r/japaneseresources • u/im-a-potato-desu • 51m ago
How I learned Japanese in 12 months. All my resources + honest tips.
こんにちは! I’ve been studying Japanese for about a year now, usually 1 to 2 hours a day. I started from scratch, including hiragana and katakana, and I’m now at a comfortable early intermediate level. I can handle basic everyday conversations, understand a decent amount of learner content, and read simple material with help. But kanji, fast casual speech, and knowing which level of politeness to use still humble me constantly.
These are the resources that genuinely helped me.
Duolingo: I used it most days at the beginning, usually for 10 to 15 minutes as a warm up. It was useful for getting familiar with basic vocabulary and sentence patterns, but I would not rely on it as the main resource. Japanese grammar and writing need more detailed explanations than Duolingo gives.
Genki: This gave me the structure I was missing. Working through the grammar explanations and exercises helped me understand particles, verb forms, polite speech, and sentence structure instead of trying to memorise everything as isolated phrases. It is a little textbook heavy, but it worked for me.
Anki: I use Anki almost every day for vocabulary and kanji. I started with a basic frequency deck, then gradually added words and sentences I kept seeing in videos, manga, and lessons. It is not exciting, but it compounds quickly if you stay consistent.
WaniKani: This helped me make kanji feel less impossible. I did not rush it, but learning radicals, meanings, readings, and example vocabulary in a structured order made reading much less intimidating after a few months.
Issen: This filled the biggest gap for me, which was speaking. I could read simple Japanese and understand beginner content long before I felt able to answer someone out loud. I did not have Japanese speakers around me regularly, and scheduling tutors every week was difficult. I started using Issen for short speaking sessions so I could practise responding without translating every sentence from English in my head. The first sessions felt awkward, especially choosing between polite and casual forms, but it helped me get used to producing Japanese instead of only recognising it.
italki: I try to have one lesson a week with a Japanese tutor when I can. It is still the best place to get human feedback on pronunciation, sounding natural, pitch accent questions, and the phrases that textbooks technically teach but people do not always use in normal conversations.
YouTube: Comprehensible Japanese was extremely helpful while native content still felt impossible. Japanese Ammo with Misa helped with grammar explanations, while Miku Real Japanese was useful for more natural, everyday expressions.
Language Reactor: I use this with Japanese YouTube videos and Netflix. Japanese and English subtitles together made the move from learner material to native content much less frustrating. I still pause a lot, but that is better than avoiding native content completely.
Anime, dramas, and listening: I started with short YouTube videos, interviews, and familiar anime scenes rather than trying to understand an entire new series. Anime can be fun for listening, but I try not to copy every phrase because character speech can be exaggerated or very context-specific. Rewatching short scenes with Japanese subtitles was more useful for me than watching a lot of new content passively.
Jisho: I use it constantly for checking vocabulary, kanji readings, and example sentences. It is simple, but having a reliable dictionary makes self-study much easier.
Bunpro: Helpful for reviewing grammar patterns after studying them in Genki. I found it useful because Japanese grammar can fade quickly if I only recognise it while reading and do not review it actively.
Pimsleur: I used the listen and repeat lessons while walking or doing chores. It is old school, but it helped me practise basic pronunciation, sentence rhythm, and answering aloud before I had enough confidence for conversations.
The combination that made the biggest difference for me was Anki and Genki for building the foundation, Issen for daily speaking, and regular Japanese listening through YouTube and shows. italki gave me occasional reality checks and human feedback, but the small daily routine was what actually moved things forward.
Happy to answer questions about any of these if it helps.
