Japanese adverb, otherwise known as fukushi ( 副詞・ふくし), is an important element in the Japanese language. In fact, it will feel off if you don’t include them. What happens if you want to make your conversation more interesting and descriptive? 

If you’re a beginner, it can be frustrating to only be able to explain something with little to no detail. When you’ve mastered the necessary grammar patterns, it’s time to move on to the complexities of using adverbs — although, with practice, you’ll realize that it’s actually not that hard. (See how we use an adverb there?) Really, the rules are simpler than how they sound. 

In this article, we’ll be walking you through how to use Japanese adverbs and change adjectives to adverbs. Along the way, we’ll be giving example sentences, too.

Want to learn Japanese from anywhere in the world? We have self-study courses (including a free 30-day hiragana challenge) made by our professional instructors. Browse them all here! 

How are English Adverbs Different from Japanese Adverbs?

Although their functions parallel English adverbs, there are a few distinctions between both languages. Japanese adverbs are boxed based on their characteristics. While you’ll find most English adverbs ending with a ~ly (commonly, effectively, fluently — just to name a few), Japanese adverbs are more varied (more of that later).

Another key difference is its placement. Unlike in English, Japanese adverbs can be placed anywhere in a sentence as long as they appear before the verb. 

Let’s get one thing straight: no matter which one, adverbs serve the purpose of giving context, and they’re generally used for verbs. 

Take a look at the example below.

私たちは	一緒（いっしょ）に	試験(しけん）を	勉強（べんきょう）しています
We	Together	Exam	Learning
Subject	Adverb	Object	Verb

No matter the adverb is placed, the meaning won’t change (“We are learning exam together“).

You can put the adverb before an object or a verb.

• Subject は + Object を + Adverb + Verb
• Subject は + Adverb + Object を + Verb

一緒に試験を勉強しています。
Issho ni shiken wo benkyou shite imasu.

試験を一緒に勉強しています。
Shiken wo issho ni wo benkyou shite imasu.

How to Use Japanese Adverbs

Of course, as you receive more advanced Japanese study materials, you’ll find that more complex sentence patterns. In fact, you don’t always have to pair an adverb with 「Object を + Verb」.

Unlike an adjective, which can only be paired with a noun, adverbs are more versatile. They can to be paired with a word, be it a verb or 動詞 (doshi), an adjective or 形容詞 (keiyōshi), or even another adverb.

• いつも電車で学校へ行きます。
  いつもでんしゃでがっこうへいきます。
  (I) always go to school by train.

• 彼女にとっては私が結局ただの友達だ。
  かのじょにとってはわたしがけっきょくただのともだちだ
  After all, I’m just a friend to her.

• ワクチンはほとんど痛くなかった。
  ワクチンはほとんどいたくなかった。
  The vaccine didn’t hurt very much.

In all of the examples above, all of the adverb are tailed by a verb, adjective or a noun. The word ‘barely’ (ほとんど) is put in front of the adjective ‘hurt’ (痛い).

Take a look at another example, where we use an adverb for another adverb.

• 先生は本当に優しく教えます。
  せんせいはほんとうにやさしくおしえます。
  The teacher teaches really kindly.

Turning Adjectives into Japanese Adverbs 

In the Japanese language, you can modify almost all of its adjectives (形容詞・けいようし) into adverbs. Most of them will share the same meaning — similar to English. The word ‘effective’ and ‘fluent’, for example, can be altered into ‘effectively’ and ‘fluently’.

How you change Japanese adjectives to adverbs is based on conjugation rules — which, again, depending on the type of adjective a word belongs to.

There are two classifications: 「い」adjectives and 「な」adjectives.

「い」Adjectives

You’ve probably heard popular words like「かっこい！」or「かわいい！」on anime, talk shows — or even manga. Notice how all of them end with an ‘i’? That’s how easy it is to identify an 「い」adjective.

By changing the final い (i) to く (ku), an adjective will turn into an adverb. It’s pretty similar to how you add ‘ly’ on adjectives to English.

い-adjectives + い (i) → い-adjectives ＋ く(ku)

Kanji	Adjective	Adverb
強い	つよい Strong	つよく Strongly
弱い	よわい Weak	よわく Weakly
速い	はやい Quick	はやく Quickly
遅い	おそい Slow	おそく Slowly
高い	たかい High	たかく Highly

There is an exception to the い-adjective: 良い・いい. Instead of いく, it will be transformed into よく. This is because the word’s original spelling is よい. Although the form has changed, all its derivations and conjugations remain the same.

「な」Adjectives

Although a bit trickier than the「い」adjective, but you can easily identify a「な」adjective when you hear the particle な (na) adjective before a noun (for example, 幸せ「しあわせ」な 人)

You don’t need to erase anything from the actual adjective word. Instead, replace な with に (ni) to convert a な (na) adjective into an adverb.

な-adjectives + な (na) → な-adjectives ＋ に(ni)

Kanji	Adjective	Adverb
幸せ しあわせ	幸せな Happy	幸せ に Happily
静か しずか	静か な Quiet	静か に Quietly
元気 げんき	元気 な Energetic (healthy)	元気 に Energetically
上手 じょうず	上手 な Skillful	上手 に Skillfully
下手 へた	下手 な Unskillful	下手 に Unskillfully

Although it seems that all adverbs are acquired from adjectives, that is not always the case. These adverbs do not have a specific form or rule to recognize them with, so you must learn each vocabulary word and they are just as important to remember. However, they are utilized in a similar way as all the other adverbs.

Non-adjectival Japanese Adverbs

Although most adjectives can be turned into adverbs, not all adverbs are related to adjectives. This is an important point because Japanese people will use a list of general adverbs that don’t have an original term. They don’t have any identifiable pattern, so you will have to remember each vocabulary alone.

Most non-adjectival adverbs are used to indicate frequency, time and place. Here are a few common examples of adverbs that don’t originate from a parent adjective.

Adjective	Meaning	Example sentence
ゆっくり	Slowly	ゆっくり歩いて(あるいて)います (I am) walking slowly.
たくさん	A lot	たくさんご飯(ごはん)を食べたい(たべたい)です (I) want to eat a lot of food.
ちょっと	A bit	ちょっと待って(まって)よ Please wait a moment.
たぶん	Maybe; perhaps	それはたぶん無理(むり)です That is probably impossible.
徐々じょじょに	Gradually; little by little	徐々に上手になります。 Gradually becoming skillful.
やっと	Finally; at last	やっと授業(じゅぎょう)が終わった(おわった)！ The class is finally over!
もっと	More; further; even more	もっと頑張れ(がんばれ) Put in more effort!
きっと	Surely; almost certainly	あなたの願い(ねがい)はきっと叶う(かなう)よ Your wish will surely come true.
ずっと	Always	あなたのことがずっと好き(すき)だった I’ve liked you for a very long time.
ぜひ	Certainly; without fail	ぜひ見て(みて)ください Please be sure to look at it.

A lot of these Japanese adverbs end with ~tto. Curious to know more about them? We’ve made a more in-depth guide on motto, chotto, kitto, zutto, and and more!

Types of Japanese Adverbs

We can divide Japanese adverbs into several categories, including time, frequency, place, manner and degree.

Adverbs of degree

Adding one adverb in a sentence can be the difference between making or ruining someone’s day. What if you say “You are not so beautiful” instead of “You are very beautiful?”

This is where adverbs of degree are used to stipulate the scale or extent of something. We’ll be listing some of the must-know adverbs in descending order.

Take a look at some examples below.

• 私は炊事が全然できない。
  わたしはすいじがぜんぜんできない。
  I can’t cook at all.

• 彼は非常に意識のある人です。
  かれはひじょうにいしきのあるひとです。
  He is a man of great knowledge.

	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
1.	非常に	ひじょうに	hijou ni	very much
2.		とても	totemo	very
3.	極めて	きわめて	kiwamete	extremely
4.	随分	ずいぶん	zuibun	very
5.	沢山	たくさん	takusan	very
6.	本当に	ほんとうに	hontou ni	really
7.	大体	だいたい	daitai	mostly
8.	大分	だいぶ	daibu	considerably; greatly
9.	丁度	ちょうど	choudo	just; exactly
10.		かなり	kanari	fairly
11.	相当に	そうとうに	soutou ni	pretty
12.	僅かに	わずかに	wazuka ni	slightly; barely
13.		ほぼ	hobo	about; roughly
14.	少し	すこし	sukoshi	a little bit
15.		まあまあ	maamaa	so-so
16.	中々	なかなか	nakanaka	quite
17.		そこそこ	sokosoko	reasonably
18.	余り	あまり	amari	(not) very
19.		たいして	taishite	(not so) much
20.	全然	ぜんぜん	zenzen	(not) at all

The adverb とても is normally only used with positive sentences. If you want the opposite, opt for あまり or ぜんぜん. Both will need a negative sentence.

Adverbs based of frequency

How often do you do something? Is it always, sometimes — or never? This is when Japanese adverbs of frequency are used. They are usually placed before the main action word or another adverb.

Take a look at some examples below.

• めったに寿司を食べていません。
  めったにすしをたべていません。
  (I) rarely eat sushi.

• もうずっと忘れてた。
  もうずっとわすれてた。
  Ah, I’ve already forgotten about since ages ago.

	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
21.		いつも	itsumo	Always
22.		ずっと	zutto	Always (continuously)
23.		よく	yoku	Often
24.	通常	つうじょう	tsuujou	Usually
25.	度々	たびたび	tabitabi	Often
26.	時々	ときどき	tokidoki	Some
27.		たまに	tama ni	Sometimes
28.		あまり	amari	Rarely (negative form)
29.	滅多に	めったに	metta ni	Rarely (negative form)
30.	決して	けっして	kesshite	Never (negative form)

Adverbs based on level of certainty

Adverbs of this kind are used to expand on the extent of how actions or adjectives (or even another adverb).

Take a look at some examples below.

• 絶対に諦めない。
  ぜったいにあきらめない。
  I shall never give up.

• 何事にも必ず終わりがある。
  なにごとにもかならずおわりがある。
  All things must have an end.

	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
31.	絶対に	ぜったいに	zettai ni	Definitey
32.	必ず	かならず	kanarazu	Without exception
33.	是非	ぜひ	zehi	Without fail
34.	確かに	たしかに	tashika ni	Certainly
35.		やはり	yahari	As expected
36.		きっと	kitto	Surely; undoubtedly
37.	恐らく	おそらく	osoraku	Probably
38.		もしかしたら	moshikashitara	Perhaps; maybe
39.	多分	たぶん	tabun	Maybe

Adverbs based of time

Japanese adverbs of time indicate when something happens.

Take a look at some examples below.

• 最近虫が多くなった。
  ぜったいにあきらめない。
  I shall never give up.

• しばらくお待ちください。
  なにごとにもかならずおわりがある。
  All things must have an end.

	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
41.	今	いま	ima	Now
42.	今すぐに	いますぐに	ima sugu ni	Right now
43.	先に	さきに	saki ni	Previously
44.	前に	まえに	mae ni	Previously
45.	後で	あとで	ato de	Later
46.		まだ	mada	Yet
47.		また	mata	Still
48.	すぐ	すぐ	sugu	Soon
49.		すでに		Already
50.	先ほど	さきほど	saki hodo	Just now
51.	暫く	しばらく	shibaraku	For a while
52.	結局	けっきょく	kekkyoku	Eventually
53.	今日	きょう	kyou	Today
54.	明日	あした	ashita	Tomorrow
55.	明後日	あさって	asatte	The day after tomorrow
56.	昨日	きのう	kinou	Yesterday
57.	一昨日	おととい	ototoi	Two days ago
58.	今朝	けさ	kesa	This morning
59.	今夜	こにゃ	konya	Tonight
60.	毎日	まいにち	mainichi	Daily; every day
61.	毎週	まいしゅう	maishuu	Weekly
62.	毎月	まいげつ	maigetsu	Monthly
63.	毎年	まいねん	mainen	Annually
64.		やっと	yatto	Finally
65.	最近	さいきん	saikin	Recently
66.	最初に	さいしょに	saisho ni	First
67.	最後に	さいごに	saigo ni	Last

Adverbs based of manner

Also called 方法の福祉・ほうほうのふくし, Japanese adverbs of manner describe how an action or thing happen. This is where you’ll find most adjective-derived adverbs being used.

Take a look at the example down below.

• 私は早く朝ご飯を食べます。
  わたしははやくあさごはんをたべます。
  I eat my breakfast quickly.

• 私は朝ご飯を早く食べます。
  わたしははやくあさごはんをたべます。
  I quickly eat my breakfast.

	Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
68.	固く	かたく	kataku	Hardly; firmly
69.	優しく	やさしく	yasashiku	Softly
70.	明るく	あかるく	akaruku	Brightly
71.	暗く	くらく	kuraku	Darkly; grimly
72.	高く	たかく	takaku	Highly
73.	低く	ひくく	hikuku	Low
74.		ゆっくり	yukkuri	Slowly
75.	遅く	おそく	osoku	Tardily
76.	早く	はやく	hayaku	Quickly
77.	静かに	しずかに	shizuka ni	Quietly
78.		うるさく	urusaku	Loudly
79.	簡単に	かんたんに	kantan ni	Easily
80.	丁寧に	ていねいに	teinei ni	Carefully; politely
81.	特に	とくに	toku ni	Especially
82.	一緒に	いっしょに	issho ni	Together
83.		そのまま	sono mama	as it is; without change
84.	急に	きゅうに	kyuu ni	Suddenly
85.	突然	とつぜん	totsuzen	Suddenly
86.	偶然に	ぐうぜんに	guuzen ni	Accidentally
87.	新しく	あたらしく	atarashiku	Newly

Japanese Adverbs: Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a word that resembles the actual sound of the thing they refer to. In English, you’ll encounter words like “tick-tock” from a clock, or “vroom” from a car.

Although it falls under the same umbrella, Japanese onomatopoeia has a wider range of meanings. Not just sound sources, these words can also reflect a mood or emotion. This is why it’s hard to guess the meaning of the word just from the sound alone. For example, ペラペラ means fluent — but you probably don’t know about it.

The good news is this: common onomatopoeia are reduplications — meaning, the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change. They sound catchy (like ドキドキ or ペコペコ), so it’s not half as bad as memorizing, say, the whole N4 kanji unit. A lot of onomatopoeia is followed by the particle と (to).

Subject は + Adverb (onomatopoeia) と + Object を + Verb

俺はイライラと試験を復習しました。
おれはイライラとしけんをふくしゅうしました
I annoyingly reviewed the exam.

Subject は + Adverb (onomatopoeia) と + Predicate

去年の冬がめちゃくちゃ寒かっただ。
きょねんのふゆがめちゃくちゃさむかっただ。
Last year’s winter was very cold.

	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning
88.	ぶつぶつ	butsu butsu	grumble; domplain
89.	もぐもぐ	mogu mogu	mumble
90.	ペラペラ	pera pera	fluently
91.	ペコペコ	peko peko	very hungry; starving
92.	ちびちび	chibi chibi	little by little
93.	むしゃむしゃ	musha musha	(munch) ravenously
94.	ズルズル	zuru zuru	slowly; slurp
95.	パリパリ	pari pari	crunchy; rispy
96.	いそいそ	iso iso	cheerful
97.	いらいら	ira ira	irritated, annoyeed
98.	ふわふわ	fuwa fuwa	soft; fluffy
99.	モチモチ	mochi mochi	springy; doughy; chewy
100.	くらくら	kura kura	feel dizzy; giddy
101.	むしむし	mushi mushi	hot and humid

Conclusion

Learning Japanese adverbs is the next step after you’ve mastered all the basic Japanese words and phrases. Instead of memorizing everything at once, we recommend going over them slowly.

If you want to learn more, we offer a variety of online, group, and private lessons — not to mention other free content on our blog, too.

Haven’t visited all of our must-read content? Check out our top 100 basic Japanese words and basic Japanese greetings.

Japanese Adverb FAQs

How to use Japanese adverbs?

Of course, as you receive more advanced Japanese study materials, you’ll find that more complex sentence patterns. In fact, you don’t always have to pair an adverb with 「Object を + Verb」.

Unlike an adjective, which can only be paired with a noun, adverbs are more versatile. They can to be paired with a word, be it a verb or 動詞 (doshi), an adjective or 形容詞 (keiyōshi), or even another adverb.

What does zettai mean in Japanese?

Zettai means absolutely in Japanese and it is usually follows up by negative tense. For exmaple: 絶対に諦めない。ぜったいにあきらめない。 I shall never give up.

Learn “Real” Conversational Japanese at Coto Japanese Academy

Want to learn more about Japanese vocabulary about airports? Find out more in this cheat sheet, where we cover the takeoff and in-flight procedures!

Pronunciation, meaning, and example sentences are all provided to help boost your spoken and written Japanese levels. Do check out the first part of our Japanese airport vocabulary cheat sheet if you have yet to do so!

As the airport follows a tight schedule to prevent delay, you need to always arrive at the boarding gate 搭乗口(とうじょうぐち tōjō guchi) early before the flight takes off!

If there is a long waiting time before your boarding time, feel free to shop around in the duty-free stores 免税店 (めんぜいてん menzeiten), which can be found all over the airport.

Head to part three if you’re curious to learn more Japanese airport vocabulary!

Take off 離陸 (りりく ririku)

Here are some take-off related vocabularies:

Japanese	Pronunciation	Meaning
出発ロビー	しゅっぱつ shuppatsu robī	departure lobby
出国審査	しゅっこくしんさ shukkoku shinsa	immigration (departure from a country)
外貨両替	がいかりょうがえ gaika ryōgae	currency exchange
免税店	めんぜいてん menzeiten	duty-free store
待合室	まちあいしつ machiai shitsu	waiting room
搭乗口	とうじょうぐち tōjō guchi	boarding gate
優先搭乗	ゆうせんとうじょう yūsen tōjō	priority boarding
離陸	りりく ririku	taking off

In flight 飛行中 (ひこうちゅう hikō chū)

Here are some in flight related vocabulary:

Japanese	Pronunciation	Meaning
客室乗務員	きゃくしつじょうむいん kyakushitsu jōmuin	flight attendant
機長（キャプテン）	きちょう kichō (kyaputen)	captain
機内食	きないしょく kinaishoku	in-flight meal
機内免税品販売	きないめんぜいひんはんばい kinai menzeihin hanbai	duty free sales

Example Sentences

Here is how you apply the terms in sentences:

Example 1:

By saying: ‘搭乗口へは出発時刻の10分前までにお越しください。’

Pronunciation: tōjō guchi he wa shuppatsu jikoku no 10-bu mae made ni okoshi kudasai.

It means: ‘Please arrive at the boarding gate at least 10 minutes before departure time.’

Example 2:

By saying: ‘出発ロビーに行く前に免税店で家族のお土産を買いました。’

Pronunciation: shuppatsu robī ni iku mae ni menzei ten de kazoku no omiyage wo kaimashita.

It means: ‘I bought souvenirs at the duty-free store for my family before heading to the departure lobby.’

Need help with learning different Japanese vocabulary about education? Check out the cheat sheet that we have created for the all the terminology that you need!

Here, we have included the vocabulary on the eight education levels, starting from nursery school to university.

People are always surprised to know just how different the Japanese school system is from the system in other countries.

The Japanese school system consists of six years of elementary school, three years of junior high school, three years of high school, and lastly, university.

Here is how the school years in Japan are divided :

• Nursery school from 3 to 6 years old.
• Elementary school from 6 to 12.
• Middle School from 12 to 15.
• High school from 15 to 18.
• University from a duration of 2 to 4 years.

The majority of Japan’s junior high and high schools students are also required to wear uniforms, or seifuku (せいふく), which play an important role in Japan’s culture.

The uniform also rotates seasonally and varies between one school and the other, with some schools known for their particular design. Students are taught to have a sense of discipline and community among youth by wearing uniforms.

This is part one of our Japanese education vocabulary series, so make sure to continue to part two.

Continue on below for more vocabulary and sentence examples.

Japanese Education Vocabulary Sentence Examples

Here is how you form basic sentences with the terminology:

Example 1:

おとうとはあしたのしょうがっこうのにゅうがくしきがたのしみでしかたないのだ。

otōto wa ashita no shōgakkō no nyūgakushiki ga tanoshimi de shikatanai noda.

My younger brother can’t help but look forward to his entrance ceremony of elementary school tomorrow.

Example 2 :

こうこうをそつぎょうしたら、だいがくにしんがくするよていです。

kōkō wo sotsugyō shitara, daigaku ni iku tsumoridesu.

When I graduate from high school, I plan to go to university.

Japanese Education Vocabulary –

Japanese	Pronunciation	Meaning
ほいくえん	hoikuen	Nursey School
ようちえん	yōchien	Preschool
しょうがっこう	shōgakkō	Elementary School
ちゅうがっこう	chūgakkō	Middle School
こうこう	koūkō	High School
だいがく（がくし）	daigaku (gakushi)	University (bachelor)
だいがくいん（しゅうし）	daigakuin (shūshi)	Graduate School (masters)
はくし	hakushi	PH.D.

If you wish to have a short-term study in Tokyo, Check out our 3-month intensive Japanese courses. Also, feel free to send us an inquiry if you have any questions!

Start taking Japanese lessons and master these terminology today!

Learning Japanese for beginner is a journey that appears to be terrifying. The process of understanding the grammar structure, building up a good vocabulary based, and strengthening communication skills may seem too much of a work to do.

Let’s be honest, learning a new language is not easy. But with endurance, a motivated attitude and with a determined goal, anything is possible.

How many times have you written “to learn a new language” or “to master the Japanese language” on your new year’s resolution? It is now almost halfway through the year, and how did that progress go?

If you have not even remotely gotten close to begin, don’t worry, many others are on the same boat as you.

In this article, we will introduce a number of ways to learn Japanese consistently, without getting side-tracked.

1.Study with mobile apps

If you have experience with studying with textbooks and this did not work out for you, why not try to study with Japanese language applications on your phone?

Just set a small starting goal of 5 minutes of studying on the Japanese language app, so that your goals are more achievable.

If you are struggling with memorizing kanji, we have compiled a few Kanji apps here in the blog post, recommending different type of learners.

The apps here help beginners to practice with remembering and understanding the Hiragana and Katakana writing system. The apps have a build-in tracing system, where you can practice writing Japanese letters.

Read more about kanji app and our review of the popular study app Duolingo here!

2. Study with social media,

If you have a habit of spending more than an hour on social media all together, why not use some of the time to allocate to your Japanese studies? Here we show you some ways to learn Japanese through social media.

Instagram

It is easy to get lost within the world of Instagram with so much content and inspiration out there. One way to get your Japanese study time while going on Instagram, is to follow some of the Japanese learning Instagram accounts.

We, Coto Academy, have our own Instagram account where we post every single day on Japanese vocabularies, phrases, and current events.

What to look forward to on our Instagram

• IG Stories of JLPT Kanji, Grammar, Vocabularies Quizzes
• Themed Japanese Vocabulary
• How to use onomatopoeia
• Kanji Vocabulary
• Japanese Phrases
• Grammar videos on IGTV

By following us, you would not have to specifically find the time in your day to study Japanese, but we provide the information for you on Instagram, where you can engage with.

YouTube

To get more accustomed to the Japanese language and to get used to native Japanese speaking in Japanese, using YouTube to study is the best method.

With a visual aid, it is easier to understand Japanese grammar particles and structures. We post weekly JLPT grammar videos, introducing new concepts. If your main source of social media is YouTube, this is the perfect method for you to squeeze in bits of studying time.

Additionally, listening to our Native teachers speak Japanese may help you to get used to the pronounciation of Japanese words.

Checkout our YouTube Channel here

Coto provides short educational videos, but if you would like to delve into longer videos, that thoroughly explains grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension, check out our list of 50 Youtube channels here.

The YouTube channels we have compiled here varries in learning formats. Ranging from traditional formats of explaining each grammar concept to you to channels that explains through a song so that the concepts are easier to remember to many vlog channels going through their daily life in Japan.

For Japanese learners that want to learn Japanese, learning videos is one of the best methods to do so, because the educational videos are delivered as if it is a personal lesson between the teacher and the student. Learning through Japanese vlogs

Following our blog

Our blog includes a variety of content you can highly benefit from, which contributes to learning Japanese!

We write blogs on topics such as grammar blog posts, tips on how to study Japanese, and how to pass each JLPT level. We also combine Japanese culture with Japanese learning, such as our blog post on teaching Japanese learners how to maximize their learning with using phrases from Japanese anime.

We also create our own Coto Kanji practice worksheets and provide them on our blog. Our Coto blog provides a wide array of Free Kanji practice worksheets ranging from JLPT N5~N2 Kanjis. This way, learners that are starting out can have easy access to resources to study Japanese straightaway.

3. Listen to podcasts and join clubhouse

Traditional methods of studying Japanese is great, but if you want to progress to another level, listening to Japanese podcasts and joining a clubhouse group is one way to do so.

Joining clubhouse Japanese language groups encourages Japanese learners to strengthen communication skills. The groups we have compiled allows members to practice the language together.

Why you should learn by listening to podcasts or Clubhouse:

• Easy to slot in time for it –
  • For when you often communte to work or school,
  • Exercise throughout the day
• Strengthen listening skills
• Gain communications skills for casual conversations
• Become friends with like minded people to encourage each other to study

Our blog on Japanese podcasts and Clubhouse

4. Study by watching shows

If you like to watch Japanese tv shows or anime, what better way to learn Japanese than to learn by continuously watching the shows? This way, you can learn natural phrases used for daily life, during your leisure time.

In this blog post, we have compiled popular Japanese tv shows on Netflix, you can watch to build your vocabulary.

Did you also know that by adding this extention on your google chrome, you can learn Japanese on Netflix? By installing this extention, you can hover words you are unfamiliar with in the subtitles, and save the words to review for later. This extention translates the words for you, and provides romaji on top of kanji so you can practice reading the Japanese subtitiles.

5. Learn through songs

Do you like listening to J-pop? Want to learn how to sing them, or understand what the song lyrics mean without having to search it up everytime? In our previous post, we have compiled Japanese songs and artists we recommend learning Japanese from!

By practicing sing the Japanese songs, this can improve your Japanese pronounciation, which can aid you in the future when you want to improve communication skills. Trying to understand the story behind the lyrics include understand vocabulary and grammar structure.

By accomplishing this, learning throught the lyrics also can link to strengthening reading comprehension skills.

6. Sign up to Coto Academy!

There are many free and affordable resources out there on the internet. Coto Academy provides many ways for people that are interested in learning Japnese.

Sign up to Coto online classes, affordable and consistent

Coto Academy provides Japanese lessons for anyone in the world. We have online group lessons, as well in-person group lessons. The classes we have arranged are very affordable, which makes students easier for them to continue the classes.

Consistency is a very key aspect in studying languages, so that your muscle memory does not forget what you have learnt.

Among the variety of classes we offer, we highly recommed the Japanese Crash Course for beginners with zero experience with Japanese.

Details of the Crash Course

• 4 weeks long
• Lessons on Hiragana, Katakana
• Greetings and introducing yourself
• Being able to order in a restaurant or shops
• Asking directions in the street or train station
• Talk about your impressions of Japan

Classes are from:

• Monday – Friday
• Offered in two different times
• 9:30~12:30
• 14:10~17:00

Are you struggling with stroke order? You’re not alone.
Some kanji have more than a few strokes to remember.
That is why we are so happy to share about this!
Kanjibro is a new tool for finding the stroke order of most common Kanji (Kanji that appear in open source Japanese dictionaries.)
Using Kanjibro to find stroke order is simple:

1. Visit https://kanjibro.ninja
2. Type your kanji in the search (You can also paste it)
3. The animated stroke order will pop up for each kanji.

It’s that simple.
One great thing about this tool and one that we’re very proud of – is that Kanjibro is made by one of our students.
Here is his message about the project:

When I started to learn Japanese a year and a half ago, the difficulty to take notes was the most frustrating bit while learning. (to take notes is probably the best way to process and retain information I think.) So after discussion with my Japanese pals and classmates, the idea of being able to take notes, and therefore writing kanji without making any mistakes, became a crucial need.
We checked google but there was no “simple” solution allowing us to paste a sentence, check how to write it, and then proceed out conversation in Japanese.
With this tool our classes or sessions started to be way much more productive. As we weren’t spending too much time trying to write kanji. Basically after class or a conversation session, we were able to study each kanji properly on our own.
I’m glad to hear this tool is useful! 😀

If you’re looking to learn how to practice writing kanji – you may also be interested in our kanji writing worksheets.
These worksheets provide an easy way to practice Japanese writing and also have stroke order diagrams that teach you the correct order of the strokes.

If you’d like to see all of the available JLPT Kanji Writing Workbooks – please visit Coto Kanji Writing Workbooks

If you are interested in studying Japanese in Tokyo, find out more about our school by filling out the form below.

Do you want to know how to pass the JLPT N5? Are you starting Japanese from zero as a complete beginner?

This guide will give you information about:

• What is the JLPT N5?
• Scoring sections for the JLPT N5 – What Sections is it divided into?
• Registering for the JLPT N5
• How to study to for the N5 Kanji and Vocabulary Section
• How to study to for the N5 Grammar and Reading Section

What is the JLPT N5

The JLPT N5 is the first level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test ( also known as the 日本語能力試験)

It is the standardized examination used by universities and employers inside and outside of Japan to test a persons Japanese language ability.

Recently – the JLPT N5 has become more necessary when applying for certain types of student visas to Japan – and in some cases it is actually required that you have a JLPT N5 passing certificate before you can apply.

As you can see from the graphic below (students who self reported their study hours) – it takes about 460 hours of study for a person to go from 0 – to passing the Jlpt N5 comfortably.

This should not scare you – that’s just around 2-3 hours a day of study for 6 months.

Important note: You should also keep in mind that studying for the N5 level includes learning the Japanese written alphabets of katakana and hiragana for the first time.

So it really depends whether or not you’re learning to actually write those characters by hand – or simply you just want to be able to read them for the purposes of passing the exam.

We definitely recommend that you learn to write them – as it also makes learning to read much easier – but if you have limited time before you need to pass the exam, you can consider that as a way to shorten the time it takes.

How is the JLPT N5 Scored? What sections appear on the JLPT N5

When you take the JLPT N5 – the test will be divided into two testing sections. This means that you will have a cumulative score for the Kanji, Vocabulary, Reading and Grammar. And you will be tested separately with a listening section.

During this listening section you will listen to audio segments that they play and have to answer questions given to you in those audio segments.

How to Register for the JLPT N5

Registering for the JLPT will depend on your country of residence – to find out where you can take the JLPT and where you can register for it – you can consult our registration guide.

Learning the JLPT N5 Kanji & Vocabulary

The N5 Contains roughly 100 or so Kanji that you need to memorize and around 800 vocabulary words.

(Of course you can pass without fully knowing all of these – but there are no guarantees which words will be appearing on your exam.)

We have created a handy JLPT Mega list that you can download and track your progress with – it has all of the Kanji and Vocabulary that you will need to pass the exam.

We would also recommend you check out our list of the top 100 japanese words.

We also have a JLPT N5 Kanji writing workbook that you can buy online and print at home.

This workbook contains stroke order diagrams that will teach you the strokes that you need in order to learn how to write the characters properly.

We have also provided several of the worksheets free of charge at the below links!

These are very useful as they cover many of the Kanji that you will be tested on during the N5 exam.

Unit 1. JLPT N5 Kanji – Numbers
Unit 2. JLPT N5 Kanji – Time
Unit 3. JLPT N5 Kanji – People and Body
Unit 4. JLPT N5 Kanji – Nature
Unit 5. JLPT N5 Kanji – Direction

Learning Grammar for the JLPT N5

Although there is no separation between the points scoring for the vocabulary and the grammar section – we would recommend that you study for them differently.

A good way to get a head start on this grammar is to check out some of our handy basic grammar guides – as well as our te form conjugation guide.

How to conjugate te form
Basic Grammar Guides (1-4)

Feeling up for a challenge?  Check out our 30 Day JLPT N5 Grammar Listening Challenge!  It’s available here for free, and you are drilled on 2 phrases a day with flashcards and videos. 

JLPT Sensei also provides a handy n5 grammar list that you can use in your studies.

If you are studying for the JLPT N5 – we have online lessons that will help you to prepare!

Do not hesitate to get in touch and good luck with your learning.

Start taking Japanese lessons and pass JLPT N5!

Preparing for the JLPT N3? In this blog, we will be covering 20 essential JLPT N3 grammar points for the JLPT N3 test!
For those interested – we are currently offering a JLPT N3 Online Preparation Course – and you can also buy our JLPT N3 Kanji Writing Workbook

Want to study even more?

N3 Grammar Self-Study Course

Here is the list of our

20 Must-Know Grammar Points:

• • 代わりに
  • きり
  • っけ
  • くらい / ぐらい
  • くせに
  • ばかり
  • べき
  • だらけ
  • ふりをする
  • がたい
  • まま
  • んだって
  • もらいたい
  • なぜなら
  • にかわって
  • らしい
  • その結果
  • ことだ
  • しかない
  • たびに

Grammar Point 1: 代わりに　Kawari ni

This grammar point is used to express an alternative. It can be combined with a verb, い-adjective, な-adjective and noun!

Grammar Point 2: きり　Kiri

This grammar point means ‘only’ or ‘just’, and is used with nouns.

Grammar Point 3: っけ　Kke

This grammar point is used during a conversation when the speaker is trying to recall some information. It is usually used when asking a question in order to confirm or affirm something.

Grammar Point 4: くらい / ぐらい　Kurai / Gurai

This grammar point is used to express an approximation of things and can also mean ‘to the extent of …’.

Grammar Point 5: くせに　Kuseni

This grammar point is often used to express blame, anger or criticism.

Grammar Point 6: ばかり　Bakari

This grammar point is often used to express shock, surprise or negative judgment. The meaning is not always negative and will usually depend on the context. To get a more nuanced understanding of how ばかり is used, check out our Online JLPT N3 Prep Course! 

Grammar Point 7: べき　Beki

This grammar point is used to say something we should or must do. It can be used as べき or べきだ.

Grammar Point 8: だらけ　Darake

This grammar point means ‘full of’ or ‘covered with’, and is combined with nouns.

Grammar Point 9: ふりをする　Furi o suru

This grammar point is used when someone is pretending to be or acting as something that is not true.

Grammar Point 10: がたい　Gatai

This grammar point is used to express something that is so difficult to do, it may even be impossible and cannot be done. It is used by combining with a verb-ます form. When adding this grammar point to the verb, be sure to remove ます at the back.

Grammar Point 11: まま　Mama

This grammar point expresses something as it is or that it has a lack of change.

Grammar Point 12: んだって　Ndatte

This grammar point is a quoting particle used in conversations to express what you have heard other people say.

Grammar Point 13: もらいたい　Moraitai

This grammar point is used to express a want or desire for something, usually when asking for favors. It can be used by combining it with a verb-て form.

Grammar Point 14: なぜなら　Nazenara

This grammar point is usually used in formal situations, to express a reason or cause for something.

Grammar Point 15: にかわって　Ni kawatte

This grammar point is usually used when someone is replacing someone, or doing something on behalf of someone. Do note that this can only be used with people and not with objects!

Grammar Point 16: らしい　Rashii

This grammar point is used to say ‘it seems like’, ‘I heard…’ or ”apparently…’.

Grammar Point 17: その結果　Sono kekka

This grammar point is used to express the result of something. These Kanji are covered in our JLPT N3 Kanji Writing Workbook!

Grammar Point 18: ことだ　Kotoda

This grammar point is used when giving advice or suggestions to someone. It can mean either ‘should’ or ‘should not’ depending on the context.

Grammar Point 19: しかない　Shikanai

This grammar point expresses that there is no choice but to do something. It can be used by adding it to verbs.

Grammar Point 20: たびに　Tabini

This grammar point means ‘every time’ or ‘whenever something happens’.

Want to learn more N3 Grammar points?

Get access to our JLPT N3 Grammar Guidebook!
This Handy N3 Textbook will allow you to learn all of the important grammar points covered on the JLPT N3 exam.
This version includes all 127 grammar points you need to pass the JLPT N3!

 

Start taking Japanese lessons and pass JLPT N3 exam!

Do you want to learn to type written Japanese? Are you looking for apps – websites and other tools that will improve your Japanese writing composition skill? 

You may never have the time to master the handwriting of each individual kanji – but thanks to computer input methods – you are now able to compose writing in Japanese without the need of a calligraphy brush.

This week we will share a list of tools that we recommend to our students studying with us at our Japanese language school in Tokyo.

• Question and Answer Sites (HiNative, Quora)
• Community Correction / Notebook Services
• Kanji Writing Apps and  PDF Worksheet Workbooks

With computers – it has never been easier to be able to compose writing in Japanese. In the old days – you would need to learn each individual kanji and write it by hand. 

But no longer! This has lead to many people being able to learn how to write articles and publish blogs in Japanese without having to have thousands of hours of classroom instruction in writing.

This article is all about how you can type written Japanese – and the tools that we recommend to get feedback on your writing and correction.

Japanese Question and Answer Websites

The first tool that we recommend is Question and Answer sites:

If you have been on the internet recently – you may have heard of the website called Quora or Yahoo answers. These websites specialize in crowdsourcing answers for general questions.

But did you know that Quora has a Japanese language specific section?

Below is a list of Q and A sites with where you can get answers about specific usage of Japanese. And at some of these site syou can even have your Japanese proofed by native speakers.

Hi Native

Hi Native is a platform to connect language learners with native speakers of that language so that they can get corrections on the language that they are learning. 

For example – I could type something in Japanese and on Hi Native – A native Japanese speaker can explain to me the correct usage or nuance of the statement that I am trying to make.
 

Quora: Japanese Learning Section

 

Quora is the largest question and answer site on the internet and their Japanese language section has around 250,000 followers on it.  You can ask questions here and also search for questions similar to yours. 

A big warning here is that the people answering the question can often be anonymous and might not be a native speaker.  So be careful to check the responses that you get with a native speaker.
 

italki.com community answers

italki.com has a question and answer section that is typically staffed by Japanese teachers that are willing to answer your questions for free!  This is a nice tool that you can use.
 

Community Notebook Tools

There are several websites online that offer a community sourced proofreading solution.

• Hinative
• Italki

On these websites – you have the ability to write something in Japanese and then have it proofread by native speakers where they will offer you the corrections.

This is different from a question and answer tool in the sense that it allows you to have free correction of your writing.  This is a powerful and free way to improve your Japanese writing ability.

Kanji Writing Applications / Workbooks

Many people can obtain a very high level of comprehension in Japanese listening, speaking, reading, and typing – without ever actually learning how to write Kanji characters for themselves. 

There are several applications that will help you to write in Japanese by learning the stroke order from scratch.

At Coto – we have also begun producing a series of Japanese Kanji writing workbooks that you can download and print for very low cost!

• Skritter
• Coto Academy JLPT N5 Kanji Writing Workbook