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Your First 30 Days Learning Japanese: The Complete Day-by-Day Roadmap

Exactly what to learn each day for your first month of Japanese! This 30-day roadmap takes you from zero to reading hiragana and understanding basics.

Text byKanaDojo Team
Released
Updated
Levelbeginner

Starting Japanese can feel overwhelming. What do you learn first? How fast should you go? What if you're doing it wrong?

This 30-day roadmap eliminates the guesswork. Follow this day-by-day plan, and by Day 30, you'll read hiragana fluently, recognize katakana, know 100+ words, understand basic grammar, and introduce yourself in Japanese!

Let's begin your journey. 🚀

Month Overview 📅

WeekFocusOutcome
Week 1Hiragana + First WordsRead basic hiragana
Week 2Complete Hiragana + Core VocabularyRead all hiragana
Week 3Katakana + Grammar BasicsRecognize katakana, form sentences
Week 4Review + Speaking + ApplicationSolid foundation!

Week 1: Hiragana Foundation 🌱

Day 1: Begin Your Journey ✨

Today's goals:

  • Understand WHY you're learning (motivation matters!)
  • Learn about Japanese writing systems
  • Learn the first 5 hiragana: あ い う え お

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Write down YOUR reason for learning Japanese (5 min)
  2. 02Read about hiragana vs katakana vs kanji (10 min)
  3. 03Learn vowels あ い う え お with KanaDojo (20 min)
  4. 04Practice writing each character 5 times (5 min)

By end of day: You can read and write the 5 vowels!

Day 2: K-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn か き く け こ
  • Review yesterday's vowels
  • Understand how consonant + vowel creates characters

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Review あいうえお (5 min)
  2. 02Learn か き く け こ with practice (20 min)
  3. 03Mix practice: all 10 characters (10 min)
  4. 04Write new characters 5 times each (5 min)

First words: Try reading: かき (kaki - persimmon), あか (aka - red)!

Day 3: S-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn さ し す せ そ
  • Learn your first greetings

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Quick review of all previous characters (5 min)
  2. 02Learn さ し す せ そ (20 min)
  3. 03Learn first phrases:
    • おはよう (ohayou - good morning)
    • こんにちは (konnichiwa - hello) - preview!
  4. 04Mixed practice (10 min)

Day 4: T-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn た ち つ て と
  • Note the irregular sound: つ (tsu)

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Review (5 min)
  2. 02Learn た ち つ て と (20 min)
  3. 03Practice recognizing in words:
    • つき (tsuki - moon)
    • たこ (tako - octopus)
  4. 04Writing practice (10 min)

Day 5: N-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn な に ぬ ね の
  • Learn useful words with these characters

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Review all previous (10 min)
  2. 02Learn な に ぬ ね の (15 min)
  3. 03New vocabulary:
    • ねこ (neko - cat) 🐱
    • いぬ (inu - dog) 🐕
    • なに (nani - what)
  4. 04Practice (10 min)

Day 6: H-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn は ひ ふ へ ほ
  • Understand は as topic marker (pronounced "wa")

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Review (5 min)
  2. 02Learn は ひ ふ へ ほ (15 min)
  3. 03Learn your first sentence:
    • これは＿＿です (This is ____)
  4. 04Introduction vocabulary (10 min)

Day 7: Week 1 Review & Rest 🎯

Today's goals:

  • Review all 30 characters learned
  • Consolidate with reading practice
  • Celebrate progress!

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Full character review quiz (15 min)
  2. 02Try reading simple words (15 min)
  3. 03Light review of vocabulary learned (10 min)

Week 1 checkpoint:

  • ✅ 30 hiragana characters (あ-ほ lines)
  • ✅ 10+ vocabulary words
  • ✅ Basic greeting: おはよう

Week 2: Complete Hiragana + Core Vocab 📚

Day 8: M-Line Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn ま み む め も

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Quick review (5 min)
  2. 02Learn ま み む め も (15 min)
  3. 03Vocabulary:
    • みみ (mimi - ear)
    • め (me - eye)
    • もも (momo - peach)
  4. 04Practice (15 min)

Day 9: Y-Line & R-Line

Today's goals:

  • Learn や ゆ よ
  • Learn ら り る れ ろ

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn や ゆ よ (10 min)
  2. 02Learn ら り る れ ろ (15 min)
  3. 03Vocabulary focus on R-sounds (10 min)
  4. 04Mixed practice (10 min)

Pronunciation tip: Japanese "R" is between L and R - tap your tongue!

Day 10: W-Line + N

Today's goals:

  • Learn わ を ん
  • Complete the basic hiragana chart!

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Learn わ を ん (15 min)
  2. 02Understand を as object marker (20 min)
  3. 03CELEBRATE! 🎉 You know all basic hiragana!
  4. 04Full chart review (5 min)

Day 11: Dakuten (Voiced Sounds)

Today's goals:

  • Learn が ぎ ぐ げ ご, ざ じ ず ぜ ぞ
  • Understand the ゛ (dakuten) mark

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Learn concept of voiced sounds (5 min)
  2. 02Practice G and Z rows (20 min)
  3. 03Vocabulary:
    • くすり → ぐすり (medicine)
    • さかな → ざかな... wait, that's wrong! (10 min)
  4. 04Reading practice (5 min)

Day 12: More Dakuten + Handakuten

Today's goals:

  • Learn だ ぢ づ で ど, ば び ぶ べ ぼ
  • Learn ぱ ぴ ぷ ぺ ぽ (handakuten)

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01D and B rows (15 min)
  2. 02P row (handakuten ゜) (10 min)
  3. 03Vocabulary with voiced sounds (10 min)
  4. 04Mixed review (5 min)

Day 13: Combination Hiragana

Today's goals:

  • Learn きゃ きゅ きょ and others
  • Understand small ゃ ゅ ょ combinations

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Understand combination concept (5 min)
  2. 02Practice common combinations (25 min):
    • きゃきゅきょ, しゃしゅしょ
    • ちゃちゅちょ, にゃにゅにょ
  3. 03Read words: きょう (today), しゃしん (photo) (10 min)
  4. 04Review (5 min)

Day 14: Week 2 Review 🎯

Today's goals:

  • Complete hiragana mastery check
  • Vocabulary consolidation

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Complete hiragana test (15 min)
  2. 02Vocabulary review: aim for 50 words (15 min)
  3. 03Try reading simple sentences (15 min)

Week 2 checkpoint:

  • ✅ ALL hiragana (including voiced + combinations)
  • ✅ 50+ vocabulary words
  • ✅ Can read simple Japanese text!

Week 3: Katakana + Grammar 🔤

Day 15: Katakana Vowels + First Lines

Today's goals:

  • Learn katakana ア イ ウ エ オ, カ キ ク ケ コ

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Understand katakana purpose (5 min)
  2. 02Learn vowels + K-line (25 min)
  3. 03Read foreign words: コーヒー (coffee) (10 min)

Day 16: Katakana S-T-N Lines

Today's goals:

  • Learn サシスセソ, タチツテト, ナニヌネノ

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Quick review (5 min)
  2. 02Learn three new lines (25 min)
  3. 03Read: テスト (test), ノート (notebook) (10 min)

Day 17: Complete Katakana Basics

Today's goals:

  • Learn remaining basic katakana
  • Recognize long vowels (ー)

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn ハ-ヲ lines (20 min)
  2. 02Learn long vowel mark ー (10 min)
  3. 03Practice: ラーメン, パーティー (10 min)
  4. 04Review (5 min)

Day 18: First Grammar - です/ます

Today's goals:

  • Learn です (is/am/are)
  • Learn ます (verb ending)
  • Form polite sentences

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn です patterns (15 min):
    • 私は＿＿です (I am ____)
    • これは＿＿です (This is ____)
  2. 02Learn ます concept (15 min)
  3. 03Practice sentences (15 min)

Day 19: Particles は and を

Today's goals:

  • Understand topic marker は
  • Understand object marker を
  • Build simple sentences

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn は (topic) function (15 min)
  2. 02Learn を (object) function (15 min)
  3. 03Build sentences:
    • 私はすしを食べます (I eat sushi)
  4. 04Practice (15 min)

Day 20: Basic Verbs

Today's goals:

  • Learn 10 essential verbs
  • Practice with particles

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn verbs (20 min):
    • 食べます (tabemasu - eat)
    • 飲みます (nomimasu - drink)
    • 行きます (ikimasu - go)
    • 見ます (mimasu - see)
    • します (shimasu - do)
  2. 02Build sentences with each (20 min)
  3. 03Review (5 min)

Day 21: Week 3 Review 🎯

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Katakana review (15 min)
  2. 02Grammar review: make 10 sentences (20 min)
  3. 03Self-assessment (10 min)

Week 3 checkpoint:

  • ✅ Basic katakana recognition
  • ✅ Can use です and ます
  • ✅ Understand は and を
  • ✅ Know 10 basic verbs

Week 4: Application & Speaking 🗣️

Day 22: Self-Introduction

Today's goals:

  • Create your 自己紹介 (self-introduction)
  • Practice speaking aloud

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Learn introduction template (15 min)
  2. 02Write YOUR introduction (15 min)
  3. 03Practice speaking 10 times (15 min)

Day 23: Numbers 1-100

Today's goals:

  • Learn counting 1-100
  • Use in real contexts

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Learn 1-10 (10 min)
  2. 02Learn 11-100 pattern (15 min)
  3. 03Practice: phone numbers, prices (15 min)

Day 24: Question Words

Today's goals:

  • Learn essential question words
  • Ask and answer basic questions

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Learn question words (20 min):
    • なに/なん (what)
    • だれ (who)
    • どこ (where)
    • いつ (when)
    • なぜ (why)
    • どう (how)
  2. 02Practice Q&A pairs (20 min)

Day 25: Time & Daily Routine

Today's goals:

  • Tell time in Japanese
  • Describe daily activities

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Learn time expressions (15 min)
  2. 02Vocabulary: 朝 (morning), 昼 (noon), 夜 (night) (10 min)
  3. 03Describe your daily routine (15 min)

Day 26: Listening Practice

Today's goals:

  • Start training your ear
  • Understand natural speed

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Watch beginner Japanese content (20 min)
  2. 02Note words you recognize (10 min)
  3. 03Repeat after audio (10 min)

Day 27: Reading Practice

Today's goals:

  • Read real Japanese text
  • Test comprehension

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Read simple texts/tweets in Japanese (20 min)
  2. 02Identify known words (10 min)
  3. 03Look up new vocabulary (15 min)

Day 28: Writing Practice

Today's goals:

  • Write simple paragraphs
  • Express your thoughts

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Write about yourself (15 min)
  2. 02Write about your hobbies (15 min)
  3. 03Review and correct (10 min)

Day 29: Consolidation Day

Today's goals:

  • Review weak areas
  • Strengthen foundations

Activities (45 min):

  1. 01Identify your weak points (5 min)
  2. 02Focus practice on weaknesses (30 min)
  3. 03Overall review (10 min)

Day 30: Celebration & Next Steps! 🎉

Today's goals:

  • Assess your progress
  • Plan Month 2

Activities (40 min):

  1. 01Take final assessment:
    • Hiragana (all)
    • Katakana (basics)
    • Vocabulary (100+ words)
    • Grammar (basic sentences)
    • Speaking (self-introduction)
  2. 02Celebrate your achievement! 🎊
  3. 03Plan next month's goals (10 min)

By Day 30, You'll Have: 🏆

SkillAchievement
HiraganaComplete mastery
KatakanaBasic recognition
Vocabulary100+ words
Grammarです/ます, particles
SpeakingSelf-introduction
ListeningBeginner content

Tips for Success 💡

1. Consistency Over Intensity

30 minutes daily beats 3 hours once a week.

2. Use Down Time

Review flashcards on your commute, lunch break, or before bed.

3. Speak Out Loud

Don't just read – say words and sentences aloud!

4. Don't Skip Days

If you miss a day, don't give up. Just continue tomorrow!

5. Celebrate Wins

Each day completed is progress. Be proud!

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I fall behind?

Don't restart! Pick up where you left off. Progress isn't perfect.

Is 30 minutes enough?

For beginners, yes! Quality and consistency matter more than quantity.

What next after 30 days?

Continue with kanji basics, more grammar (past tense, negative), and vocabulary expansion!

Conclusion: Day 1 Starts NOW! 🚀

You now have a clear roadmap for your first 30 days. No more wondering "what should I study?" – just follow the plan!

Key takeaways: ✅ Week 1: Hiragana foundation ✅ Week 2: Complete hiragana + vocabulary ✅ Week 3: Katakana + basic grammar ✅ Week 4: Apply skills + speaking

Start your Day 1 right now: Begin with KanaDojo →

三十日後に、日本語が読めるようになる！ (Sanjuunichi go ni, nihongo ga yomeru you ni naru!) In 30 days, you'll be able to read Japanese!

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#beginner#roadmap#study-plan#30-days#getting-started#hiragana

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