For reading at all, like manga with furigana (and even before that graded readers), I started super early, but I looked back at my study log to estimate and I was doing Satori Reader by the early 10s on WK. I was probably transitioning out to Ace Attorney in the early 20s more or less.
But my experience might not be super useful as a reference – I did a pretty intense Genki speedrun to get the fundamentals along with starting Wanikani so I could rush to learning through reading. And thus far I always read things digitally with instant lookup tools. At that level there were still loads of unfamiliar kanji. There still are some, but it’s started feeling much more occasional.
4 Likes
Adding to what @Daisoujou wrote, your WaniKani level has zero bearing on when you can start reading.
Some people will recommend waiting into you reach a certain level before you start learning grammar because then you’ll recognize a lot of kanji and vocabulary used in early grammar materials.
On my end, I started using WaniKani after I read my first manga in Japanese, but I also already knew a decent amount of vocabulary words (except for the kanji).
The two main things needed to get into reading are (1) very basic grammar knowledge and (2) the stamina to decipher your way through the book, comic, video game, or whatever you choose to try reading through first.
I haven’t used Satori Reader, but from what I hear it sounds like it probably does a good job at easing these two.
4 Likes
Greetings and Salutations,
It’s been awhile everyone (by that I mean 10 days)
but I have gone up a level!
Greetings and Salutations,
it’s been awhile everyone (by that I mean 10 days)
first of all, the good news. I leveled up!
The bad news is, I kinda fucked up my srs schedule. I have been doing my night reviews at 11 pm now instead of 10 pm. So all my reviews shows up at 11 instead of 10.
I have also been ultra slacking on my genki 1 workbooks now, I kinda have to force myself this week to get through them. Partly is because I already learned the grammar point of the things discussed then and another part is because I just feel textbook is abit too boring.
Anki has been doing good, I have managed to learn 7 new cards every day. Even though it is also a slog.
On my reading, well I am kinda failing myself there. Haven’t tried Satori Reader yet or have done any kind of reading last week. So I am a abit disappointed at myself there.
Bunpro is also doing well, I have finished the jlpt n5 grammar points in its entirety (though I havent fully grasped all of it). On a minor rant about grammar points the way to say I have to do X in japanese is so convoluted, I am sure there are more practical way to say it なくてはいけない
Yall have a good week now.
4 Likes
Greetings and Salutations.
I am now Level 11 (To be honest that was faster than expected) 8 days isn’t bad at all. I am officially in the painful part of the levels.
Now, I have abit of a conundrum at the moment. Unlike previous levels my current apprentice items is actually quite high.
I usually keep my apprentice max at around 100~120 range. So right now I have 82 apprentice and 120 items. Sigh
Well I guess for now my plan is to just start learning the radicals and the kanji that appear.
Now for an update on other stuff in my Japanese language journey.
-
Bunpro is going good, I am taking a steady pace and have finished all N5 vocab points! Of course I havent “guru’d” them all.
-
Genki isn’t going so great, mostly because I feel I already know most of the grammar points that they are going to teach. My plan is probably just to speedrun it all (it’s only 2 chapters left anyway)
-
Anki has been going steadily, I do 7 new cards every day from core 2k. Though I will occasionally miss a day in a week. I should be more strict about this to be honest.
-
My reading plan has been eugh. I thought I would start satori reader but I haven’t until now. I read some chapters but haven’t developed a habit enough to do it daily.
I am also thinking of doing some Japanese tutor online session using Jptalk. I feel it would help me immensely and I feel confident in doing some (very) beginner level talking in Japanese.
Anyway that’s it for this week (or level).
2 Likes
This is just a small rant, now that I am halfway through the levels.
It feels like there are always a barrage of vocabulary lessons, it just goes on and on and on. I know this is supposed to happen but goddamn.
So I was at 121 lessons and 82 apprentice when I started. I thought okay. let’s take the L and do 70 lessons.
So it was 150 apprentice and 50 ish review. While I was whittling down the apprentice more lessons come up and I kept doing lessons. Halfway through the level (now) I just guru’d the first set
and I went from having 10 lessons to
sigh
I know this is supposed to happen and I am a fool for complaining cause that’s what the system is. Just got abit frustrated I guess like climbing a very steep mountain without rest
But what can you do, just gotta keep on pushing.
2 Likes
Level 12 baby wooo!
Level 11 was… pretty easy not gonna lie but I have to admit the constant 150+ reviews everyday has been taking its toll on me. The morning review is okay but the night reviews at 10 pm is brutal. I am usually just so tired by then.
Japanese study points
-
I finished Genki I woo! I am torn between going for Genki II or just do my own thing. I feel textbooks are helpful but the amount of willpower I have to summon to do it is just hard. I probably will though.
-
Reading plan has been okay actually. Been reading every 2 days, not alot mind you, but there is always some form of reading one way or another.
-
I am planning to try a Japanese Online tutor soon. If any of yall have recommendations for a site please let me know! Right now I am interested in trying Japatalk
I am going on holiday soon for a couple of days, but I will still be doing wanikani just because. Maybe not the night reviews but definitely the morning reviews. I do feel my japanese is getting better every sentence I read, I always recognize characters and can find more or less what it means. Though I can’t always pinpoint an exact accuracy on what it means. These months are gonna be tough so I have to grind it out, but I know I can do it!
6 Likes
Greetings and Salutations,
I am level 12, wait 13!
Level 12 was, well it was a grind mostly because half of the level I was on holiday. It took longer than usual (11 days), but I did clear up alot of lessons in the process.
I have been quite frustrated at myself these last few days, I feel like I can be doing so much more in my Japanese study if I just focus on myself and just do it you know.
It’s not like I haven’t been doing other stuff. I have been keeping up with Bunpro and Anki but I know I can do so much more and it just feels frustrating. I am kinda scared if I DO pick up more things I will just half assed it.
For now the main goal is I am gonna try to get an online tutor with a Japanese Native so that I can start speaking some real Japanese. As for reading… sigh I haven’t been reading a whole lot, that’s probably where the source of my frustration lies.
Anyway this whole post has just been one big rant about myself. I will stop here. I’ll see you lots soon.
4 Likes
Greetings and Salutations,
I have leveled up. Taking a peek at level 14 this seems to be a pretty fast level? With little radicals. Could be wrong though. Level 13 has been fun, I enjoy the string of words that has been coming and I definitely have been seeing Kanjis outside of wanikani that I recognize.
For example, I bought a cake from a pretty popular Japanese cake place and I realize they used the word
自然 (shizen) : Nature.
I saw this word before I got it in wanikani and I recognize both Kanji. Admittedly the strange 発音 of the Kanji threw me off changing from じ to し (Why Japanese).
On to some other stuff. I finally tried to get a Japanese Native to speak to me using Japatalk and it went well. I got the patented 日本語上手 though I don’t know if it’s real or not, but I think it went well, we used Japanese the whole lesson and I can understand them.
Reading is… well It’s okay I guess I do feel I am slightly faster in reading now and I can feel it but if I see a whole paragraph of Japanese words it really takes willpower to read it… I wonder if it is the same for everyone?
I also started Genki II, as much as I hate textbooks, I can’t ignore the fact that having a structured grammar lessons is really beneficial. If it is only for reading.
Anyway that’s about it, still doing Bunpro and still doing Anki. I am planning to do the next update using fully Japanese no matter how basic it is, so let us see how that goes.
If you are reading this and still following this topic, I would just like to appreciate you even if you don’t comment or anything, yall are great. Lets keep grinding.
日本語がペラペラになりましょう！
2 Likes
Greetings and Salutations,
it’s been awhile huh. Sorry I haven’t been updating I have been real busy, but fear not I have still been doing wanikani and some Japanese study (fortunately)
in fact!
I am almost level 16!
Granted I am slower than I usually am, mostly because I havent been doing as much lesson. Probably doing 10/12 a day in average instead of my usual 20. The last level and this level has been brutal, not because of the level itself but mostly because how much workload that can suddenly come from lower level stuff. I have been able to keep around 90~95% accuracy but there are days where it drops to 80 or even 70 if it’s a really bad day. Am I the only one who gets really annoyed when I am doing bad in Wanikani?
For other stuff. I have been doing bunpro as well, it’s been going great and I now have a biweekly japanese online tutor (well it’s mostly just for me to practice talking Japanese), Anki has also been doing daily, I have around 80 reviews per day + 150 from wanikani + 50ish from bunpro. So alot of my studying has been SRS
Genki II isn’t going great. I really am not motivated to do textbook stuff just because I don’t really enjoy them. I keep telling myself that I will do it but I never do. sigh I guess I will force myself to do it soon.
Reading has been going okay. I have been reading NHK news easy everyday. I read around 2 article per day which isn’t alot but it is something.
I know, I know the last post I said I want to do this update using Japanese only but… It has really been a long time and I just want to post something.
ごめなさい、ちゃんと次回は日本語を書きますだけきっと
1 Like
こんにちは
17レベルになります
最近、私の日本語の勉強することはちょっと欠けます
ワニカニの授業はまだまだしていません
１６レベルが短いレベルと思うのに１６レベルから１７レベルから１１日がかかりました
でも、motivation (ごめん、この単語は日本語でわからない）は欠けますけれども毎日は日本語はまだ勉強している
AnkiとBunproも使います。NHKニュースeasyも毎日のように読んでいます
YouTubeでは日本語の動画は見ます、初級の日本語の動画が見ました
日本人の話し方はすごく早いね
subtitle （again, sorry) が 使わなくてはいけない
さあーて、今回のupdateは終わった
きっと、このupdateはたくさ文法や単語が違いました
本当にごめなさい
3 Likes
17レベルおめでとう～
ちなみに、「やる気」とか「気合」とか「Motivation」の日本語訳で、「字幕」とか「キャプション」とか「Subtitle」です！「Update」と言いたいなら、多分、「アップデート」とはいいかもしれないと思います。「更新」もあるけど。
2 Likes
感謝します
あの、
本当は、私自身はカタカナがあまり使わない
でもたくさん英語から日本語の単語はカタカナが使いますと気つきます
例えば、ゲネリークさんの例、「アップデート」「キャプション」
カタカナが使い練習するといい
1 Like
Hey. I stumbled upon this study log and wanted to say that I hope your Japanese journey is going well. I can see that you haven’t posted in a while but I thought I’d reply anyways.
I’m in the same boat as you right now, with seemingly endless reviews. I had a session yesterday where I did 170+. Not fun. 
Like you, I am also using Bunpro and am in the midst of N4 grammar which adds to the amount of studying to do each day.
For a while, I felt like I wasn’t making much progress because I’m still not at the level I want to be at. Sometimes it’s tough, because the destination feels so far away. It’s only when I looked back on the past few months that I realized that I understand significantly more Japanese than before, and that every day that I show up for this, for myself, is worth it.
Again, hope things are well for you.
4 Likes
皆様、こんにちは、十月がなりましたね、凄く早く時間が経つよ
皆様、健康が元気だって欲しい
そして、久しぶりからアップデートがありません、本当にすみません。ちょっと忙しい仕事
がありますけれども大体私は怠け者から
じゃ、今から英語がお使っています
Greetings and Salutations everyone it has been quite awhile. I am sorry for the no updates. Like I said earlier it’s been abit busy but I am mostly lazy.
Rest assured that I have still been doing wanikani, bunpro, anki and even doing some reading and grammar practice outside.
In fact, in the time I hasn’t been updating I have
reached level 20! This is the last level in the painful category. I haven’t been progressing as fast as I used too. Taking 12 levels a day instead of my usual 10 but I like to believe it is still an acceptable pace (for me)
I have been quite struggling with polite grammar in the Japanese language, I have to admit. I am in bunpro N4 level and there has been a multitudes of Japanese grammar that I can’t wrap my head around, but I am sure if I bang my head against the wall enough times it will get through.
I will try to make an effort to update more regularly. Once again like I said, I hope you all have been well
4 Likes
Hello, thank you for your warm wishes.
I totally do understand you, I feel like I still know so little, it gets really disheartening seeing phrases I fully don’t understand but on the other hand there will be moments of clarity seeing how much I have come to understand. Things I wouldn’t know even a month ago.
They did say this stage is the hardest stage, feeling like you aren’t progressing but nothing that we can do instead push on right.
Goodluck in your Japanese journey.
2 Likes
I still have horrible memories of that honorific and humble stuff in n4 on bunpro a few months ago. Even though I kind of get it, I still get lost and takes a while for me to wrap my head around it. I basically bashed my head into the wall as you are doing till some of it finally stuck and did some cramming on that area. Good luck, you will eventually get there I’m sure.
1 Like
Greetings, it has been a month since the last update
お詫びいたします、最近は仕事や家族のことやとても忙しい。
それでも、毎日のように日本語を勉強をする。
実は今、僕は
Level 22, I also don’t have reviews and lessons. The last 2 level was abit of grindfest I have been chasing to get this 0-0 for aquite a while now I finally got it. No doubt tomorrow another barrage of lessons will come since I will be leveling up tomorrow.
I might not be able to reach the coveted level 30 by the end of 2022 but I am proud enough to reach the 20s in the first place.
Anyway this is just a short update I will see you again on my mid 20s with a full Japanese write up
皆様、またお会いしましょう。
3 Likes
僕は２２級です。最近、日本語お勉強することは難しいです。けど、ぼくのはどんどん上手があっている。ぼくは言葉ほとんど知らないというだから、とうとうanki deckは始めました。間もなく、日本語は読んだり書いたり話したりした。頑張りましょうね。
It’s exciting to even be able to write something like this. I never imagined I’d get this far in my Japanese journey. Hope you are well.
Out of curiosity, are you watching any anime or reading any mangas right now?
先週、日本から僕は友達が少ない漫画を注文しました。
It will be the first manga that I attempt to read in Japanese (Super exciting!) because I’ve been enjoying the English translation so much.
今、日本語で「よつばと！」読んでいる。でも、まだ続けていません
「Anki」はいいアプリね、自分も使います。「Core2k6k] デックを使っている
はい、過去の自分より今の日本語の方がいい、でも遠い道があります
一緒に頑張りましょう
こんにちは、
元気ですか十二月になりました。皆様、各健康を気をつけてください。特に国で冬があります。寒くになりますと思います。
私の国の場合は冬がありません、年中が暑いです
私の国は「インドネシア」というです
久しぶり、アップデートがありません、 ここは
レベル２4 になります
レベル２３から２十日間にかかりました、でも、レベル２４の始め、新しい授業が始めなかった。
日本に行ったから！
日本では２２日から３０日でした。日本にいたのにレビューまだしていました
レビューが多くならなかった
日本は楽しかったよ、毎日のように日本語を使いました。でも日本人は早く話した。時々日本人は話したながら副題がありますように望む。聞くとことは難しかった
でも、日本では日本語を使って試してよかった。たくさん物が習いました
この八ヶ月間はたくさん物が習いました、でも未来はまだたくさん物が習わなくちゃ
皆様、今日のアップデートはここに終わります。
次のアップデートに会いましょう。またね！
5 Likes
