How difficult or easy is Japanese to learn, compared to other languages?

Friday 26th September, 07:16 AM JST

Latest 15 of 51 Total Comments Show All

isthistheend at 03:20 AM JST - 27th September

Japanese is the easiest language in the world. Just learn 8 words and no more, and you'll get along fine. If you learn any more than that, all you will have is trouble and make lots of enemies before long. The eight magic words are "domo, dozo, sumimasen, gomen nasai, onegai shimasu, (domo) arigato." Domo can be used for ...both thanks and I'm sorry. Dozo for "please" and "please go ahead". (showing your immense sense of humility) sumimasen...I'm sorry. gomen nasai I'm sorry (2). Arigato gozaimasu...Thank you. Onegai shimasu...."Please help me." (Literally, I have a request.)
doerrier at 03:48 AM JST - 27th September

I have found Japanese language to be a visual language. English is more of an auditory one. With such a small group of phonemes in Japanese, as compared to other languages, I believe that one must be actually passing the visual image (Kanji) of the word one is speaking in conversation. So if someone cannot read Kanji - I question their Japanese speaking and listening ability. If one hears a word for the first time and knows Kanji then he can "build" that word in his head. Similar to knowing Latin and being able to build a new word. I once knew an old farmer in Japan who was illiterate. Talking with him was difficult in the way that reading a children's book is. With only hiragana and no kanji to delineate the nouns/verbs etc, it was difficult separating his words.
stanoue at 10:34 AM JST - 27th September

In my opinion, the difficulty of learning (and maintaining) Japanese to a certain level depends on what that level is and whether you are in an everyday environment or a learning environment to learn & maintain in. The upper intermediate-advanced style Japanese that I studied at University, just does not pop up in my every day life. Don't use it at home or at work, and no longer study/revise at school. So it just disappears. In contrast, my everyday Japanese and comprehension just gets better and better. I'd prefer a balance but not willing to study much more.

I've only every learnt one other language- Maori. Learnt it before Japanese and it made pronunciation a lot easier. But you can't compare learning a language which is largely static (and was never a written language) with one which continues to evolve...
kjunluc2 at 11:33 AM JST - 27th September

****isthistheend, you forgot one word: Kawaiiii. Oh...and the tag question, ne. Always needed in presence of an infant.
Richard_the_First at 01:42 PM JST - 27th September

oishii is another must.
ThreeTigers at 02:46 PM JST - 27th September

...and "ahhh" ...and "hmn?" ...and "un"
isthistheend at 04:04 PM JST - 27th September

While we're at it. how about "shhhhhh" (while inhaling)=hesitancy to express opinion, or "etooooo" (time to think of the next word) followed by "shhhh", and also in combination with "ano"(that is), and "maa" (you know) and the proverbial "so desu ne" (well, yes), and "so desu ka? (is that so?) " followed by that gem of apple polishing "oshatteru tori desu ne" (just as you say). Mataku desu ne (exactly!)
kjunluc2 at 10:51 PM JST - 27th September

****My first day in Japan during occupation I learned Japanese. Was easy. I got acquainted with onomotopaiea (spelling?) An old hand taught me "Oshiri moka moka naka naka jyoto". I didn't know what it meant but it sounded romantic so I used it a lot. It seemed to work pretty well. Every time I said it to some woman she took me home. After a tour there I came home dang nigh bara bara.

The most used word in Maebashi is "Bakayarrro! I learned that from cops and drunks wrestling around in the curbside azaleas.

Seriously, whatever language you're dedicated to learning would probably be the easiest for you.
realist at 12:53 AM JST - 28th September

Japan is a land of myths. One of the greatest myths is that the Japanese language is difficult for foreigners to learn. The study of any language requires a desire to learn it, coupled with hard work. Learning Japanese is no different from learning any foreign language - it might just require a little more work. One of the things that makes it difficult is the fact that something like 65% of Japanese have no desire to speak to or associate with foreigners at all. Nakayama was right to some extent when he said that Japanese dont like foreigners.
Sarge at 01:32 AM JST - 28th September

I've found the phrase "Sumimasen, ima isogashiindesuga" to be very useful when salespeople ring my doorbell.
JPYuki at 04:38 AM JST - 28th September

Compared to other languages, speaking Japanese is easier. However, learning how to read and write is more difficult.
kjunluc2 at 05:35 AM JST - 28th September

I was surprised to find so many Japanese who could read their writin' very well but couldn't write readin' worth a damn.

Sorta like English speakers who can't spell, I guess.
elizabethk at 12:07 AM JST - 3rd October

I find that it's quite easy and all my close friends want to learn it as well so we like to have limited conversations. I like learning about customs more though so that when I go to Japan, I will not be disrespectful by accident. At least then I'd hope I wouldn't get too many bad looks if I'm following customs. I have fair skin and blond hair so I'd really be noticeable.
Betzee at 04:00 AM JST - 3rd October

Mandarin is more difficult in the beginning, while Japanese is more difficult in the advance levels.

The two languages pose different difficulties. Chinese grammar is a snap; compare "long time no see" with "I haven't seen you for a long time." But mastering the four tones is quite difficult for most people and without those, you will have difficulty making yourself understood.

Japanese pronunciation, by contrast, is easy but the hierarchy of deference difficult for those who didn't grow up in that culture.
japantodaykenji at 10:20 PM JST - 9th November

Here's a very interesting site for those interested in the relative difficulty levels of Chinese and Japanese: http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2008/06/25/learning-curves-chinese-vs-japanese#comment-362562 Here's another, in .pdf format, showing a report from the US Foreign Service Institute, ranking the relative difficulty of learning the major world languages for a native English speaker. Japanese comes in at no. 1 in difficulty. http://www.nsa.gov/public/pdf/foreign_language.pdf