Why Japanese Feels Hard (and Why You Can Still Master It)

Learning Japanese often looks intimidating from the outside: three writing systems, new sounds, unfamiliar sentence structures, and layers of politeness. But in reality, Japanese is not inherently “difficult”—it’s simply different from English. The moment learners stop comparing the two languages and begin treating Japanese as its own system, progress becomes dramatically smoother.

One of the deepest sources of frustration is the writing system. Hiragana and katakana each have 46 basic characters, which means they can be learned within weeks, not months. Kanji, however, is where many learners lose confidence. I tell my students: kanji is not something you “memorize all at once.” It’s a system you gradually absorb through meaningful exposure. Even native children learn kanji over twelve full years of schooling.

Another common struggle comes from Japanese sentence order. English places the verb early; Japanese hides it at the end. This often makes beginners feel lost mid-sentence. But with practice, you start predicting the ending naturally, just like how you anticipate rhyme in a song. Japanese is surprisingly logical once patterns start appearing.

In the end, Japanese rewards consistency, not talent. A little bit every day—listening during your commute, reading short posts, speaking with your tutor—piles up into long-term fluency. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to keep moving.