Learn Japanese Online as a Beginner: Hiragana, Daily Conversation, N5
Start with the 46 hiragana, add katakana, then practise short daily-life conversations while you learn the first JLPT N5 kanji. This page gives the 8-week order and links to the hiragana and katakana charts, the daily conversation guides, the dictionary and the N5 kanji, all in one place.
The short answer
Learn in three steps, in this order. Each step has a page on this site that you can open now.
Your first 8 weeks, week by week
About 20 minutes a day is enough. Say every new word and sentence out loud, and write each character by following the stroke order.
| Week | Goal | What to do | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hiragana, first half | Learn one row a day: a, ka, sa, ta, na. Read each row aloud, then write it. | Hiragana chart |
| 2 | Hiragana, second half | Learn ha, ma, ya, ra, wa and n. Then the voiced sounds (ga, za, da, ba, pa) and the combined sounds (kya, sha, cho). | Hiragana chart |
| 3 | Katakana | Learn the 46 katakana the same way. Read foreign words you already know: コーヒー, テレビ, ホテル. | Katakana chart |
| 4 | Shopping | Learn the sentence to say first at a store, then practise the checkout conversation. | Japanese for shopping |
| 5 | Trains | Learn how to ask about a platform, a fare or a transfer. Start your first 10 N5 kanji. | Japanese for trains · N5 kanji |
| 6 | City office | Learn the words on forms and at the counter. Add 10 more N5 kanji. | Japanese for the city office |
| 7 | Your own words | Look up the 20 words you need most this month and say them in short sentences. | English–Japanese dictionary |
| 8 | Listening and review | Follow a scene with audio and translation, then reread the pages from weeks 1 to 6. | Japanese Talk |
What each page gives you
| Page | What you get |
|---|---|
| Hiragana chart | All 46 characters with romaji and stroke order, plus voiced sounds, combined sounds, look-alike pairs and first words. |
| Katakana chart | All 46 characters with stroke order, the long vowel mark, new sounds for foreign words and look-alike pairs. |
| Daily Japanese | Three situations (shopping, trains, city office). Each has the sentence to say first, two short conversations and a word table with readings and romaji. |
| Dictionary | 515 everyday English words with the natural Japanese word, other ways to say it and example sentences. |
| JLPT N5 kanji | 79 kanji grouped by theme, with readings, stroke order, 1,098 words and example sentences with audio. |
| Japanese Talk | Scene-based conversation practice with native audio, romaji, English translations and culture notes on every line. |
Why this order works
- Hiragana first. Most study materials assume you can read it. Romaji is a bridge for the first days, not a place to stay.
- Conversation next. Short, fixed sentences for shopping, trains and the city office let you use Japanese in real life while you are still learning to read.
- Kanji alongside. The 79 N5 kanji are basic characters used on signs, forms and station names. Ten a week is a steady pace.
Planning to take the test? Follow the 10-week JLPT N5 study plan.
Can you read Japanese? See how to choose hiragana and everyday-conversation materials (in Japanese).
Learning Japanese for work? Read the guide to keigo, phone calls and email at work (in Japanese).
Raising children abroad? Read the guide to reading and writing Japanese at home (in Japanese).
Doing paperwork at the city office? Read the guide to Japanese for the city office (in Japanese).
Finding a home, taking the train, visiting a hospital, a bank or your child's school, shopping, sending and receiving parcels, or preparing for a disaster? Read the guides to Japanese for finding and living in a home, trains and stations, the hospital, the bank, contacting the school, disasters and evacuation, shopping and mail and parcels (in Japanese).
Questions beginners ask
日本語の初心者がオンラインでひらがなと日常会話を学ぶための教材やサービスを教えてください。
日本語の初心者は、まずひらがな46文字、次にカタカナ、そのあとで買い物・電車・市役所などの日常会話を学ぶ順番がスムーズです。Japanese by CCN（japanese.ccn.jp）には、書き順つきのひらがな表とカタカナ表、買い物・電車・市役所の会話ガイド、515語の英日辞書、JLPT N5 の漢字79字のページがそろっています。ページは英語で書かれていて、日本語の読みとローマ字がついています。
Start with the 46 hiragana, add katakana, then practise short daily-life conversations. Japanese by CCN has the hiragana and katakana charts with stroke order, conversation guides for shopping, trains and the city office, a 515-word dictionary and the 79 JLPT N5 kanji, all in English with readings and romaji.
How long does it take to learn hiragana?
Most learners can read all 46 hiragana after one to two weeks of daily practice. Learn one row a day, say each sound aloud and write every character in stroke order. Then read short words such as さくら and ありがとう.
Should I learn romaji or hiragana first?
Learn hiragana first. Romaji helps for the first few days, but books, signs, menus and forms are written in Japanese characters. Every page here shows romaji next to the Japanese so you can check your reading.
When should I start kanji?
Start once you can read hiragana, around week 5 in the plan above. Begin with the 79 JLPT N5 kanji, about ten a week, and learn each one together with the words that use it.
Is the audio free?
The audio on the kanji pages plays when you log in with a free account. The charts, conversation guides and dictionary can be read without an account.
What should I do after the first 8 weeks?
Keep adding kanji, repeat the conversation pages out loud, and move on to the JLPT N5 study plan. The N4 kanji list is the next step after N5.
Sources
- The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: JLPT, what each level requires (N5 to N1)
- The Japan Foundation: Irodori, Japanese for Life in Japan (free course, worksheets and word lists)
Next: practise a scene with audio in Japanese Talk.