can i learn japanese from anime

by Mr. Madison Goyette 5 min read
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The Definitive Guide on Learning Japanese from Anime

  1. Pick A Single Episode Of An Anime. Here’s where everyone gets it wrong. ...
  2. Watch It In Japanese WITH Subtitles Three Nights In A Row, And Then Once A Week. ...
  3. Listen To ONLY The Japanese Audio For 1-2 Hours Per Day. ...
  4. Create REGULAR Flashcards Of Each Line Of Dialog And Practice Them For 30 Minutes Each Day. ...

More items...

The good news is, it's possible! You can absolutely use anime to boost your Japanese studies, to a degree. While it'd be unwise and difficult to attempt to learn Japanese entirely from anime, there's no reason you can't leverage a love of anime to help you learn Japanese if you're smart about it.Aug 26, 2021

Full Answer

Can you really learn Japanese from Anime?

You may have found it impossible to learn Japanese only with anime. However, watching anime is very effective for studying Japanese. The reason is that anime is suitable for Japanese listening. The voices of the anime characters come from voice actors. In Japan, the profession of voice acting is now very popular.

Is anime more enjoyable after learning Japanese?

Yes. Well, no. Or... probably rather "neither": * "Yes" because as soon as you are no longer slavishly dependent on the subtitles, your eyes can spend a lot more time on the characters faces, enjoying the art and action more fully, spotting add...

How long would it take to learn Japanese for anime?

Some estimate that it takes English-language students (or non-Asian, without prior kanji knowledge) about 4800 hours to reach true Japanese fluency and pass the JLPT N1 exam. On a Reddit thread about how long it take to learn Japanese, users shared that it took about 800 hours of study time to be able to watch anime with full comprehension.

What is the best anime in Japan?

Which anime has the best story?

  • . Baccano!
  • . Neon Genesis Evangelion. ...
  • . Gurren Lagann. ...
  • . JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. ...
  • . My Hero Academia. ...
  • . Hajime no Ippo. ...
  • . Golden Kamuy. ...
  • . Bleach. Bleach will take you on an exhilarating ride of the soul society, making it one of the most memorable fiction ever. ...

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How long does it take to learn Japanese through anime?

What is this? On a Reddit thread about how long it take to learn Japanese, users shared that it took about 800 hours of study time to be able to watch anime with full comprehension. Others said it takes 2-5 years of effort to reach mastery, adding that you could survive in the language after one year.

Is learning Japanese from anime good?

It is wonderful to feel familiar and learn Japanese in a joyful manner, isn't it? Watching Japanese anime is one of the most enjoyable methods to learn Japanese, and there are not a few non-native Japanese speakers who learn Japanese through Japanese anime or are inspired to study Japanese by the Japanese pop culture.

Is it easier to learn Japanese If you watch anime?

This is because the Japanese language lacks the reach that the other many Asian languages as well as other languages have gotten. However, the advent of Anime has provided a lot of people with an easier access to the Japanese language and also the much needed motivation to learn the language.

What Japanese is used in Naruto?

Considering kishimoto was born and raised in the prefecture Okoyama till he became an adult and moved out it wouldn't be a surprise that the Japanese dialect used in naruto is Hiroshima Ben a native dialect from Chūgoku a rural heavy industrial region as Hiroshima or okoyama( note, chūgoku isn't a town it's a region)At ...

What type of Japanese is most used?

HiraganaHiragana is the most commonly used, standard form of Japanese writing. It's used on its own or in conjunction with kanji to form words, and it's the first form of Japanese writing that children learn.

Do I need to learn kanji to watch anime?

You don't really need to know any kanji to watch anime but it can really help. Anime has a lot of visual cues so you can get away with having less vocabulary skills to fill in the blanks. Kanji can be helpful watching anime as there are often signs or subtitles on screen.

How long would it take to become fluent in Japanese?

Learning Japanese isn't easy and it will take time. It's probably fair to say that you can expect a commitment of at least three years in order to achieve something resembling fluency. The average learner gets to the advanced level in three or four years.

What language has most animes?

JapaneseJapanese anime are so popular that many people decide to learn Japanese because of their favorite anime shows. But the characters in anime live in their own universe, where everyone tends to use slang, casual language, informal pronouns and even made-up words.

Is there an anime that teaches you Japanese?

Doraemon was created with children and aimed to teach them the most basic Japanese words and phrases. The anime’s characters speak in Tokyo dialect, so learning this type of speech will help you familiarize yourself with informal Japanese.

How long does it take to learn Japanese from anime?

It’s a question I get asked regularly, so here’s my answer. This article is written for someone with little to no exposure to Japanese. It assumes that you live in (or are willing to move to) Japan and that you will learn through immersion (e.g., at school or work).

How can I learn Japanese fast?

Basics first: When trying to learn Japanese fast, you should understand why it’s so hard. Despite being one of the more accessible languages for English speakers to pick up, Japanese is still a harsh language to learn with straightforward grammar and pronunciation.

How long does it take to watch anime twice?

Since most anime episodes are about 20 minutes long, watching it twice in a row will take about 40 minutes in total. Make sure you pick a good one, since you don’t want to get board on that “Japanese only” replay. Also, all of this is going to be harder if you’re just starting out with Japanese.

How long does it take for a baby to learn a language?

Babies literally take years to learn a language this way. And a lot of times people talk to them in short, simple sentences. Plus, babies tend to participate with the language more than most people who passively listen to it.

Can you watch anime while studying?

You first study them in isolation, that is, not while watching anime. And then you watch the anime afterwords to hear the words that you studied in action. (1) Get a list of the most common words used in the specific anime that you watch to watch.

Is it hard to read and listen at the same time?

First of all, it’s really hard for humans to take in more than one set of sensory information at a time. That is, it’s hard to listen and to read at the exact same time. You’re probably pretty good at it with English because you’ve been doing it for years and they align with each other perfectly.

Can Japanese listen to anime?

They are able to fully hear the different sounds of each language and there is very little crossover. How this applies to Japanese with anime is that when you are watching it, your brain is going to ignore the Japanese sounds that you’re not used to hearing.

1 – Pick A Single Episode Of An Anime

Here’s where everyone gets it wrong. You don’t need to watch 100 episodes of Japanese anime to learn the language.

2 – Watch It In Japanese WITH Subtitles Three Nights In A Row, And Then Once A Week

What you are going to notice with this whole process is that each step is done for a very specific reason, and each one is necessary in order for you to get the most out of the subsequent steps.

3 – Listen To ONLY The Japanese Audio For 1-2 Hours Per Day

Now things begin to get serious. Don’t freak out just yet, because it’s actually not as bad as the title makes it sound.

4 – Create REGULAR Flashcards Of Each Line Of Dialog And Practice Them For 30 Minutes Each Day

Repeatedly listening to the audio and watching the episode with the SUBs on will actually help you a lot.

5 – Watch The Episode In Japanese As A Test Of Your Progress (NO SUBS)

So how do you know when you are ready to move on to a different episode? You test yourself.

Why is learning Asian languages so hard?

Learning an Asian language is always difficult for a native English speaker because of the different roots of the language. Also, the characters, symbols, grammar, and everything else is so very unique in Asian languages that it becomes a challenging task to grasp it properly.

How many kanji characters are there in Japanese?

There are over 7000 Kanji characters in the Japanese language. These characters are incorporated from Chinese Hanzhi style of writing. Each of these characters has a dual meaning and used to convey noun, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs.

What is the story of Sasakura Ryuu?

The story of this anime show revolves around the bartender named Sasakura Ryuu. He makes wonderful wine and solves the problems of others. This drama will be wonderful to watch from your Japanese learning perspective as well.

What does "best wishes" mean in Japanese?

When you start watching anime in Japanese, you will hear this phrase quite often. It means to give your best or all the best wishes for your endeavour. You will also hear this phrase in various sports events in Japan.

What is the meaning of Katakana?

Also, Katakana is used to give emphasis to words like the way italics are used for emphasis in English. Basically, it is a more masculine form of the Japanese writing style.

Can you write in Hiragana?

However, as there is no space in the Japanese language, you will not understand anything written in Hiragana solely unless you include Kanji style.

1. ( The Scariest Tip!) Remove English Subtitles

This is by far the most daunting thing you can do whilst watching anime, especially if you’ve never tried to properly study the Japanese language before. However, just as with many new hobbies and activities, throwing yourself into the deep end may just do the trick!

2. Language Shadowing

Language shadowing is a learning technique that people use to practice how to pronounce words better. It involves listening to the audio, in this case. of the anime, and attempting to simultaneously verbally echo what they hear.

3. Write Down New Words

Another way to learn through anime is pausing and writing down new words that stand out to you. Whilst there may be no rhyme or rhythm to this method, if you listen carefully to dialogue over time, you might be able to pick out what words are used for conversation flow and what words have specific meaning.

4. Create Flashcards & Make A Game Of It

If you’re the type to learn things through fun and games, take the previous tip and bring it a step further. Create flashcards and make a game out of trying to learn how to read the word, how to say the word, and what it means.

5. Be Selective With Your Anime Genre

This might not be an obvious one, but it is an important one! If you’re setting out to try and learn Japanese with anime, it will definitely help you in the long run to be selective about the genre.

6. Read the accompanying manga to the anime (if possible!)

Many anime series will have an accompanying manga. Take your language skills to the next level by purchasing the manga and reading it out loud.

So I asked The Anime Man (Joey) if he thinks pitch-accent in Japanese actually matters.

I asked it on his patreon and he answered it in his 2021 June QA patreon-only video at timestamp 39:05. I can't post that video so I will post the transcript instead, I'm curious what your guys thoughts are on his view:

Don't be afraid to cut corners

I see a lot of people on this subreddit agonize over the details of how they should study. It's perfectly understandable, of course you don't know what works and what doesn't when you're starting a new activity, but it's perfectly fine to adapt the routine to your needs even in pretty drastic ways. In fact, you probably have to.

主義: political ideologies in Japanese

主義 means principle or doctrine, but is also used for political ideologies. Here are some examples.

Announcing the first 2000 sentences of the Japanese Foundation deck

After a successful closed beta, we're releasing the first 400 sentences of the Japanese Foundation deck into open beta today. We're also launching a larger closed beta of the first 2000 sentences. Apply for that here.

Thoughts about this regarding studying Japanese (and other languages)

Someone told me that it's actually easier to learn Japanese if you don't translate the words into English, rather you think of the object what the word is referring to.

着 - So what's up with this bad boy meaning both "to wear" and "to arrive"?

I find this one strange. Does anyone know why the same kanji is used for such wildly different things?

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The (Wrong) Way That People Use Anime to Learn Japanese

The Two Things That Hold You Back

  • Now that you know how most people go about it and the general reasons why it doesn’t work, let’s take a look at the “behind the scenes science” of why it doesn’t work. Afterwords we will get to some ways of approaching it that actually do work! First off, you have to understand two things about the human brain: (1) – Babies can hear every sound, but adults can’t. (2) –You brain is des…
See more on japanesetactics.com

How to (Actually) Learn Japanese Using Anime

  • Make certain Japanese words importantto your brain. How do you do that? You first study them in isolation, that is, not while watching anime. And then you watch the anime afterwords to hear the words that you studied in action. Here are the steps: (1) Get a listof the most common words used in the specific anime that you watch to watch. This part may be a challenge if you want the word…
See more on japanesetactics.com

Anime Makes Learning Japanese Fun

  • Perhaps the best part about using anime to learn Japanese is that it makes it a lot of fun! You get to learn a language and be entertained at the same time. Watching a fun show and then recognizing certain words that the characters say is a very rewarding experience that keeps you coming back for more. And when you see learning Japanese as a fun ga...
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1 – Pick A Single Episode of An Anime

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Here’s where everyone gets it wrong. You don’t need to watch 100 episodes of Japanese anime to learn the language. You need to watch one episode, 100 times! How else are you going to learn the words that are being said unless you hear them over and over again, right? The simple fact of the matter is that each episode typi…
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3 – Listen to only The Japanese Audio For 1-2 Hours Per Day.

  • Now things begin to get serious. Don’t freak out just yet, because it’s actually not as bad as the title makes it sound. Here’s the thing: in order for you to become skilled at hearing Japanese words and understanding what they mean, you have to listen to a lot of audio. This is something that happens naturally when you’re a kid learning your native language. However, when people b…
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5 – Watch The Episode in Japanese as A Test of Your Progress (No Subs).

  • So how do you know when you are ready to move on to a different episode? You test yourself. I want you to watch the episode in Japanese without the English subtitles and then grade yourself on how much of it you understood. Once you understand 80% or more of what is being said, it’s time to move on to another episode. You’ve graduated! Congratulations! I would recommend tha…
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The Last Thing I Want to Go Over Is Why The Process Works.

  • Language is memory game. New memories are formed in the brain by making connections (called synapses) between neurons. So when you learn that the Japanese word “neko” means “cat” a new connection is formed between those two things. As I mentioned though, these connections naturally decay after a few days of disuse. So how do you lock in a new memory so that you don’…
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