How much time is required to learn Japanese? The truthful response may surprise you. The reality? Japanese may be learned in as little as 90 days. During this period, many students have begun engaging in in-depth dialogues in Japanese. Follow the proper procedures, and you’ll arrive quickly.

Much relies on your learning objectives. How long it takes, on average, to learn Japanese depends on whether you wish to study the language for anime. Or are you learning conversational speech? Or to speak fluent Japanese?

So, let’s examine how long it takes to learn Japanese, depending on your ultimate objective.

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How Long Does It Typically Take to Learn Japanese?

In roughly three months, you might achieve a conversational level of Japanese by persistent study and speaking for 30 to 60 minutes daily.

It’s all about employing the proper technique, from the beginning! You may begin speaking Japanese immediately. Our language experts strongly suggest you do so. More speaking practice will accelerate your Japanese learning. Here are the steps we recommend to learn Japanese quickly.

Learning Kanji Will Take You Longer

To achieve an advanced level of Japanese, you must also study kanji. If you concentrated on kanji and looked around 30 a day, you could also master all 2200 jouyou kanji (the “important” kanji that Japanese elementary school students learn) in roughly three months… With the proper techniques.

To pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test N1, what level of Japanese is required? You must know every jouyou kanji, 10,000 words, and hundreds of grammatical patterns. Therefore, to achieve near-native levels of fluency, you would require at least one year of intensive, full-time study. You wouldn’t need to live in Japan, but you would need to create an immersive setting at home. Still, the average time required to attain this level with intensive but not full-time; the study is between three and five years.

It is so challenging and time-consuming because you must also learn kanji. It divides learning into speaking, listening, reading, and writing. But you can succeed if you are motivated and have excellent study habits.

Don’t allow a large number of hours to deter you. That emphasizes ineffective study hours. You may advance rapidly if you know how you learn best, have access to superior Japanese materials, and devote substantial study and conversation time.

Tips for Easier Japanese Language Study

If you are committed to studying Japanese, here are some recommendations to help you learn the language more quickly.

1. Set Your Objective for Learning Japanese

Your eventual aim is essential. Decide what the term “fluent” means to you. To comprehend Japanese anime in Japanese, you must acquire the appropriate terminology. Even the type of anime is significant. In comparison to Sailor Moon, Naruto’s usage of “ninja speech” is more aggressive and impolite.

And if your objective is to talk naturally in ordinary discussions, anime will not help you get there. Anime does not depict authentic Japanese speech. Therefore, you require more “real-world” materials and terminology, such as NHK News.

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2. Divide Your Objective into Daily Components

Okay, suppose you wish to achieve JLPT N1 or near-native fluency. As previously said, you need to memorize 2200 kanji, over 10,000 words, and hundreds of grammatical patterns.

If you can devote 60 minutes to studying, you must divide this objective into daily pieces. 10 new kanji, 30 new words, and 1 new grammatical pattern every day… Divide it according to how much you can learn in a single study session. Or, on Mondays and Wednesdays, study kanji, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, study vocabulary, and on the weekends, study grammar… Whatever is most effective for you.

Break down your objective once you have determined how much you can accomplish in a single study session. How many study days would it take to master all these kanji and vocabulary? This is how long it will take you to become proficient in Japanese.

3. Begin Speaking and Writing IMMEDIATELY

Find a Japanese language exchange partner immediately and begin conversing. Start using it even if you only know “Hello, my name is…”. If you don’t utilize it, you lose it. And making errors is the best way to gain knowledge. Therefore, get out there, make errors, and begin communicating.

4. Find a Delightful Japanese Resource

You will only like constantly studying if you make it entertaining. The good news is you can learn Japanese through activities you enjoy.

If you enjoy playing video games, switch to the Japanese language. Pokemon games are ideal for this purpose. The language is straightforward to convert to Japanese when starting a new game.

Observe your favorite programs in Japanese. You will also learn several slang words. Turn off the subtitles the first time and concentrate on actively listening. After taking notes, rewatch the video with subtitles enabled. What did you comprehend, or what new vocabulary did you acquire?

5. Dive into Japanese Culture

Continuing with the previous statement, Japanese is a contextual and cultural language. To perfect it, you would require an in-depth knowledge of Japanese body language, history, cultural insights, and mannerisms. This cannot be learned from a textbook.

As much as possible, learn the culture and history. Observe the news, variety programs (they’re full of allusions to pop culture), and Japanese discussion boards or social media. Google anything that causes you confusion. You will learn a variety of abbreviations, slang, and cultural allusions—the more your comprehension, the greater your ability to speak Japanese.

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6. Increase Your Japanese Proficiency

Can you listen to podcasts while commuting? Can you have your morning coffee while reading the news in Japanese? Can Anki flashcards be completed while using the restroom?

Most people believe they do not have the time to devote to extensive study. However, it is typically possible to find little pockets of time or substitute one task for another. Rather than watching television in English, watch it in Japanese. Rather than browsing Instagram in English, search for Japanese hashtags and read the captions. Instead of listening to the radio, tune in to a J-Pop station or Japanese podcast.

So exactly how much time is required to learn Japanese?

The answer can be rightly understood if you have gone through this blog thoroughly. It also depends upon your goal and determination. Along with having the right attitude, if one also has supportive teachers and study groups, the process becomes much easier and enjoyable!

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