Learn Japanese
Learn Japanese fast with an app that gets you speaking in minutes. Build the confidence to chat with family or friends in Japan, or get by easily on your next trip to the country.
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Learn to speak Japanese like a local
Many people want to learn the Japanese language to connect with family members, prepare for visiting Japan, or simply because their interest has been sparked by Japanese anime and culture. But learning the language can seem intimidating at first. Its writing system uses three different scripts — kanji, hiragana and katakana — that often appear together in a single sentence to convey meaning, pronunciation and grammar. Spoken Japanese also uses pitch accent, where changes in pitch can distinguish between some words.
uTalk is the solution. We’ll help you avoid:
- Drowning in hiragana, katakana and kanji before learning a single useful phrase
- Relying on textbooks built for the classroom instead of real conversation
- Losing confidence because you have no way of assessing your Japanese pronunciation
Learn Japanese online today and start holding your own in everyday conversations.
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Three steps to learn Japanese fast
No classes to schedule. No confusing jargon. Just a clear path to learning Japanese.
Start in minutes
Subscribe now, download the app or open the web app. Choose Japanese and select your first category.
Get StartedPractise real phrases
Work through short lessons with native-speaker audio and memory-boosting games. Reviews focus on the words you find hardest, so you learn faster.
Speak like a local
Try your Japanese in real life. Beginners and more experienced learners can build practical spoken language and start enjoying real conversations in Japan.
Why uTalk is the best Japanese learning app
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise a wide variety of Japanese words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
Speak first
Practical content covering greetings, family, travel and everyday life. Everything you need to start speaking from day one.
Authentic speakers
Learn from real Japanese speakers, not computer-generated voices. Hear the language exactly as it's spoken across Japan.
Beginner friendly, fun and effective
Game-like practice builds your confidence and helps you explore the language at your own pace. Lessons are short, focused and based on real-life situations.
Learn Japanese online — Common phrases and audio
uTalk helps you learn how to speak and recognise key words and phrases. It's app-based, online and ready when you are.
コーヒーを下さい。
kōhīwo kudasai.
I’d like a coffee, please.
こんにちは。
kon-nichiwa.
Hello.
はい。
hai.
Yes.
はい、お願いします。
hai onegaishimasu.
Yes please.
いいえ。
īe.
No.
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結構です
kekkōdesu
No thanks.
お願いします。
onegaishimasu.
Please.
ありがとうございます。
arigatōgozaimasu.
Thank you.
どうもありがとうございます。
domo arigatōgozaimasu.
Thank you very much.
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どういたしまして。
dō itashimashite.
You’re welcome.
ビールを二杯下さい。
bīruwo nihai kudasai.
Two beers, please.
バス
basu
bus
車
kuruma
car
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タクシー
takushī
taxi
電車
densha
train
駅
eki
railway station
空港
kūkō
airport
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ホテル
hoteru
hotel
パスポート
pasupōto
passport
電話
denwa
telephone
すみません。
sumimasen.
Excuse me.
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何時ですか ？
nanji desuka?
What time is it?
もう一度言ってくれますか。
mōichido ittekuremasuka.
Can you repeat that please?
もう少しゆっくり話してください。
mōsukoshi yukkuri hanashitekudasai.
Please speak more slowly.
分かりません。
wakarimasen.
I don’t understand.
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ごめんなさい。
gomen-nasai.
Sorry.
トイレはどこですか？
toirewa dokodesuka?
Where are the toilets?
女子トイレ
joshitoire
Ladies’ Toilet
男子トイレ
danshitoire
Gents’ Toilet
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海岸はどこですか？
kaiganwa dokodesuka?
Where is the beach?
銀行はどこですか？
ginkōwa dokodesuka?
Where is the bank?
これはいくらですか？
korewa ikuradesuka?
How much does this cost?
クレジットカード
kurejittokādo
credit card
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ATM
ētīemu
cash machine
さようなら。
sayōnara
Goodbye.
鎮痛剤
chintsūzai
paracetamol
鍵
kagi
keys
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地図
chizu
map
左
hidari
left
右
migi
right
一
ichi
one
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二
ni
two
三
san
three
Where is it spoken?
Japan
Number of speakers
128,000,000
Language family
Japonic
Fun facts | Japanese
- Japanese has a colour, mizu, which doesn't exist in all other languages - in English it might be called sky blue.
- The Japanese compliment someone by calling them an egg with eyes - tamago gata no kao - meaning someone with a beautiful, oval-shaped face.
- Research shows that Japanese is one of the fastest spoken languages in terms of syllables spoken per second.
- The word 'futon' comes from Japanese.
How our Japanese lessons work
Learning Japanese should feel like real progress from your first class, not a slow slog through Japanese scripts and grammar rules before you can start using the language. Begin with greetings and high-frequency words, then move into practical categories covering travel, food and everyday phrases. Every word you hear is voiced by native Japanese speakers so you'll quickly start to recognise the language's sounds and rhythms. You can even slow the audio down to really focus on the finer details of the speakers' pronunciation. Memory-boosting tests reinforce your learning, and reviews adapt to focus on the words you find trickiest.
Pick a category and the app organises useful, everyday topics so beginners get quick wins early on. Follow a guided learning path or choose for yourself what to learn and when. You'll be practising and improving your pronunciation right from the start. Game-like exercises give you a breakdown of what you got right and wrong so you can improve faster. Work at your own pace and watch your points add up as you progress.
Switch categories any time, learn online or offline, on mobile or desktop. If you have questions, contact our friendly support team. They're here to help.
Japanese vs. Chinese and Korean
Japan is a geographic and cultural neighbour to Korea and China, but do their languages have much in common?
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Key points
- Japanese shares some Chinese-derived vocabulary and uses kanji characters borrowed from Chinese.
- But Japanese, Chinese and Korean belong to three separate language families and are not mutually intelligible.
- Japanese and Korean share some grammatical similarities, such as sentence structure, but their vocabularies developed independently.
- In uTalk, Japanese is taught as its own language, distinct from Chinese varieties like Chinese (Mandarin) and from Korean.
Japanese and its East Asian neighbours
- Japanese is spoken across Japan, but East Asia is home to several other major languages with their own distinct histories.
- Whether you have connections elsewhere in the region or simply want to explore further, uTalk also offers Korean, Mongolian and Chinese (Mandarin).
“We help make learning Japanese easy.”
“We understand it can feel overwhelming to face three writing systems at once before you've said a single word out loud. At uTalk, we believe speaking comes first, which is why we recorded native Japanese speakers, so you can hear exactly how the language is genuinely spoken, not just how it's written in a textbook.”
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Richard Howeson
uTalk Founder
Why learners trust uTalk for Japanese
At uTalk, we are passionate about helping people build real confidence in new languages. Our Japanese content is recorded by native speakers, so every lesson gives you audio you can trust. The app works for English speakers and for speakers of more than 140 other languages. Check our reviews and see how learners are turning daily practice into real progress.
Your Japanese language learning journey
Maybe you're planning to visit Japan, have Japanese-speaking friends or business contacts, or simply fell in love with the culture through anime, film or food. Finding lessons that focus on real spoken Japanese, rather than dense writing drills, can feel like a challenge.
Get StarteduTalk can help. Take your first proper look at Japanese with First Words like ありがとうございます (arigatōgozaimasu, thank you) and こんにちは (konnichiwa, hello), then build everyday phrases you can use in real situations. You'll listen to native Japanese speakers, record yourself copying them and compare the two. Game-like practice makes it fun for beginners, while practical content helps more experienced learners fill gaps in their knowledge. Learn online or offline, follow a guided path or choose for yourself what to work on and when.
The outcome is simple. You'll speak Japanese with confidence and understand more of what people say around you. You'll use your new skills with family, friends and people you meet across Japan. uTalk fits your life.
Learn real-life categories in Japanese
Explore Japanese and its linguistic neighbours
Japanese is classified as part of the Japonic language family, alongside the Ryukyuan languages of southern Japan, and has no firmly established relationship with any other major world language, despite shared vocabulary with Chinese (Mandarin) from centuries of contact.
That independence is part of what makes Japanese such a distinctive language to explore, even if you already speak other languages from the region.
Get StartedYour Japanese questions, answered
Do you offer live online classes or is it just an app?
uTalk is an app and online language learning software. Lessons are digital, short and practical. If you want a tutor, the app still helps you prepare for class and review between sessions.
Can I start as a beginner?
Yes. The course begins with basic greetings and everyday words and phrases and takes you to an A1–A2 level on the CEFR scale. Some of our topics even cover material you’d learn as you grow your skills to B1 or B2.
What application languages do you support? Can I learn without English?
Yes. uTalk works for speakers of more than 140 languages. Choose the one that suits you in Settings.
How is content selected and ordered?
Topics are based on real-life situations. You can select any category and the app suggests a smart learning order for beginners. You can change it at any time.
How does uTalk compare with YouTube lessons?
YouTube can be useful, but it’s hard to check pronunciation or get structured reviews. uTalk gives you native speaker audio, games that test tricky words more often and a clear path from basic to practical use.
Is Japanese related to Chinese?
Not directly. Japanese borrowed kanji characters and some vocabulary from Chinese centuries ago, but the two belong to entirely different language families and aren't mutually understandable.
Is Japanese hard to learn?
Japanese grammar is actually fairly logical and consistent, though the three writing systems take time to learn. uTalk focuses on speaking first, so you can build real confidence in your speaking and listening skills before tackling reading and writing in depth.
How fast can I learn to speak Japanese?
Short, regular sessions work best. Many learners can start handling simple conversations after a few weeks of steady practice. Your progress depends on how often you use the app and how much you review.
Can I learn Japanese for free with uTalk?
Yes. Getting started with uTalk is easy, and you can cancel whenever you want. We want you to love uTalk, so we even offer a 28-Day Money Back Guarantee if you are not satisfied.
Where can I learn Japanese with uTalk?
We’re available on iOS, Android, web, Mac and PC. Get started now and you’ll be directed to download uTalk for your device.
Topics
- First Words
- Transport
- Restaurant
- Food and Drink
- Cooking
- Places
- Directions
- Illness
- Doctor
- Body
- Emergencies
- Social Phrases
- Leisure
- Likes and Dislikes
- Football Match Abroad
- Football Commentary
- Sports
- Shopping Words
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Clothes
- Ingredients
- Home
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Tools
- Family
- Occupations
- Animals
- Animals' Bodies
- Farming
- Technology
- School
- Business
- Numbers up to Twenty
- Numbers up to Ten Million
- Essential Phrases
- Adjectives
- Prepositions
- Colours
- Countries
- Calendar
- Time
- Timetable
- Outdoors
- Holiday
- Skiing
- Camping
- Golf
- Sailing
- Driving
- Olympics
- Summer Olympics
- Winter Olympics
- Military Commands
- Military Peace Keeping
- Military Intelligence
- Accommodation
- Shopping Phrases
- Travelling
- Free Starter Words
- Disaster Relief - Volunteers
- Natural Disasters
Get by with basic greetings, words and phrases including 'hello', 'thank you' and 'I'd like a coffee please'.