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Word of the Day Email
日本語 一日一言
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Japanese Unlocked — Free Downloads
Print-and-cut flashcard PDFs — all free, no sign-up needed.
Hiragana Flashcards
All 46 characters — print, cut, and drill. Romaji reading on the reverse.
Katakana Flashcards
All 46 characters — print, cut, and drill. Romaji reading on the reverse.
N5 Kanji Flashcards
106 essential beginner kanji with readings and meanings on the reverse.
Complete Bundle
Hiragana + Katakana + N5 Kanji all in one PDF. The full beginner set.
Dictionaries & Reference
JishoFree
The best English–Japanese dictionary. Search kanji by radical, draw characters, look up example sentences. Essential bookmark.
TakobotoFree
Clean, fast dictionary ideal for mobile. Great JLPT filters so you can see which level a word belongs to.
WeblioFree
Japanese-only dictionary — excellent once you're past beginner level. Definitions in Japanese build reading instincts fast.
JLPT SenseiFree
Vocabulary and grammar lists for every JLPT level, nicely laid out with example sentences and quizzes.
Grammar
Tae Kim's GuideFree
The classic free grammar guide. Explains Japanese grammar from the ground up without leaning on English grammar terms. Read this early.
BunproFreemium
Grammar flashcards with spaced repetition. Covers N5 through N1. Great companion to any textbook or this site.
Maggie SenseiFree
Conversational Japanese explained naturally. Huge archive of grammar points, slang, and expressions with tons of example sentences.
RenshuuFree
Comprehensive free study platform covering grammar, vocabulary, and kanji. Underrated — one of the best free tools available.
Vocabulary & Flashcards
AnkiFree
The gold standard for spaced repetition. Use with a Core 2000 or JLPT N5 shared deck to build vocabulary fast. Free on desktop and Android.
WaniKaniFreemium
Structured kanji and vocabulary learning using mnemonics and SRS. First 3 levels free. If you want a guided kanji path, this is it.
KanjiDamageFree
Free kanji mnemonics with a very different personality to WaniKani. Irreverent but surprisingly effective — worth a look if WK isn't clicking.
ClozemasterFreemium
Learn vocabulary in context by filling in blanks in real sentences. Better than isolated flashcards for building reading instincts.
Reading Practice
NHK Web EasyFree
Real Japanese news rewritten in simple language with furigana. The best free reading practice for intermediate learners (around N4+).
Satori ReaderFreemium
Graded Japanese stories with audio and grammar explanations built in. Excellent quality — some content is free, full access is paid.
Tadoku Graded ReadersFree
Free graded reading books starting at complete beginner. Level 0 books are fully illustrated and readable after learning hiragana.
JPDBFree
Frequency-based vocabulary database. Great for finding the most common words in specific anime, games, or books you want to read.
Listening & Speaking
Comprehensible JapaneseFree
YouTube channel using comprehensible input — slow, clear Japanese at beginner through advanced levels. One of the best free listening resources.
HelloTalkFreemium
Language exchange app — practice writing and speaking with native Japanese speakers who are learning English. Real conversation beats textbooks.
iTalkiPaid
Book 1-on-1 lessons with Japanese tutors. Community tutors are affordable and often the fastest way to improve speaking and listening.
JapanesePod101Freemium
Audio and video lessons from beginner to advanced. Large library — some content is free, premium unlocks everything.
Apps
DuolingoFree
Good for building a daily habit and learning basic vocabulary and phrases. Not a complete learning path on its own, but useful alongside other tools.
LingoDeerFreemium
More grammar-focused than Duolingo and specifically built for Asian languages. Better for Japanese structure if you want an app-based approach.
Kanji StudyFreemium
Android/iOS app focused purely on kanji — stroke order, readings, quizzes. One of the cleanest kanji-specific apps available.
KameSameFree
Reverse WaniKani — given an English meaning, produce the Japanese. Great for production practice and syncs with WaniKani progress.
Recommended study routine
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Kana or kanji quiz on this site |
| 10 min | Anki flashcards |
| 5 min | Grammar — one pattern from the patterns page |
| 10 min | Reading — NHK Easy or Tadoku (intermediate+) |
| Any time | Watch Japanese YouTube, anime, or drama with subtitles |
Consistency beats intensity. Twenty minutes every day beats three hours on the weekend.