the two volumes of the Basic Kanji Book. Each volume has 500 kanji more or less. You can easily find the pdf available online if you want to check it.
For personal use, I bought a kanji dictionary. Dictionaries are the best. You can search the kanji by its radical which its pretty fast and have several examples in what ways you can use the kanji.
And the app Takoboto is good and easy to use (also available trough the browser). You can look up vocabulary, search for kanji, but the best part is to see the conjugated forms of the verbs when you have doubts (and also has examples).

So first, learn hiragana and katakana really well. For kanji, learn the most basic ones, like the weekdays and so on, is helpful. It will be easier for you in the next steps

Indeed! I love studying.
I bet it will go well for you

I'm afraid that'll be my problem, too. I try to get the pronounciation right but the high and low pitched tones are quite hard to learn so I put that aside and focus on writing now. I may look that I get my hands on some audio training. And it's not like I can ask my friends or boyfriend to practice with me as with English since nobody else speaks japanese.
Thanks for the recommendations! I was planning on learning Kanji like they would be asked in the NLPT tests, but I'll look up those pdfs. It's easier for me to rely on information in books tbh! I'll check out the app also, sounds exactly like what I need! As for the dictionary, I imagine it being really messy with all those Kanjis/Furigana etc. Radicals were the "main strokes" of each Kanji, weren't they?

Thank you! It's really nice to get all those tips from someone with experience. <3 Be sure that I'll PM you if I get stuck at something! xD

I've never tried language exchange meetups before (not that I'd recommend that during these times...) but has anyone found success in them?

I haven't tried them either tbh, but I can imagine that it's funny. But idk if you'd really learn something except for the right pronounciation.

[MKM]

@(you need an account to see links)
Everybody has their preferences in what books/materials to use, find yours and you will be OK.
Guess saying the radical is the "main strokes" is a way to put it, yes.
I have yet to take a JLPT. Since they are always on the same dates as college exams, I have never did one (but I want to!).
Welcome to this long journey, a tough one, but it is worth it.
Feel free to pm me anytime

@(you need an account to see links)
In a normal situation, we have meetings arranged by the professors with Japanese students that are in the city learning Portuguese (my mother tongue).
It's nice to put in practice what you learn in classes in a more verbal way, besides the dialogues done in class (talking to a native is a whole different level). And practising by writing or by talking draws attention to different aspects of the foreign language. In Japanese, some sounds can be omitted when talking.
You may say it is funny (if you know the vocabulary you need xD ).

[Nami]

@(you need an account to see links)
Without quotes it's so much easier. xD
Yes, when all this is over I'll go to our local book shop and look through a few dictionaries/books, if it clicks with me I'll buy one.
I feel like the JLPT are a good way for me (as a self-learner) to test myself, I haven't looked when they are, but I guess End of this year/Start of the next year is where I put my goal for now!
Thank you again for your help!