How long before you can start thinking in Japanese?

[adamstan]

@Mrs_Diss

i don’t know about thinking in a language, but i have a very persistent inner monologue (apparently not all people do, i only learned that recently). i’ve been learning japanese for a year today, with about 2 hours per day, and my inner monologue has started to switch to japanese occasionally (in a very fragmented form, a few words or a sentence or two). perhaps that could be described as thinking in a language?

It also happens to me sometimes. And since I live alone, sometimes this internal monologue turns into sounds - yeah, I’m talking to myself And recently I noticed, that sometimes I talk to myself in simple Japanese. 独り言ですね。

[yokai64]

These are all really great replies and I’m glad I was able to start an interesting discussion! I will try to take all of your advice on board as I continue to learn and explore Japanese! I wish you all a happy but fulfilling journey in Japanese - whether it be to move to Japan, for self improvement or for fun!

[Meghana]

I totally agree with what everyone has said about practicing saying parts of your inner monologue in Japanese! For me, it’s helpful to verbalize that inner monologue (since I usually do that in English as well lol). One thing I just wanted to add though, especially at the beginner level, it’s important to simplify your thoughts.

In your native level English, your thought might be something like “I’m so glad apples are in season. They’re really so much better this time of year than others. Glad I just washed this nifty apple-cutter.” You’re Japanese level might not be high enough to say something equivalent in Japanese, but maybe instead you could say the equivalent of “I like apples. Apples are delicious. I wash the apples. I cut the apples. I eat the apples.” Simplifying your thoughts can go a long way to helping you with sentence formation in the early stages.

Also, I would advise, if you get stuck while trying to verbalize your thoughts, don’t look up the word you need. Just skip it or say it in English and move on. The goal at this stage is to develop smooth and natural feeling Japanese, not perfect Japanese. Constantly stopping to look up words will actually hinder your ability to get comfortable forming sentences on your own.

Also language partners. Being able to talk with a real human in Japanese can be super helpful. If your can’t hold a conversation yet, I’d recommend getting a tutor who can work through simple dialogues and questions with you. You can get surprisingly good rates through online tutoring sites. I use a tutor to practice higher level conversation and after an hour long session I’ll often find my thoughts racing in Japanese and it’s sometimes a bit difficult to switch back to English.