Dreaming about being able to communicate with anime heroes, roam in Tokyo like a Japanese guru, or explore Japan’s rich culture in its native language? Learning Japanese may seem like a nightmare with its unique characters like hiragana, katakana, and kanji, but today, with the best Apps to Learn Japanese, it can be comfortable and fun. With the most popular Japanese learning apps, you can turn your phone into a pocket sensei—whether you’re an absolute beginner who needs bite-sized lessons or an advanced learner wanting to sharpen speaking skills.
You can learn through gamified quizzes, immersive audio, flashcards, and even face-to-face conversations that fit into a busy schedule during a commute or coffee break in Delhi. This roundup highlights the most effective options based on user reviews, features, and efficiency, helping you choose the best one and begin your journey to Nippon today!
Why More People Are Choosing to Learn Japanese
More people are choosing to learn Japanese because of Japan’s powerful influence on global culture, technology, and business. The worldwide popularity of anime, manga, video games, and J-pop has sparked curiosity about the language and its cultural roots. Many learners want to enjoy their favorite shows and media without translations and understand the original expressions.
Japan is also a leader in innovation, robotics, and automotive industries, creating career opportunities for professionals who can speak Japanese. Students see the language as a valuable skill that strengthens their resumes and opens doors to international work. Additionally, Japan’s unique traditions, cuisine, and travel experiences inspire people to connect more deeply with the country. With modern language-learning apps, online courses, and digital tools, studying Japanese has become more accessible and flexible, encouraging learners of all ages to start their journey.
Benefits of Learning Japanese
Japanese is a valuable skill as it provides cognitive, career, and cultural benefits that contribute to its rewards. These are some of the main advantages of bullets.
Cognitive Gains
- Improves memorisation and multi-tasking as well as problem-solving because of learning challenging scripts such as the hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
- Encourages the activity of the brain, which in turn can make the brain age by 5-10 years and make it grey.
- Pay more attention, be disciplined, and be creative with difficult grammar and wordchoice.
Career Opportunities
- Granted access to the IT, business, and technology market in Japan, especially to the Indian professionals who are considering remote or on-site jobs.Makes you stand out in international career markets, as decision-making and bias are evidenced by being able to speak more than one language.
- Favours the translation business, tourism, and trade, taking advantage of the economic influence of Japan.+
Cultural Access
- Further submerges in anime, manga, traditions, and events without subtitles or obstacles.
- Develops authentic relationships with the Japanese and generates empathy and intercultural awareness.
- Reveals special concepts like komorebi (light through leaves) that enhance more emotions to it.
Personal Growth
- Grows confidence through conquering a difficult language, fosters resilience, and self-esteem.
- Makes it easy to move in Japan with domestic travelling, custom enjoyment, and hassle-free communication.
- Relaxes and brings mindfulness as a satisfying hobby.
List of 12 Best apps to learn Japanese
1. Duolingo
Website: https://www.duolingo.com
Duolingo is a gaming language-learning application that allows one to learn Japanese even without any knowledge of it by playing short, interactive games that teach hiragana, katakana, simple kanji, new vocabulary, and simple sentences, and makes the process of learning a language an interactive game and a daily routine with the built-in progress and reward systems.
Key Features:
- Lessons of 5-15 minutes where the mastery of hiragana/katakana, vocabulary (e.g., water, which is mizu), and simple grammar (e.g.) will be mastered. I am a student.
- XP, streaks, hearts (lose on errors, complete through practice), and theme-based content: Food, Directions, and Shopping Gamification.
- Various tasks: translations, the sound-sound match, sentence shuffling, talking, and tap-what-you-hear.
- Types of tabs for practising kana and kanji writing, pronunciation, and components.
- Progress bar, learners are able to check wrong responses, and undergo a test on the early sections.
Pricing
- The Japanese is completely ad-free and has fewer hearts, whereas Super Duolingo does not have advertisements or limits and has unlimited hearts/mistakes and can be used offline without any problems, and Family Plan (up to 5 people) can be used, and it is approximately 6.99/month or 9.99/month; there is a 14-day trial period.
2. LingoDeer
website: lingodeer.com
LingoDeer is a very useful mobile application that particularly studies Asian languages such as Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Mandarin) in a systematic, gamified manner, which learns functional grammar, native speech, and contextual sentence-construction that can train the user to be fluent without memorising and conjecturing what to say.
Key Features
- Short and interactive 5-minute lessons about the Asian scripts of Japanese kana and Japanese kanji, and containing brief grammar tips and notes at the end of every module.
- Native speakers audio in the studio, and high-quality video lessons with a natural speed of pronunciation by various speakers to develop listening and speaking skills.
- Flash cards, quizzes, practice on a particular drill, practice in writing characters, mini-stories with captions, mini-travel phrasebook in real-life circumstances are some of the modes of practice.
- Offline access, daily goals that can be customised (e.g., casual 5 stars, regular 10 stars, insane 20 stars), SRS-like review tabs (spaced repetition), and progress tracking.
- Read and write, speak and listen, talking, grammar flash cards, and cultural information, which can be printed and read aloud.
Pricing
- LingoDeer possesses a basic version, which contains the basic lessons with the possibility of upgrading to full courses: monthly (around 11.99 USD), annual (around 47.99 USD), and lifetime courses (around 139.99 USD) (in India, the rates vary, check app stores).
3. Busuu
website: www.busuu.com
Busuu is one of the most popular Apps to Learn Japanese and also ranks among the well-known language learning apps, offering a self-paced language-learning experience with bite-sized interactive lessons that build basic skills in speaking, reading, writing, and listening.
It is particularly suitable for individuals with no prior knowledge of the language who are learning Japanese with its unique scripts such as hiragana, katakana, and kanji.
Key Features
- Lessons that are kinesthetic in nature, which include hiragana, katakana, kanji, romaji, parts of speech, pronunciation, counting, greetings and helpful things that include travelling phrases.
- Writing and speaking practice of native speakers.
- Revision tools and a spaced repetition system to support the retention of vocabulary and grammar.
- Special classes such as manga classes and Japanese as a travelling language, which are based on CEFR level A1-B2.
- The plan is to begin with 10 minutes per day, tracking the progress, and discussing practice conversation.
Pricing:
- Premium:$72.99,$6.08/month
- Premium Plus:$87.90,$7.33/month
4. Mondly
Website: https://mondly.com.
Mondly is a widely used mobile application used to learn languages fast and interactively, such as the Japanese language, by using gamified lessons that focus more on real-life conversations, vocabulary, and pronunciation in the form of short sessions, usually between 5 and 15 minutes a day. It also has 41 languages, such as Japanese, with native speaker audio, speech recognition to give feedback, and new technologies such as AR and VR to study in a real-world setting as opposed to mastering the rules of the game.
Key Features
- Brief, topic-based lessons using central words, phrases, and sentence structure activities to communicate in real conversations.
- chatbot and speech recognition in practising pronunciation and natural dialogues.
- AR and VR interactive training (practice of using virtual objects) based on the use of compatible devices (requires).
- Everyday classes, knowledge tracking, game-based learning and quizzes, leaderboard, and challenges.
- Native audio in a crystal clear and professional voice actors to pronounce Japanese correctly.
Pricing
- Mondly has a free option that includes daily lessons and paid subscriptions: monthly – about $10-12, annual – about $48-60, lifetime access – $100 and above (frequently reduced to $300).
5. Preply
website: preply.com
Preply is an all-purpose online language school and mobile application (iOS and Android enabled), connecting students to professional tutors for personal, one-on-one video lessons in almost 50 languages, including Japanese. It stands out among Apps to Learn Japanese for beginners and advanced students who want to improve speaking, master grammar and vocabulary, or prepare for the JLPT. With native-speaking tutors who tailor lessons to personal objectives—such as business Japanese or conversational practice—Preply offers a highly personalized learning experience.
Preply is an all-purpose online language school and mobile application (iOS and Android enabled), connecting students to professional tutors to have personal, one-on-one video lessons in almost 50 languages, including Japanese, so it is a good choice among beginners or advanced students who need to learn to speak Japanese, master grammar, vocabulary, or JLPT preparation using native-speaking tutors who can focus their lesson towards personal objectives, such as speaking business Japanese or practicing speaking.
Key Features
- Individual classes of 1-on-1 videotutoring through the virtual classroom of Preply using the whiteboard, text-based chat, file sharing, and notes section.
- Test matches of free trial lessons (not more than two per tutor) to check on.
- Vaults, checked profiles, and thorough reviews of students with whom you can make an informed choice.
- Individualised time (flexible lesson packages of 5, 10, 15, or 20 hours), scheduling.
- Artificial intelligence-based tools of practice in between lessons, monitoring of progress, and plans.
- Learning can also be done through a mobile app, and there are options in almost all languages.
Pricing
- Lessons cost start at $5 per hour, depending on the tutor (1-40 dollars per hour), and packages do provide a savings; with new users sometimes receiving discounts such as 20% off the first lesson with promo codes such as APP20.
6. JA Sensei
Website:https://www.japan-activator.com/en
A Sensei is a generalized Android application that allows to study the Japanese language both on the level of a beginner and on the level of an advanced user, covering all the necessary fields of the language and the culture into one application, and its project has been going on since 2011, meaning it includes regular updates such as new lessons, audio upgrades, and JLPT-compliant content as late as the end of 2025. It has audio of native speakers to pronounce words in their original form (not synthesised).
Key Features
- The gradual lessons with dialogues, vocabulary, grammar, exercises, culture notes, and final quizzes, 5 new free premium lessons were recently added.
- Hiragana and katakana and all the 6,000 kanji in stroke order practice, radicals information, JLPT/Jouyou level, drawings, and personal lists.
- Thematic vocabulary words with audio, writing/speaking quizzes, voice recording to compare their pronunciation, and smart search.
- Phrasebook expression/comprehension audio breakdowns, grammar explanations, and personal lists.
- Listening comprehension of illustrated scenarios at 3 levels of difficulty, rewind buttons, and vocabulary association.
- Tools based on grammar (185 sheets), particles (168 usages), counters (45 types), verbs/adjectives conjugation, and numbers tools with audio quizzes.
- Recent changes: 8,000 new original audio samples, improved data on radicals/kanji, reading navigation/autoplay, and links to external dictionaries, such as Jisho.
Pricing
- The app has a free version that includes in-app purchases of premium modules to access all content; Samurai membership is offered under the developers web site, 100 contribution points (e.g. 1 month access to all content 100 points, 40 points) can be offered, lifetime Samurai Unlimited is currently 50 EUR (access to all the content on the app, or 40 EUR).
7. Renshuu
Website:https://www.renshuu.org
Renshuu is a very interactive, self-advertising application that is especially used to study Japanese, making it one of the most engaging Apps to Learn Japanese, providing a customizable, gamified experience with its adorable mascot Kao-chan and community-driven content, which focuses on mastering components to schedule learning and offers a selection of different quiz-based formats such as typing, writing, and multiple choice, with extensive resources such as mobile vocabulary, retrieval of kanji, grammar, and themed sentences, all accompanied by rich explanations and progress tracking tools.
Renshuu is a very interactive, self-advertising application that is especially used to study Japanese, providing a customizable, gamified experience with its adorable mascot Kao-chan and community-driven content, which focuses on mastering components to schedule learning and a selection of different quiz-based formats such as typing, writing, and multiple choice, with extensive resources such as mobile vocabulary, retrieval of kanji, grammar, and themed sentence, all accompanied by
Key Features
- Individual learning environments of textbooks, JLPT levels (N5-N2), Kanji Kentei, or bespoke courses of a local library with more than 10,000 books.
- Enhanced content such as 15,000+ vocab with audio/images/example sentences, 12,000+ kanji with 2,000+ mnemonics, 800+ grammar instructions with diagrams/ audio/7,500+ quizzes and 10,000 audio sentences by topic/difficulty.
- The SRS quiz system was comprehension-based, and dozens of types of questions were given priority on the weak areas, with no time limits and no timers.
- Collectable coins, evolving characters, unlockable manga, single/ multiplayer games, and customised settings on all aspects of studying.
- In-built dictionary, accent/pitch information, and human help from the small dev team (no chatbots).
Pricing
- The basic application is entirely free and gives unlimited access and no ads/paywalls/timers. Renshuu Pro provides more features and options through subscriptions: $7/month, $60/year, or $130 lifetime (Every now and then, sales such as $120 lifetime).
Suggested read: Note Taking Apps for iPad
8. Bunpro
website: https://bunpro.jp
Bunpro is an algorithmic spaced repetition system (SRS) program that may be employed to learn Japanese grammar and vocabulary among beginners who learn Hiragana and Katakana and senior students, who prepare to pass the JLPT exams. It is a hand-written, interactive way of teaching that requires some form of input and involves sample sentence context and quizzes as a means to reach comprehension and long-term acquisition of knowledge.
Key Features
- Over 900 grammar points with a detailed explanation and practice tests, which are JLPT-correlated (25+ exercises that can be supported offline).
- Proper scheduling of review, monitoring of progress with charts and statistics, XP, and badge Spaced repetition system (SRS).
- Anime, manga, textbook vocabulary contexts of 100,000+, audio, furigana customisation, and special decks (e.g., Kansai dialects).
- Questionnaires, sample sentences that have to be worked with, discussion rooms, and personal settings of the pace of studying and the textbook directions.
- The integration of WaniKani to circle known words dynamically hides furigan, and does not repeat reviews.
Pricing
- To familiarise oneself with Bunpro, one has a free plan, and paid plans which range from about 5/month (or annual plans to save money) to unlock all the features, including unlimited reviews and vocab decks- see the real prices on their site.
9. Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese
Website: https://guidetojapanese.org/learn/
The Guide to Learning Japanese by Tae Kim is a free online guide and is highly rated as a productive resource. While it is not one of the typical Apps to Learn Japanese, it was originally introduced as a deep web grammar guide that explains the Japanese language in non-textbook, natural, conversational language, allowing readers to progress from basic hiragana and katakana to more complex topics like polite forms, conditionals, and honorifics, all through easy-to-follow example sentences with literal translations.
Key Features
- Lessons to be given formally on writing systems (hiragana, katakana, kanji), elementary grammar (particles, adjectives, verbs, nouns), elementary grammar (polite forms, compounds, conditionals, special expressions (causative, honorifics), and special issues.
- Interactive elements include tappable Japanese words that have English meanings and kana reading (there is no furigana overload), audio, video, charts, sample sentences, and exercises.
- Customisation, e.g., bookmarking of chapters, customizable fonts, dark and light mode, in-app search featuring full-text search choices, and progress indicators.
- Insists on practical, natural, application, and literal translation to build the sentence-making instinct, which most effectively fits self-study entirely alone.
Pricing:
- The application and manual are completely free, and there are no ads or in-app purchases.
10. Learn Japanese: Sensei
Website: https://itunes.apple.com/app/learn-japanese-sensei/id1495789984.
Learn Japanese: Sensei is a successful mobile app aimed at assisting users in learning about Japanese at beginner-level through to the advanced level with the use of structured lessons to learn about hiragana, katakana, kanji, grammar, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge, with later versions adopting AI-based features to personalise the learning process, such as through immersive media or JLPT examination.
Key Features
- Full-bodied inculcate library with evaluated audiobooks, books, videos, Japanese subtitles, live word definition, furigana, grammar tips, sequence of strokes, and native audio read.
- Special flashcards with the spaced repetition system (SRS) to memorise and repeat the vocabulary to remember it in the long term.
- N5 to N1 full JLPT test mode with AI explanations that deconstruct answers to develop profound knowledge.
- Learning Kanji through visual mnemonics, analysis in radicals, stroke-by-stroke animation, and readings, meanings, and examples of more than 6,000 kanji.
- Grammar lessons using such a guide as that of Tae Kim, which includes lessons about particles, verbs, polite forms, conditionals, and advanced lessons with exercises and progress monitoring.
- Listening, speaking, reading, and writing quizzes, voice recording to compare the pronunciation of a native speaker, and quizzes with audio.
- Offline access, quiz customisation, personal lists, cultural notes, and illustrations.
Pricing
- It is available with a simple version that includes the simple lessons (e.g., 69 lessons and exercises), and the more expensive version is offered with an in-app purchase or a paid version to make updates more easily, though the price is different according to the platform and location.
11. Clozemaster
Website: https://www.clozemaster.com
Clozemaster is one of the popular Apps to Learn Japanese, utilizing the cloze deletion technique and geared toward intermediate and advanced learners (though not limited to them). It focuses specifically on vocabulary fluency through natural language use, listening comprehension, and active recall. The app is based on a ranked sentence list that gradually increases in difficulty, helping learners progress from common phrases to more complex sentence structures.
Key Features
- There is a variety of choice or text-input completion cloze tests and passive and active recall practice in the form of context-based tests.
- The use of sound in skills of listening, including playback before reading and practice in pronunciation.
- Difficulty, talking pace, and sorting by frequency or JLPT (optimal N3-N2) are examples of variables.
- Unlimited reviews, leaderboards made by users, the ability to create thousands of variants of sentences (over 176,000 Japanese), and the AI-generated description of its sentences (ChatGPT).
- Grammar tasks and Progress tracking with 50+ languages, web, iOS, and Android.
Pricing
- Clozemaster is a free application that has the necessary features, and a PRO version is offered with extra functionality (play without ads forever after registration; ad-free experience and better statistics are the most popular options, which currently cost $8/month or 60/year, check app stores).
12. WaniKani
Website: wanikani.com
WaniKani is an online application, which is aimed to help a student to learn to use about 2,000 kanji and 6,000 vocabulary words in reading and meaning (not writing or grammar), through a structured, gamified program that breaks down the kanji into radicals, kami and related words into 60 progressive stages, using mnemonic stories, spaced repetition system (SRS) algorithms and interactive lessons to learn how to use the kanji and the words.
Key Features
- Spaced repetition system (SRS) in which the reviews will be scheduled based on the performance to achieve maximum retention.
- Fun and memorable stories, Radicals, mnemonics of the kanji, and vocabulary.
- radicals, then sounding, then more or less similar vocabulary. 60 levels each.
- Free 3 levels to practice; the dashboard is separated into Lessons (new material) and Reviews (practice).
- Extra Study mode: Review of recent errors or do not interrupt SRS cycles.
- None of these is officially available, but third-party mobile apps are.
Pricing
- The rates will be Monthly (9/month), Annual ($89/year), and Lifetime ($299/once time) (tax/VAT may be charged).
Comparison Table for Apps to learn Japanese
| App | Best For | Main Focus | Learning Style | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duolingo | Absolute beginners | Basic vocabulary & kana | Gamified, bite-sized lessons | Free + Subscription |
| LingoDeer | Structured learners | Grammar + sentence building | Step-by-step + native audio | Paid plans |
| Busuu | Speaking practice | Reading, writing, speaking | Interactive + native feedback | Premium |
| Mondly | Conversation skills | Daily phrases & pronunciation | Gamified + chatbot | Free + Paid |
| Preply | Personalized tutoring | Live speaking + JLPT prep | 1-on-1 video lessons | Pay per tutor |
| JA Sensei | All-in-one learners | Kanji, grammar, culture | Structured lessons + quizzes | Free + In-app purchase |
| Renshuu | JLPT-focused learners | Kanji, vocab, grammar | Gamified SRS quizzes | Free + Pro |
| Bunpro | Grammar mastery | Grammar + spaced repetition | Fill-in-the-blank practice | Subscription |
| Tae Kim’s Guide to Learning Japanese | Self-study learners | Grammar foundation | Text-based structured lessons | Free |
| Learn Japanese: Sensei | JLPT aspirants | Kanji + grammar + AI tools | Structured + SRS | Free + Paid |
| Clozemaster | Intermediate learners | Vocabulary fluency | Context-based sentence practice | Free + Pro |
| WaniKani | Kanji mastery | Kanji + radicals | Mnemonics + SRS system | Subscription |
Ending Note
Duolingo, LingoDeer, Busuu, Renshuu, and WaniKani are some of the best Apps to Learn Japanese, especially for someone living a busy life in Delhi. These apps are gamified, offer spaced repetition, natural audio, and real-life practice activities to help beginners gradually become advanced learners. You can use them during your commute or while taking a coffee break. Start for free by learning hiragana, katakana, and basic vocabulary, then add tutors via Preply or focus on grammar with Bunpro as you progress.
Whether your goal is understanding anime conversations, preparing for the JLPT, or traveling to Tokyo, these apps can train your brain while giving you career advantages and cultural enrichment.Duolingo, LingoDeer, Busuu, Renshuu, and WaniKani are the best apps that help learn Japanese in such a busy life of a resident of Delhi:
this is gamified, offers spaced repetitions, natural sounds, and in-the-field activities to ensure that a beginner student turns into a more advanced one: use it during the commuting process or when taking a coffee break. You can begin with free to learn hiragana, katakana, and simple words, add tutors via Preply or grammar via Bunpro until you are ready to learn anime chats or JLPT ambitions or Tokyo travel, train your brain, career advantage, and cultural happiness that you are doing it.
FAQs
Q1: What Do You Suggest As The Most Recommended Free Applications For A Complete Beginner?
Duolingo is a hiragana/katakana/basic-vocab learning that is delivered in bite-sized chunks, to which no significant grammar is introduced at the start levels. It is accompanied by LingoDeer’s systematic explanation that is particular to Asian languages such as Japanese.
Q2: How Do Duolingo And Lingodeer Compare Initially?
Duolingo works around fun, training in streaks and repetition of daily training, and does not go into as much complexity of grammar; LingoDeer is more pragmatic in their step-by-step approach of teaching, and native audio is more recognisable.
Q3: What Would Be The Most Suitable Application To Study Kanji?
Anki is based on time-spaced flashcards (SRS), and therefore, it is effective at long-term learning of a system of kanji. The JLPT level of Kanji Study includes interactive tracing, quizzes, and organisation.
Q4: Is WaniKani Worth It For Kanji?
Yeah, WaniKani encourages the application of SRS and kanji-based mnemonics and assists in generating radicals; the service would best fit the incremental development of reading proficiency, although one has to pay a subscription, introducing a free trial version.
Q 5: What Do You Consider To Be The Best Application Of Japanese Grammar?
Bunpro is a program that focuses on such features of grammar as SRS review and SRS examples, which is ideal in JLPT preparation; it should be combined with Bunpo to construct sentences on an interactive platform.
Q6: What Can I Do To Train My Speaking Using The Help Of Apps?
iTalki will match you with a native teacher to get feedback regarding the pronunciation and the conversation during it, but HelloTalk will have you exchange language in text and voice at no cost.
