Photo: David Kernan, CC BY 4.0
Japanese for Beginners: Your First Hour
A friendly, live first hour of Japanese for complete beginners. You will see how Japanese is written and read your first words in hiragana and katakana, then learn polite greetings, introduce yourself, count to ten and order at a café, and try it all out in a short role-play with other students. Every phrase comes with romanization, so you do not need to read Japanese script yet.
After this hour you can
- Tell hiragana and katakana apart and read a few simple words
- Greet people politely at different times of day and say goodbye
- Introduce yourself the polite Japanese way
- Count from 1 to 10 and understand simple prices
- Order a drink, ask how much it is and pay
- Ask people to slow down or repeat when you get lost
- 0′–5′
Welcome
Know how the class works and what Japanese sounds and looks like.
- 5′–13′
Kana taster: how Japanese is written
Recognise hiragana and katakana, and read a few simple words.
あ い う え お
a i u e o
say ah ee oo eh oh
the five vowels, in hiragana
ひらがな / カタカナ
hiragana / katakana
say hee-rah-gah-nah / kah-tah-kah-nah
the two sound alphabets
+ 5 more on your phrase sheet
- 13′–19′
Greetings and goodbyes
Greet people politely at different times of day and say goodbye.
おはようございます
ohayō gozaimasu
say oh-hah-yoh goh-zai-mahs
Good morning (polite)
こんにちは
konnichiwa
say kohn-nee-chee-wah
Hello / Good afternoon
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 19′–27′
Introducing yourself
Introduce yourself the polite Japanese way: name, where you are from, where you live.
はじめまして。
hajimemashite.
say hah-jee-meh-mahsh-teh.
Nice to meet you. (Literally: for the first time.)
わたしは ___ です。
watashi wa ___ desu.
say wah-tah-shee wah ___ dess.
I'm ___.
+ 7 more on your phrase sheet
- 27′–33′
Numbers 1 to 10
Count from 1 to 10 and understand a simple price.
いち (一)
ichi
say ee-chee
one
に (二)
ni
say nee
two
+ 8 more on your phrase sheet
- 33′–41′
At the café
Order a drink, ask the price and pay.
コーヒーをください。
kōhī o kudasai.
say koh-hee oh koo-dah-sai.
A coffee, please.
これをください。
kore o kudasai.
say koh-reh oh koo-dah-sai.
This one, please.
+ 6 more on your phrase sheet
- 41′–47′
Survival phrases
Say sorry, say you do not understand and ask people to slow down or repeat.
すみません。
sumimasen.
say soo-mee-mah-sen.
Excuse me / Sorry
わかりません。
wakarimasen.
say wah-kah-ree-mah-sen.
I don't understand. / I don't know.
+ 7 more on your phrase sheet
- 47′–57′
Practice: at the café
Meet someone new and order at a café, using only Japanese.
- 57′–60′
Recap and this week
Remember the key phrases and know what to practise this week.
Japanese pronunciation is friendly for English speakers: it has five clear vowels and few difficult sounds. Writing is the big challenge: Japanese mixes three scripts, two sound alphabets (hiragana and katakana, about 46 characters each) and kanji, characters borrowed from Chinese. Politeness is built into the grammar, so today we use the polite です/ます forms you would use with people you have just met.
- Zoom on a computer, tablet or phone
- A microphone; headphones with a mic are best
- Somewhere you are happy to speak out loud
- Pen and paper, if you like. No Japanese needed.
Do I need to know any of the language already?
No. Every class is for complete beginners. We start from hello, and everything is explained in English. If you already know a little, it will be a good warm-up, but it will feel easy.
What happens in the hour?
A short welcome, then the sounds (or, for Japanese and Korean, a first look at the writing), greetings, introducing yourself, numbers to ten, ordering at a café and the phrases that get you out of trouble. Then you practise in small breakout rooms and we finish with a recap. Each class page shows the hour minute by minute.
Will I have to speak?
Yes, that is the point, but gently. Most of the time the whole class repeats together with microphones on, so nobody is singled out. Near the end you practise in breakout rooms of 2 or 3. Your camera is up to you.
How big are the classes?
At most 12 people, so everyone gets to speak and ask questions.
How much is a class?
One class is one payment, and you see the price before you pay. Nothing renews and there is no subscription.
Can I cancel or move my class?
Yes. Write to support@bunevents.com at least 24 hours before the start and we will refund you in full or move you to another time, whichever you prefer.
