How Hard Is It to Learn Japanese? Challenges & Tips

Japanese is often considered one of the most difficult languages for English speakers to learn. The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) classifies it as a Category V language, meaning it takes approximately 2,200 hours of study to achieve fluency. This ranking is based on learners aiming for professional proficiency, such as working in Japan. However, if your goal is more casual—like learning for travel, watching anime, or simple conversations—Japanese can be much easier than you think.

The rise of remote learning tools, vast content library resources, and beginner-friendly study methods makes learning the language more accessible than ever. So, is Japanese really that hard to learn? Let’s break it down.

Key Takeaways

• Japanese Has a Reputation for Being Difficult, but It's Manageable – While Japanese is classified as a Category V language requiring ~2,200 hours of study for fluency, this applies mainly to professional-level proficiency. If your goal is casual conversation or travel, Japanese is much easier than commonly believed.

  
  

• Japanese Grammar Is Simple – Despite having three writing systems (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji), Japanese grammar is straightforward, with only two verb tenses (past and present/future) and no gendered nouns or articles, making sentence construction easier.

  
  

• Modern Learning Resources Make It Easier Than Ever – With language apps, YouTube lessons, AI-powered conversational partners like Sakuraspeak, and immersive content like anime and J-dramas, learning Japanese is now more accessible and engaging than ever.

  
  

• Enjoy The Process – Instead of worrying about perfection, focus on regular practice through conversational partners, daily study, and watching Japanese content. Engaging with topics you love (e.g., anime, music, or travel) makes the learning process more enjoyable and sustainable.

Why Is Japanese Considered Difficult?

Japanese is considered a difficult language due to its unique writing system, different grammatical structure, and complex politeness levels. Unlike English, it uses three scripts, has a distinct sentence order, and requires an understanding of various speech levels based on social context. These factors make learning Japanese challenging but also fascinating for those willing to put in the effort.

1. Three Writing Systems

Unlike English, which uses just the Latin alphabet, Japanese has three different writing systems:

• Hiragana (ひらがな) – Used for native Japanese words and grammatical elements.

• Katakana (カタカナ) – Used for foreign words, loanwords, and emphasis.

• Kanji (漢字) – Thousands of Chinese characters representing entire words or concepts.

Learning Hiragana and Katakana can be done in a few weeks, but Kanji will span across your entire language learning journey. The good news? You don’t need to master all 2,000+ Kanji to be conversational.

Just having a good understanding of the Hiragana and Katakana is enough to get you started into being able to speak basic Japanese phrases like “こんにちは” (Hello)　or “すみません” (Excuse me.)

2. Grammar Differences (SOV vs. SVO)

Japanese follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) structure, while English follows Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). Here are three examples to illustrate the difference:

• English: "I will watch a movie." → Japanese: (Watashi wa eiga o miru. / 私は映画を見る)

• English: "She eats sushi every day." → Japanese: (Kanojo wa mainichi sushi o taberu. / 彼女は毎日寿司を食べる)

• English: "We bought a new car." → Japanese: (Watashitachi wa atarashii kuruma o katta. / 私たちは新しい車を買った)

This takes time to adjust to, but it will become second nature with time.

You can also check this video below by a native Japanese teacher who does a great job explaining this concept:

3. Politeness Levels & Honorifics

Japanese has multiple speech levels depending on formality:

• Casual (タメ口 / Tameguchi) – Used with people you’re close to.

• Polite (丁寧語 / Teineigo) – Used in most conversations with strangers. (This is the one most frequently used if you’re a foreigner travelling in Japan)

• Honorific (敬語 / Keigo) – Used in business and customer service.

Here’s an example sentence in all three forms:

• Casual: "Did you eat?" → Tabeta? (食べた？)

• Polite: "Did you eat?" → Tabemashita ka? (食べましたか？)

• Honorific: "Have you had the opportunity to eat?" → Meshiagarimashita ka? (召し上がりましたか？)

While this can be overwhelming at first, beginners can start with the Teineigo form and gradually learn more formal expressions over time.

If your main purpose to learn Japanese is for travelling or as a hobby, you won’t have to worry about mastering Keigo as that’s mostly used for those who plan to work in Japan.

In most cases, Teineigo (Polite Form) is often more than enough to get you by when you visit Japan as a foreigner, as most locals don’t expect you to be fluent in Keigo.

Why Japanese Is NOT That Hard

1. Simple and consistent conjugation rules

Unlike English which has complex tenses (past, present, future, perfect), Japanese only has two:

• Present/Future: 食べる (taberu – "to eat")

• Past: 食べた (tabeta – "ate")

In Japanese, the present and future tenses are expressed using the same verb form. For example, taberu (食べる) can mean both "I eat" and "I will eat," depending on the context.

Here are some examples:

• English: "I study Japanese every day." → Japanese: (Watashi wa mainichi Nihongo o benkyou suru. / 私は毎日日本語を勉強する)

• English: "She will go to school tomorrow." → Japanese: (Kanojo wa ashita gakkou e iku. / 彼女は明日学校へ行く)

• English: "They ate sushi yesterday." → Japanese: (Karera wa kinou sushi o tabeta. / 彼らは昨日寿司を食べた)

Additionally, Japanese verbs conjugate only based on the point in time of the action and nothing else. Verbs in English can conjugate depending on subject, plurality and time.

Example: I eat, the student eats, the students eat vs. 私が食べる、学生が食べる、学生たちが食べる

Furthermore, the conjugations in Japanese are consistent: Aside from 3 words (行く、来る、する), every other word follows the same conjugation rules with no exceptions. This is in comparison to English with its number of irregular verbs:

2. No Gendered Nouns or Articles

In English, we have "a," "an," and "the." In Japanese, there are no articles, making sentence construction simpler in many cases, nor are there the concept of noun genders commonly seen in other languages.

3. Pronunciation Is Straightforward

Japanese pronunciation is consistent and phonetic—each syllable is always pronounced the same way, unlike English where "ough" can be read in multiple ways (e.g., "though," "rough," "through").

Japanese has five vowel sounds which remain consistent for every word:

• A (あ) - "ah"

• I (い) - "ee"

• U (う) - "oo"

• E (え) - "eh"

• O (お) - "oh"

4. Learning Resources Are Everywhere

Japanese has always been one of the more popular foreign languages to learn and thus learning resources are relatively accessible. With the rise of language learning apps, YouTube tutorials, and AI, learners have more support than ever.

It's never been easier to start learning today, but one common mistake beginners make is getting trapped in "perfectionism." Instead of waiting for the ‘right’ moment, focus on the improvements you’ve made over the last time you spoke. Anyone that has ever attempted to learn a language knows that it's completely normal to struggle in the beginning. There’s no need to compare yourself to others—progress happens at different speeds for everyone. Stay consistent, embrace mistakes, and enjoy the process!

Other Tips for Learning Japanese More Effectively

• Start with Hiragana & Katakana – Apps like Duolingo and Kana have writing exercises that can assist you in recalling the different characters more easily, and even have a Quiz function to test your knowledge

  
  

• Have a conversation partner – Imagine how frustrating it is when you can understand every word that is said, but lack the ability to respond meaningfully to it. The biggest challenge and also the step neglected the most in language learning is spoken output. The reason is that practice for this aspect is not as straightforward as the others, be it a lack of opportunities or confidence. With apps like Sakuraspeak however, you can practice the ability to express your views in Japanese without going out of your way to hire a tutor or find a conversation partner. AI can serve as a springboard for building confidence towards actual conversations.

  
  

• Watch content that you enjoy – This can be anything, from Jpop to Jdramas, or even your favorite podcasts/anime series

  
  

• Lean towards consistency over long studying hours.

  
  

• Find a language exchange partner – Apps like HelloTalk or Discord language communities can be great to make friends with native Japanese speakers looking to improve their English, which makes it a win-win situation for both parties

FAQs

1. How long does it take to learn conversational Japanese?

Typically, you can reach basic conversational fluency (JLPT N4-N3 level) in about 8–12 months if you study 1-2 hours daily.

2. Is Japanese harder than Chinese or Korean?

• Chinese: Has 4 different tones, but grammar is simpler.

• Korean: Has an easier alphabet (Hangul) but complex honorifics.

• Japanese: No tones, but three writing systems and pitch accents.

Each of these languages are similar to each other in some sense but they all have their own challenges. Japanese can be easier depending on your learning style and motivation for learning the language.

3. Can I learn Japanese just by watching anime?

While anime is an indispensable tool for learning natural expressions in an informal context, caution must be taken on what is picked up. In a culture that prizes politeness, inappropriate expressions can be costly in your language learning journey. We recommend pairing anime with other learning resources to get a better idea of when to use the expressions you’ve heard.

4. Is pitch accent important for learning Japanese?

While pitch accents can refine your pronunciation, they are not essential for beginners. Native speakers do not expect foreigners to master them immediately, so focus on basic pronunciation is good enough for a start:

Conclusion

Yes and no. Japanese has its challenges, but with the right approach and tools, it’s much easier than you think! Whether you're learning for travel, work, or fun, consistency and immersive practice are the keys to success.

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to find something you love about the language—whether it’s anime, J-pop, Japanese food, or travel. Find a topic that you are absolutely obsessed with, and build a sizable vocabulary for it. The knowledge that you are able to competently express yourself in a topic you care about will motivate you to expand your vocabulary to another topic of interest, and so on. Integrating your interests into your studies will keep you engaged and make learning feel like an enjoyable experience rather than a chore.

The New, Fun, and Faster Way to Learn Japanese

If you want to find a faster and more convenient way to practise conversational Japanese, Sakuraspeak is your AI-powered conversational partner. It's one of the most efficient ways to become fluent at speaking Japanese. Practise beginner-friendly conversations without pressure - you can make mistakes freely and get instant feedback.