Best Japanese Kanji Learning App

List of the best kanji learning apps for free! Study efficiently with the study app that is best suited for you.

January 5, 2024

The list of Japanese Kanji learning apps

Let’s study Japanese kanji efficiently using the best Kanji learning app along with the lessons of Japanese tutors. Here, we will introduce a collection of the best free kanji learning apps. Many of them are free, so we recommend that you try them once.

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List of the best Japanese and kanji learning apps

HiNative（ハイネイティブ）

This is a Q&A app where you can ask native speakers questions about foreign language expressions and culture. Native speakers will answer your questions, so you can get more natural expressions and real opinions. Templates are provided for each question, making it easy to answer and understand. HiNative-Language Learning is a place for native speakers to edit entries written by people who are learning their own language. Content can be as long or as short as you like. HiNative is a community built on exchanging ideas with each other, so if you're not stingy, you'll get some great feedback and suggestions!

imiwa?

It automatically searches for relevant words and related keywords, making it easy to use. The site explains the stroke order of kanji and how to read them, so you can study kanji. It is useful for teaching Japanese to foreigners as it explains the meaning in multiple languages. One of the most popular apps among foreigners, Imiwa is an offline dictionary that allows you to look up words in a variety of ways. You can search in romaji or Japanese, but you can also look up kanji by SKIP (System of Kanji Indexing by Patterns), hyperactivity, or Chinese radicals. The easy-to-understand interface makes it easy to create lists and favorites, and the copy to clipboard/export to email feature is straightforward to use.

Japanese

Search for kanji by handwriting mode, pronunciation input, or radical! You'll always find the word you don't understand! Improve your Japanese language skills! Equipped with a study mode that corresponds to the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. Useful for teaching Japanese to foreigners! All input fields are equipped with audio clips, and the layout of the example sentences is most accurate, with hiragana above the kanji used and the meaning of each kanji below it. This app also has a learning system, but it's not as good as Anki.

HH Japa Needs’ E-Language Learning Course provides useful learning materials on a regular basis. Hiragana, numbers, grammar, verbs, video lectures, honorifics, JLPT practice exams, and other materials are all free to use. Websites, Podcasts, Youtube, 100 QA, Local top 10, Manga raking are included. The secret to mastering a language is to work on it gradually and steadily. Studying becomes fun when it becomes a habit. Don’t hurry. Keep a stable pace to maintain your enthusiasm.

LEARN JAPANESE with JBUBBLES

JBUBBLES is a new action game to help you learn Japanese characters. Whether you don't know Japanese, want to be able to read menus, or want to memorize hundreds of characters, JBUBBLES can help you. The action game format makes it easy to concentrate, so you don't have to sit down to memorize, and you can learn naturally while playing. JBUBBLES supports learning not only through gameplay, but also by analyzing your learning results and providing you with a level that suits you. In short, JBUBBLES makes learning Japanese efficient and fun. You can also compete with your friends and other players with global high scores. Would you like to make your country a HALL OF FAME?

JLPT Kanji Reading - Practice and Qui‪z

The application "JLPT Kanji Reading" is an application that allows you to practice reading JLPT level kanji from N5 to N1. In learning Japanese, practicing how to read is far more important than knowing the meaning of hiragana. This is because reading is closely related not only to speaking, but also to listening. Japanese kanji reading has very little regularity in words, so you need to be exposed to it as much as possible. If you don't, there is little that will remain in your mind. Therefore, repeat it intensively, imprint it, and try to recall it after a certain period of time. The JLPT Kanji reading application "JLPT Kanji Reading" focuses on the fact that the Japanese language has the following linguistic characteristics.

Duolingo

With Duolingo, the world's most downloaded foreign language learning app, you can learn English not only for travel but also for work. You can learn English grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation in a game-like environment. You can also enjoy learning listening, speaking, and English conversation. Lessons can be started with DuoLingo without any prior knowledge of hiragana or katakana. You can also test your previous beginner level. All lessons are grouped into fun categories ranging from food and family to subcultures. When you clear a category, a power bar will appear below it. After a while, the bar begins to recede, prompting you to revisit that lesson. Along with focusing on vocabulary, DuoLingo emphasizes sentence structure. When the time comes to be quizzed, the app wants to keep things exciting and test you in a different way. Eventually, you will find yourself choosing English words to translate English sentences into Japanese or re-create Japanese sentences from a word bank.

Waniki - Wanikani Companio‪n‬

Learn radicals, kanji, and vocabulary with this Alligator Crab companion app. You can easily access lessons and reviews, and use the SRS (Space Repeat System) to retain items. WaniKani contains over 2,000 kanji and 6,000 words from the Joyo Kanji Guide established by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. As you advance through the levels of kanji, you will be able to rely on your memory to remember them. However, it is recommended that you start after you can read both hiragana and katakana. Although this service is not designed to teach grammar, there are example sentences for everything you learn, so you can expose yourself to the syntax and review it. When life gets busy, you can freeze your learning progress. If enough time has passed that you forget or feel overwhelmed, you can reset the level, but it is permanent. Mastering, or "burning," all the items is possible within a year, but the average completion rate is two years.

The Kanji King

King Kanji provides a series of lessons for learning Japanese kanji, as well as accurate detailed information about each of the kanji included. This little app is simple, but that's where its strength lies. We've all been there before. We look at an unfamiliar kanji with our eyes as if we can read its meaning. Kanji Recognizer is an application designed for such situations. You can quickly retrieve the reading, radical, stroke, and basic meaning of a kanji by handwriting, export it to Anki, or look it up in a dictionary for usage examples. I think this is the best app for recognizing handwritten kanji. That's why I use it when I can't interpret the kanji squares in the dictionary app, or when I just want the reading of the kanji, not a detailed explanation of the meaning. With its simple interface and layout, it is very easy to use.

The Quizmaster: Obenkyo

Learn hiragana, katakana, and kanji, draw pictures, and test yourself with multiple choice. There are multiple-choice quizzes and essay tests using the touch screen. You can view a list of kanji according to the level of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, making it ideal for test preparation. You can easily access a list of vocabulary categorized by word type, like a dictionary, by verb, e.g., ichidan/shodan, transitive/intransitive, etc. Perhaps the star feature is the handwriting recognition feature. It corrects not only the letterforms but also the stroke order. If it makes a mistake in your handwriting recognition, you can tell it right away and your score will be adjusted accordingly. The app also imports Tae Kim's guide for grammatical reference.

The Sensei: Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese

This guide was created as a resource for those who want to learn Japanese grammar in a rational and intuitive way. The explanations focus on how to make sense of grammar from a Japanese perspective, rather than from an English perspective. The book is an attempt to systematically build up the grammatical structures that make up the Japanese language in a way that makes sense in Japanese. It may not be a practical tool for quickly memorizing phrases that can be used immediately, such as for travel. However, by creating a logical series of building blocks, you can build a solid grammar foundation. For those who have learned Japanese through textbooks, there may be significant differences in the order and presentation of the material. This is because this guide does not try to force you to make artificial connections between English and Japanese by presenting the material in a way that makes sense in English. Instead, it provides examples with translations of how the ideas are expressed in Japanese, which makes the explanations simpler and easier to understand. If you are looking for structure or can't grasp the meaning from context, Tae Kim's Guide to Learning Japanese is the answer to your prayers. This app is packed with logically structured lessons, beautifully clear explanations, and conjugation charts. In the first chapter on basic grammar, there are also several exercises.

WAniki - Wanikani Companio‪n apps picture‬

AnkiDroid Flashcards

Memorize anything with AnkiDroid! AnkiDroid shows you the cards you're about to forget, allowing you to learn very efficiently. Anki allows you to import kanji and vocabulary "decks" from popular textbooks and JLPT lists, and convert them into flashcards. These range from words and kanji to vocabulary placed in sentences to help you understand the context. These are accompanied by audio cues and hilariously cheesy stock photos to make them even more fun. Learn things whenever and wherever you want. Make the most of your time on the bus or train, or waiting in line at the grocery store checkout! Add content directly with AnkiDroid or efficiently with the Anki desktop application. You can also add cards automatically from the dictionary.

LingoDeer - Learn Language‪s

At LingoDeer, you will speak Japanese from day one, building up your level of fluency. We use a fun, game-like building block approach. In each lesson, you will apply the grammar and vocabulary learned in the previous lesson using several testing methods. LingoDeer is not completely free, but you can enjoy learning the basics like hiragana and katakana, over 1000 essential Japanese phrases, and in-depth learning in the first module. Later, for a small fee, you can purchase the premium version which includes all the lessons including N5-N3 vocabulary and grammar. Unlike other apps that memorize Japanese vocabulary and phrases without context, LingoDeer features audio from native Japanese speakers, naturally integrating real-life words, sentences, and culture. You can even slow down the speaker's voice to make the pronunciation as accurate as possible, which is essential for learning Japanese. You can also turn on furigana to study kanji, and learn the meaning and context of particles with just a tap.

TABIMORI

Transit information, currency conversion, and translation functions. ...... Various functions all-in-one! Can be used offline. You can download it with free Wi-Fi. It also includes a manual for earthquakes. Very helpful information for travelers. Here is an app that I would like to recommend to tourists who have come to Japan from overseas. It is a tourist information app that provides train transit information, currency conversion, and even Japanese culture. It is available in four different languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. It can be used by many tourists. Also, most of the functions can be used offline, so you can use the app without worrying about the communication environment.

Excuse Me Japanese

Translation app with separate languages for different situations, such as airports and hotels. Can be used offline. No worries even in places where radio waves cannot reach. Available in 5 countries including English, French, and Chinese. Even if you are suddenly asked a question by a foreigner, you can respond perfectly with this app! For example, when you are showing a foreign customer around a restaurant, or when you are asked which train to take at the station, the person may not necessarily be fluent in Japanese. In such cases, this translation app will help you explain without delay. Although the number of registered countries is small, it supports five countries including English and Chinese. Even if it is a translation tool designed for foreigners visiting Japan for sightseeing, it is useful for us Japanese to have.

We Noh

An animated introduction to Noh performances. A fun app to learn about Noh. It can be viewed in English, which is useful when introducing Noh to people overseas. Noh masks and costumes are explained with illustrations, making it easy to understand. Do you "Noh"? Everything you need to know about the traditional performing art of Noh through animation How much do you know about "Noh," a traditional Japanese culture? It would be embarrassing if you were asked a question by someone from overseas and you couldn't answer at all! With this app, you can learn about the world of Noh while enjoying the illustrations and animations. With this app, you can enjoy learning about the world of Noh through illustrations and animations. You can watch 5-minute animations of Noh plays, so you can keep the stories of famous plays such as "Hagoromo" and "Takasago" in mind. With this app, you can learn about Noh, a traditional performing art that Japan should be proud of!

nemo 日本語

Native Japanese pronunciation and alphabetic readings for mutual understanding Speak without knowing anything about Japanese by comparing it to the English translation Learn basic phrases quickly by recording your own pronunciation and practicing Essential phrase guide for those who want to learn Japanese conversation This app is recommended for people who want to learn Japanese, people who have just arrived in Japan and can't speak it very well, and people who are looking for a Japanese guide that will be useful for a short time while traveling. It contains basic words and phrases that are necessary for conversations in Japan, and you can learn them through mutual understanding between the pronunciation of native Japanese speakers and the reading of the alphabet. Even if you don't know anything about Japanese, the app is designed so that you can talk about it while comparing it to the English translation, making it a great first tool for learning Japanese.

ひらがなタイムズ

This is an e-book of a bilingual magazine written in Japanese and English. It introduces not only Japanese culture but also trends, making it a must-read magazine for students studying in Japan and foreigners coming to Japan for work. Don't worry if your Japanese is unfamiliar. All sticky kanji characters are written in hiragana, so even if you are not good at kanji, you can still read it easily. There are also pages that are read aloud, so you can practice your listening comprehension and pronunciation. There are a total of five pages you can try out, including articles you can enjoy with audio. If you want to read more, you will need to subscribe. Recommended not only for foreigners, but also for Japanese people who often come into contact with foreigners. Not only does it help you learn English, but it also helps you understand how to explain about Japan to foreigners. It would be cool to be able to explain about Japanese culture in English when asked about it.

Katakana Dictionary

For my friends who are studying Japanese. A dictionary app packed with katakana words Japanese has three types of characters: hiragana, katakana, and kanji, and it's actually very difficult for people from overseas to remember them. This is a dictionary app that contains over 3000 katakana words. The words are listed in alphabetical order and category order. The functions are simple, for better or worse. I recommend it to those who don't need any extra functions other than looking up words and practicing pronunciation.

CALC for JPN -読み方のわかる日本式電卓

Learn to read $123,456,789,000 in English! Can you quickly and easily read $123,456,789,000 in English? One of the most difficult things to learn when studying a language is how to read numbers. This calculator app is a great tool to help you read those tricky numbers. It is equipped with a function that shows the numbers in the calculation results in English. If you use it on a regular basis, you will naturally learn how to read numbers. If you're looking to improve your English, please give it a try.

Word Fireworks: Learn Japanese!

If you answer correctly, fireworks will go off! A fun Japanese learning app with a festive atmosphere If you have a foreign friend who wants to learn Japanese, why not introduce them to this app? This app is a Japanese learning game for foreigners. You will be asked Japanese listening and stroke order questions, and when you answer correctly, fireworks will go off. When you answer the questions correctly, the fireworks will go off, and the glittering fireworks glowing in the night sky will be a sight to behold. You can study everything from hiragana to kanji, so you can study Japanese step by step. This feature is amazing! There are a variety of Japanese quizzes available in this app. For example, in the "How to read quiz", the word "po" appears, and you choose the correct reading from po, pa, and nu. If you answer correctly, you can listen to the pronunciation, so you can train your listening skills as well. There is also a "writing order quiz" where you have to write hiragana on a pad. You'll be able to write hiragana neatly.

StickyStudy Japanes‪e (Sticky study kanji)

Writing sticky study Kanji Tutor Watch over 6500 kanji and kana stroke order animations and get guided through each one. When you're ready, test your skills in study mode with this sticky study. Complete Dictionary Drawn from a database of over a million entries, including place names, family names, company names, kanji, and examples of usage. Search by romaji, kana, or SKIP. Stickystudy Japanese Kanji is fully broken down to show radicals, particles, similar kanji, and compound nouns. Example sentences are broken down by phrase and by word. Audio 8000 words spoken by native speakers (not "incorrect" synthesized voice). Auto-repeating audio ensures perfect pronunciation. Translation by stick study Copy and paste Japanese text and it will be automatically translated into detailed flashcards with the words.

This list is based on the results of an independent survey conducted by the HH JapaNeeds team in 2023.
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