Download FREE Jōyō Kanji 2136 list PDF!
DOWNLOAD 👇
https://reading-japanese.com/joyo-kanji-list-with-meaning-pdf/
Contents:
- 1026 Primary School kanji
- 1110 Secondary School kanji
- Meanings + 2 readings
- 200 JLPT words
Perfect for: JLPT N1-N5, real life reading, anime!
Pro tip: 100 kanji/day = test ready in 2 weeks!
Mine: ラーメン (raamen) = first kanji! 🍜
Hello dorsok! Fumito Emi here 😊
Katakana = foreign words + names!
TOKYO, RAMEN, ANIME, PAN...
Inside guide:
✅ 46 katakana characters
✅ A-line to Ro-line practice
✅ 50 real words (TOKYO, RAMEN, HBO, DVD)
✅ 200 practice katakana + workbook
Example katakana words:
- ラーメン (raamen)
- トキオ (Tokyo)
- アニメ (anime)
FREE workbook + 200 practice words 👉
https://reading-japanese.com/learn-katakana-complete-guide-for-beginners/
Pro tip: Focus on 1 row daily (3 days total!)
Your turn: Write トキオ!
Kon'nichiwa dorsok! Native Fumito here 😊
"What should I do?" has 5 versions: https://reading-japanese.com/how-do-you-say-what-should-i-do-in-japanese/
どうしよう？(Doushiyou?)
"Rain... what should I do?"
どうしたらいい？(Doushitara ii?)
"Forgot wallet... what should I do?"
どうしますか？(Doushimasu ka?)
"What will you do?"
Real examples:
- 電車遅れてる、どうしよう！(Train late, what to do!)
- 宿題忘れた、どうしよう？(Forgot homework!)
FREE PDF: 15 conversations + audio
Practice: Your "doushiyou" moment? 👇
Hello dorsok! Fumito Emi here 😊
Numbers 1-9 in Japanese: https://reading-japanese.com/japanese-numbers-1-to-9/
1️⃣ いち (ichi)
2️⃣ に (ni)
3️⃣ さん (san)
4️⃣ よん (yon) ← lucky! / し (shi) = avoid
5️⃣ ご (go)
6️⃣ ろく (roku)
7️⃣ なな (nana) ← lucky! / しち (shichi)
8️⃣ はち (hachi)
9️⃣ きゅう (kyuu) / く (ku) = avoid
Cultural note: Shi=death, ku=suffering ☠️
Practice: さんぽん (3 bottles) coming next!
FREE PDF chart + audio
If you're learning Japanese, the days of the week are a great place to start.
https://reading-japanese.com/days-of-the-week-in-japanese/
Monday = 月曜日 (getsuyoubi)
Tuesday = 火曜日 (kayoubi)
A useful pattern:
- Every weekday ends with **-yobi**.
- 月 = moon, so Monday is “moon day.”
- 火 = fire, so Tuesday is “fire day.”
Also, **じゃなかったです** means “wasn’t” in polite past negative speech.
Example:
今日は月曜日じゃなかったです。
= “Today was not Monday.”
Simple, but very useful for beginners.
In this lesson we continue through Lesson 2 with Dialogue 3 https://reading-japanese.com/kono-sono-ano-dono-in-japanese/ — an orientation scene for new employees where Michael meets a staff member and then spots a well-known professor across the room. Its a natural, realistic slice of Japanese workplace and social life.
From this one dialogue we pick up three things that will come up constantly in real Japanese conversation: echo questions (one of the most distinctive features of Japanese communication), the kono / sono / ano / dono series (the second set of the ko-so-a-do pointing system), and a full list of language names in Japanese. We also get some really useful social phrases — like how to accept a compliment on your Japanese in a natural, humble way.
Kon'nichiwa! Native Fumito 😊
Ask: なんじですか？ (Nanji desu ka?)
Answer: はちじです (Hachi ji desu = It's 8)
Numbers:
AM/PM:
Emphasis: はちじ**です**よ！ = "It's 8 o'clock yo!" (casual emphasis)
FREE PDF: 20 restaurant/train conversations https://reading-japanese.com/what-time-is-it-in-japanese/
Practice: 今何時ですか？ (Ima nanji desu ka?)
Kon'nichiwa! Native Fumito here 😊
BEGINNER GRAMMAR LESSON 1 – 5 rules in 1 post! https://reading-japanese.com/essential-japanese-grammar-review/
MASU FORMS** (polite verbs)
食べる → 食べます (tabemasu = eat)
飲む → 飲みます (nomimasu = drink)
HAI/IIE** (yes/no)
質問：ラーメン食べますか？
Hai, tabemasu / Iie, tabemasen
WA vs MO**
ラーメン**は** = ramen topic
ラーメン**も** = ramen too/also
CHOTTO** (7 meanings!)
ちょっと待って = wait a sec
ちょっと高い = a little expensive
KEDO** = but/though
食べます**けど** = I eat, but...
Perfect sentence:**
ラーメンは食べますけど、ちょっと高いです
= "I eat ramen but it's a bit expensive"
FREE PDF: 20 practice sentences + quiz
Your turn: Make sentence with WA + KEDO!
Kon'nichiwa! Native Fumito 😊
PAST TENSE = MASU → MASHTA (JLPT N5!)
Examples:
- 食べます → 食べました (tabemashita = ate)
- 行きます → 行きました (ikimasita = went)
- 勉強します → 勉強しました (benkyou shimashita = studied)
Yesterday pattern:
昨日 + [verb-mashita] + か？
昨日何を食べましたか？ (What did you eat yesterday?)
Negative past: 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita = didn't eat)
FREE PDF: 20 verbs + 15 conversation drills https://reading-japanese.com/japanese-past-tense-mashita-meaning/
Practice time: 昨日何をしましたか？ (Nani o shimashita ka?)
Kon'nichiwa! Native Fumito here 😊
**IKIMASEN KA? = "Won't you go?"** = Come together! 🤗
**Japanese Negative Questions = INVITATIONS:**
- Ikimasu ka? = "Are you going?" (yes/no)
- Ikimasen ka? = "Won't you go?" = "Join me!"
**CHOTTO = 10 meanings:**
"Wait a second" (ちょっと待って)
"A little" (ちょっとだけ)
"Sorry..." (ちょっと...)
**AIZUCHI = Conversation sounds:**
- うん (un) = "yeah/mmm"
- へえ (hee) = "really?/wow"
- ああ (aa) = "I see"
FREE PDF: 15 dialogues + audio guide https://reading-japanese.com/japanese-negative-questions/
Practice: "Eiga mimasen ka?" = "Not watching movie?" = "Wanna watch together?"