- For the Site, see Ling: Learn Japanese.
- Available both on the browser and as an iPhone App.
- I've found the initial page-load to be a bit slow in the browser (at least using Chrome), so anyone clicking the above link may need to be somewhat patient.
- Ling Introduction:
- Japan is located in East Asia and is home to 126 million people. Japan has a long and interesting history, with a prominent culture that has spread around the world. Whether it is music players, manga, or video games, Japanese products have made a big impact worldwide, playing a role in making the country a top destination for tourism.
- Japanese is the official language, being spoken by over 128 million people. As well as in Japan, many people worldwide choose to learn Japanese as a second language, whether due to the interest in the country’s cultural products or for business purposes. The relationship of the Japanese language to other nearby languages like Korean or Chinese is disputed.
- Japanese is infamous for its difficulty. No less than 3 different writing systems are in place. These are Hirigana, Katakana, and Kanji. Each serves a different purpose and are used in particular situations. Beyond that, the language follows a subject-object-verb order, where verbs are conjugated to show tenses. Nouns are genderless and have no grammatical number, instead relying on a quantity being provided.
- As mentioned, a big draw for learning Japanese is from the popular culture the country exports around the globe. Anyone looking to read manga or watch anime straight from the source would greatly benefit from learning the language. Similarly, anyone spending time in the country will enjoy a more enriching experience knowing at least some critical vocabulary.
Text Colour Conventions (see disclaimer)
- Blue: Text by me; © Theo Todman, 2025
- Mauve: Text by correspondent(s) or other author(s); © the author(s)