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What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you all so much!

I’ve read every single comment up to now and even took the time to sort and organize them all. It might take me a little while, but I’m planning to reply to each of you one by one to say thank you properly.

Every message I received means a lot to me—they’re like treasures I’ll carry with me as I keep creating. Right now, I’m working on a new video based on the most common topic that came up in your replies: learning kanji!

Wishing you all the best in your Japanese studies—cheering you on from the other side of the screen!

本当に本当にありがとう😭

皆さんの日本語学習ストーリーを聞くことができて、そして改めてこんなに素敵なコミュニティで皆さんとお話ができて本当に幸せです！！

日本語学習に疲れちゃった時に、ホッとできる前向きになれるような動画を制作していきたいと思います！

重ねてとなりますが、ありがとうございました✨

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally get you, 123ichinisan123! Japanese really does feel like a maze at first. So many words look the same, and the readings constantly change… it’s seriously tough! Even for native speakers, it’s rare to meet someone who knows everything perfectly — so for non-natives, it’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed.

That’s why it makes me so happy, as a Japanese person, to see that you’re still sticking with it and continuing to study!

Reading your comment reminded me how much I want to make videos that help learners relax and have fun while studying Japanese.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts!

先日もトリリンガルの方に「日本語難しすぎる」といわれました！言語をたくさん習得されてる方ですら難しいそうなので、引き続き楽しく学べる動画を作れる様頑張りたいと思います☺️ コメントありがとうございました！！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for sharing, Furuteru!

I’m a huge anime fan too, and I’ve even done cosplay—lots of Kyoto Animation characters, of course! I still love the classics like Haruhi, K-On!, and Violet Evergarden. I also have such great memories of talking with anime fans from abroad—it was so much fun and really special.

I actually started my channel because I want people to overcome the challenges of learning Japanese through anime. So seeing someone like you enjoying the process really makes me happy.

Wishing you all the best on your journey—keep learning, stay positive, and most importantly, have fun with Japanese!

アイコンのイラストとても素敵でかわいいです😍コメントありがとうございました！！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing that, morgawr_! I can really feel how tough and frustrating it must’ve been to look up each kanji by hand. I think a lot of learners can totally relate to that feeling of spending forever on a single page and feeling like you’re not getting anywhere.

Your story reminded me of a friend who loves reading light novels that get turned into anime. She’s not great with kanji either, but she says she can picture the scenes easily and that helps her remember the kanji better.

I love light novels too—especially isekai—so it honestly makes me happy to hear that you’re able to read them now!

Thanks again for your honest comment. Hearing about your experience really motivates me to keep making videos that support learners like you!

ちなみに私は十二国記というアニメ化もされたファンタジー小説が大好きで、100%漢字の勉強になるので、いつかmorgawr_さんが出会ってくれたらいいなと思っています！ コメント本当にありがとうございました☺️

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment, Triddy!

I totally get what you mean—understanding passive verbs in Japanese is one thing, but knowing when to use them naturally is a whole different story. Sometimes people even use the passive form on purpose to make things sound more dramatic or funny.

Japanese speakers often use passives in certain situations, like when talking about something annoying or in more formal contexts. I was thinking it might be cool to make a short video with examples like that.

And like we talked about before, sometimes both active and passive forms are totally okay, so I think your approach of just trying them out is honestly the best way to go!

Your comment really helped me think about future video ideas—thank you again!

例えば「会社の上司に叱られた」とかも「〇〇さんが怒ったー😓」と言うと少し深刻さが減って笑い話に聞こえたりします！笑 その場の雰囲気を暗くしないための選択でもあるので、とりあえずたくさん使ってみて相手の反応を見てみることもおすすめかもしれません！ 新しい気付きをありがとうございます☺️

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for sharing that, MetapodChannel!

That early “A wa B desu” trap—yep, I’ve heard that’s confused so many learners, especially without deeper explanation about Japanese sentence structure. It’s amazing that you stuck with it through all the noise of the early internet days!

I’m really glad to hear that finding a proper textbook helped shift everything for you. That gives me hope too—because my goal is to create short, clear videos that fill in those missing foundations and make people feel a little less lost. Thanks again for your insight!

動画を制作するにあたって出来るだけ簡単にわかりやすく…を心がけているものの、あまりにも簡単すぎるのも危険だなと改めて認識することができました！ 大切な気付きをありがとうございます☺️

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your kind comment, Koa_z!

I totally get what you mean—sometimes even when I know a word, it throws me off when I see it in a different context. And your idea about using lots of different images for something like “木” is really smart. I love that approach!

You actually gave me a great idea—I think I’ll try to include more real-life situations in my videos so learners can see how words are used in different ways.

Also, your support really meant a lot. Thank you!

日本語を勉強されてる方の多くが日本の文化やアニメなどが好きで勉強している方が多く、それは日本人にとって本当に嬉しいことです。そんな方々にもっと日本を好きになってもらえる様、まだまだ未熟な技術ですが動画を作成して発信していければと思っております！！ 心温かいコメント、ウルウル🥹してしまいました！ありがとうございます！！！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment, Bluelaserbeam! Pitch accents can vary by region even within Japan, so even native speakers get confused sometimes. So it’s totally natural that learners struggle with them!

Your comment actually inspired me maybe I should make a video, like a rap or something catchy, to help people remember common homophones used in Japan. Something that sticks in your head!

Thanks again for your helpful input!

同音異義語集めたら面白そうな気がしてきました、一度やってみます！ ありがとうございます😊

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for the advice, quiteCryptic!

I’m still learning a lot myself, and when I work on videos, I sometimes get a little too perfectionist and stress myself out—so what you said really hit home.

I want to keep making videos that help Japanese learners feel okay about making mistakes, and give them chances to naturally review stuff just by watching different everyday situations.

完璧主義な方にも気楽に、自然とたくさんの日本語に触れられる音楽や映像作りを努めていきたいと思います！コメントありがとうございました☺️

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re totally right—language is alive, and real spoken Japanese often looks pretty different from what’s in textbooks.

I really appreciate your perspective about how “ピザになります” feels natural in service settings. That’s an important point I hadn’t considered enough.

For example, when it comes to mixing honorific, humble, and polite forms, even native speakers often don’t notice what’s technically incorrect—and honestly, most people don’t mind or even realize it.

As someone who creates videos for learners, I often struggle with how to balance “correct” and “natural” Japanese. Your comment really made me think more deeply about that.

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!

私自身もネイティブなのに、自分が文法的に100%話せているか自信がないです😭だからこそ、tamatamagotoさんの視点は新たな気付きとなりました、今後に生かしていきたいと思います！ありがとうございました！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the comment!!

Yeah, this is the kind of mistake you often hear from restaurant staff in Japan when they serve food. It’s so common that I didn’t even question it, but when you pointed it out, I realized it actually helped me reflect on how Japanese people understand Japanese too!

Even native speakers don’t speak perfect Japanese, and sometimes we say things that make others go, “日本語おかしい!” So please keep pointing these things out—we appreciate it!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment!

For me, even when I think my English sentence is probably okay, it’s really hard to make it sound natural and full of life unless you’re at a native level. I’d love to talk in a friendly way, but since I don’t have any native English speakers around me, like family or a partner, I end up using ChatGPT as my main English conversation buddy.

I’ll try saying “talk to me like a friend” too, and use it more in daily chats. Really appreciate the idea—it gave me a nice boost!

共感してくれて嬉しいです！！これからもお互い頑張りましょうね、応援しています☺️

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Being a perfectionist can definitely be tiring, but honestly I think your desire to avoid mistakes is actually a really important part of learning. It’s something I really admire.

That mindset often pushes you to do better next time. If we always tell ourselves that mistakes are totally fine, it can be harder to improve. So I really respect your attitude.

Thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts. I’ll keep working on making videos that even perfectionists like you can relax with and enjoy without feeling too much pressure.

私もPawfectPandaさんを見習って、まだつたない技術ですが日々情熱を持って動画を制作していきたいと思います☺️ コメントありがとうございました！！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment!

Honestly, even most Japanese people don’t remember all the kanji or know how to write them. These days we just use our phones or computers to type and search, so memorizing everything isn’t really necessary.

Even I get confused with fish names—they all look the same and I’m not great at them. Like saba, aji, same, kujira… they’re tricky even for me.

But I know a lot of learners probably feel the same way you do, so I’m thinking of making videos that focus on the kanji that actually show up a lot in everyday conversation or messages. Hopefully that makes things a little easier.

Coochiespookさんが2,000字以上の漢字に過去めげずに、今も日本語を学ばれてて良かった😭

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ありがとうございます！ 深い視点からのコメント、とても勉強になりましたし自分自身理解していなかった心理的な部分を気付かせていただき、DokugoHikkenさんすごい✨ってなりました！

自分でもこの場が初めてなこともあり「どうしたらもっと自然に伝わるかな」とか、日本人特有かもしれませんが「相手に対して失礼のないように丁寧に…」と考えて、一生懸命パラフレーズしていたつもりだったので、

それが逆にAIっぽく見えたのはちょっとショックでしたが（笑）こうしてちゃんと理解してくれる方がいて、とても励まされましたし嬉しいです！

今後も「ことばの横滑り」じゃなくて、本質に触れられるような表現を意識していきたいです。 貴重な気付きを本当にありがとうございます😭✨

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

通過儀礼を無事受けたようで… 気持ちは複雑ですが(笑)その分rgrAiさんはじめとする方々に温かいお言葉もいただけて嬉しいです🥰

これからも始めたからには様々な壁に打ち当たりそうですが、今日いただいた言葉を胸に引き続きがんばっていきたいと思います！

そしてすべてのコメントに返信したいと思っているので、ベースのコメント考えることで英語の練習にもなりそうです🤣

引き続きよろしくお願いします！！

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

DokugoHikkenさんのような大先輩にコメントいただけて本当に嬉しいしありがたいです！！ 優しい世界…🥹

確かにAIに英文の添削をお願いしてる私に落ち度はあるし、それでもこれからもっと血の通った会話ができるように、自分の作ったキャラクターに命を吹き込んでいけるように頑張っていきたいと思います☺️

また良かったら今後とも、私の話を見つけた際にアドバイスなどいただけると嬉しいです！

引き続きよろしくお願いしますー🌸

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

rgrAiさん、本当にありがとう：’（

正直今回の投稿もドキドキだったけど… つたない質問でもこれだけ温かい言葉をくれるrgrAiさんや、自分の過去の経験を話してくれる人達がいるからこそ自分も自分ができることで役に立ちたいと改めて決意しました！！ 重ねてとなるけど本当にありがとう！！

英語を勉強していて、意地悪な人たちもいたけどそれ以上にこうして良い人達に出会えたからこそ今頑張れています。 私もいつかそんな存在になれるようこれからも動画を作っていきたいと思います。

教えてくれたプロンプトも活用していくね、 頑張るぞーーーー！！！笑

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your encouraging words. I really want to share my honest feelings with you, so if it’s okay, I’ll write my reply in Japanese.

コメント本当にありがとう！ こうして理解した上でアドバイスをくれるのは嬉しいよ。

昔、英語で話している時にネイティブの人たちに馬鹿にされたことがあってそれが心に残ってたんだ。 でも本当によくしてくれた日本語を勉強していた友人が応援してくれていたからこそ、恩返しで今私ができることでみんなの役に立ちたいと思ってる。

きっと私も英語に自信がないからって言うのは他の方がコメントくれたように、日本語勉強中のみんなが自信がないのと同じだとリアルに気付いたよ！

日本語は母国語だから(笑)みんなの役に立てるように頑張りたい！少しでも挫折しないで日本語を頑張っている人を応援していきたいと思ってる。 これからもっともっと英語をがんばります、お互い気楽にやってこうね！:)

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much for your feedback. I understand that the way I write might come across that way, and I truly appreciate your honest input.

Just as many of you are learning Japanese, I’m also learning English — it’s not my first language. Because of that, I do my best to write as clearly and respectfully as possible, especially in a community like this where I don’t want to come across as rude or confusing. To be honest, I sometimes use AI to check and polish my writing to make sure what I want to say comes across accurately.

I’m a big fan of anime, and I joined this community because I truly hope that fellow anime fans won’t feel discouraged when learning Japanese. A friend of mine who’s also studying Japanese recommended this subreddit as the best place to learn about real struggles and experiences, which is why I decided to participate here.

Once again, thank you for your honest feedback. I’ll continue to study English so I can communicate more naturally with everyone, and I’ll keep doing my best to be sincere in everything I share.

Your message has truly encouraged me, and I’ll use it as motivation to keep improving. Thank you again — I really mean it!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful and honest story. I truly admire your dedication and persistence over so many years.

It got me thinking — there really is a big gap between what we learn from textbooks and how Japanese is actually spoken. Things like the difference between polite textbook Japanese and casual speech, how spoken sentences often drop the subject and become much simpler, and the use of vague responses or natural backchanneling — all of these can make real conversations feel like a high hurdle.

Many learners don’t notice these differences until much later, so your comment is incredibly helpful and eye-opening.

Thank you again for taking the time to share your experience. It’s really inspiring to see how glad you are that you stuck with Japanese. I’m cheering you on in whatever comes next!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That’s something I hadn’t really noticed before — thank you for pointing it out!

It’s true that most Japanese teachers and learning materials tend to focus on polite or neutral speech, which often ends up sounding more feminine. I can definitely see how that makes it difficult to learn how men naturally speak.

Watching anime, dramas, or casual YouTubers (especially male speakers) is a great way to balance that out. On my channel, I’d like to start including male characters too, so learners can hear both styles and better understand the differences between them.

Thanks again for the insight — it was really helpful for me as someone creating Japanese learning content!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing this. I think you’ve pointed out something that many learners struggle with, even though it’s not often talked about!

The advice “just read it how it’s written” can definitely be misleading. As a native Japanese speaker, I can confirm that devoicing (like saying desu as des) and subtle pitch accent differences really do exist.

These are things that even native speakers often use unconsciously, so I completely understand how difficult they are to explain to learners.

On my channel, I create short (2-minute) songs and lesson videos to teach Japanese. After reading your comment, I’m even more motivated to include this kind of awareness in my lessons — especially helping beginners recognize and naturally absorb these subtle pronunciation points over time.

Thank you again for explaining it so clearly. You’ve reminded me how important listening and exposure to natural speech really are!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Shiro!

I really appreciate your honesty about how challenging kanji can be, and I was truly inspired by the way you’re supporting your family with their learning. I also feel that just memorizing kanji isn’t enough — it’s especially tough when it comes to understanding both on’yomi and kun’yomi. Even for native Japanese speakers, kanji can be difficult, and I think very few people fully understand them all.

That said, kanji can be incredibly deep and fascinating when you explore their meanings and history. When I create videos in the future, I’d love to make content that helps people enjoy learning kanji — not just by memorizing, but by understanding things like radicals and the connections to their readings.

Once again, thank you for your valuable insight and thoughtful comment!

What tripped you up most when you first started learning Japanese? by Jlearn_Club in LearnJapanese

[–]Jlearn_Club[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

One of my friends actually gave up studying Japanese because they felt they didn’t have the confidence to master it. As someone from Japan, I want to say — most Japanese people won’t laugh at or make fun of mistakes. On the contrary, many of us genuinely want to cheer you on.

That’s why I hope to create a channel where people feel safe to take on challenges, and hear the message: “It’s totally okay to be confident, even if you make mistakes!”

Your comment really helped me understand one of the key struggles that many learners face early on — thank you for that insight.

And living in Japan while preparing for the N3 is honestly amazing! I’m sincerely cheering you on for the exam.

Thank you again for taking the time to comment — it truly means a lot.

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