How to learn Japanese. Japanese from scratch

Greetings friends, Igor Korotkov is with you. You are on the site site

When you first think about starting to learn Japanese, most often people start Googling something like this: " Japanese language tutorial for beginners" or " The best Japanese language tutorial".

If you think that buy a tutorial- good idea, then I want upset you. Tutorial teachers will assure you that you will learn Japanese in 10-15-30 days. But no matter what tutorial you choose, there will be very general and scattered information, and even more so there will be no talk of any 10-15-30 days. :(

To avoid wasting time and money, I suggest immediately paying attention to Japanese language textbooks.

I talked about some of them, but time changes, and some textbooks, unfortunately, do not. But fortunately, new worthy textbooks are coming, which we will also discuss today.

For example, right from the list you can safely cross out Golovnin's textbook .

This tutorial obsolete a long time ago, but until recently I had hope that there would be some new editions with worthy updates.

Strugova and Sheftelevich. We read, write, speak Japanese.

My the most favorite Russian-language textbook“We read, write, speak Japanese” by Strugova and Sheftelevich is still relevant.

Having completed Chapter 1 and having prepared a little in specialized literature, you can safely take N5, and after completing Chapter 2 - N4. Those. these 2 textbooks are almost complete cover the base of the Japanese language.

Everything is well structured and laid out. I won’t list all the advantages, I’ll just say that it’s good.

In this video, I want to focus on the disadvantages of textbooks, so that you know in advance about the weak points of a particular textbook. Because V All the textbooks that we will list below are excellent, just with its own shortcomings.

This textbook, like all Russian-language manuals, is a little poor in terms of vocabulary; there are some outdated words, for example: ビデオカセット.

It's 2017, and they're all talking about videotapes and dandy consoles. This is a little strange, because... textbook constantly republished. Fortunately, there are not many such words, but still.

Such words can be easily replaced with modern analogues without changing the essence. This is done in 2 minutes without exaggeration, I don’t know why this hasn’t been done yet and whether it will be done in principle. It's a shame for such a good textbook.

Absolutely the same applies to Nechaeva's textbook. These 2 textbooks (by Strugov and Nechaev) are very competently compiled, but this was relevant at the time the textbook was created, and now I would like more lively vocabulary and more real life situations, and not dialogues like: “Let's ride Dumbo the elephant?” (as it is written in Strugova) or “Do you listen to cassette tapes in class?” (in Nechaeva and Strugova) Why do such offers for a beginner? I don't understand!

In addition, many texts and vocabulary in these textbooks revolve around the topic of studying, which is also a little strange, because... Not everyone learns Japanese in order to say sentences like “I study Japanese from 9 am to 5 pm.” But all the same, all these disadvantages are covered by the very strong base that is presented there.

Despite the shortcomings that each textbook has, I like them more than the same Minna-no-nihongo, which is compiled for foreigners in a somewhat average way with some even more unnecessary vocabulary and sometimes strange expressions.

In our textbooks we see translations, analogies and explanations precisely for our understanding. Of course, the explanations, especially in plowing, are quite difficult, but fortunately they are full of examples, so in principle, it is possible to understand.

Actually, now we move on to Japanese textbooks. In the very first video, I limited myself to only the Russian-language database, but this time we will also touch on textbooks with English translations, thereby our circle of choice greatly expands and is not limited only to the Russian-language version Minna-no-nihongo.

Actually, about minna-no-nihongo my opinion has not changed and as I said in the very first video - the textbook is overloaded, there is a lot of unnecessary stuff.

BUT! If you live in Japan and need to talk here and now, then will fit perfectly. This is a classic!

Besides minna-no-nihongo there are 2 more textbooks that definitely need to be recommended - these are Try and Dekiru nihongo.

Let's hear about these textbooks.

Me: --- What textbooks do you recommend?

Take: --- I recommend 3 textbooks: Minna no Nihongo (みんなの日本語), Try (トライ) and Dekiru Nihongo (できるにほんご).

I think that in Russia the most popular is Minna-no-nihongo, but the good aspects of this textbook... . Hm… . Which ones are interesting?..

Me: --- Are there any weak points?

Take: --- Yes, of course. If you use only it, then it’s a little... . Since this textbook is for those who work in Japan, then if you live and work in Japan, then this textbook will work very well, but there are very few expressions for everyday life. There are a lot of useful expressions to work with, but if you only use this, I think it won't be enough.

Take: --- And the Kansai dialect in the textbook?..

Take: --- Ahh, yes! For me, as a person from Kanto (the region where Tokyo and other prefectures are located), sometimes I come across very strange expressions.

Because this textbook was made by teachers from Kansai (Kansai is Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, etc.), then for me such expressions are a little... But I wouldn’t worry so much about this. If you study it with a teacher, then everything will be fine!

Me: --- So what if you study it yourself?

Take: --- Well, if you study on your own, then you can remember such strange expressions. In the end, you can memorize this way, and then ask the Japanese to correct it (if necessary).

Take: --- Then... Try textbook. This is a new Japanese textbook and there are no outdated expressions.

In addition, there are a lot of expressions that are used in everyday life. Then... there's a pretty good explanation of the grammar. This textbook is headed by grammar, so everything is clearly explained there.

There are very few exercises in the Try textbook, and only because of this, Try alone is not enough to fully study Japanese. This textbook can be used not only to prepare for Norek Shiken, but also as a simple study of Japanese. But you definitely need to find some exercises for it (since there are very few of them there).

Me: --- Thank you!

Take: --- Next is the Dekiru Nihongo (できるにほんご) tutorial. Here everything is the other way around, unlike Try, there is very little grammar and it may be difficult for one to understand, but instead there are a lot of scenes from real life, for example: “What is the best answer here?” etc.

Dekiru Nihongo is a textbook that is full of good exercises. It may not be suitable for preparing for Nihongo Norek Shiken, but for real life it will be perfect! For example, talking with friends, going to a store or restaurant, etc.

Me: --- Thank you!

Me: --- Do you have any opinion about Russian-language textbooks?

Take: --- I haven’t had a chance to use them, so I don’t have any opinion. But when I saw several textbooks, the first impression I got about them was that there were a lot of errors (of various kinds). Then, I was confused by the Japanese font. A little strange... some kind of Chinese or something... Unnatural for the Japanese.

Strange font... But for beginners they are suitable.

Me: --- What if you learn Japanese on your own?

Take: --- If on your own, then I think it’s Minna-no-nihongo. There is also Russian language. And there are a lot of exercises. If you study alone, then textbook No. 1 - Minna-no-nihongo!

Me: --- Thank you!

Me: --- What textbooks do you recommend when preparing for Nihongo Noreku Shiken?

Take: --- I would advise...

And you will find out this in the next issue. ;)

So, from this conversation we learned that there are such wonderful textbooks as Try, Dekiru Nihongo and known to everyone Minna-no-nihongo.

But as you already understand, there is no ideal textbook or self-instruction manual for Japanese, however, you can take something as a basis and combine it with other textbooks.

Now I will tell you how my students and I act, and you personally decide for yourself what is convenient for you. By the way, if you have already decided, write in the comments which textbooks you will use or which ones you already use? Very interesting read.

I still take the textbook by Strugov and Sheftelevich as a basis: “We read, write, speak Japanese,” because I think that the base there is simply wonderful, with the exception of some mistakes that we change as the training progresses, introducing more lively “non-book” expressions and supplementing the vocabulary.

Also, in addition, we take some points from textbooks Try And Dekiru Nihongo and moments from Genki textbook, because there are also good “live” expressions that perfectly complement Strugova.

Now let me express my personal opinion on some of the textbooks that Suzuki-sensei spoke about earlier.

Try and Dekiru Nihongo

I completely agree with him that Try and Dekiru Nigongo- simply excellent textbooks with their shortcomings, which have already been mentioned, I will not repeat.

I'll just say that Try and Dekiru Nigongo can be recommended in addition to self-study, because both here and there there are scripts with answers.

But they should be taken as an addition, and not as a basis, i.e. You need to already know the Japanese alphabet Hiragana and Katakana, as well as have some grammar and vocabulary. By the way, I advise you to watch it in order to quickly get into Japanese without much slippage.

To summarize, we have 2 sets of textbooks.

Suzuki Sensei has this:

Minna no Nihongo (base), Try and Dekiru Nihongo.

I have this:

Strugova and Sheftelevich (basis), Try (extra), Dekiru Nihongo (extra).

It’s hard to say which textbook you should choose specifically, because absolutely all textbooks have strengths and weaknesses, but I would advised to start with Strugova and Sheftelevich or Nechaeva, and then gradually take in addition of more modern Japanese textbooks, which are full of “live” expressions and real situations, such as Dekiru Nigongo and Try.

From everything that has been said before, we can conclude that you should never take self-instruction books, you should only take textbooks!

And it is advisable to take not just one textbook, but several, because... each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

Please write in the comments what textbooks you use, what pros and cons you see in them and what you think about the textbooks that we recommended? And if you are just deciding on a choice, write down which one you decided to take.

That's all for today. If you would like us to analyze in detail each of the textbooks mentioned and list the strengths and weaknesses, write about it in the comments and like it.

To keep abreast of new articles and project news in general, I also recommend subscribing to our groups on social media. networks (all links to social networks are at the bottom of the site page), because there I always provide links to new articles.

See you in the next video, friends!

I need to learn Japanese...

Some people claim that you can only learn Japanese by watching anime with subtitles. I can't agree with them. Without knowledge of the vocabulary and rules of the Japanese language, nothing will work. Of course, unless you are a genius who grasps everything on the fly.

First, the three most important rules for learning Japanese, without which nothing will work:

1. Studying should be fun for you.
2. Exercise every day at least an hour (you can take one day off per week)
3. Set yourself specific goal(learn to read Japanese, learn to watch anime without translation, learn to communicate with Japanese on everyday topics, if you are going on a trip to Japan, pass an exam, etc.) and strive to achieve it.

And now, the algorithm for learning Japanese:

Step 1: Katakana and Hiragana

Learn katakana and hiragana first. These are syllabic alphabet. Katakana used by the Japanese to write words borrowed from foreign languages, and hiragana- in writing along with Kanji characters. In principle, Japanese words can be written using only katakana or hiragana, without kanji.

This is hiragana

Personally, hiragana was easier for me, but katakana still has problems. It is best to learn these ABCs using the “slotting” method, just as we all once learned the multiplication table.

Step 2: Learn grammar and vocabulary from the textbook

Take a textbook Minna no Nihongo and study it until you are completely enlightened. It will help you learn Japanese words and Japanese language rules. It is best to use the complete textbook, with all audio applications. This will help you learn to pronounce words more or less correctly. There is also a good textbook for universities by Nechaeva.

Minna no Nihongo

If you know any other good textbooks, write in the comments.

Step 2.5 Audio Tutorials

When learning foreign languages, it is very useful to listen to various audio materials. With their help, knowledge is ingrained directly into the brain. Listening can be combined with other activities and it saves a lot of time.

Download the audio guide. And listen to it until you feel that the Japanese language has been ingrained into your brain. And then, (Rutreker was blocked, so the links may not work) These are excellent audio tutorials (I won’t recommend anything bad), although they are only suitable for those who know English.

There are also good podcasts for Japanese language learners, which can also be found on RuTracker.

Step 3: Learn Kanji

Learn hieroglyphs. “Love hieroglyphs and they will love you”. I don't know who came up with this phrase, but I really like it. The “slotting” method will not cope with hieroglyphs. After all, you need to learn about 2000 hieroglyphs to read Japanese texts. Use mnemonics methods (mnemonics are a set of rules and techniques that allow you to remember the necessary information). It is important to memorize not only the hieroglyph itself, but also the words it includes.

If you're just starting to learn kanji, try reading a book with a strange title "Kanja essays". It can give a good impetus to the study of hieroglyphs.

By the way, you need to memorize not only the appearance of the hieroglyph, but also the order in which the strokes are written. This also has a hidden meaning and its own logic.

There are many excellent programs for learning characters and Japanese words. The most famous program for learning using flashcards is . I advise you to use it. If you want to learn to read Japanese, then you need to study them every day at least an hour using cards.

I also advise you to install a hieroglyph dictionary. Great program.

Step 4: Start using your Japanese knowledge

At this stage, you can start watching anime in Japanese and reading manga. There is a little secret when watching anime. If characters speak too quickly, slow down the playback. This can be easily done using for example VLC media player. Then you will understand the words in Japanese.

For manga, start with simple children's manga that doesn't use many characters. I can also recommend simple Japanese fairy tales. Very suitable for starting to learn to read.

Step 5: Communicate with Japanese

Start communicating with Japanese people on the Internet, or in real life, if possible. It all depends on how sociable you are. If everything is fine with this, then you can easily find Japanese friends on social networks or on special websites.

The article is not finished yet, because you can learn Japanese indefinitely. I hope any Japanese language experts who stop by the blog Nippon-otaku will make their additions.

Yes, by the way, there is more information on this topic on the blog. In the section and by tag.

Greetings, Friends. Igor Korotkov is with you.. Lately I have been receiving a lot of questions on the topic of where to start learning Japanese. Today we will talk about where to start learning Japanese?.

In this video I will tell you your point of view on this score.

STAGE 1: Hiragana/Katakana ABCs and Collocations.

In fact, everything is very simple. First, you go through the Japanese alphabet Hiragana and Katakana, learning 2 rows from Hiragana and 2 from Katakana at once. Those. start with the rows A-Ka, Sata, Naha, etc.

As you go through the A-Ka rows, start using words that consist of these rows. Why don’t I advise teaching one row at a time? The fact is that there are quite a few words in Japanese that contain only 1 row, for example “A”. By combining 2 rows in pairs, you will have more useful basic words that you can use in life. Do not forget to use phrases, for example, by memorizing the A-Ka rows you can create various phrases, for example: あかいいえAkai Ie (red house), おおきいケーキ Ooki ke:ki (big cake), etc.

And, of course, do not forget to use and. Also, when learning the alphabet, you can use not only mnemonics. It is best to combine mnemonics with a practical part, for example, reading adaptive texts and from time to time look at the sign with and.

Also, there is another good way - find any text that interests you and in MS Word replace the letters with Hiragana and Katkan characters. I made this text in 2 minutes. There is absolutely nothing complicated about this. A simple replacement of several Russian letters, but there is an effect! Especially if you combine several methods.

While learning the ABCs, take care. We have a video on our channel about... I hope that another updated part with detailed analyzes of textbooks will be released soon. You can watch it at this link when it becomes available.

Also, watch the video about! After this, open the lesson dictionary of any basic textbook and simply select images for those words for which it is easiest to find associations at the moment. And start with these words. This is the easiest way to gain vocabulary and practice with Japanese alphabets.

Stage 2: Hieroglyphs and Basic Grammar.

Having learned the alphabet and such simple constructions as Akai Ie, you already have a small vocabulary.

Next, watch these 3 videos about hieroglyphs in turn (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3).

After this, you can start studying hieroglyphs, first, at least just visually quickly learn about 50-100 pieces, and over time add readings to them. We have a separate video about that at a time.

There is absolutely no need to learn all the readings of the hieroglyph, because... Without proper handling, you will still forget most of the readings. Therefore, as soon as you come across a word or phrase with this kanji, write it down and remember it in context.

Until you reach an average level of proficiency in Japanese, it will be forgotten quite quickly, so it is better to devote at least 15 minutes to Japanese, but EVERY DAY, than as much as 2 hours, but once a week. For more detailed information, I advise you to watch my very first video about how to better learn Japanese. The quality of the shooting is not very good, but this does not change the essence.

Don't forget about grammar, it is also important. Start with simple grammatical structures. It is best to use any basic Japanese language textbook. Please note that I say “textbook”, not “self-instruction manual”! After looking through the tutorials, you will understand why I say choose textbooks.

When I started learning Japanese, I just got into a “tutorial” and this pushed me away from Japanese for six months. Moreover, the tutorial was not some kind for 100 rubles, but quite expensive! Now I no longer remember the details of that tutorial, neither the name nor the clear structure, but I roughly remember that in that tutorial, first there were the ABCs, on the next sheet there was a list of keys, and then there were texts about the diameter of the guns of tanks and about various hydraulic installations with explanations in Russian, why this or that grammar is used.

I thought that I didn’t understand anything, although everything here seemed to be written “what and how,” which meant I couldn’t master Japanese. If anyone knows the name of this “self-tormentor”, write about it in the comments.

I have an extremely negative attitude towards tutorials, because... It's basically "water".

Stage 3: Practice

Don't forget that you need to not only read information, but also extract it from your head, so practice and talk.

I often hear from beginners that they lack practice, they need someone and I never understood that. You can communicate with yourself out loud as much as you like. You can practice from morning to night on your own. Practice the material you've covered with yourself, memorize basic constructions and simply substitute other words.

Because Essentially, grammatical structures are a pattern. You simply substitute the necessary information into the template you need. For a couple of years, memorizing “basic patterns” should be more than enough, and to practice basic structures you can get by on your own! Of course, provided that you understand the grammar correctly and memorize the construction correctly.

Again, there are tons of different resources for communicating with Japanese people. For example, sites such as Interpals, lang-8, sharedtalk, Livemocha, etc. But usually this fun does not last long, the person realizes that he cannot communicate normally in Japanese and it quickly gets boring. Therefore, I advise you not to push carts ahead of you, but first learn at least a basic level of Japanese, and only then look for similar resources to hone your skills.

Let me remind you once again that to practice yourself at the initial stage is enough. Speak loudly, out loud, create scenes, use Japanese, record yourself at least on a voice recorder, etc.

Surround yourself with Japanese: set your phone to Japanese, watch Japanese TV series, listen to Japanese radio or music, write notes in Japanese, keep a diary about your life in Japanese, etc. When you go to the store, write down your shopping list in Japanese. Need to write down something else - Japanese to the rescue! That's where the practice comes in!

At the initial stage, in order to make the most of Japanese, you don't need Japanese and Japan! This is the most common misconception I have ever seen. Of course, now we are talking about the basic level of Japanese, and not about the language as a whole.

I have seen a lot of examples where a person came to Japan with the hope of learning Japanese and left with negligible knowledge, and most often after 2-3 months he remembered exactly the same amount as before the trip to Japan, maybe a little more.

And I saw people who, having never been to Japan, spoke well and passed Level 2 Noreka. Although Noreku, of course, is not an indicator, they spoke Japanese better than people who went to Japan to learn Japanese, because for some reason many people mistakenly believe that this is what prevents them from learning Japanese.

Not laziness, not a lack of determination and motivation, but a lack of money, because... Without going to Japan it is impossible to learn Japanese. But I’ll come to Japan and within 2-3 months I’ll start speaking, because there’s practice there. (I once thought so myself, until I went there for the first time).

When I took the noreka test in Japan, I managed to talk to a Russian woman who, living in Japan, has been unable to pass the 2 kyu test for 10 years in a row. I wouldn't call it simple bad luck. This case is very significant. You can live in a country where everyone uses this language, but speak Japanese at a “everyday” level. Exactly the same result can be achieved without an urgent trip to Japan.

By this I in no way want to say that you shouldn’t go to Japan or shouldn’t talk to the Japanese. I just want to reassure those who think that learning a language requires a lot of money and right now you need to spend money on a native speaker or go to Japan, because there is no other way.

That's all for today. If you liked the video, like it, tell your friends, subscribe to the channel, and also to our groups on social media. Networks, Igor Korotkov was with you. See you in the next video!

Japan is a mysterious country with a fascinating culture and, to put it mildly, a difficult language. The Japanese language is the key to understanding Japanese culture and the mentality of the local population, so knowing it will help in work, moving to permanent residence or traveling.

All Courses Com has compiled a traditional review of YouTube channels that will help you learn the basics or improve your knowledge of the Japanese language for free.

Japanese with Dmitry Shamov

Japanese language with Daria Moinich

Japanese with OnlineJapan TV

Cheerful Japanese

Japanese with Venasera

Japanese for Dummies

Japanese language with AnimeObserver

Japanese with Learn Japanese with JapanesePod101.com

Japanese with Nihongono Mory

Japanese with Amir Ordabayev

I am writing this article primarily for those who have already firmly decided learn Japanese and for those who are just planning to do it.

(Attention! There are many useful links at the end of the article, read everything to the end)

Let's look at a few ways you can learn Japanese.

1. Sign up for special Japanese language courses for beginners. True, not every city has such an opportunity. The advantage of this approach is that you study in a group; you can practice the language with your classmates, and the teacher will always be able to give recommendations and comments on what is being done correctly and what is not. If such courses are offered in your city and you have enough free time, try to take advantage of this opportunity.
2. Hire a tutor. Again, Japanese is not English; not every city allows you to hire a tutor, and not everyone can afford his services financially. However, in this case there will be an individual approach, the teacher will specifically work with you, clearly explaining all the features of the Japanese language, and you will have to stress less.
3. The most exotic way - go to Japan itself and study Japanese directly in one of the special schools that teach foreigners. This method provides perhaps the highest quality of learning. But it is really only suitable for those who have decided to work or live in this country in the future.
4. Self-study– using various Japanese language tutorials, textbooks, computer programs, audio lessons and other materials. We will look at this method in more detail.

Learn Japanese on your own o - the activity is quite labor-intensive, but practically free. The greatest difficulty is in writing; hieroglyphs are very unusual for us (in English at least there are similar letters) and it is not easy to learn them, especially in Japanese three alphabets are used at once, three systems that are used in parallel with each other. Often in an ordinary sentence (especially in fiction) you can find the use of three alphabets at once; they complement each other.
But don’t let super-complex hieroglyphs scare you, there are methods for learning hieroglyphs that are accessible to everyone, practically playfully, but more on that a little later.

As for grammar, everything is much simpler here, it is quite simple, in a sense it can even be compared with English. Sentences are constructed logically, word by word, revealing the idea of ​​the story.
For example, to make a sentence interrogative, it is enough to simply put the preposition “ka” at the end of the sentence (Genki des ka - How are you?). Note that there is not even a question mark; it is placed in some cases when it is necessary to clarify that this is a question.
So, with some Japanese vocabulary, you can form any sentence without much effort.

Now you have a rough and very rough idea of ​​the level of complexity of the Japanese language, all that remains is to stock up on a sufficient amount of educational materials and start learning on your own.

First of all, you need to buy or download full-fledged ones on the Internet Japanese language textbooks, you simply can’t do without them (if you download everything from the Internet, then the training will be completely free, although you will still have to print something out; you won’t learn much behind the monitor). Such textbooks set out in detail and in great detail all the features of the Japanese language that need to be learned, as well as many different little things. I recommend paying attention to the following textbooks, in order of importance:

• Japanese language tutorial - practical grammar(B.P. Lavrentiev)
• Japanese language textbook for beginners(I.V. Golovin)
• Hello Japanese!(compiled by the Japanese themselves)

Simple textbooks alone may not be enough. IN Japanese Pronunciation is very important, sometimes it is the pronunciation that determines the meaning of a sentence, and mastering the correct pronunciation on your own is almost impossible, you need to listen to the speech of the Japanese themselves. For this reason, I highly recommend stocking up audio tutorials.
Here I can recommend two courses:

1. Hiroko Storm – Modern Japanese Course. A textbook with audio recordings, language learning takes place according to the textbook and at the end of each chapter there is an audio lesson. You need to listen to recorded dialogues, memorize and repeat them. Very convenient and interesting.
2. Visa to Japan. A set of audio cassettes with lessons. Below you can download it along with the book.

Now about computer programs. For the most part they are intended for studying hieroglyphs. I won’t give examples, they are all practically the same and can be easily searched and downloaded on the Internet. But I want to draw attention to one program that stands out qualitatively from the rest, called KANAnization.
The meaning of this program is that some Russian text is taken and processed in such a way that the syllables of the Russian language are replaced by katakana and/or hiragana characters. The replacement occurs incrementally, at the beginning of the text only some syllables are replaced, then more, until by the end of the text all possible syllables are replaced. The larger the text, the smoother and more qualitatively and naturally the learning occurs. It works almost at the subconscious level, so after reading the processed fairy tale “Alice in Wonderland,” I learned katakana almost perfectly on my own! Then all that remains is to consolidate the acquired knowledge on various exercises from textbooks, otherwise everything is quickly forgotten.

There is another option, books for learning Japanese for children. You can imagine yourself as a Japanese preschooler and start studying a similar textbook. For example, I bought the book “Japanese with Mom”; it contains a lot of typical Japanese expressions and cliches. Standard everyday phrases, there are small dictionaries. But such books are more suitable for consolidating existing knowledge than as a self-instruction manual for beginners.