12 Free Tools I'd Use to Learn Japanese (If I Could Start Over)
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- Опубліковано 14 тра 2024
- To learn Japanese, I would use these free tools if I was broke and wanted to study Japanese effectively. Or if I wanted to save money and learn Japanese.
Beginner to Intermediate COURSE: www.tokiniandy.com
DONATE: tokiniandy.com/donate
DISCORD: / discord
Free Japanese Learning TOOLS in This Video
Tofugu Hiragana: bit.ly/3mQWP1K
Tofugu Katakana: bit.ly/3Te7Y8Z
Jisho: jisho.org
Japanese App: japaneseapp.com/
Weblio Android: bit.ly/3li5udd
Weblio iOS: apple.co/3LplIvU
Anki: apps.ankiweb.net/
SHARED VOCAB DECK: bit.ly/42bffdR
Memrise: memrise.com/
TADOKU: bit.ly/3Llodiv
小説を読もう: yomou.syosetu.com/
Novel Game: novelgame.jp/
YouGlish: youglish.com/japanese
Game Gengo Video: • Top 60 Nintendo Switch...
Affiliate Link
Remembering The Kanji: amzn.to/3dT9Tit
0:00 Intro
0:31 Japanese Kana
0:51 Japanese Dictionaries
1:28 Japanese Vocabulary
2:29 Japanese Grammar
3:09 Kanji
4:14 Reading Japanese
5:31 Japanese Listening
6:32 Paid Tools You Might Have
It appears that "Japanese" no longer works on the newest version of Android! Sorry about that!
I think Takoboto is the best Japanese dictionary on Android by far. It's a free offline dictionary with lists, pitch accent information and example sentences. It can also be used online in a browser.
While the app "Japanese" looks pretty awesome, something else I found is "Japanese Dictionary Takoboto". It looks to have a very similar set of features.
Not sure who said that but the app still works on my Pixel running the latest Android (13)!
I recommend Takoboto for those who use Android. I can also recommend Yomiwa on iOS. The best thing about "Japanese" is the Reference tab IMO.
@@muskit_ It might be it is delisted from the store but still works if already downloaded. I can't see it present, but I'd be happy to be corrected on that
I find japanese game "let's play" videos on youtube to be a tremendous aid in learning because they are mostly always talking about what is going on on screen, meaning that it is absolutely wonderful comprehensible input for immersion
Definitely one of the best options for listening immersion! =)
No joke, watching Japanese Let's Plays is soooo underrated. I wanted to play Witcher 3 in Japanese, but figured there was too much dead time when running arround between quests, that is was not worth immersing, but when watching a Let's Play there is no dead time practically, as you either here the ingame voices, or the let's players narration, perfect combo in my opinion.
I watch Game Gengo and find his videos to be helpful.
Anyone know which japanese lets players are fun to watch?
@@sakamotoscarf Just search for whatever game your interested in in Japanese. "実況プレイ" means Let's play so you can put that after whatever game interests you. I liked おついちs witcher 3 let's play really good for example but you have to watch what's interesting to you.
Definitely think a kanji series would be great. WaniKani works really well for me personally, but I think having a completely free resource for people the other tools just don't work for is really important.
Time to get to work then! Thank you for watching! =)
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 Many folks like Busuu and LingoDeer more than Duolingo, but I'm afraid you're in for a pretty big time commitment no matter what, haha. I wish it was possible to pack more into the day, but ultimately, you just have to get those study hours in to make progress.
Fortunately, studying can be extremely fun and satisfying once you get into the groove!
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 No matter which tools you use, if you don’t dedicate a significant amount of CONSISTENT time learning Japanese, your progress will be very slow and feel stagnant. After all, Japanese is amongst the top 3 hardest languages to learn for a native English speaker, which might be the reason why you probably feel like you’re not progressing fast enough (hence the reason you’re looking for better apps). Depending on how fast you want to learn, you’ll have to re-adjust your schedule to make more time for Japanese. Personally, I recommend at least 1hr a day (bare minimum). Anything less will not give you the results you’re probably expecting, just being frank with you. And even that is going to be slow. Sure, anything is better than nothing, but It all boils down to time, and unfortunately Japanese is one of those things that requires a lot of it. Heck, ANY language requires a significant amount of time to learn properly, imagine Japanese.
Anyway, I’m not trying to scare you, or anything like that. I’m only giving you a reality check, so that you can set your expectations accordingly. Personally I don’t know of any app like Duolingo, but better. Perhaps someone else can point to one. However, I suspect that you’ve tried enough apps to realize what I’ve been saying, and thus you’re looking for a “shortcut”, sort of speak. Everything that Andy mentioned in this video is actually amongst the best free tools for learning Japanese. He didn’t mention BunPro, given it’s a paid subscription website to learn grammar, which is a great resource btw. But also Andy’s website is excellent!!. I highly, highly, recommend it, if you can afford it (which is not expensive at all). If you’re not satisfied with his list, then I don’t know what will be better. Hope you can find what you’re looking for though.
Well, good luck. And I hope you keep learning this incredible language.
Arguably the WaniKani Anki deck is basically getting WaniKani for free. 😅
That's what I've been using.
But agree, more good free Kanji resources is always good.
@Kaleigh C there is a WANIKANI Deck, and I dont have to pay Anki 300.00 USD?? I have Anki, but how do i get another deck, and how do I make sure it wont replace or screw up my only deck(genki) that I use??( how do i toggle decks?)... as the app Totally confuses me more than japanese itself.
Yes please do a series on kanji on your channel, I absolutely love your teaching methods especially with the Genki series so a kanji one will be super appreciated!
Thank you! Time for me to get to work then! =)
He did it, and its great!!!!
Really suprised you haven't mentioned Kanji Koohii. It's a pretty popular free site for learning Kanji that's been around for almost 20 years now. It allows users to share their mnemonics based on the Heisig method, to select favorites, and to remember them with an SRT system akin to Anki. I honestly think that it is just plain better than working through the RTK book(s) on your own.
A KANJI SERIES!? That would be awesome! I'm a second year student at depaul university in chicago and japanese Studies is my major. My class is using the genki series and I watch your videos before we start each class. A kanji break down from you would be awesome!
I'm glad to hear that the Genki series is useful for you!
I've got my work cut out for me with the kanji series! I hope I can make it just as useful as the Genki videos. =)
@@ToKiniAndy Please I would love one and i'm glad I came across your video! I had no idea wani kani was only free to a certain extent.
After 3 years of self-study (trying to stay as free as possible minus an Italki lesson or a textbook here and there), I find that Kanji are the only thing that I haven't been able to find a great way to study... so seeing you agree made me feel a little better about that. I would love to see a series for Kanji here!
Yeah, I definitely feel like this is a lacking area. At least in the free department.
Yomikata-Z is great, and free now :) (a new release is coming soon)
I was an on and off self learner too for like 4-5 years and also felt that my kanji was lacking. But then I discovered Heisig's Remembering the kanji and it was an absolute game changer. I think I reached N2 level within 1 year.
@@sekaijin8193 is that a book or a website or an app??...thanks!
@@madmax8620book
Personally, changing my phone's language setting to JP had an amazing effect.
First, seeing kanji everyday decreases my resistance to it, and sometimes even picking up and reinforcing what I've learned.
Second, it's not that bad. It's really bad for the first three days, but after that, most basic functions you remember well will return with relatively high proficiency. Special functions will force you to read japanese, and that's a good things.
Three, my phone automatically became a reminder for to learn jp everyday, since I'm staring at it everyday.
This 100 %
At which level did you switch your phone language? I struggle a lot with it ;
Ha, you masochist! MS office on my laptop accidentally put itself into Japanese (when I tried to install a hiragana keyboard opiton) and it couldn't be put back (until eventually I phoned the helpline.) I certainly learned the kanji for "save" and "print" pretty quickly, but they were stressful times I don't want to repeat.
What was your level of Japanese when you switched? I also think input is important, but it has to be input at your level.
guess i have to come to this video back!
I highly recommend Renshuu as an alternative to Anki or Memrise. I find it much better than either, as it is specifically built for Japanese. It handles kanji particularly well, both for learning kanji individually (e.g. their meaning and readings), and smoothly transitioning your vocab "decks" from hiragana to kanji as you learn them. It has audio, nmenomics, example sentences, grammar lessons, etc.
Hey there I'm also a fan of Renshuu. My Japanese went through the roof after I discovered it.
Renshuu is missing a lot of audio which is why I stopped using it.
you’re a lifesaver! i’ll be using these a lot from now on
Thank you so much for sharing this with us✨💕
Finally I found someone that's helpful. These are what I needed! Thanks a lot for these recommendations.
Andy, I would absolutely love a congee series! Presently I am taking a online Japanese course, but I’ve been using your GENKI lectures as my teaching tool because the professor doesn’t provide lectures. She has us read and listen to recordings. Your lessons have been greatly appreciated!
Thank you so much! You don't imagine how much you're helping all of us. ❤
This kanji series is absolutely necessary and you're doing a really good thing here. This is one of the biggest barriers to basic entry and it's because of the same lack of easy, free options to do so you're talking about.
I'm so happy to hear you're gonna do a series on Kanji!!! Been using your Genki series for months now and have made progress with Kanji too but it's way slower than I'd like. Thank you 🩷
I liked this as soon as he talked up Tofugu cause honestly finding that resource first was the best thing that happened when I started learning Japanese.
I have just been doing the WaniKani Anki deck as my free Kanji learning, and it works well enough for me. It's like a slightly stripped down WK experience.
I am super excited to see TokiniAndy Kanji lessons though. Your teaching style is so easy to understand and relatable, I'm sure it'll be great and mega helpful.
I've started going through ur Genki grammar lessons and the way u teach makes everything so easy to understand. I hope u do a Kanji series as well.
Thank you for the helpful video and I'd love to see a kanji series from you! Your channel is great!
Thanks so much for this vid, you're awesome.
I'd be super stoked if you make a video series on kanji with stroke order and radicals breakdown.
This is so helpful! As someone who wants to learn Japanese, I think these tools are exactly what I'm looking for especially with vocabulary as well grammar. Keep up the great work!
For Kanji, I’ve started just learning vocabulary first and looking up the word in the Jisho dictionary app/website. If it’s usually written in Kanji, I’ll write it down. That way, I learn the kanji within the context of vocabulary I already know and it makes it much simpler than learning the kanji itself when the kanji can mean so many different things. I only need to know what it means in the context I’m currently learning, and when I come across that kanji in another word I’ll learn that word too.
Jisho is a great dictionary app because it also teaches you how to write the kanji!
I'm old school and love anki. I studied Japanese decades ago predigital sources. All of this free stuff is amazing. Thank you!
yes pleasee!! i would love a video series on kanji! i just found out your channel and i subscribed immidiately, ahaha
keep up the good work!!
You are the best Japanese teacher I could wish for, I come back to your grammar explanation videos all the time! That being said, there is no doubt I would enjoy the kanji series from you! So looking forward to that!
I’m so excited for the kanji series! This channel is the GOAT for grammar so it will be nice to have kanji as well.
for kanji, there's a free dictionary I've been using for 500+ days which is called kanji study. it's honestly so helpful and it contains writing and reading exercises (reading is a bit limited). I've bought the premium version like a month ago but I've been using it before completely free and it's a lifesaver honestly. I totally recommend it!
Also thank you so much Andy for the video, I really look forward to the videos you make a lot :)
Thank you Space Threads! I'm glad you enjoy the videos! And thanks for the recommendation. =)
This is what I use too! I was surprised it wasn't mentioned. It's totally saved my life
@@doreans4276 yea exactly, it's my main app for Japanese and it's so amazing! idk how it wasn't mentioned 😭😭
Especially when they added the SRS into the app, though you have to pay for it.
Android only or did I find the wrong one?
Finally my youtube algorithm showing me a channel that I needed! THANK YOU ANDY FOR THIS LIST ❤ You’ve earned a subscriber ^-^
Double yes please for a kanji series, Andy!!
One tip that I found fun one afternoon was just talking to Google translate in Japanese and seeing if it picked up what I intended to say when it translated the sentence to English. As I rarely get a chance to practice speaking, it was soooo satisfying when Google understood me and provided some great instant feedback. It was also pretty funny when I got it wrong too 😅
Thank you, been trying to find some of the things you recommended for a while 🙏
Hi! Please do a series of Kanji on your channel, I look forward to them since I'm still studying and memorizing Kanji, it would be a huge help in my self-study! Thank you always for creating high-quality content, your Genki series videos did help me a lot in answering and practicing exercises in the textbook. ^^
Andy is so nice, recommending other yt channels. 優しい人です.
Dude you are the hidden gem, thanks so much
Great advice. Thanks
excited for the kanji series!!
Thanks for youglish. I didn't know this site. Really cool to quickly find other examples of using a word.
Tofugu's blog post thought me kana in 2 days I love it
SO excited for the kanji series
You are GOD SENT! ive recently started picking up japanese again ❤ and this is sooooo helpful!
I knew about graded readers and the app for them but had no idea they had free stories on their website! I used graded readers in college and they were awesome. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for this. Helpful.
Tofugu is so great. It's right at the point. So good!
The Migaku Kanji God Anki add-on is absolutely brilliant and completely free. It scans your existing vocab decks and automatically generates Heisig style cards which display the words from your collection containing that kanji. Unlike when doing RTK traditionally or with a premade deck, it allows you to prioritise learning the kanji relevant to your own vocabulary rather than having to follow some arbitrary order. There's also a feature where you can just give it a bunch of text and have it automatically add all the unknown kanji from there, so it's easy to generate relevant cards even if you don't actually use anki to memorise vocabulary. I used to feed it lyrics from songs I liked so I could learn to recognise the kanji first, and then used that knowledge to help me learn the readings in the context of words just by listening to music and reading a whole lot of children's novels with furigana. I've memorised well over 2000 kanji in the 10 months since I started learning Japanese, can't recommend this add-on enough :)
Scrolled through comments to see if someone mentioned this! 100% agree
THANK YOU for the Tadoku graded readers suggestion. Definitely going to dig into those.
When I first started learning japanese I immediately found tofugu kana articles and they were perfect for me.
A kanji series would be amazing. Signed up to your course recently. Excited to improve my Japanese.
Tadoku! I tell everyone about those graded readers! I start by just listening to them without looking at the text (besides looking at pictures to get a sense of what's happening.) I replay it until I can understand it almost all the way, then go through it again while reading along. It's very good listening practice.
The Tadoku website is a wonderful resource too. I just wish they had more of the higher level stories.
Literally just found your profile, you gained a subscriber! Looking up to see the kanji series 😎👍
This helped me alot
Thanks❤
A kanji series is a fantastic idea, especially as the situation is as you have stated: there is a dearth of good accessible resources on the subject.
Thank you for sharing this, considering reading Remembering the Kanji. ❤
OMG!! You're doing a Kanji series soon?! I'm stoked! So much need for this!
Just started Genki 1 & your videos make the comprehension so much easier. I can study & learn faster & more efficiently. Using Japanese Pod 101 for vocab. Just need a great kanii tool meow!
Yes please to a kanji series! I need to pick up from where I left off a year or two ago. Thanks Andy-San!
Just starting out learning Japanese after visiting Japan recently, some great recommendations here I'd never have thought of - the Nintendo Switch one is a brilliant idea!
Waiting for Ur kanji lessons, gonna follow this channel from now on as my main Japanese free resource. Hope I become fluent with everyone!!!
Kanshudo has wonderful free content; I love how they display the "cascade" of kanji components, which breaks the kanji down to its most simple parts. It really gives you a clear sense of how each kanji is built.
I second that!
this is probably the first video to have something that might just help me get started for good, cause every time I start using some tool or another I always stop idk why but this looks like it could help me
I would love a kanj series. I'm on chapter 3 of Genki 1 with your premium content and it's been an incredible value for money. Not only is the content amount great for how much you pay, but it's by far the most I've ever progressed with my learning. If anyone is on the fence about the TokiniAndy premium content and is wanting a guided course to go through the Genki series it's a must have!
I saw this video on my feed a few weeks ago and forgot to watch it. Here I am again at 1 AM and the video is in my feed. Fate probably. I've started learning Japanese 42 days ago and I am studying roughly an hour sometimes 2 a day. If it wasn't for creators like you I would of never started. Thank you can keep going. Hopefully I comment more on your videos and we talk one day.
Thanks for sharing this video andi really helpful👍
Really looking forward to your kanji series. I feel like you would really help a lot of people understand kanji and have it actually stick for us!
I hope so!
I've got my work cut out for me. =)
GOJO SENSEIIII
Thanks for the video...and a kanji series would be so useful!
Holy ... u and ur channel are awesome! Thank you!
I found Dr. Moku’s app for learning hiragana and katakana to be the best for me. I like the rest of the list, thanks!
The kanji series sounds fun! Thanks for the other tools as well👍
I'm looking forward to making it (daunting as it seems)! =)
Omg thank you for pointing out youglish. Will absolutely use this.
Love your videos, Andy! Keep them coming 💪
Thank you John! I will do my best! =)
Thank you so much this was very useful
Learned all hiragana in 5 days with tofugu. Learned 30 katakana in a day after that. Surprised how good the tool is, and how relatively easy it has been!
I just learned to read and type Hiragana and Katakana in 3 days using the tofugu guides! I thought it would take me weeks at least to get good at it but with the mnemonics it was so easy and fun! However I still can't handwrite them but I don't need that for now to keep advancing in learning Japanese
Good video Andy.
In regards to Kanji the best one for me that has allowed me to learn the fastest, as Wanikani and RTK are so incredibly time consuming has been the 'Kanji God' add on from Migaku (see youtube on how to set up. This is by far the best way as you get all the benefits of the RTK communities mnemonics (with the ability to make your own) and you get tackle them at your own pace.
The best way to recognise and understand Kanji is learning them as vocabulary and then a LOT of reading practice.
Good luck guys. I'm gunna be going for the N3 this year and will definitely have to check out your Quartet series Andy. The Genki one was a real help.
I actually learned the first kana. I've tried so many other options like flashcards, writing them multiple times on paper, and others but it never stuck. With Tofugu I got it within a few days. Thanks a lot for the video :)
I'm obsessed with Wani Kani!!
Wow so cool. thank you very much! That was great!
Like! Thanks for Tadoku)) and other tools))
Thank you
Another tool that I've found that's super helpful (it's pretty much free with some extras that you can pay for) is Renshuu. I haven't heard many people talk about it tbh. It's got kanji learning, vocabulary with sentence examples, user generated mnemonics, games, a weekly forum, and so much more. Some draw backs is that it can be a bit of a learning curve when starting out and it's online only (the app needs internet to function too), but the cloud syncing is nice and it's got a lot of features.
Yeah same I never see it on these type of lists or videos, it's so good and one of my staples next to Satori reader. Level 264 in renshuu and going strong! 2,586 terms the grind has been real lol
Me too, I love Renshuu a lot. I wish I'd discovered it earlier.
Would love that kanji series. Just starting my Japanese journey so that would be an amazing tool
A kanji series would be absolutely amazing!
Thankyou for an excellent introduction that I am drinking in.
Welcome back!I like your new hair. Your videos are helping me tremendously lately so I'm glad you're uploading here again.
Thanks! Glad to hear that they have been helpful!
@@ToKiniAndy By the way, for kanji, I believe KameSame is free. It covers the same material as WaniKani. I have it linked to my paid WaniKani to update based on my progress there.
The tofugu blog post on kana literally taught me hiragana and katakana in a week and i remembered them for a long time before I actually started trying to learn the language
Amazing idea for learning kanji. Please guide us with this new Serie 🌱
Kanji series would be amazing. Thank you for the recommendations
I use Wanikani for learning kanji and I'm loving it. However, for those who want a free resource for kanji, a series on this channel would be amazing.
He’s back with a new hair cut! You should make more videos about what it’s like as a teacher in Japan! I love your videos glad to see you back at it again
Yeah!!...did he join a boy band?! I had to re-watch the video 3 times because i found the kami so distracting...
I love the default android keyboard setted for japanese. As you input the hiragana, it shows suggestions to equivalent kanji. If I'm in doubt, I copy paste it to Google translator, to check if I chose the right one.
for kanji there is also the learning kanji youtube channel. I mixed this with building an anki deck. I found that actually writing them out and the example words that he gives are really helpful
Thanks for this video! I am only weak in grammar and speaking (no one to practice with around my area as most people I know are still in elementary)
Yes, please! Make a series on kanji, I've been really struggling trying to find a good free source for them. 'Kanji Study' is fantastic, but not free.
My lifehack was to just enroll in my university's Japanese Studies major- only is free if you live in a country that offers free tertiary education though. And heavily depends on the city you live in, since East Asian departments are usually pretty small and much more commonly found in higher density cities.
Just subscribed ありがとうございます！！
Love to see Matt and Andy helping each other out and yeah Game Gengo is a brilliant channel, him and Andy are some of the best free resources out there!
Matt's the man. =)
For Kanji the "Recognition RTK" deck by Refold is great imo. Sort of like remembering the kanji but in an anki deck and somewhat modified I think. Easy to memorize too
I'm a huge wanikani fanboy but it's hard to recommend a pretty expensive platform like that to other people, really excited for your kanji series
absolutely do a kanji series with common example sentences pretty please! 🎉❤
As far as games go I have been finding the Yakuza series to be a nice addition to my learning and exposure. One of the things I like the most is that it is set in towns covered in Japanese signage so I get loads of reading practice.
Seconding this! I accidentally learned how to play riichi mahjong because of Yakuza 0, which made me interested in learning the Japanese terms used. Now I spend half my time playing just staring at the signs and slowly figuring out what they mean!
A couple of days ago I realised you can go into first person mode by clicking in the right joystick, and it's made it much easier to look at stuff :)
@@CaptainSlowbeard Right on. I just finished up Ghostwire Tokyo the other day and had the same experience again. I love combining gaming and learning. :)
I thought the tofugu site looked really silly but still tried it. I learned more in 2 days then I have in months with previous attempts.
Never heard of youglish, but that seems like a fantastic tool. Looking forward to see how you approach kanji. Very interested in the hairstyle progression, as well.
Haha thank you! =)