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12<script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","name":"Kuma Learn","url":"https://www.kumalearn.com","description":"Kuma Learn offers you a visual approach to learning Japanese. Learn Japanese vocabulary with pictures. Download a free mini-eBook today.","logo":"https://www.kumalearn.com/images/logo_lg.png","sameAs":["https://twitter.com/KumaLearn"],"contactPoint":{"@type":"ContactPoint","email":"[email protected]","contactType":"Contact"}},{"@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://www.kumalearn.com/","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Why a Japanese-English picture dictionary?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"When learning Japanese, you'll be looking up words constantly. Some words lend themselves very well to visual presentation and that's why I created a picture dictionary for Japanese! With it, you can search for words in English (hello), Japanese (ããã«ã¡ã¯) and romaji (konnichiwa). The picture dictionary has 180,000+ definitions, 4,000+ example sentences and 4,000+ words with pictures."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What about audial and kinaesthesic learning?","acceptedA
12nswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Of course, visual learning is only one aspect of many. Audial and kinaesthesic learning will add depth and variety where it's more appropriate. I started with the picture dictionary, as I believe there aren't enough good visual resources out there. Also, Kuma Learn has plans to offer games in the future!"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is SRS and how does it work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"SRS is short for Spaced Repeititon System. It's a flashcard system for you to learn vocabulary and kanji efficiently. You will be shown words that you don't know more often than words you know well. Studies have shown that this improves your learning and even changes how your brain is wired. [1]It works like this:You're shown a flashcard and you'll rate how well you know the word or kanji (\"Perfect\", \"Familiar\", \"Total black out\", etc).The system will learn how well you've remembered a flashcard and, over time, will smartly ask you to review flashcards you know less well.The smart system is driven by an algorithm called SM-2. When you're ready to start, head on over to Kuma Learn's Spaced Repetition System (SRS)."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How often should I do spaced reptition?","acceptedA
12nswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"There are different opinions on this but generally you want to increase your intervals between each review. One resource [2] suggests the ideal review schedule is 1 day, 7 days, 16 days and 35 days (and continue at 35 days). So you should review any new flashcard at this schedule."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is JLPT?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"JLPT is short for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. It's a standardised test to evaluate and certify your proficiency in the Japanese language.It tests language knowledge, reading ability and listening ability, and is often used by companies to evaluate your lanugage ability if you're a non-native speaker.JLPT has five levels: N5 is the beginner level and the difficulty increases as you approach N1."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is my JLPT level?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"There are various aspects to JLPT (reading, listening, etc), so your level may be higher in some areas than others. You can check your JLPT level with various tools online â search for \"JLPT level check\" on Google."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Is it necessary to learn writing before starting to learn the language?","acceptedA
12nswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Japanese has three alphabets: hiragana ã²ãããª, katakana ã«ã¿ã«ã (~50 characters each) and kanji æ¼¢å (2,000+ characters). You can read an overview here.You often start learning hiragana and katakana because they're the basic (phonetic) alphabets that allow you start reading beginners' materials. Because they're phonetic, they're also used to annotate kanji, so you might see small hiragana written above kanji to help the reader (\"furigana\", which Kuma Learn eBooks also do)."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What's an effective approach to learning kanji æ¼¢å?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Once you've mastered hiragana and katakana (ã²ãã㪠and ã«ã¿ã«ã), you can start learning with beginner resources written in Japanese. But you'll soon start to see lots of kanji (æ¼¢å).Tip #1: there are a couple of tricks: (a) learn \"radicals\" â components of kanji (e.g. æ¥ in æ) â rather than trying to remember each individual stroke of every kanji and (b) create \"stories\" for kanji. Stories work because kanji is logographic and human beings tend to remember stories well. A popular method for (b) is called \"Heisig's Remembering the Kanji\" (RTK).Tip #2: it's easier to learn kanji when they're read/written in context. For example, you'll learn crime kanji (e.g. detective æ¢åµ, tantei) when you read crime novels or manga such as Detective Conan. Of course, you can also use the Japanese-English picture dictionary, to learn kanji with pictures.Tip #3: use efficient learning methods such as SRS to learn kanji that you don't know well first. The spaced repetition system will ask you to review kanji that you know less well."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Where is Kuma Learn headed?","acceptedA
12nswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Kuma Learn started with a picture dictionary as well as eBooks but now also offers a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) so that you can learn vocab and kanji efficiently. Soon, you'll have courses to add structure to your learning!"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who's behind Kuma Learn?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"I'm Mario, I speak three languages (English, Japanese, German) and make software for a living. I created Kuma Learn because I want to make learning the Japanese language easier and more fun! Reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any thoughts or suggestions."}}]}]}</script>
12<div><div class="sc-bad021df-0 tPGcg"><a href="/about/"><div class="flex items-center h-full"><img alt="Made by Mario Hayashi" src="/images/mario.png" width="24" class="sc-bad021df-1 hnWZsz"/><div class="ml-2"><span class="sc-bad021df-2 dFxLEK">By Mario Hayashi</span></div></div></a></div><div class="sc-75a685b8-0 kIPwNh"><a href="https://form.typeform.com/to/AKCj2fnT?utm_source=www.kumalearn.com&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=footer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><div class="flex items-center h-full"><span class="sc-75a685b8-1 gzhhct">Feedbackã»ã¢ã³ã±ã¼ã</span></div></a></div><div class="relative bg-white overflow-hidden"><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto"><div class="relative z-10 pb-8 bg-white sm:pb-16 md:pb-20 lg:max-w-2xl lg:w-full lg:pb-28 xl:pb-32"><svg class="hidden lg:block absolute right-0 inset-y-0 h-full w-48 text-white transform translate-x-1/2" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 100 100" preserveAspectRatio="none" aria-hidden="true"><polygon points="50,0 100,0 50,100 0,100"></polygon></svg><div class="relative pt-6 px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8"><nav class="relative flex items-center justify-between sm:h-10 lg:justify-start" aria-label="Global"><div class="flex items-center flex-grow flex-shrink-0 lg:flex-grow-0"><div class="flex items-center justify-between w-full md:w-auto"><a href="/"><span class="sr-only">Kuma Learn</span><div class="flex flex-row items-center"><img src="/images/logo_with_text.svg" class="h-8 w-auto sm:h-10" alt="Kuma Learn"/></div></a><div class="-mr-2 flex items-center md:hidden"><button type="button" class="bg-white rounded-md p-2 inline-flex items-center justify-center text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500 hover:bg-gray-100 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-inset focus:ring-green-500" id="main-menu" aria-haspopup="true"><span class="sr-only">Open main menu</span><svg class="h-6 w-6" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 6h16M4 12h16M4 18h16"></path></svg></button></div></div></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-10 md:pr-4 md:space-x-8"><a class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/about/">About</a></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-2 md:pr-2 md:space-x-8"><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=menu" class="text-sm flex items-center font-medium text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Dictionary</a></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-2 md:pr-2 md:space-x-8"><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=menu" class="text-sm flex items-center font-medium text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">SRS</a></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-2 md:pr-2 md:space-x-8"><a class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/ebooks/">eBooks</a></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-2 md:pr-2 md:space-x-8"><a href="https://blog.kumalearn.com?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=menu" class="text-sm font-medium text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blog</a></div><div class="hidden md:block md:ml-2 md:pr-2 md:space-x-8"><a href="https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_JfkWP3R25JYad6fOq5BKECYuvwQpVkI75Bg1342AEJZ?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=header" class="text-sm font-medium text-text-muted hover:text-ink" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Support Kuma Learn</a></div></nav></div><main class="mt-10 mx-auto max-w-7xl px-4 sm:mt-12 sm:px-6 md:mt-16 lg:mt-20 lg:px-8 xl:mt-28"><div class="sm:text-center lg:text-left"><h1 class="text-4xl tracking-tight font-extrabold text-gray-900 sm:text-5xl md:text-6xl"><span class="block xl:inline">
12Learn Japanese</span> <span class="block text-green-600 xl:inline"><span><span class="animate-pulse">|</span></span></span></h1><p class="mt-3 text-base text-gray-500 sm:mt-5 sm:text-lg sm:max-w-xl sm:mx-auto md:mt-5 md:text-xl lg:mx-0">Whether you're learning Japanese to watch anime or to visit Japan, we've got you covered!</p><p class="mt-1 text-base text-gray-500 sm:mt-5 sm:text-lg sm:max-w-xl sm:mx-auto md:mt-2 md:text-xl lg:mx-0">Look up words with our Japanese-English picture dictionary and learn vocab with eBooks containing hand-picked words.</p><div class="mt-5 sm:mt-8 sm:flex sm:justify-center lg:justify-start"><div class="w-full sm:w-4/5 sm:flex sm:items-end"><div class="w-full sm:w-3/4"><label for="search" class="block text-left text-sm font-medium text-gray-700">Search picture dictionary</label><input id="search" type="search" required="" class="w-full px-5 py-3 mt-2 shadow-sm border-4 border-gray-300 rounded-md h-12 focus:ring-green-500 focus:border-green-500" placeholder="Search in English, Japanese or romaji..." name="search" value=""/><div class="block sm:hidden"><div class="mt-3 text-sm text-gray-500 text-left">Try "<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/hello" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline text-gray-500">hello</a>",<!-- --> <!-- -->"<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/konnichiwa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline text-gray-500">konnichiwa</a>" or "<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/%E3%81%93%E3%82%93%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A1%E3%81%AF" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline text-gray-500">ããã«ã¡ã¯</a>"</div></div></div><div class="w-full rounded-md shadow mt-4 sm:mt-0 sm:ml-4 sm:w-1/4"><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=landing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="flex items-center justify-center px-8 h-12 border border-transparent text-base font-medium rounded-md text-white 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alt="Kuma Learn"/></div></div></div><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8"><div class="flex justify-end"><figcaption class="mt-3 flex items-center text-sm text-gray-500"><svg class="flex-none w-5 h-5 text-gray-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 5a2 2 0 00-2 2v8a2 2 0 002 2h12a2 2 0 002-2V7a2 2 0 00-2-2h-1.586a1 1 0 01-.707-.293l-1.121-1.121A2 2 0 0011.172 3H8.828a2 2 0 00-1.414.586L6.293 4.707A1 1 0 015.586 5H4zm6 9a3 3 0 100-6 3 3 0 000 6z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><span class="ml-2 text-xs"><a class="underline" href="/attributions/">Attributions</a></span></figcaption></div></div><div class="bg-white"><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto pt-12 px-4 sm:px-6 lg:pt-16 lg:px-8"><h2 class="sr-only">As seen on social media</h2><p class="text-center text-base font-semibold uppercase text-gray-600 tracking-wider">As seen on</p><div class="mt-6 grid grid-cols-1 sm:grid-cols-2 gap-0.5 lg:mt-8"><div class="col-span-1 flex justify-center py-2 px-8"><div><a class="flex flex-col items-center" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/kxu6io/learn_japanese_vocabulary_with_pictures_jlptn5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img class="max-h-12" src="/images/reddit.svg" alt="Reddit /r/LearnJapanese" height="36" width="111"/><h3 class="mt-2 ml-2 text-center text-base font-semibold text-gray-500 tracking-wider">/r/LearnJapanese</h3></a><div class="flex items-baseline mt-2"><a class="underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/kxu6io/learn_japanese_vocabulary_with_pictures_jlptn5/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><h3 class="text-center text-base text-gray-500 tracking-wider">First post</h3></a><div class="mx-2">/</div><a class="underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/n91xp4/learn_japanese_vocabulary_with_pictures_jlptn32/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><h3 class="text-center text-base text-gray-500 tracking-wider">Second post</h3></a></div></div></div><div class="col-span-1 flex justify-center py-2 px-8 mt-4 sm:mt-0"><div><a class="flex flex-col items-center" href="https://kumalearn.gumroad.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img class="max-h-12" src="/images/gumroad.svg" alt="Gumroad" height="36" width="36"/>
12<h3 class="mt-2 ml-2 text-center text-base font-semibold text-gray-500 tracking-wider">Gumroad</h3></a><a class="underline" href="https://kumalearn.gumroad.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><h3 class="text-center text-base text-gray-500 tracking-wider">Store</h3></a></div></div></div></div></div><div class="mt-24 pb-8 sm:mt-32"><div class="bg-white"><div class="relative pb-32"><div class="absolute inset-0"><img class="w-full h-full object-cover object-top" src="https://static.kumalearn.com/images/tokyo-tower-resized.jpg" alt="Tokyo Tower"/><div class="absolute inset-0 mix-blend-multiply" aria-hidden="true"></div></div><div class="absolute top-4 right-4"><figcaption class="mt-3 flex items-center text-sm text-gray-500"><svg class="flex-none w-5 h-5 text-gray-400" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 5a2 2 0 00-2 2v8a2 2 0 002 2h12a2 2 0 002-2V7a2 2 0 00-2-2h-1.586a1 1 0 01-.707-.293l-1.121-1.121A2 2 0 0011.172 3H8.828a2 2 0 00-1.414.586L6.293 4.707A1 1 0 015.586 5H4zm6 9a3 3 0 100-6 3 3 0 000 6z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg><span class="ml-2 text-xs"><a class="underline" href="/attributions/">Attributions</a></span></figcaption></div><div class="relative max-w-7xl mx-auto py-24 px-4 flex flex-col items-start sm:py-32 sm:px-6 lg:px-8"><h1 class="text-4xl font-extrabold tracking-tight text-white backdrop-blur-xs md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl">Learn visually</h1><p class="mt-6 max-w-3xl text-xl text-gray-300 backdrop-blur-xs">Kuma Learn offers you a <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">Japanese-English picture dictionary</a> as well as<!-- --> <a class="underline" href="/ebooks/">eBooks with hand-picked vocabulary</a>. Kuma Learn also offers a<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=features" class="underline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Spaced Repetition System (SRS)</a> <!-- -->so that you can learn vocab and kanji efficiently.</p></div></div><section class="-mt-32 max-w-7xl mx-auto relative z-1 px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8" aria-labelledby="features-heading"><h2 class="sr-only" id="features-heading">Benefits and features</h2><div class="grid grid-cols-1 gap-y-20 lg:grid-cols-3 lg:gap-y-0 lg:gap-x-8"><div class="flex flex-col bg-white rounded-2xl shadow-xl"><div class="flex-1 relative pt-16 px-6 pb-8 md:px-8"><div class="absolute top-0 p-5 inline-block bg-green-600 rounded-xl shadow-lg transform -translate-y-1/2"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 text-white"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m2.25 15.75 5.159-5.159a2.25 2.25 0 0 1 3.182 0l5.159 5.159m-1.5-1.5 1.409-1.409a2.25 2.25 0 0 1 3.182 0l2.909 2.909m-18 3.75h16.5a1.5 1.5 0 0 0 1.5-1.5V6a1.5 1.5 0 0 0-1.5-1.5H3.75A1.5 1.5 0 0 0 2.25 6v12a1.5 1.5 0 0 0 1.5 1.5Zm10.5-11.25h.008v.008h-.008V8.25Zm.375 0a.375.375 0 1 1-.75 0 .375.375 0 0 1 .75 0Z"></path></svg></div><h3 class="text-xl font-medium text-gray-900">Japanese-English picture dictionary</h3><div class="mt-4 text-base text-gray-500"><p>Visual content plays a big role in our learning and keeping us motivated, whether that be watching anime, reading manga or watching TV.</p><p class="mt-2">We've carefully hand-picked 4,000+ words with pictures for you, so that you can look up Japanese vocab visually!</p></div></div><div class="p-6 bg-gray-50 rounded-bl-2xl rounded-br-2xl md:px-8"><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="text-base font-medium text-green-700 hover:text-green-600">Go to dictionary<span aria-hidden="true"> â</span></a></div></div><div class="flex flex-col bg-white rounded-2xl shadow-xl"><div class="flex-1 relative pt-16 px-6 pb-8 md:px-8"><div class="absolute top-0 p-5 inline-block bg-green-600 rounded-xl shadow-lg transform -translate-y-1/2"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 text-white"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="M12 6.042A8.967 8.967 0 0 0 6 3.75c-1.052 0-2.062.18-3 .512v14.25A8.987 8.987 0 0 1 6 18c2.305 0 4.408.867 6 2.292m0-14.25a8.966 8.966 0 0 1 6-2.292c1.052 0 2.062.18 3 .512v14.25A8.987 8.987 0 0 0 18 18a8.967 8.967 0 0 0-6 2.292m0-14.25v14.25"></path></svg></div><h3 class="text-xl font-medium text-gray-900">
12eBooks packed with hand-picked vocab</h3><div class="mt-4 text-base text-gray-500">Learning Japanese vocabulary with pictures certainly helps but we have plans to make it<!-- --> <em>even more</em> fun by introducing interactive games.</div></div><div class="p-6 bg-gray-50 rounded-bl-2xl rounded-br-2xl md:px-8"><a class="text-base font-medium text-green-700 hover:text-green-600" href="/ebooks/">Browse eBooks<span aria-hidden="true"> â</span></a></div></div><div class="flex flex-col bg-white rounded-2xl shadow-xl"><div class="flex-1 relative pt-16 px-6 pb-8 md:px-8"><div class="absolute top-0 p-5 inline-block bg-green-600 rounded-xl shadow-lg transform -translate-y-1/2"><img src="/images/icons/learn.svg" class="h-6 w-6 text-white" width="24" alt="Kuma Learn helps you learn efficiently with Spaced Repetition System (SRS)"/></div><h3 class="text-xl font-medium text-gray-900"><div class="flex flex-col items-start"><div>Spaced Repetition System (SRS)</div></div></h3><div class="mt-4 text-base text-gray-500">Kuma Learn helps you learn Japanese vocabulary and kanji <em>efficiently</em> with a<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=features" class="underline" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Spaced Repetition System (SRS)</a>. You'll be shown words that you don't know more often than words know well.</div></div><div class="p-6 bg-gray-50 rounded-bl-2xl rounded-br-2xl md:px-8"><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=features" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" class="text-base font-medium text-green-700 hover:text-green-600">Learn with SRS<span aria-hidden="true"> â</span></a></div></div></div></section></div></div><div class="bg-white"><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 py-16 sm:px-6 lg:py-24 lg:px-8"><div class="px-6 py-6 bg-green-700 rounded-lg md:py-12 md:px-12 lg:py-16 lg:px-16 xl:flex xl:items-center"><div class="xl:w-0 xl:flex-1"><h2 class="text-2xl font-extrabold tracking-tight text-white sm:text-3xl">Stay up-to-date with news and releases</h2><p class="mt-3 max-w-3xl text-lg leading-6 text-green-200">Subscribe to get email updates and notifications when new learning resources and exclusive content become available.</p></div><div class="mt-8 sm:w-full sm:max-w-md xl:mt-0 xl:ml-8"><div><form class="sm:flex" action="https://app.convertkit.com/forms/1919449/subscriptions" method="post"><label for="email_address" class="sr-only">Email address</label><input id="email_address" type="email" autoComplete="email" required="" class="w-full border-white px-5 py-3 placeholder-gray-500 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-offset-green-700 focus:ring-white rounded-md" placeholder="Enter your email" name="email_address" value=""/><button disabled="" type="submit" class="mt-3 w-full flex items-center justify-center px-5 py-3 border border-transparent shadow text-base font-medium rounded-md text-white bg-green-500 hover:bg-green-400 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-offset-2 focus:ring-offset-green-700 focus:ring-white sm:mt-0 sm:ml-3 sm:w-auto sm:flex-shrink-0 disabled:opacity-50 disabled:cursor-not-allowed">Sign up</button></form><label class="inline-flex items-center mt-3"><input class="form-checkbox h-4 w-4 text-green-600 rounded" id="consent" type="checkbox" required="" name="consent"/><span class="ml-2"><p class="text-sm text-green-200">I've read and agree to the<a class="text-white font-medium underline ml-1" href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy.</a></p></span></label><p class="mt-3 text-sm text-green-200">I won't send you spam and you can unsubscribe at any time.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div id="faqs"><div class="bg-green-700"><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto py-16 px-4 sm:py-24 sm:px-6 lg:px-8"><h2 class="text-center text-3xl font-extrabold text-gray-100 sm:text-4xl">Frequently asked questions</h2><div class="mt-6 space-y-6 divide-y divide-gray-200" data-orientation="vertical"><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_6j6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">Why a Japanese-English picture dictionary?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_26j6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_6j6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100">When learning Japanese, you'll be looking up words constantly. Some words lend themselves very well to visual presentation and that's why I created a picture dictionary for Japanese! With it, you can search for words in English (<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/hello" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">hello</a>), Japanese (<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/%E3%81%93%E3%82%93%E3%81%AB%E3%81%A1%E3%81%AF" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">ããã«ã¡ã¯</a>) and romaji (<a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary/konnichiwa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">konnichiwa</a>). The picture dictionary has 180,000+ definitions, 4,000+ example sentences and 4,000+ words with pictures.</div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_aj6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">What about audial and kinaesthesic learning?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2aj6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_aj6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100">Of course, visual learning is only one aspect of many. Audial and kinaesthesic learning will add depth and variety where it's more appropriate. I started with the<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">picture dictionary</a>, as I believe there aren't enough good visual resources out there. Also, Kuma Learn has plans to offer games in the future!</div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_ej6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">
12What is SRS and how does it work?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2ej6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_ej6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><p>SRS is short for Spaced Repeititon System. It's a flashcard system for you to learn vocabulary and kanji efficiently. You will be shown words that you don't know more often than words you know well. Studies have shown that this improves your learning and even changes how your brain is wired. [<a class="underline text-gray-50" href="https://www.leonardoenglish.com/blog/spaced-repetition" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">1</a>]</p><p class="mt-1">It works like this:</p><ul class="list-disc list-inside"><li>You're shown a flashcard and you'll rate how well you know the word or kanji ("Perfect", "Familiar", "Total black out", etc).</li><li>The system will learn how well you've remembered a flashcard and, over time, will smartly ask you to review flashcards you know less well.</li></ul><p class="mt-1">The smart system is driven by an algorithm called SM-2. When you're ready to start, head on over to Kuma Learn's<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=faqs" class="underline text-gray-50" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Spaced Repetition System (SRS)</a>.</p></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_ij6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">How often should I do spaced reptition?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2ij6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_ij6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><p>There are different opinions on this but generally you want to increase your intervals between each review. One resource [<a class="underline text-gray-50" href="https://thinkhumm.com/blog/humms-guide-to-spaced-repetition-learning" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">2</a>] suggests the ideal review schedule is 1 day, 7 days, 16 days and 35 days (and continue at 35 days). So you should review any new flashcard at this schedule.</p></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_mj6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">What is JLPT?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2mj6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_mj6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><div>JLPT is short for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. It's a standardised test to evaluate and certify your proficiency in the Japanese language.</div><div class="mt-1">It tests language knowledge, reading ability and listening ability, and is often used by companies to evaluate your lanugage ability if you're a non-native speaker.</div><div class="mt-1">JLPT has five levels: N5 is the beginner level and the difficulty increases as you approach N1.</div></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_qj6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">What is my JLPT level?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2qj6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_qj6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><div>There are various aspects to JLPT (reading, listening, etc), so your level may be higher in some areas than others. You can check your JLPT level with various tools online â search for "JLPT level check" on Google.</div></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_uj6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">Is it necessary to learn writing before starting to learn the language?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_2uj6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_uj6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><div>Japanese has three alphabets: <em>hiragana</em> ã²ãããª, <em>katakana</em> ã«ã¿ã«ã (~50 characters each) and <em>kanji</em> æ¼¢å (2,000+ characters). You can<!-- --> <a href="https://blog.kumalearn.com/hiragana-and-katakana-mnemonics?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=faqs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">
12read an overview here</a>.</div><div class="mt-1">You often start learning hiragana and katakana because they're the basic (phonetic) alphabets that allow you start reading beginners' materials. Because they're phonetic, they're also used to annotate <em>kanji</em>, so you might see small hiragana written above kanji to help the reader ("furigana", which<!-- --> <a class="underline text-gray-50" href="/ebooks/">Kuma Learn eBooks</a> <!-- -->also do).</div></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_12j6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">What's an effective approach to learning <em>kanji</em> æ¼¢å?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_32j6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_12j6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100"><div>Once you've mastered hiragana and katakana (ã²ãã㪠and ã«ã¿ã«ã), you can start learning with beginner resources written in Japanese. But you'll soon start to see lots of kanji (æ¼¢å).</div><div class="mt-1"><em>Tip #1</em>: there are a couple of tricks: (a) learn "radicals" â components of kanji (e.g. æ¥ in æ) â rather than trying to remember each individual stroke of every kanji and (b) create "stories" for kanji. Stories work because kanji is logographic and human beings tend to remember stories well. A popular method for (b) is called "Heisig's Remembering the Kanji" (RTK).</div><div class="mt-1"><em>Tip #2</em>: it's easier to learn kanji when they're read/written in context. For example, you'll learn crime kanji (e.g. <em>detective</em> æ¢åµ, tantei) when you read crime novels or manga such as Detective Conan. Of course, you can also use the<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">Japanese-English picture dictionary</a>, to learn kanji with pictures.</div><div class="mt-1"><em>Tip #3</em>: use efficient learning methods such as SRS to learn kanji that you don't know well first. The spaced repetition system will ask you to review kanji that you know less well.</div></div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_16j6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">Where is Kuma Learn headed?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_36j6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_16j6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100">Kuma Learn started with a <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="underline ">picture dictionary</a> as well as<!-- --> <a href="/ebooks/">eBooks</a> but now also offers a<!-- --> <a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=faqs" class="underline text-gray-50" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Spaced Repetition System (SRS)</a> <!-- -->
12so that you can learn vocab and kanji efficiently. Soon, you'll have courses to add structure to your learning!</div></div></div><div data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" class="pt-6"><h3 data-orientation="vertical" data-state="closed" class="text-lg"><button type="button" aria-expanded="false" data-state="closed" data-orientation="vertical" id="radix-_R_1aj6_" class="group text-left w-full flex justify-between items-start text-gray-100 focus:outline-none" data-radix-collection-item=""><span class="font-medium text-gray-50">Who's behind Kuma Learn?</span><span class="ml-6 h-7 flex items-center"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" data-slot="icon" class="h-6 w-6 transform transition-transform duration-200 group-data-[state=open]:-rotate-180"><path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" d="m19.5 8.25-7.5 7.5-7.5-7.5"></path></svg></span></button></h3><div data-state="closed" id="radix-_R_3aj6_" role="region" aria-labelledby="radix-_R_1aj6_" data-orientation="vertical" class="mt-2 pr-12 data-[state=closed]:hidden" style="--radix-accordion-content-height:var(--radix-collapsible-content-height);--radix-accordion-content-width:var(--radix-collapsible-content-width)"><div class="text-base text-gray-100">I'm Mario, I speak three languages (English, Japanese, German) and make software for a living. I created Kuma Learn because I want to make learning the Japanese language easier and more fun! Reach out to me at<!-- --> <a class="underline text-gray-50" href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a> <!-- -->if you have any thoughts or suggestions.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><footer class="bg-white" aria-labelledby="footerHeading"><h2 id="footerHeading" class="sr-only">Footer</h2><div class="max-w-7xl mx-auto py-12 px-4 sm:px-6 lg:py-16 lg:px-8"><div class="xl:grid xl:grid-cols-3 xl:gap-8"><div class="space-y-8 xl:col-span-1"><img src="/images/logo_with_text.svg" alt="Logo" width="140"/><p class="text-gray-500 text-base">Learn Japanese visually. Follow me on social media.</p><div class="flex space-x-6"><a href="https://twitter.com/KumaLearn" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500"><span class="sr-only">Twitter</span><svg class="h-6 w-6" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true"><path d="M8.29 20.251c7.547 0 11.675-6.253 11.675-11.675 0-.178 0-.355-.012-.53A8.348 8.348 0 0022 5.92a8.19 8.19 0 01-2.357.646 4.118 4.118 0 001.804-2.27 8.224 8.224 0 01-2.605.996 4.107 4.107 0 00-6.993 3.743 11.65 11.65 0 01-8.457-4.287 4.106 4.106 0 001.27 5.477A4.072 4.072 0 012.8 9.713v.052a4.105 4.105 0 003.292 4.022 4.095 4.095 0 01-1.853.07 4.108 4.108 0 003.834 2.85A8.233 8.233 0 012 18.407a11.616 11.616 0 006.29 1.84"></path></svg></a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/kumalearn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow" class="text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500"><span class="sr-only">Instagram</span><svg class="h-6 w-6" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M12.315 2c2.43 0 2.784.013 3.808.06 1.064.049 1.791.218 2.427.465a4.902 4.902 0 011.772 1.153 4.902 4.902 0 011.153 1.772c.247.636.416 1.363.465 2.427.048 1.067.06 1.407.06 4.123v.08c0 2.643-.012 2.987-.06 4.043-.049 1.064-.218 1.791-.465 2.427a4.902 4.902 0 01-1.153 1.772 4.902 4.902 0 01-1.772 1.153c-.636.247-1.363.416-2.427.465-1.067.048-1.407.06-4.123.06h-.08c-2.643 0-2.987-.012-4.043-.06-1.064-.049-1.791-.218-2.427-.465a4.902 4.902 0 01-1.772-1.153 4.902 4.902 0 01-1.153-1.772c-.247-.636-.416-1.363-.465-2.427-.047-1.024-.06-1.379-.06-3.808v-.63c0-2.43.013-2.784.06-3.808.049-1.064.218-1.791.465-2.427a4.902 4.902 0 011.153-1.772A4.902 4.902 0 015.45 2.525c.636-.247 1.363-.416 2.427-.465C8.901 2.013 9.256 2 11.685 2h.63zm-.081 1.802h-.468c-2.456 0-2.784.011-3.807.058-.975.045-1.504.207-1.857.344-.467.182-.8.398-1.15.748-.35.35-.566.683-.748 1.15-.137.353-.3.882-.344 1.857-.047 1.023-.058 1.351-.058 3.807v.468c0 2.456.011 2.784.058 3.807.045.975.207 1.504.344 1.857.182.466.399.8.748 1.15.35.35.683.566 1.15.748.353.137.882.3 1.857.344 1.054.048 1.37.058 4.041.058h.08c2.597 0 2.917-.01 3.96-.058.976-.045 1.505-.207 1.858-.344.466-.182.8-.398 1.15-.748.35-.35.566-.683.748-1.15.137-.353.3-.882.344-1.857.048-1.055.058-1.37.058
12-4.041v-.08c0-2.597-.01-2.917-.058-3.96-.045-.976-.207-1.505-.344-1.858a3.097 3.097 0 00-.748-1.15 3.098 3.098 0 00-1.15-.748c-.353-.137-.882-.3-1.857-.344-1.023-.047-1.351-.058-3.807-.058zM12 6.865a5.135 5.135 0 110 10.27 5.135 5.135 0 010-10.27zm0 1.802a3.333 3.333 0 100 6.666 3.333 3.333 0 000-6.666zm5.338-3.205a1.2 1.2 0 110 2.4 1.2 1.2 0 010-2.4z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg></a></div></div><div class="hidden mt-12 grid gap-8 xl:block xl:mt-0"></div><div class="mt-12 grid gap-8 xl:mt-0"><div class="md:grid md:grid-cols-2 md:gap-8"><div><h3 class="text-sm font-semibold text-gray-400 tracking-wider uppercase">Kuma Learn</h3><ul class="mt-4 space-y-4"><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/about/">About</a></li><li><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/dictionary?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=footer" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank" class="flex items-center text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900">Dictionary</a></li><li><a href="https://app.kumalearn.com/srs?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=footer" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank" class="flex items-center text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900">SRS</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/ebooks/">eBooks</a></li><li><a href="https://blog.kumalearn.com?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=footer" class="flex items-center text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Blog</a></li><li><a href="https://buy.polar.sh/polar_cl_JfkWP3R25JYad6fOq5BKECYuvwQpVkI75Bg1342AEJZ?utm_medium=web&utm_source=www&utm_campaign=footer" class="flex items-center text-base text-text-muted hover:text-ink" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Support Kuma Learn</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/newsletter/">Newsletter</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/attributions/">Attributions</a></li></ul></div><div class="mt-12 md:mt-0"><h3 class="text-sm font-semibold text-gray-400 tracking-wider uppercase">Other</h3><ul class="mt-4 space-y-4"><li><a href="https://form.typeform.com/to/AKCj2fnT?utm_source=www.kumalearn.com&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=footer" class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Feedbackã»ã¢ã³ã±ã¼ã</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/terms/">Terms</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/privacy/">Privacy</a></li><li><a class="text-base text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-900" href="/cookie/">Cookie</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div><div class="mt-12 border-t border-gray-200 pt-8"><p class="text-base text-gray-400 xl:text-center">© <!-- -->2026<!-- --> Kuma Learn, a product of Tugboat Coding. Made independently by<!-- --> <a class="underline text-gray-400 hover:text-gray-500" href="https://twitter.com/logicalicy" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer nofollow">@logicalicy</a>. All rights reserved.</p></div></div></footer></div>
12<script id="__NEXT_DATA__" type="application/json">{"props":{"pageProps":{"faqs":[{"question":"Why a Japanese-English picture dictionary?","answer":"When learning Japanese, you'll be looking up words constantly. Some words lend themselves very well to visual presentation and that's why I created a picture dictionary for Japanese! With it, you can search for words in English (hello), Japanese (ããã«ã¡ã¯) and romaji (konnichiwa). The picture dictionary has 180,000+ definitions, 4,000+ example sentences and 4,000+ words with pictures."},{"question":"What about audial and kinaesthesic learning?","answer":"Of course, visual learning is only one aspect of many. Audial and kinaesthesic learning will add depth and variety where it's more appropriate. I started with the picture dictionary, as I believe there aren't enough good visual resources out there. Also, Kuma Learn has plans to offer games in the future!"},{"question":"What is SRS and how does it work?","answer":"SRS is short for Spaced Repeititon System. It's a flashcard system for you to learn vocabulary and kanji efficiently. You will be shown words that you don't know more often than words you know well. Studies have shown that this improves your learning and even changes how your brain is wired. [1]It works like this:You're shown a flashcard and you'll rate how well you know the word or kanji (\"Perfect\", \"Familiar\", \"Total black out\", etc).The system will learn how well you've remembered a flashcard and, over time, will smartly ask you to review flashcards you know less well.The smart system is driven by an algorithm called SM-2. When you're ready to start, head on over to Kuma Learn's Spaced Repetition System (SRS)."},{"question":"How often should I do spaced reptition?","answer":"There are different opinions on this but generally you want to increase your intervals between each review. One resource [2] suggests the ideal review schedule is 1 day, 7 days, 16 days and 35 days (and continue at 35 days). So you should review any new flashcard at this schedule."},{"question":"What is JLPT?","answer":"JLPT is short for the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. It's a standardised test to evaluate and certify your proficiency in the Japanese language.It tests language knowledge, reading ability and listening ability, and is often used by companies to evaluate your lanugage ability if you're a non-native speaker.JLPT has five levels: N5 is the beginner level and the difficulty increases as you approach N1."},{"question":"What is my JLPT level?","answer":"There are various aspects to JLPT (reading, listening, etc), so your level may be higher in some areas than others. You can check your JLPT level with various tools online â search for \"JLPT level check\" on Google."},{"question":"Is it necessary to learn writing before starting to learn the language?","answer":"Japanese has three alphabets: hiragana ã²ãããª, katakana ã«ã¿ã«ã (~50 characters each) and kanji æ¼¢å (2,000+ characters). You can read an overview here.You often start learning hiragana and katakana because they're the basic (phonetic) alphabets that allow you start reading beginners' materials. Because they're phonetic, they're also used to annotate kanji, so you might see small hiragana written above kanji to help the reader (\"furigana\", which Kuma Learn eBooks also do)."},{"question":"What's an effective approach to learning kanji æ¼¢å?","answer":"Once you've mastered hiragana and katakana (ã²ãã㪠and ã«ã¿ã«ã), you can start learning with beginner resources written in Japanese. But you'll soon start to see lots of kanji (æ¼¢å).Tip #1: there are a couple of tricks: (a) learn \"radicals\" â components of kanji (e.g. æ¥ in æ) â rather than trying to remember each individual stroke of every kanji and (b) create \"stories\" for kanji. Stories work because kanji is logographic and human beings tend to remember stories well. A popular method for (b) is called \"Heisig's Remembering the Kanji\" (RTK).Tip #2: it's easier to learn kanji when they're read/written in context. For example, you'll learn crime kanji (e.g. detective æ¢åµ, tantei) when you read crime novels or manga such as Detective Conan. Of course, you can also use the Japanese-English picture dictionary, to learn kanji with pictures.Tip #3: use efficient learning methods such as SRS to learn kanji that you don't know
12well first. The spaced repetition system will ask you to review kanji that you know less well."},{"question":"Where is Kuma Learn headed?","answer":"Kuma Learn started with a picture dictionary as well as eBooks but now also offers a Spaced Repetition System (SRS) so that you can learn vocab and kanji efficiently. Soon, you'll have courses to add structure to your learning!"},{"question":"Who's behind Kuma Learn?","answer":"I'm Mario, I speak three languages (English, Japanese, German) and make software for a living. I created Kuma Learn because I want to make learning the Japanese language easier and more fun! Reach out to me at [email protected] if you have any thoughts or suggestions."}]},"__N_SSG":true},"page":"/","query":{},"buildId":"dTehAYtUIkQYoXGkd5jDH","isFallback":false,"gsp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}</script>
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