Forum Settings
Forums
New
Oct 22, 3:23 PM
#1

Offline
May 2024
615
Besides the basics of the basics like Baka, do you now understand some japanese?
I only studied a bit with main focus on Hiragana, Katana and Kanji, but most of my knowledge came from listening and reading the subtitels.
After a few years I am now at a point where I can half understand whats happening without subtitels, especially the uncomplicated
sentences are quit easy to understand.

For those who've watched many years, maybe even a decade, do you now understand some japanese?
ApfelMyNameOct 25, 4:27 AM

I'm level on MAL-Badges. View my badges.
Pages (2) [1] 2 »
Oct 22, 3:32 PM
#2

Offline
Jan 2022
1736
Since starting to watch anime serially, three years passed before I got the courage to watch unsubbed anime. That first time, I think I get the gist of what's going on. Now, I watch unsubbed if I don't like the translation style.
Oct 22, 3:35 PM
#3
BIKINI⚔️ARMOR

Offline
May 2019
11161
No i don't understand japanese, i know some words here and there but nothing useful in conversation, i only know words used in porn/jav search results.
Oct 22, 3:45 PM
#4

Offline
Jan 2023
20
Sometimes I stop watching anime for months, but then out of a sudden I go berserk and do nothing but to watch anime.

It feels like I can understand daily conversations when I feel like latter. It makes sense from my point of view since I'm being imposed to the language by only hearing it but it's volatile since I did not learn anything systematically. Also Japanese is closer to my native language both gramatically and phonetically.
xshiraoriOct 22, 3:49 PM
Oct 22, 4:05 PM
#5

Offline
Jun 2017
3154
Watashi've learned iroiro Nihongo words by kokoro just from watching.

Oct 22, 4:07 PM
#6

Offline
Dec 2021
4219
Sadly ore don't know shit about it. :\
Oct 22, 4:37 PM
#7

Offline
Jul 2021
3977
ApfelMyName said:
After a few years I am now at a point where I can half understand whats happening without subtitels

I envy you. Watching subs (combined with some lazy Duolingo and random YouTube videos explaining grammar) only got me to understand a tiny portion of what's being said. 10% maybe?

Watched Hyakuemu without subs a few days ago. It had extended, clearly-enunciated dialogue (of course it did, it's based on the manga by the Orb author) set in the real world, so I thought it'd be as easy as I could hope for.

It was overall a frustrating experience. While I vaguely understood what they were talking about, it was unclear what exactly was being said. I know there was a conversation about motivation and commitment, but what did the characters say, exactly?!

I think I should be 1) actually studying some grammar to understand sentence structures, instead of just recognizing words and canned phrases, and 2) watching anime line-by-line, pausing and deciphering the lines in full, ideally with Japanese subs. But even that's a lot of effort..
Oct 22, 5:05 PM
#8
ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ

Online
Aug 2014
9061
Not really other than a few words here and there.
Oct 22, 5:08 PM
#9

Offline
Oct 2013
10369
A tiny little bit, yeah. Few words, phrases, signs, or suffixes. Really basic stuff.
AdnashOct 22, 5:13 PM
Oct 22, 5:13 PM

Offline
Jun 2022
1142
Yes some bits of, thanks to detective conan I can recognize dialects Japanese people use for example kansai dialect is only used in osaka and is very different to that of the dialect that is used in tokyo.
Greatest shitposter under the heavens.

Greatest anime tourist on the planet earth.
Oct 22, 5:13 PM

Offline
Dec 2012
10095
Yeah, I do understand a fair bit of the language after watching for a couple decades. Enough to understand the basics of a simple plot without subtitles, but not enough for a complex plot.
"The name's Gambit. Remember it."
-Gambit "X-Men '97"

Oct 22, 5:46 PM

Offline
Oct 2018
5827
Yes, I can watch anime without subtitles, I just won't understand a thing
If you're a fanboy, please don't waste my time.

Watch more movies, please.

Perhaps, this is hell.
Oct 22, 5:47 PM
Offline
Mar 2017
1407
Anime community terms sure, odd stuff you hear about in JVlogs and such. Not much really.
Oct 22, 6:00 PM

Offline
Feb 2023
905
I have learned some Japanese, particuarly basic words, suffixes, and numbers. I can sometimes hear when the subtitles are incorrect or not the best possible translation. Occasionally, when subtitles are missing, I can have a basic understanding of what a sentence or phrase is saying.

And yes, I do know enough to hear that localizers often mistranslate subtitles, without even getting something close to the correct meaning.
ForgotEyeWasHereOct 22, 6:25 PM
Oct 22, 6:11 PM

Offline
Sep 2022
855
I know.

All of Hiragana.
All of Katakana.
Over 100 Kanji.
I'm guessing around 2000 words.



Oct 22, 6:12 PM

Offline
Jul 2016
299
Listening yes , now i can watch anime without sub.
This is probably because I love mystery anime , some of them have lot of dialog.

I can Speak Japanese too but only little, since I never do any conversation using Japanese.

Reading and writing no XD
Oct 22, 6:16 PM

Offline
Feb 2021
5074
I learned my Japanese through anime and I landed a job as a Japanese translator.
"Nobody could laugh at someone who's trying their hardest" -Machio-

Oct 22, 6:39 PM

Offline
Apr 2023
1987
I do know some Japanese, yes. I learned the basics of katakana from anime, and some Japanese words. Then I went off from there.

Though most of my Japanese knowledge comes from my Japanese class I took in my first year of college. Sadly, I had to stop after one semester because I had to prioritize transfer requirements. But, the university I am transferring to provides so many Japanese classes (far beyond the language) and you can even study abroad in Japan (for privacy reasons, I won't disclose where specifically). So I will definitely continue my Japanese journey.
If I had to choose between One Piece and a girlfriend...I think I'll go with One Piece
Oct 22, 10:32 PM

Offline
May 2024
615
Reply to Yuu_Kanzaki
I learned my Japanese through anime and I landed a job as a Japanese translator.
@Yuu_Kanzaki I can only respect that!

I'm level on MAL-Badges. View my badges.
Oct 22, 11:18 PM

Offline
Oct 2021
1023
Do you now undetand a little Japanese?

No, besides a few words and some little phrases such as "Yamete kudasai" or "Daijoubu desu ka?", I don't understand anything.
Oct 22, 11:43 PM

Offline
Oct 2022
1408
My partner is studying Japanese so I learning a little bit along side her but nothing to where I can have a proper conversation in Japanese. I might learn it eventually just need to put in the time, which I don't have currently.
Go read Sousou no Frieren and One Piece they're the best thing ever
Oct 23, 12:05 AM
Nostalgia Rules!

Offline
Jun 2008
15967
Just the basic words that everybody knows from watching anime subtitles I guess.
Oct 23, 1:29 AM

Offline
Sep 2016
23726
Do you now undetand a little Japanese

I understand some individual words and a few phrases, but not enough to understand whole sentences without subtitles.
*kappa*
Oct 23, 6:18 AM

Offline
Sep 2008
4456
Yes, once I have a drama cd/audio series phase. Even if something was hard for me to understand, next scenes would help me understand what happen.
I also watched a lot seiyuu events, performances (ex AD live), and listen to radio shows.
I used to watch some series as raws, because I couldn't wait for fansubs 😂
Now it happens sometimes, but these are few exceptional cases like random episode of series I really like or subtitles are not available 😂

Also some manga I prefer read them in japanese using translator, so I can listen and read it in romanji ❤️😆
Oct 23, 6:35 AM

Offline
Mar 2012
8914
Yes, I passed JLPT N3 many years back but then I got a job and stopped learning, I've done fan-translations and prefer to read manga in Japanese only but I've still got a long way to go to be fluent in the language.
Oct 23, 7:09 AM

Offline
Mar 2023
172
Yeah, I obviously can’t understand everything since I haven’t learned Japanese yet, but I can catch a few words here and there but I can't understand the full sentence. Though I think it’s pretty common, if you watch a lot of anime with subtitles, you naturally start remembering some words over time.
HumanTrash69Oct 23, 7:47 AM
Oct 23, 7:16 AM

Offline
Jul 2024
1242
I've been watching for 60 years now, although I only switched to subtitled about 35 years ago. I recognize some of the most common Japanese words and phrases, but am still pretty lost most of the time. I understand nothing of the writing system.

I guess the best way to describe it is, I understand enough to know when the subtitles are fucked up. And those seem to get worse every year,

And I tend to learn lanbuages fairly easily. I was conversational in German once upon a time. Can speak and read a little French and Spanish too. Japanese is way different though. Sometime I have a hard time wrapping my head around things like grammar.
joemaamahOct 23, 7:27 AM
Oct 23, 7:16 AM

Offline
Feb 2025
895
I have learned a lot of Japanese words from anime,but I can't speak or write them myself,and I don't understand everything they say.
Oct 23, 7:34 AM

Offline
Aug 2017
1465
I'm well-versed in Japanese pronunciation thanks to anime, but as for vocabulary I mostly owe that to Jisho.org, comments on NicoNico videos, and the Japanese side of Twitter.
Some of you never watched Bakugan Battle Brawlers on TeleToon in 2008 and it shows.
Oct 23, 8:06 AM

Offline
Jun 2017
6776
Not enough to speak it but i can recognize about 12-15 words. Common words and other anime type words like insults.
My waifu is the most wonderful waifu. Mai Valentine.

We're freaking out that we're running out of time, but to do what? Should i stop and think of that? Is there something i could do to slow it down? Live in a day for once, instead of watch it sprinting by
Oct 23, 8:09 AM

Offline
Oct 2017
3707
Yes but my skills are a bit rusty as its been hard for me to keep up with my studies recently. Im trying to rewrite all my langauge notes but my home environment isnt very conducive to my independent studies. Im hoping i can by this time next year get through at least one of the 2 textbooks i have
This post is brought to you by your local transfem gamer goblin. Will not tolerate bigotry and will fight against "anti-woke" sentiment to make the anime community a safer place.

Oct 23, 9:48 AM

Offline
Jan 2025
564
I've learned a couple scattered words, but not nearly enough to understand most sentences. And honestly, that was mostly from me actually studying Japanese, rather than from just watching. I've picked up embarrassingly little from anime itself lol. I need to expand my vocabulary.

I can detect when a character is using a polite tone tho, so that's neat.
Oct 23, 12:14 PM

Offline
Jun 2014
1968
I can make out a sentence here or there, or pick out individual words, but otherwise, no.

Oct 23, 12:25 PM

Offline
Feb 2021
8161
I understand, I studied Japanese at school but dropped out of studying it.
Oct 23, 12:29 PM

Offline
Jul 2024
38
Well I sure do know what oppai means.
Oct 23, 12:32 PM

Offline
Aug 2010
2713
I pick up some sentences, and if the story is simple then I can somewhat understand what's going on without subs - tho I only done this with Japanese drama. I think I mostly improved from watching Japanese idols' activities like variety shows or livestreams and reading manga in Japanese, not really from watching anime. I'm not that great in picking up languages from watching shows. Same with English - I used to watch American shows and movies with my younger brother growing up, and his English improved a lot from that but I couldn't. I only improved after going to formal classes and actually using it in daily conversation.
Oct 23, 12:56 PM

Offline
May 2015
2709
Enough that I can have something on in the background and know whats being said for the most part. Still need to look up roughly 1/2 the kanji when reading.
Oct 23, 1:22 PM

Offline
Jul 2021
11315
Gomenesorry, ore only understand a few basic words, like beddo, and boku need to yamate kudestop before ore say something baka.
Oct 24, 5:01 AM

Offline
May 2018
1733
Contextually I can understand some simple stuff and I've actually never studied the language


For example we were on a boat and there were some older japanese people behind us in line and I understood what they were wondering about when looking at items etc. More context than language but I got some details down by hearing a few words they said. Felt weird as I can't do that with like other asian languages or even european ones
Oct 24, 6:45 PM
Offline
Jul 2024
5656
Yes, actually I do. I can actually run to the restroom & follow parts of conversations from the other room now. I guess after nearly 3 decades of both subbed & dubbed stuff you just pick it up. I cannot read anything though. If I took a trip to Japan I would need a Guide or I would be totally lost.
Oct 24, 6:53 PM

Offline
Apr 2020
2204
As much as I like anime I don't have the slightest interest in learning Japanese.
Imagine how boring this world would be without Japan - a comment at youtube
Oct 24, 7:15 PM

Offline
Jan 2013
6947
hmmm.. about as much as I undetand this title of yours
If you reply back to me and I never respond, I lost interest and don't care. Sorry about that.
Oct 25, 6:15 AM

Offline
Dec 2024
1114
From learning anime, I learnt basically nothing, from studying Japanese in school and in my free time, I've learnt about 700 words and sentence structures are now easy for me to understand mostly. It's mostly just I've gotta learn a ton of words now 0_0
Oct 25, 6:50 AM

Offline
May 2024
615
Reply to Spast1c
From learning anime, I learnt basically nothing, from studying Japanese in school and in my free time, I've learnt about 700 words and sentence structures are now easy for me to understand mostly. It's mostly just I've gotta learn a ton of words now 0_0
@Spast1c But shouldn't you now be able to learn new words from anime?

I'm level on MAL-Badges. View my badges.
Oct 25, 7:22 AM
Offline
Sep 2022
490
Yes, but not vert much through anime/manga. I was certainly motivated by that but I took up study using real teaching materials. I find I can understand a lot of the text in anime - signs and text messages, for example - but the spoken language is generally too fast and uses too many different, or slang, words for my level to do without the subtitles. Although, I do know enough to know that a lot of the English translations are a little bit off from how the Japanese would understand things. And sometimes waaay off.

I was in Japan last month and my crowning achievement was going into a Post Office and buying 10 100-Yen stamps from the woman there entirely in Japanese. I also got a round of applause from a group of younger people (I'm 60, so that covers most people) when I asked them to select the third floor for me in the lift. They seemed really surprised.
Oct 25, 1:58 PM

Offline
Feb 2021
276
I understand some fairly easy sentences, and words. But that's about it.

Protect the smile!

Oct 25, 2:41 PM

Offline
Oct 2022
1287
I can get some small easy words, but thats all, I sadly dont consider this "understand" Japanese tho, more like knowing how to ask for the bathroom in other language.
Oct 25, 9:51 PM

Offline
Dec 2024
1114
Reply to ApfelMyName
@Spast1c But shouldn't you now be able to learn new words from anime?
@ApfelMyName I mean I guess? I don't really pick them up to be honest
Oct 26, 8:43 AM
Offline
Sep 2025
89
You can enjoy anime, without understanding Japanese. That much is obvious.
Oct 26, 9:31 AM

Offline
Nov 2011
6669
I’ve taken a few beginner level classes eons ago. For what’s worth, I can watch and understand the anime I enjoy, which are relatively easy to understand anyway. Sometimes I listen to the episode audio only in bed. I also watch the news, listen to anime radio from time to time and I spent the last few days listening to the first volume of Ascendance of a Bookworm Japanese audio book. My comprehension varies a lot. Sometimes I understand a lot, other times I have some trouble. My very rough guesstimate is that I understood around 70 to 80% of the audio book as a whole. The audio book is actually not that bad, especially when compared to something like the Yomiuri Shinbun podcast.
You can buy lossless digital music from your favorite Japanese artists on https://ototoy.jp/.
The songs are all DRM-free and you can re-download your purchased albums as you wish.
Show your support to your favorite artist if you can!
ps. if you are looking for Japanese albums, you have to search it in Japanese (not romaji). Just copy and paste the name.

For those who want to learn Japanese through anime
Resources for learning the language
Pages (2) [1] 2 »

More topics from this board

» Rating an anime rationally or doing so subjectively?

thewiru - Yesterday

20 by BilboBaggins365 »»
1 minute ago

» What is the Anime of the Year?

Dragevard - Dec 10

37 by UberBat »»
8 minutes ago

» Why is elitism frowned upon? ( 1 2 3 )

IdeDial - Dec 12

108 by BilboBaggins365 »»
9 minutes ago

» Should I watch less seasonals?

thewiru - Yesterday

41 by perseii »»
10 minutes ago

» You guys should look out for those demographics on aniDB

RyokoKakyoin - 3 hours ago

8 by rohan121 »»
22 minutes ago
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login