Learn Japanese for free, one word a day
Lingava teaches Japanese little by little. Each day you flip one letter card and learn one useful word in a real sentence, with a translation in English, with romanization so you know how to say it.
Free on iPhone and Android. No in-app purchases.
Apple Watch and Wear OS apps are coming soon.
Learn hiragana and katakana, one card at a time
You get a card for every hiragana and katakana character, each with romaji and an example word. Each card shows the letter, its sound and an example word with its meaning in English.
- あ雨 amerain
- い犬 inudog
- う海 umisea
- え駅 ekistation
A new Japanese word every day
The word of the day comes with its meaning in English. Then you see it highlighted in an example sentence, so you learn how it is really used.
Kana first, kanji along the way
Japanese mixes hiragana, katakana and kanji. Lingava starts with the two kana scripts, and every word of the day shows its reading and romaji.
Related words come on days in a row, so a set like greetings, question words or the days of the week is learned together. Here are a few you will meet:
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | hello |
| さようなら | sayōnara | goodbye |
| ありがとう | arigatō | thank you |
| ください | kudasai | please |
| ごめんなさい | gomen nasai | sorry |
| ようこそ | yōkoso | welcome |
| 何 | nani | what |
| 誰 | dare | who |
| どこ | doko | where |
| いつ | itsu | when |
| なぜ | naze | why |
- 1
Pick a course
Choose the language you want to learn and the one you already speak.
- 2
One letter and one word
Flip today’s letter card and read the word of the day in its sentence. Each is worth 10 points.
- 3
Come back tomorrow
Finish both to keep your streak. A daily reminder helps you remember. Miss a day and you simply continue where you left off.
Free for everyone
Lingava has no subscriptions, no in-app purchases and no ads. Everyone gets the full app. We keep it running with voluntary donations from people who like what we do. Donate
Questions
Is Lingava really free?
Yes. Every course, every letter and every word is free. There are no subscriptions, no in-app purchases and no ads.
Do I need to know hiragana and katakana first?
No. Every word comes with romanization, so you can start from day one while you learn the letters on the side.
How much time does it take?
A few minutes a day: one letter card and one word. Steady steps add up.
Can I learn Japanese from another language?
Yes. Lingava teaches Japanese from every language in the app. See Lär dig japanska.
Which phones does it work on?
Lingava is an app for iPhone and Android.
Start your first day.
Lingava is free on the App Store and Google Play.