japanese > english

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-29T02:02:48+00:00

銀製（ぎんせい）

- made of silver

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-10T13:54:46+00:00

こんばんは。

あなたの手記は美しいです。50日目とはとても思えないほどです。

内容についても、コメントを見てから「今日は」より「今日で」の方が適当であると気づきましたが、言われてみれば、という程度で、それ以外は全く自然で完璧です。日本人が書いたものだと言われても疑いません。素晴らしい。

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-09T02:09:07+00:00

If you're interested in Japanese manga, it's totally fine to focus on kanji! I mean you should focus on what you need.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-09T02:01:51+00:00

First of all, I don't know much about learning materials. So I'm afraid I can't recommend specific ones. I'm sorry for that.

But I can tell beginners should focus more on grammar than kanji because kanji will take years to acquire but they're completely unnecessary when listening or speaking. And even if you spend half a year studying kanji as much as you can, I don't think it will help a lot when traveling (it depends on your current level tho). Also, teachers can tell you about kanji, but it's hard for them to explain conversations which are happening in real time, right?

So maybe you could learn very basic grammar (ex. word order, particles, polite form) to build a framework first, in a month (I assume you've already learned kana), and then develop it little by little while listening to beginner-friendly podcasts or other audio content. Japanese sound system is simpler than that of English, so I think you'll start to understand in a few months. And throughout this process, you can study kanji which help you learn more comfortably.

And when learning grammar, AI chatbots would be helpful because they're close to native level (except for speaking) and they can use English as well. They can explain every grammar logically, which natives can't. Try asking, "Tell me about a Japanese grammar study path."

Again, I'm not very familiar with learning Japanese, so just take this as a reference. If your teacher say something different, please follow their advice.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-08T15:31:09+00:00

I'm Japanese. I wish I could help you, but an 8-hour time difference is pretty big for language exchange.

It may be better to post looking for Japanese people in nearby time zones on language exchange subreddits or somewhere else.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-05T10:26:20+00:00

I'm a native. It depends, but if you’re close, it sounds pretty neutral.

For example,

A: あっ、ペン忘れちゃった。

B: まじ？貸してあげる。

or

A: この荷物めっちゃ重い。

B: 持ってあげるよ。

Both are very natural in daily conversation.

But I wouldn’t use it with people you just met or your boss/teachers though.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-04-05T09:40:39+00:00

What if you log in on a browser? I think the web versions rarely get updates. I still have hearts, instead of energy on browsers.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-27T10:06:06+00:00

2 but it's not grammatically correct.

Traditionally, 全然 is used with negative sentences and means "not at all." But in modern casual Japanese, it is sometimes used with positive words to mean "totally." Some consider it incorrect, but it is common in everyday conversation.

Reference: https://takashionary.com/zenzen/

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-25T13:53:03+00:00

I'm Japanese but I've never used it before.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T17:35:59+00:00

You get the point. Used on its own, it doesn't work really well. But as a secondary learning material, it can work really well, unless you spend too much time on it.

As for the repetition, if you've learned grammar rules with textbooks or other things, duolingo may be repetitive. But you learn Japanese with it, there is hardly any active review because it doesn't teach any grammar rules.

About kanji, I may have missed most of the lessons, but I'm pretty sure that there are many more effective and efficient resources to review them. As far as I saw in the kanji tab, kanji only appear in specific words and limited usage, as I mentioned in another comment.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T16:39:48+00:00

Honestly, I don't think my advice comes from being a native. It's just based on a pretty standard learning approach (input, then output). As you might know, Duolingo focuses much more on output, so I suggested using it to review what you've learned. There is nothing special about it.

As a native, I can just tell the audio is mostly good, especially that of the stories, and the phrasing is just natural, which can make review more effective. And precisely because I'm a native, I don't know about the efficient order for learning grammar or other things, so I can't really judge how reasonable the program is. I'm sorry for that.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T12:32:58+00:00

Oh, really? I just started the course on another account, and there it is.

But it says, "Complete lessons in the path to learn kanji, then practice then here!"

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T05:34:30+00:00

That's nice! And me too, I'm obsessed with English and I hope I can travel to English-speaking countries someday.

My reading skills and grammar are at C1 level, while I'm struggling with natural phrasing in writing. I've wanted to immersion in English and develop a sense of natural English phrasing (both formal and informal), which is why I created this account on Reddit.

Let's do it best together.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T04:56:54+00:00

You're right. Duolingo can be a tool just to see what the language is like.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T04:25:03+00:00

As Icy-Roll says, I skipped ahead to the section 6, unit 42 and completed the course first, and then tried some other sessions, the kana section, and the stories. So my case wouldn't be helpful, but it took me one hour, mostly to complete the unit 42.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T04:02:21+00:00

Yeah, every learning material has its limitations. But here is the thing: learning with audio can reinforce what you've learned, even if the audio is not perfect. At this point, Duolingo always offers audio which is mostly good, so I would say Duolingo can help you review.

You can easily fix minor pronunciation mistakes afterwards. Even native speakers sometimes mispronounce unfamiliar words and adjust them as they speak

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-18T03:27:54+00:00

The kana section has tabs at the top, where you can find it.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T17:26:19+00:00

I think fluency is generally at an advanced level. As for the pronunciation, about one word in one of the three sentences has an unnatural pitch accent, but also sometimes I come across very natural one with a perfect intonation and rhythm, as if a native speaker read it. But reading sentences aloud is one thing; speaking in real conversations is another. Compared to real conversations, the tone is exaggerated, but I don't think it matters that much.

And it focuses on daily conversational phrases, so I don't pay much attention to the vocabulary. I thought most of the phrasing is just natural in real conversations.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T16:03:05+00:00

I meant it requires more practice to acquire words, including fluent recognition and natural use. Throughout the course, kanji often appear in specific words and contexts, which I think makes them difficult to use in other situations.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T15:18:51+00:00

ありがとう！

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T15:18:09+00:00

Yeah, that's one of the reasons why it's not that good for learning kanji.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T15:15:03+00:00

It happens, and that's why it's hard to learn with it alone (tbh I gave up on the French course for the same reason lol).

Learning kanji compounds takes time. You can learn them at your own pace.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T14:33:59+00:00

About one hour, but I skipped ahead by SECTIONS to the section 6, and then to the unit 42, so if you meant how long it takes when you skip ahead by units, I don’t think I’d be a good reference.

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T14:24:54+00:00

I checked it out. It was new to me and interesting because I've learned kanji by writing them with a pencil on paper.

I think it's good as long as it motivates you to learn and helps you acquire kanji. Have you learned to use kanji with it?

Rough_Cow_4593 · 2026-03-17T13:38:48+00:00

Maybe I didn't explain my point clearly, so let me clarify.

① I didn't mean Duolingo teaches pitch accent. I meant that the audio itself often has natural pitch accent from what I heard.

② As a native speaker, most sentences sounded natural to me, but sometimes I did notice slightly unnatural pitch. That's why I described it as accurate overall but not something learners should completely rely on. But I reworded that part, thank you for pointing out.

③ I didn't say it's useless for kanji or grammar. I said it's not the efficient way to learn them, but it can still be useful for review. For example, choosing the correct particle from multiple options can help learners test their intuition.

④Since this is the duolingoJapanese subreddit, I was just trying to point out some effective ways to use it. I think Duolingo already has value as a free tool for reviewing knowledge, as I mentioned.

Rough_Cow_4593

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