How long does it take to learn Japanese?
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Depends on what kind of manga you read. Simple ones like Doraemon or Mega Man will require around N4 or N3 level. I'd say N3 to N2 is the optimal level to read most manga. You'll still need to use the dictionary from time to time, or ask for help to understand some unusual sentences. The more complicated ones with complex plot and terminologies will require N1 or perhaps even more understanding of the subject.
How many years? Well, that's a hard question to answer. You can study for one hour everyday for 5 years, while someone else studies 2-3 hours everyday for 5 years. The difference in level should be obvious. There's also the matter of practice. I've been studying Japanese for a long time and while I try to keep up with my study as much as possible, I often forget what I learned rather quickly because I rarely have the chance to practice. And I have short-term memory. T_T So someone who only studies Japanese for 2-3 years but has lots of practice can already surpass my fluency.
So aim to study at least one hour everyday, on kanji, vocabulary, and sentence structures. Listening is most likely going to be the hardest part, at least it is for me. Speaking, you can probably get by with just simple sentences and speaking slowly. Ah, but if you only care about reading raws, that doesn't matter, huh?
tl;dr = about 2-3 hours everyday for 3-4 years at least.
How many years? Well, that's a hard question to answer. You can study for one hour everyday for 5 years, while someone else studies 2-3 hours everyday for 5 years. The difference in level should be obvious. There's also the matter of practice. I've been studying Japanese for a long time and while I try to keep up with my study as much as possible, I often forget what I learned rather quickly because I rarely have the chance to practice. And I have short-term memory. T_T So someone who only studies Japanese for 2-3 years but has lots of practice can already surpass my fluency.
So aim to study at least one hour everyday, on kanji, vocabulary, and sentence structures. Listening is most likely going to be the hardest part, at least it is for me. Speaking, you can probably get by with just simple sentences and speaking slowly. Ah, but if you only care about reading raws, that doesn't matter, huh?
tl;dr = about 2-3 hours everyday for 3-4 years at least.
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not me, but my brother took a whole year to study N1 level exam and passed it in one go. to be fair, he already understand Japanese since he was a kid and he's bright and actual doctor, unlike me.
for me, i can't even remember first grader kanjis even after years of studying. well, my listening comprehension is on par with dedicated weebs, enough to understand vtuber stream without relying translation. also, even though i said years, i only studied Japanese when i got me free time, like an hour or two.
for me, i can't even remember first grader kanjis even after years of studying. well, my listening comprehension is on par with dedicated weebs, enough to understand vtuber stream without relying translation. also, even though i said years, i only studied Japanese when i got me free time, like an hour or two.
@Mr_Detective so around 2000-4000 hours total? That seems to be in line with what I've heard online, although that's for complete fluency. I hope it would take less time if I only focus on reading.
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@blurgh123 If you don't horn your listening and speaking skills, and only focus on reading, yeah, that might help you faster. You'll have more time to study kanji and vocabs and sentence structures. Achieving complete fluency is... probably not a realistic goal in studying any language. Even native speakers will sometimes run into things they don't understand, in their own language. Study as much as you can, but complete fluency is not something you should think of. Unless you meant something else.
You can study for 9001 hours and still lag below N2 or N1 level if you don't have anyway to memorize or practice what you learned. I can't say for sure how many hours you must spend to achieve certain level, lol. XD Maybe you'll get to N3 after 1000 hours? The 2-3 hours per year is just my rough estimation. But if you just started studying now, I'd like to think that should at least be enough to get you to around N3, if you are serious with your study. Hell, some folks are smart enough to reach N1 in just 1-2 years. Yikes!
You can study for 9001 hours and still lag below N2 or N1 level if you don't have anyway to memorize or practice what you learned. I can't say for sure how many hours you must spend to achieve certain level, lol. XD Maybe you'll get to N3 after 1000 hours? The 2-3 hours per year is just my rough estimation. But if you just started studying now, I'd like to think that should at least be enough to get you to around N3, if you are serious with your study. Hell, some folks are smart enough to reach N1 in just 1-2 years. Yikes!
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Well, to start with, kana usually doesn't take much longer than a couple weeks of repeated exposure and practice, especially if you learn to write them. It's not much harder than learning the alphabet. So I'm gonna move away from hiragana and katakana because people usually mean kanji when they talk about this.
So, personally, I think defining it in terms of "study time" is slightly around the issue, because in my experience it's less about how much time you spend reading textbooks or listening to exercises and more about how much you put what you're learning to active use - using it in a way that will engage you, and actually make you excited/satisfied with what you've managed to achieve. You know how it's usually easier to remember something if you write it down in a note for yourself? It's kinda like that, I guess. But to answer the question, I learned kana like three years ago, then put off studying kanji until about a year ago, if I remember correctly. I'm nowhere near fluent, but I can read a pretty good range of basic sentences on sight. But I'm also not one to push myself very hard (been treating it as a hobby mostly), so I imagine a lot of people could learn much faster. I know people get n3 or n2 certifications within a year of consistent work.
But yeah, cramming lacks association, so it's more prone to slipping from your memory. I really believe you gotta "use it or lose it" if you want what you're learning to stick. If you have strong associations, it forms a kind of memory chain (this all must sound very scientific...). I've been learning kanji with wanikani, and some words they teach me take longer to memorize if I've never heard them before or never had to connect them to anything in the past. As an example, in one of the first chapters of Ueno-san wa Bukiyou I ever translated, they kept talking about 匂い - nioi, or the noun "smell." That word is drilled into my mind now, because it'll always remind me of that one chapter. Wanikani hasn't taught me that kanji yet, but I already know I'll never forget it. So in some ways, trying to learn by connecting it to reading manga could help in the long term. Don't be afraid to jump into trying to read some raw manga even if you think you're not ready yet, because it could add some fun to how you learn certain things.
And the funny thing about your goal - that's another helpful thing to keep in mind, by the way, is making your goals as specific as possible - is that "reading" manga can boil down to simply learning what the kanji look like. You may not have to practice writing them or bother memorizing any readings/pronunciations if all you want to know is their meaning. Scanning a raw manga page and sightreading it can be as simple as knowing the definitions even if you wouldn't be able to "read it aloud" in your head. But obviously, that's not the same as learning Japanese to the point of fluency.
Anyway, didn't mean to ramble. TLDR: cramming info is inevitable when studying anything, but finding ways to make that knowledge useful to you is how it'll stick.
So, personally, I think defining it in terms of "study time" is slightly around the issue, because in my experience it's less about how much time you spend reading textbooks or listening to exercises and more about how much you put what you're learning to active use - using it in a way that will engage you, and actually make you excited/satisfied with what you've managed to achieve. You know how it's usually easier to remember something if you write it down in a note for yourself? It's kinda like that, I guess. But to answer the question, I learned kana like three years ago, then put off studying kanji until about a year ago, if I remember correctly. I'm nowhere near fluent, but I can read a pretty good range of basic sentences on sight. But I'm also not one to push myself very hard (been treating it as a hobby mostly), so I imagine a lot of people could learn much faster. I know people get n3 or n2 certifications within a year of consistent work.
But yeah, cramming lacks association, so it's more prone to slipping from your memory. I really believe you gotta "use it or lose it" if you want what you're learning to stick. If you have strong associations, it forms a kind of memory chain (this all must sound very scientific...). I've been learning kanji with wanikani, and some words they teach me take longer to memorize if I've never heard them before or never had to connect them to anything in the past. As an example, in one of the first chapters of Ueno-san wa Bukiyou I ever translated, they kept talking about 匂い - nioi, or the noun "smell." That word is drilled into my mind now, because it'll always remind me of that one chapter. Wanikani hasn't taught me that kanji yet, but I already know I'll never forget it. So in some ways, trying to learn by connecting it to reading manga could help in the long term. Don't be afraid to jump into trying to read some raw manga even if you think you're not ready yet, because it could add some fun to how you learn certain things.
And the funny thing about your goal - that's another helpful thing to keep in mind, by the way, is making your goals as specific as possible - is that "reading" manga can boil down to simply learning what the kanji look like. You may not have to practice writing them or bother memorizing any readings/pronunciations if all you want to know is their meaning. Scanning a raw manga page and sightreading it can be as simple as knowing the definitions even if you wouldn't be able to "read it aloud" in your head. But obviously, that's not the same as learning Japanese to the point of fluency.
Anyway, didn't mean to ramble. TLDR: cramming info is inevitable when studying anything, but finding ways to make that knowledge useful to you is how it'll stick.
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