Intermediate & advanced
Already know the basics, or studied at school or university? Build your kanji, polish your grammar and learn the natural, casual Japanese you won't find in a textbook.
Your first steps in Japanese
Japanese lessons for beginners
No experience needed. Your teacher starts from your very first こんにちは and builds, lesson by lesson, to reading, writing and real conversations, at a pace that suits you.
1-to-1 with a native teacher, at your home or online
What you'll learn
- Hiragana and katakana, the two Japanese phonetic scripts, so you can read signs and menus
- Pronunciation that sounds natural from day one
- Greetings, introductions and polite everyday phrases
- Numbers, prices, times and dates
- Ordering food, shopping, trains and asking for directions
- Your first kanji and the basic grammar behind simple sentences
Is Japanese hard to learn?
Less than people think. Pronunciation is simple, with only five vowel sounds, and the grammar is very regular: verbs don't change with the person (I, you, she), and there are no genders or plural endings to memorise. The real challenge is the writing system, and that's where a teacher helps most.
How the beginners course works
In your first few weeks you'll learn the 46 basic hiragana, then katakana, while practising short conversations out loud from the very first lesson. After that, each lesson mixes speaking, listening, reading and writing, built around what you want Japanese for: a holiday, a partner's family, anime or work.
Who it's for
- Complete beginners who have never studied Japanese
- Anyone heading to Japan who wants to get by in Japanese
- Learners who started with an app and want a real person to talk to
Free practice
Keep going between lessons with our free learning tools.
Simple prices
Lessons are 1 hour, 1-to-1, with a native teacher.
5 lessons
£190
£38 per lesson
Best value
10 lessons
£360
£36 per lesson
Small steps.
Big progress.
Beginners: questions
Do I need to know any Japanese before I start?
None at all. Your teacher starts from the very beginning and explains everything in English when you need it.
How long does it take to learn hiragana and katakana?
Most students can read hiragana within a few weeks of regular practice, and katakana follows more quickly once hiragana is familiar.
Will I learn to speak or just to read?
Both. You speak from the first lesson, and reading and writing are built in alongside, so each skill supports the other.
I'm going to Japan soon. Can we focus on travel Japanese?
Yes. Tell your teacher when you travel and they'll focus on the phrases and situations you'll actually meet: hotels, restaurants, trains and shops.
Other courses
Every course is 1-to-1 with a native teacher, and you can mix them as you go.
Conversation
Know the basics but want to speak with more confidence? Spend an hour or two a week just talking with a native speaker. Conversation skills take some groundwork first, so if you're new to Japanese, start with our beginners course and build up to it.
Anime, manga & culture
Learn through the shows, manga and music you love: read real pages, pick up the casual speech you hear on screen, and understand the culture behind it.
JLPT preparation
Structured preparation for the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, from N5 to N1, with practice papers, vocabulary and kanji drills.
Business Japanese
Keigo (polite language), meetings, emails and business etiquette for anyone working with Japanese companies or colleagues.
Start with a £1 trial.
20 minutes. Meet your teacher.
Book a £1 trial →