What Does Japanese Look Like?

JLPT N5 Japanese self-study　·　~5 min　·　Learn the 3 writing systems — get the big picture first

Before studying Japanese, let's see what it looks like — you might already know more than you think.

What you'll learn

• Know the 3 writing systems in Japanese
• Tell kanji, hiragana, and katakana apart
• Understand the best order to learn Japanese
• Test your writing-system recognition with a mini quiz

How to study “What Does Japanese Look Like?”

“What Does Japanese Look Like?” (Learn the 3 writing systems — get the big picture first) is a JLPT N5 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 5 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.