Nori
For beginners learning Japanese

Japanese, written for five-minute days.

Particles, polite grammar, first sentences, and study habits that don't feel like homework.

Study habits

Speaking anxiety: you're not behind, you're unpracticed out loud

Beginner Japanese speaking anxiety is normal. Years of silent study don't transfer to the first sentence at a counter.

Beginner

これ, それ, あれ: this, that, and over there

これ それ あれ for beginners: this near you, that near them, that over there — Japanese demonstratives without a diagram spiral.

Study habits

Anki isn't enough: why the deck doesn't teach speaking

Anki isn't enough for beginner Japanese. Cards review words. They don't teach particles in a living sentence.

Beginner

Your first Japanese sentence is enough

Your first Japanese sentence: わたしは がくせいです. One line, then stop. Beginners don't need a unit.

Study habits

Five minutes a day beats a Sunday guilt session

Study Japanese five minutes a day. Short daily rituals stick. Weekend cram sessions don't.

Beginner

Hiragana first: skip the kanji panic

Learn hiragana first. Beginner Japanese starts with the 46 sounds, not 2,000 kanji.

Grammar

Te-form intro: connecting actions without a grammar panic

Japanese te-form for beginners: the て shape that links verbs — eat, then go, then see.

Grammar

ます form: the polite ending you'll actually use

Japanese ます form for beginners: the polite present ending for verbs like たべます and いきます.

Grammar

です vs だ: polite vs plain, not 'formal vs slang'

です vs だ for beginners: です is the polite copula. だ is the plain one. Same meaning, different room.

Particles

に vs で: destination or the place you do it

に vs で for beginners: に is where you go or exist. で is where the action happens.

Particles

The を particle: what you're actually doing

Japanese を particle for beginners: it marks the thing you eat, drink, watch, or read.

Particles

は vs が: the particle contrast that actually sticks

は vs が for beginners: topic vs subject in one sentence, without the textbook fog.