Practicing Japanese writing is about learning to communicate on paper (or on a screen), so it involves learning how to write Japanese by hand and how to type it on a device. Writing in Japanese by typing is more or less as difficult (or easy) as any other language. Meanwhile, writing by hand requires different kinds of practice to master due to the size of the Japanese writing systems. Whether you’re learning how to write in Japanese to communicate with friends, to fill out forms while you’re in Japan, or this is your first step in how to learn Japanese, good tools and resources can help you achieve your goals.
Table of Contents
Beginner (basic) Japanese writing practice
The first step to writing in Japanese is reading in Japanese, so beginner writing practice starts with learning to read the Japanese phonetic alphabets (hiragana and katakana). Once you’ve mastered them, you can start writing sentences.
The key for beginner Japanese writing practice is to establish a regular study routine (daily is ideal) until you can do the following basic (CEFR A1-A2 or JLPT N5-N4) skills:
- read and write hiragana, katakana, and around 100 basic kanji
- write simple sentences and common expressions, like Japanese greetings
- introduce yourself and others in Japanese
- use the correct verb conjugations for the situation (such as masu-form for polite conversation, and short form for casual conversation and certain grammatical applications)
- describe everyday activities, simple tasks, and very familiar topics
You can easily measure your Japanese skills and goals by using international standards for language fluency levels, like the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT). However, keep in mind that the JLPT does not test writing or speaking (“production” and “interaction”), so the JLPT equivalents to CEFR are approximate. If you’re not sure where your current skill level is, try this Japanese proficiency self-assessment tool from the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs to get a starting point!
How to practice beginner writing in Japanese
The best place for a beginner to start writing in Japanese is on gridded paper (called genkōyōshi, where each character gets its own square) or apps designed to teach Japanese characters.
Even if you plan to primarily type in Japanese, getting practice writing by hand can:
- familiarize you with the Japanese writing systems (including stroke order in Japanese writing)
- help you break down the parts of a sentence, reinforcing your understanding of Japanese word order
- force you to slow down and learn each character and word without the aid of typing suggestions on mobile devices
You should also make sure to add the Japanese keyboard setting to whatever device you’re using, whether it’s a computer or a handheld device. Learning how to type hiragana is the first step before you can write in Japanese using a keyboard.
Whether you write by hand or type, make sure that you keep these tips in mind:
- Practice daily. Even if you only take ten minutes to practice writing individual characters instead of entire words or sentences, be consistent.
- Keep some kind of record of the vocabulary you’ve learned that you can refer back to. This can be a notebook, an app, or flashcards.
- Try copying Japanese text that you read to practice writing by hand or typing so that you’re a pro by the time you compose your own sentences.
Tools for beginners to practice writing in Japanese
To get practice writing individual Japanese characters, words, sentences, and beyond, try options like these:
- Consider using printable worksheets or even workbooks that encourage you to write entire words, rather than just letters.
- TPT is a great resource for finding teacher-created worksheets that suit your needs, like hiragana writing and katakana writing.
- Entire workbooks dedicated to a few skills, like Learning Japanese Hiragana and Katakana, will give you consistent, reliable practice.
- The Rosetta Stone App includes writing activities with an on-screen keyboard and cues using pictures, which can help you learn how to write by typing in Japanese.
Assembling a variety of tools that help you build confidence with vocabulary and the writing systems is also useful. Finding specialized dictionaries is a good place to start.
- Jisho.org includes audio and example sentences, and also labels words included in the JLPT.
- A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar covers all of the grammar a beginner needs and then some, with entries that include plenty of examples and appendices on conjugations, counters, and more.
- The Kodansha Kanji Learner’s Dictionary (also available as an app!) is a thorough resource for over 3,000 characters with instructions for how to read each character, definitions, stroke order, radicals (components of each character), associated vocabulary, and more.
Beginner Japanese writing prompts
Start with the essentials for Japanese writing practice. Using these prompts, write a few sentences:
- Introduce yourself to your study abroad host family in an email. Remember to be polite, and make sure you include your name, your school, where you’re from, and that you’re looking forward to staying with them.
- Fill out an imaginary application (such as for phone service or school activities) with the necessary information about you in Japanese: name, birthdate, age, address (use a Japanese address), phone number, and the date.
- Create a short to-do list or schedule for yourself. Include what you’re doing in the morning, afternoon, and evening.
- Write a diary entry about your day. This is a good opportunity to practice using the past tense.
- Ask your boss for help with a project. Using some basic keigo is crucial for showing respect to your superior.
Is Japanese writing left to right or right to left?
Japanese can be written horizontally or vertically, and that direction dictates whether it’s read left to right or right to left. If written horizontally, the lines are read from left to right from the top line to the bottom line, just like English. However, for Japanese vertical writing, the characters are read from top to bottom, but you start with the right-most line and work your way left.
For beginners, start by writing Japanese horizontally, as that is the most common modern way for people to write in Japanese.
Intermediate (independent) Japanese writing practice
Daily practice is still ideal for intermediate Japanese writing practice, but quality will matter more than quantity at this level. Take the time to learn new Japanese grammar structures and conjugations with worksheets or apps, but also remember to practice what you learn by writing!
Independent (CEFR B1-B2 or JLPT N3-N1) learners should display the following writing skills:
- write paragraphs of connected sentences (with some variation in length and form) on familiar topics, as long as an essay or report
- take accurate notes on messages, communication, and problems
- describe personal feelings, interests, and actions in detail
- know 1,000 or more kanji and be able to use them in context, with assistance from a dictionary if necessary
- argue a point in writing with sufficient support, advantages and disadvantages, and background information
How to practice intermediate writing in Japanese
As an intermediate-level Japanese writer, you’ll most likely be focusing more on typing than handwriting. However, now is also a good time to increase kanji practice, which benefits from writing by hand.
Typing in Japanese makes writing with kanji easy because your device will start offering you options when you start spelling the word.
If you write by hand (at least at first), you’ll be forced to learn the stroke order and the components (radicals) of each kanji and how the character is structured. That means you’ll be able to more easily tell similar characters apart, like 人 vs. 入 (“person” vs. “enter”) or 待 vs. 侍 (“wait” vs. “samurai”).
To expedite your kanji knowledge acquisition, try writing practice strategies like these:
- Use gridded paper to practice, or you can find kanji writing practice worksheets that give you more instruction on stroke order, and may even include tracing guidelines before you try to write them yourself.
- Continue to review and write kanji that you’ve mastered. Repetition is one of the most essential parts of learning kanji and differentiating the characters that look similar.
- When you write words and sentences, look up words in the dictionary to find out if that word is usually written with kanji or not. If a word is usually written with kanji, try writing that instead of spelling it out with hiragana.
Tools for intermediate learners to practice writing in Japanese
Good Japanese intermediate writing practice includes writing to communicate rather than just to practice. Putting your writing out into the world (and reading what others write) is the best way to find out how Japanese is written in real life rather than in a textbook.
- Post on social media in Japanese (where your character count is limited), which encourages you to be precise and concise with your language. If someone comments on your post in Japanese, reply in kind!
- Direct any language questions you have to Q&A platforms or forums, where native speakers or other learners can answer you in Japanese and even offer you pointers and corrections.
- If you have a friend who also speaks (or is learning) Japanese, try communicating with each other exclusively in Japanese.
Resources geared for beginners are still useful for intermediate learners, but you can also get some new ones that better suit your needs.
- Kakimashou is a dictionary more geared toward learning how to write in Japanese and pronounce words. Each entry includes an interactive box for you to practice writing the characters and words, as well as pronunciation guidance.
- A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar is the next installment in your grammar needs, going beyond the basics and covering specialized grammar like that used in newspapers or discourse.
Advanced (proficient) Japanese writing practice
Being advanced or proficient in writing Japanese means your quality of writing is comparable to that of a native speaker, and your writing practice should reflect that. In other words, you’ll get the best practice by writing in Japanese rather than English if you have the option.
It’s a little more complicated to translate these writing skills to an established test. The JLPT is a test that only covers reading and listening, so even the most difficult level (N1) only partially corresponds to the CEFR C1 level.
Someone who has skills equivalent to CEFR C1-C2 levels can:
- write lengthy and complex texts that cover a variety of topics, including those unfamiliar to the writer
- tell stories (fictional and nonfictional) in great detail with a strong command of figurative language (like Japanese idioms), varied sentence structure, etc
- communicate effectively in business situations with the appropriate use of honorific Japanese language
- read and write all 2,136 common-use (jōyō, 常用) kanji and be able to use them in context, with assistance from a dictionary if necessary
- write reports or articles at an academic level with clear introductions and conclusions
How to practice advanced writing in Japanese
Advanced Japanese writing practice involves writing—a lot!—rather than memorizing vocabulary and kanji. If you’ve been supplementing your writing practice with JLPT materials up to this point, you’ll need to graduate from those resources for advanced Japanese writing practice.
Instead of drilling flashcards or taking practice tests, try these activities:
- Write blog entries on any topic you like for an audience of other language learners on LangCorrect. Native speakers on the website will offer you feedback and corrections on things like word choice and Japanese punctuation. In return, you can help other people who are learning your native language.
- Find a community (online or in person) that speaks and/or writes exclusively in Japanese. For example, if you like doing embroidery, find a group of needlecraft enthusiasts. You’ll learn more about your interests, get functional practice with writing Japanese, and maybe even make friends.
- Use workbooks that specifically give you instruction on writing practical Japanese, like Nihongo o Kaku Torēningu (日本語を書くトレーニング, “training for writing Japanese”). This is especially true for people living or working in Japan. Do your best to get practice writing emails, information about events, academic papers, and other ins and outs of writing for work.
Tools for advanced learners to practice writing in Japanese
As an advanced learner, you can (and should) add resources intended for native speakers to your learning tools. There’s a good chance you’re asking the same questions as native speakers when you’re looking for information!
Hold onto any dictionaries and reference resources you used as a beginner or intermediate learner, but consider adding these tools to help you with advanced writing practice:
- Weblio is an English-Japanese dictionary designed for native Japanese speakers. It also has a translation function, English learner resources, and heaps of example sentences.
- Kanji Jiten Online is a kanji dictionary with over 29,000 entries. Yes, that many kanji do exist! You’re only likely to ever need a fraction of that, but this resource will help you find the most obscure characters you might come across.
- A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar covers grammar that you may never need, but it will be a huge help if you do. It answers ambiguities about formality in spoken and written language, rhetorical questions, metaphors, and more.
When you have questions that the tools you’ve accumulated don’t or can’t answer, search for answers online, but write your search entry in Japanese. You’re more likely to find answers directed to native speakers written by native speakers, which will help your reading comprehension and teach you how to write in Japanese like an expert.
0 Commentaires