Learn Japanese fast by learning common scenarios.
Skip the "the cat drinks milk" phase. Type the moment you're about to walk into, like a Tokyo ramen ticket machine or a Kyoto train platform, and GigaLearner writes the Japanese you'll actually hear and say. Hit play, slow it to 0.75×, parrot away.
Why scenarios beat word lists.
Real lines, not random words
You learn the exact Japanese for the moment you're in, in the order it actually comes up.
Hear it the way it's said
One natural voice explains in English and speaks the Japanese. Too fast? Slow it to 0.75× and say it back.
No kana? No panic.
Every line comes in Japanese script, romaji (Japanese in English letters) and plain English. Speak from day one and pick up the script as you go.
5 more common Japanese scenarios to rehearse first.
The situations that come up on day one. Each line below is the one you'll need. GigaLearner writes the whole conversation around it, so you know what the other person will say back.
- PLATFORM, SHINJUKU
Checking your train
Rehearse this →この電車は新宿に行きますか？Kono densha wa Shinjuku ni ikimasu ka?"Does this train go to Shinjuku?" - CONVENIENCE STORE, OSAKA
Saying no to the bag
Rehearse this →袋はいりません。Fukuro wa irimasen."I don't need a bag." - HOTEL, KYOTO
Checking in at the hotel
Rehearse this →チェックインをお願いします。Chekku-in o onegaishimasu."I'd like to check in, please." - IZAKAYA, FUKUOKA
Getting the bill
Rehearse this →お会計をお願いします。Okaikei o onegaishimasu."The bill, please." - STREET, SAPPORO
Finding the station
Rehearse this →駅はどこですか？Eki wa doko desu ka?"Where is the station?"
Japanese in 30 seconds.
- Spoken in
- Japan.
- Written in
- Three scripts working together: hiragana, katakana and kanji.
- The tricky bit
- Politeness is built into the verbs. Stick to the -masu / desu forms with strangers and staff, and you'll always sound polite.
- Quick win
- "Sumimasen" means excuse me, sorry and thank you. It opens almost every conversation.
Three steps. Zero flashcard guilt.
Type the moment
Anything that's about to happen, like checking your train. No ideas? Tap a template like At the restaurant.
GL writes the script
Seconds later: the conversation that usually goes down, line by line, in native script, pronunciation and English.
Tweak it, then hear it
Harder, easier, or what happens next. Then add voice, slow it to 0.75× and parrot away. Nobody's listening. Probably.
Japanese questions, answered.
How fast can I learn Japanese?
Fluency takes years, and no app can honestly promise otherwise. Getting through the moments you're nervous about takes days: rehearse a scenario a few times before it happens and the lines stick. Start with the 6 on this page.
Do I need to read Japanese script first?
No. Every line comes in Japanese script, romaji (Japanese in English letters) and plain English. Speak from day one and pick up the script as you go.
Which Japanese does GigaLearner teach?
Standard Tokyo Japanese, in the polite forms you'd use with strangers, staff and colleagues.
Is it free?
You start free with 3 minutes of lesson audio and 20 lessons, no card needed. Pro is $9.99 a month or $89.99 a year for 30 minutes of audio and up to 500 lessons every month, in every language.
Is there an app?
GigaLearner works in your browser on phone, tablet and computer today. The iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.