Kana course
€0, always
- The full hiragana and katakana course
- Sound and stroke order for every kana
- No ads
Japan will feel like home.
Talk with people in Japan with confidence, from your first hiragana to JLPT N2. Real conversations, natural phrases, every answer explained.
- Coming soon to Google Play
- Coming soon to the App Store
Coming in the app
What staff will actually say to you, and how to answer.
Short scenes from everyday places. Hear the line, then pick a reply: simple or polite. Reading help in romaji or kana: try both below.
Reading help:
- Illustration
Konbini
Staff
「袋はご利用ですか。」Fukuro wa go-riyō desu ka.
“Do you need a bag?”
Simple「大丈夫です。」Daijōbu desu.Polite「袋は大丈夫です。」Fukuro wa daijōbu desu.“No, thanks.”
After an offer, 大丈夫です means “No, thanks.”
- Illustration
Family restaurant
Staff
「ライスとパン、どちらになさいますか。」Raisu to pan, dochira ni nasaimasu ka.
“Would you like rice or bread?”
Simple「ライスで。」Raisu de.Polite「ライスでお願いします。」Raisu de onegai shimasu.“Rice, please.”
- Illustration
Clothes shop
Staff
「何かお探しですか。」Nanika o-sagashi desu ka.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?”
Simple「見てるだけです。」Miteru dake desu.Polite「ちょっと見ているだけなので、大丈夫です。」Chotto mite iru dake na node, daijōbu desu.“I'm just looking, thanks.”
- Illustration
Hotel check-in
Staff
「チェックインでいらっしゃいますか。」Chekku-in de irasshaimasu ka.
“Are you checking in?”
Simple「はい。スミスです。」Hai. Sumisu desu.Polite「はい、スミスの名前で予約しています。」Hai, Sumisu no namae de yoyaku shite imasu.“Yes, the booking is under Smith.”
Illustrations with example lines, not final app screens.
Every answer explained
Every option has a reason. Every word has a source.
When you get it wrong, you see why. When you get it right, you see why too.
- A short reason for every option, not only the right one.
- Open dictionary data, credited where you read it.
- Original practice questions, written for Hanamaru. JLPT-style, never copied from real exams.
Choose the word that fits.
駅（ ）行きます。
- へCorrect
へ marks the direction you move toward. “I go to the station.”
- をYour answer · Not quite
を marks what you act on, or a place you move through. Here you need the destination.
- の
の links two nouns, as in 駅の名前 (the station’s name).
- が
が marks the subject. The station is not the one going.
How you learn
One clear path, from kana to N2.
Kana first, free
Hiragana and katakana, with stroke order and writing.
Lessons N5 to N2
Short lessons with every exercise type: choose, build sentences, type readings, counters, reading.
Reviews that remember for you
Spaced repetition (FSRS) brings each word back right before you’d forget it.
Real life
Scenes, a dictionary that understands conjugated forms (食べました → 食べる), and reading with furigana and tap-to-look-up.
袋は結構です。
Model
You
Your phone heard:袋は結構です。
Coming in the app
Speak out loud, privately.
Listen, repeat and shadow with your phone’s Japanese voice. Record yourself, compare with the model, and see whether your phone understood you.
- No scores and no judgement.
- Always optional: you can skip any time.
Your recordings stay on your phone.
Calm by design
One thing on the screen at a time.
An uncluttered screen, clear type and one accent colour. Light or dark, it stays quiet so you can focus.
- Learns offline
- No ads
- No account needed to start
- We never sell your data
Free and Plus
Start free. Go further with Plus.
Hanamaru Plus
€49.99 a year or €7.99 a month
- N5 lessons with word and grammar reviews
- Grammar pages, reading and listening
- The dictionary and the konbini Scene
- Speaking practice beyond kana
Everything beyond kana. New subscribers start with a 7-day free trial; cancel any time in Google Play or the App Store.
iOS and Android · coming soon
Questions
Is Hanamaru official JLPT material?
No. It’s original JLPT-style practice written for Hanamaru, not an official JLPT product. Not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. Read the full disclaimer.
When can I download it?
There’s no public date yet. Create your account now and tick “Email me when Hanamaru launches”: we’ll tell you the day it’s out, and you sign in to the app with the same account.
What does it cost?
The kana course is free. Everything beyond kana is Hanamaru Plus: €49.99 a year or €7.99 a month, with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Lessons, reviews, the dictionary and reading all work without a connection.
Do I have to speak?
No. Speaking practice is optional and you can always skip. Recordings stay on your phone and are never uploaded.
Where does the content come from?
Lessons and questions are written for Hanamaru, never copied from exam papers or textbooks. Words, readings and kanji come from open dictionary data (JMdict, KANJIDIC2, KanjiVG), credited in the app.
Which levels are included?
At launch: kana and N5 to N2. N1 comes later.
Why create an account on the website?
It’s the same account as in the app, so you’re ready on day one. We email you sign-in codes and, only if you ask for it, one email when Hanamaru launches. You can delete the account on its page any time. This site sets no cookies and runs no analytics. Details are in the privacy policy.
Feel at home in Japan.
Create your Hanamaru account now: the same login works in the app on day one, and we can email you when it launches.
Create your accountTry the free N5 sample test
- Coming soon to Google Play
- Coming soon to the App Store