Learn Japanese by speaking, one real situation at a time
The Japanese path is set mostly in Tokyo, with scenes in Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
Every line is written in Japanese script, kana and kanji, as you will see it, and every word has its romaji next to it (long vowels marked, as in kōhī). The path teaches the polite desu and masu forms you use with staff, strangers and colleagues, and points out the casual forms friends use.
Free: 3 sessions a day, 3 minutes each. Not sure where to start? The level test is a 3-minute conversation that places you on the path.
A1 · Foundations
Unit 1 · First words
- How to say hello and goodbye in JapaneseHello and goodbye: Walk in, say hi, walk out smoothly.
- How to say please, thank you and sorry in JapanesePlease, thanks, sorry: Three little words that open every door in Japan.
- How to ask how much something costs in JapaneseNumbers and prices: Know the price before the cash leaves your hand.
- Buying something at a street kiosk in JapaneseCheckpoint · Street kiosk test: Prove it: greet, ask, buy, thank, and go.
Unit 2 · Café & food
- How to order at a café in JapaneseOrder at a café: Order smoothly, even when the menu is all kanji.
- How to order a meal in JapaneseOrdering a meal: Order a real lunch without pointing at photos.
- How to ask what's in a dish in JapaneseWhat's in it?: Know what is in the bowl before you eat it.
- Lunch at a restaurant in Japanese, from table to billCheckpoint · Lunch, start to finish: Prove it: from the door to the paid bill.
Unit 3 · Getting around
- How to ask for directions in JapaneseAsk for directions: Find your platform in the world's busiest stations.
- How to buy a train ticket in JapaneseBuying a ticket: Buy it in one breath, then find your platform.
- How to take a taxi in JapaneseTaking a taxi: Say where, ask how much, stop right here.
- Getting across the city by public transport in JapaneseCheckpoint · Across the city: Prove it: Shinjuku to Sensoji, no English.
Unit 4 · People
- Japanese phrases for meeting someone newMeet someone new: First introductions with the right level of politeness.
- How to talk about your day in JapaneseTalking about your day: Trade day stories without freezing up.
- How to make plans with a friend in JapaneseMaking plans: Turn "we should meet" into an actual date.
- Running into a friend in Japanese: from hello to a planCheckpoint · Coffee with a friend: Prove it: walk away with a real plan.
Unit 5 · Shopping
- How to buy clothes in JapaneseBuying clothes: Find your size, try it on, walk out happy.
- How to pay and ask for a receipt in JapanesePaying and receipts: Card or cash, receipt in hand, no panic.
- How to return an item in JapaneseReturns and problems: Wrong size? Take it back without breaking a sweat.
- Buying and exchanging clothes in JapaneseCheckpoint · Shopping run: Prove it: buy it, try it, bring it back.
A2 · Out in the world
Unit 1 · Eating out
- How to book a table at a restaurant in JapaneseBooking a table: Lock in a table before the izakaya fills up.
- How to share dishes and split the bill in JapaneseDinner with friends: Share the plates, raise a glass, split it evenly.
- How to send food back politely in JapaneseSending it back nicely: Fix the plate without souring the mood.
- Dinner at a restaurant in Japanese, from booking to billCheckpoint · The dinner out: Prove it: book, order, fix it, split it.
Unit 2 · Travel days
- How to check in at a hotel in JapaneseHotel check-in: Check in, get the wifi, escape the broken room.
- What to say when you miss a train in JapaneseDelays and missed trains: The train left without you. Talk your way onward.
- Renting an apartment in Japanese: keys, rules and repairsRenting a place: Keys, rubbish day, and the shower that ran cold.
- Arriving late at a hotel in Japanese, with a booking problemCheckpoint · Arrival day chaos: Prove it: late train, missing booking, one front desk.
Unit 3 · Daily life
- What to say at the pharmacy in JapaneseAt the pharmacy: Say what hurts, walk out with the right box.
- How to see a doctor in JapaneseSeeing a doctor: Get a slot, point at the pain, say since when.
- How to book and change appointments in JapaneseErrands and appointments: A haircut, a parcel, and one polite reschedule.
- A sick day in Japanese: doctor, pharmacy and a moved appointmentCheckpoint · The sick day run: Prove it: clinic booked, medicine bought, haircut moved.
Unit 4 · Small talk & stories
- How to talk about your weekend in JapaneseWeekend stories: Turn a one-word answer into an actual story.
- How to give your opinion in JapaneseLikes, dislikes and why: Have an opinion, and back it up politely.
- How to invite someone out in JapaneseInviting someone out: Ask them out, and survive a soft no.
- Catching up over coffee in Japanese: stories, opinions, plansCheckpoint · Coffee catch-up: Prove it: one coffee, three conversations.
B1 · Real conversations
Unit 1 · Work & study
- How to talk about your job in JapaneseWhat you do: Explain your job without saying 'I am company worker'.
- How to speak up in a meeting in JapaneseA meeting moment: Disagree politely and still leave with a decision.
- How to talk about your goals and plans in JapaneseGoals & plans: Where you'll be in a year, said out loud.
- Networking in Japanese: introduce yourself and follow upCheckpoint · The networking event: Prove it: one stranger, one real follow-up.
Unit 2 · Stories & feelings
- How to tell a story about your past in JapaneseA story from your past: Tell the one that always gets a reaction.
- How to say how you really feel in JapaneseHow you are feeling: Say more than 'I am fine, thanks.'
- How to give advice in JapaneseGiving advice: Help a friend without sounding like a lecture.
- How to comfort a friend in JapaneseCheckpoint · Heart to heart: Prove it: be the friend who actually listens.
Unit 3 · Practical adulting
- How to call customer service in JapaneseCalling customer service: No face, no gestures, just your voice.
- How to open a bank account in JapaneseAt the bank counter: Forms, stamps, and a seal nobody warned you about.
- How to return something broken in JapaneseIt broke, fix it: A week old and already dead. Push back.
- How to report an internet outage in JapaneseCheckpoint · The provider gauntlet: Prove it: three days offline, one phone call.
Unit 4 · Culture & conversation
- How to talk about the news in JapaneseTalking about the news: Cover the headlines without picking a side.
- How to talk about holidays and traditions in JapaneseTraditions & festivals: Trade festivals, compare customs, sound genuinely curious.
- How to disagree politely in JapaneseFriendly debate: Argue about ramen and stay friends.
- Dinner party conversation in Japanese: news, holidays, foodCheckpoint · Dinner party talk: Prove it: news, festivals, and whose food wins.