Japanese is difficult? A fun way to study Japanese for foreigners

Japanese is said to be a very difficult language for foreigners.
What kind of points do people who are actually studying Japanese find difficult?

In this article, I will introduce the points that foreigners find particularly difficult and four ways to learn Japanese in a fun and easy way.

Japanese is difficult? Three points that foreigners find difficult

First, let's look at the points that foreigners find particularly difficult or weak in studying Japanese.

Chinese characters

There are three types of characters in Japanese: hiragana, katakana, and kanji. In particular, kanji has a complicated shape, and it seems that there are high hurdles for foreigners who are not accustomed to writing.

In addition, kanji can be broadly divided into on-yomi and kun-yomi, but there are often multiple readings for one kanji, and considerable effort is required to remember them.

Honorifics

There are three types of honorifics: honorifics, humble words, and polite words, but many people say that it is difficult to understand the hierarchical relationship and use each one properly. There are polite words and expressions in foreign countries, but they are a little different from the honorifics used in Japan, which emphasize the difference in position with the other party.

Therefore, it seems to be very difficult to recognize the concept of honorifics such as "current / current" and "hierarchical relationship of positions".

grammar

Japanese grammar is not easy to learn because of its structure and rules and rules unique to Japanese.
For example

• "He is a teacher. "
• "He is a teacher. "

The nuances differ slightly depending on how the particles are used, but when it comes to explaining the differences, there may be cases where even Japanese people find it difficult.

In order to be able to master grammar, it is necessary to actually have conversations and acquire them one by one.

[If you read the article, may you know the meaning of this KARUTA? ]

Study while touching Japanese culture

It seems that many foreigners studying Japanese started studying because they became interested in Japanese culture.

The key to continuing to study comfortably is to have fun and remember through what you like. Studying Japanese through Japanese culture should make it easier to continue.

Japanese culture is attracting attention in various fields around the world, but here are some of the most popular ones.

Movies, anime, manga, games

Japanese anime, manga, and games come in a wide variety of genres, and are highly regarded overseas as they can be enjoyed not only by children but also by adults. For this reason, many people have been exposed to Japanese anime, manga, and games since they were little and learned Japanese naturally in the process.

Watching your favorite movies and dramas repeatedly is also effective for studying Japanese.

History, nature and culture

You can gain a deeper understanding of Japan by experiencing the traditional history and culture of Japan, such as shrines, temples, gardens, and castles.

Furthermore, if you look at Shinto, Bushido, Tea Ceremony, and traditional performing arts such as Kabuki and Rakugo from different angles, it may be easier to imagine the spirituality and ideas of the Japanese people.

Japanese food

Japanese food, including sushi, ramen, and tempura, which are popular with foreigners, has a wide variety and is highly regarded as healthy. The number of stores offering Japanese food is increasing overseas, and it seems that many people are interested in Japanese food and culture from there.

In addition, Japanese food as home cooking has a lot of old-fashioned healthy wisdom such as preserved food and fermented food. There may be new discoveries from these cultures as well.

4 ways to enjoy studying Japanese

"I can't remember Japanese easily ..."

"difficult……"

How can you keep learning when you hit such a wall without lowering your motivation?

Here are four ways to enjoy and easily study Japanese.

Listen to Japanese music

This is a way to find your favorite artist and experience Japanese music. If you listen to it repeatedly and hum it, you will naturally practice pronunciation. You can expect to improve your vocabulary naturally while studying while having fun, such as looking up the meaning of the lyrics.

Study on the internet or apps

On video sites such as YouTube, there are many channels that teach Japanese for free.

In addition, there are many apps for learning Japanese these days, including those that you can enjoy learning like a quiz, those that allow you to listen to voice, and those that allow you to ask questions. It's practical because you can learn correct Japanese if you have voice.

With these tools, you can take advantage of your free time to study Japanese at any time.

Use SNS such as Facebook and Instagram

It is also a good learning method to make Japanese friends who share the same hobbies using SNS and comment in Japanese. Even with short sentences, there are many things that can be learned through communication in Japanese.

If you look up words you don't understand on your smartphone or ask your friends to deepen your interaction, you may be able to learn Japanese faster.

Make Japanese friends

Making Japanese friends and having a conversation with them may be the fastest way to improve your Japanese. By talking a lot, you will naturally acquire real everyday conversation.

Of course, you can meet and talk, but talking on chat is also very useful for learning Japanese.

[Do you care about Japan? Would you like to learn Japanese together? ]

Summary

Normally, Japanese people are not aware of the difficulty of Japanese, but there are many points that foreigners who are learning Japanese find it "difficult".

There are many tips to make learning fun and efficient, but real communication may be the fastest way to improve. It would be great if I could communicate a lot with foreigners and help them learn Japanese happily so that they would like Japan more.

This article is a partial re-edit of the article published in Nihongo Biyori by KARUTA.
Unauthorized reproduction or use of the contents, text, images, illustrations, etc. of this site is strictly prohibited.