can you learn japanese from anime

by Dr. Ryan Hyatt I 6 min read
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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

How long does it take to learn Japanese from anime?

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.

How many people learn Japanese from anime?

As many as 61% of Japanese language learners know Japanese through anime.

Do anime fans know Japanese?

Don't expect real-life Japanese to sound just like anime Japanese. Many anime fans think they already know correct Japanese speech before formally studying the language, but this is often not the case.

Does watching anime improve your Japanese?

It Develops Your Japanese Listening Skills It would be of help that the individual wishing to improve their Japanese language to have made themselves familiar with the language itself as well as watching some anime.

Why do Americans learn Japanese?

Why are more young Americans studying Japanese? At the 2018 Japan Bowl, a US-based Japanese language and culture competition for high school students, 42 percent of participants said they started studying Japanese because of anime and manga, and 28 percent said it was because they liked Japanese culture.

What language is most anime in?

Which dialect is used in anime? The majority of Japanese spoken in anime will be the standard Tokyo dialect, which accounts for well over 50% of the total language used. Kansai-ben is the second most common and is spoken by around 25% of the characters, with less common dialects making up the rest.

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.

How do I speak Japanese like anime?

7:1315:02What Anime Characters Speak Japanese Like Real-Life ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipごめんね私さあ人に会わせないって不安っていうか着い空気読んじゃっていうかいやーもう昔からそうなんだよねおままごとで本当はママや蹴りたいんだけど他にやりたい子がいるからって墓地役やって。Moreごめんね私さあ人に会わせないって不安っていうか着い空気読んじゃっていうかいやーもう昔からそうなんだよねおままごとで本当はママや蹴りたいんだけど他にやりたい子がいるからって墓地役やって。

What percentage of world watches anime?

between 40% and 60%While it's difficult to pinpoint the exact number, estimations say somewhere between 40% and 60% of the global population watches anime. Although its beginnings date back to the 1960s, anime didn't gain its current popularity until the last couple of decades, and it's been growing ever since.

How many people learn Japanese?

Presently, more than 3.66 million people in 137 countries and regions study Japanese (figures gathered by the Japan Foundation for 2015). It is no longer the case that students study Japanese only for practical purposes such as for a study abroad or to find employment.

How many anime watchers are there in the world?

Still, just how many people watch anime? Between 90 and 100 million people from all over the world watch anime. Estimations dictate that somewhere between 40% and 60% of the global population watch anime content – either casually or actively.

What percentage of the US watches anime?

In the United States, approximately 72 percent of people watch anime regularly. This means that the United States has a greater number of total people who watch anime shows than Japan, but Japan has a higher percentage of its population that watches anime overall.

How to learn Japanese?

In this “learning Japanese through anime” guide, we’re going to look at a detailed process for putting all that crazy Japanese deep into your brain. Specifically, we’ll go over: 1 Learning every word of every episode (including how to do so). 2 Systematically toggling subtitles. 3 Listening to your chosen anime. 4 Drilling each anime episode into your brain.

How to rip anime audio?

Pick a couple of your favorite episodes, then use a free program like TAudioConverter to rip the audio off of anime video files.

How long does it take to make an Anki deck?

This guide might seem long and intimidating, but once you get used to the process, it shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes to do the whole thing.

Is it hard to get through anime?

If you’re still a beginner, I think that you might have a very difficult time getting through episodes of anime. For someone who’s established a solid foundation (i.e. someone who has completed Phases #2-3 of this study guide), though, studying through anime like this should be a truly rewarding experience. It’s a lot of fun for me personally, as well. Going through the flashcards I just created for Shingeki no Kyojin, I was sometimes shocked at just how quickly they are speaking, particular in the fight scenes of the first episode.

Can you do Japanese mastery through anime?

You can do this! Japanese mastery through anime awaits you!

Do you need to understand every word in anime?

This one’s kind of a bummer, because it requires a lot of work, but if you want to understand [your favorite anime], then you need to understand every word in that anime.

Can you make anki cards from anime?

Usually my reading speed is no problem to keep up with Japanese subtitles, and in some strange way it seems to be improving my listening. In other words, I rarely make flashcards from anime.

What does it feel like to watch anime?

It’s a pretty cool feeling when you’re watching anime and you actually comprehend what the characters are saying for the first time! It’s also super motivating!

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.

Why do we want to study and learn words?

You will want to study and learn those words on your own so that you brain knows that these new words are important to you. In other words, your brain will know what to look for (listen for?).

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 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.

Can you watch anime with subtitles?

You watch the anime once and you read the subtitles. Go ahead and fully read them without worrying at all about connecting it to the Japanese words that are being said.

Can Japanese anime help?

In fact, the way that most people use Japanese anime doesn’t really help them at all!

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).

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 to learn anime?

When you’re watching anime, get into the habit of writing down unfamiliar words and phrases and noting new kanji. Then, take time after each episode to look them up. Even if you don’t capture everything that’s new to you, looking up just a few things will help you keep the learning going – all while enjoying a rollicking adventure, tense mystery or sweet romance. Many shows repeat certain vocabulary and phrases, so you may even start to find that you understand a little more with each episode.

How to improve Japanese language skills?

If you’re using anime to help boost your Japanese language skills, you’ll want to make sure you know exactly what you’re reinforcing. Be deliberate in your choice of what to watch. Don’t stick to one genre or time period – try to mix things up, and include series set in the real world, in the modern day. Pay attention to how the language changes and what vocabulary repeats – or doesn’t.

How to supplement Japanese learning?

One of the best ways to use anime to supplement your Japanese learning is to rewatch the same content multiple times . While it might not be as fun as bingeing a new series, it’s a nice change of pace from exercises and grammar tips. Try turning subtitles on and off (going between subtitles in both English and Japanese, for best results!) and looking up phrases you don’t recognise. Start to pick apart each piece of language until you can, over time, understand the whole thing.

What are the three Japanese writing systems?

It’s common to see hiragana, katakana, and kanji (the three Japanese writing systems) in use even in shows set in futuristic spaceships and magical kingdoms. For example, Naruto often eats at a shop that says ラーメン on the awning, and if you’ve started learning your Japanese alphabets, you’ll know that says ramen. Yum.

Why is reading along important in Japanese?

Reading along can help you sharpen your Japanese reading comprehension, learn new kanji, and – as you get further along – help you get to the point where you can follow along without English subtitles (gasp).

Do anime speak the way they speak?

As with English cartoons, not everyone in anime speaks the way real people do. That means, if you’re going to try shadowing, you’ll want to pick the characters you start imitating wisely. A good rule of thumb is nothing that isn’t human and no one whose voice hurts your ears.

Does anime use made up words?

For example, anime frequently uses made-up words and excessively informal language and behaviour. You need to learn the right Japanese honorifics for the right conversation, and anime can’t really help there.

Why is anime important to learn Japanese?

1. Anime is fun. They are like movies with unlimited special effect budgets. Why deprive yourself from a source that is going to continually motivate you to master Japanese.

Do Japanese dubbed movies have the same voice actors as anime?

And guess what, Japanese dubbed movies/TV shows use the same voice actors as anime. If you are going to bash anime as a learning resource, might as well bash these sources as well. You know what, you also might as well just avoid movies and TV in general, because we all know how realistic dialogue can be in them.

Is anime good for studying?

There is a bit of a debate as to whether anime is a useful tool for studying Japanese, or just something worthless that will get in the way. I know a lot of people start studying Japanese because of anime and manga . Good for you. You should study Japanese for whatever reason you want. I watch the occasional anime, and I think people need to realize the study value of it.

Is anime fun?

1. Anime is fun. They are like movies with unlimited special effect budgets. Why deprive yourself from a source that is going to continually motivate you to master Japanese.

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?

How many axes are there in Japanese?

There are three axes main axes by which you can understand the modern Japanese language that are relevant for anime. As you would expect, you would normally use polite when speaking with honorifics or with humility. You can also use the polite form when speaking neutrally, as you would to a stranger on the street.

What does it mean when an anime character yells at his nemesis?

Naturally, if the anime character is yelling at his sworn nemesis telling him he's going to kill him, he's probably not being respectful. But even that is useful, assuming that you one day wish to impolitely inform your sworn nemesis that you're going to kill him.

Is anime grammar hard?

And even then, anime is still probably too hard for you.

Is humble speech rare in anime?

And here's the kicker: by the time you're N3 you'd know all of this. In most anime that you would watch at this level anyway, honorifics and humble speech is rare outside of when talking to esteemed people like teachers, teachers, and teachers in high school, or being addressed by service staff. Male and female differences in speech to my knowledge, are largely limited to:

Can you use anime in real life?

Some people use anime the same way they would use a conversational phrasebook - to pick up phrases to use in real life. But that sort of method isn't really learning a language inasmuch as turning yourself into a walking Chinese-room experiment, and it applies to BOTH using the anime and the phrase book.

Can you use anime as a sole resource?

1) You cannot use anime as a sole resource. This is obvious and virtually everyone actually learning the language knows this. First you need to learn Hiragana 平仮名 and Katakana 片仮名 so you have access to the language's basic building blocks. Then it's onto some basic Kanji 漢字, and then it's on to Grammar 文法.

Is Japanese a dependent language?

As most learners of Japanese would know, it's a very contextually dependent language, and naturally you should understand the context when learning through anime as well. And use it wisely. Duh.

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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…
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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...
See more on japanesetactics.com