Learn Japanese
日本語 · 125+ million speakers
About Japanese
Japanese (日本語, Nihongo) is a language isolate (or part of a tiny Japonic family with Ryukyuan). It uses three writing systems together — hiragana, katakana, and the Chinese-derived kanji — and a politeness system that encodes social relationships into the verbs themselves.
Where it's spoken
Japan, and small Japanese-speaking communities in Brazil, Peru, and the United States
Interesting facts
- 1Japanese uses three scripts at once: hiragana, katakana, and kanji
- 2Politeness levels (keigo) change the entire shape of verbs and sentences
- 3Subject-Object-Verb word order — the verb almost always comes last
Why learn Japanese?
Three reasons to make Japanese your next language.
Anime, manga, and video games — at the source
A vast pop-culture catalogue is available in Japanese long before it's translated.
Tech, design, and craftsmanship
From Sony and Nintendo to Muji and shokunin traditions, Japanese culture is meticulously crafted.
A truly different worldview
Japanese grammar and politeness rewire how you think about social interaction.
Your learning path
The Languages Center Japanese course follows the CEFR scale, from A1 (beginner) to C1 (advanced).
Beginner
8 sections · 32 lessons
Elementary
8 sections · 32 lessons
Intermediate
7 sections · 28 lessons
Upper-Intermediate
7 sections · 28 lessons
Advanced
5 sections · 20 lessons
Read short articles
Short reads in Japanese at every level — with full English translations side by side. Great for building reading confidence at your pace.
Podcasts
PremiumNative-speaker audio at every level. Listen anywhere.
Podcasts coming soon.
Videos
PremiumAnimated lessons, real-life scenes and documentary clips.
Videos coming soon.
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