So how long does it take to learn Japanese fluently?

And the answer is- it varies from man to man and there is no exact science regarding this. It completely depends on the method of learning, the right amount of practice, and many other factors.

The US Department of State reveals that Japanese is one of the hardest languages to learn for English natives. There are not many similarities in structure to English.

According to their estimation, it takes about 88 weeks of learning or 2200 hours to achieve fluency. 

If you want to master the Japanese language, you are required to take the JLPT N1 test as it is the highest level of Japanese language proficiency exam. Passing the N1 exam within about two or three years is quite a good achievement.

To tell the truth, N1 is the toughest exam but if you make a resolution to learn Japanese fast and make out enough time to learn Japanese daily, within a few years you can become fluent and excel in the N1 exam. To be fluent in Japanese you need to understand hiragana,  katakana, as well as kanji.

Time taken to learn Japanese fluently depends on several factors. Let’s check them out one by one.

The first point is why are you learning Japanese? Like if you are learning Japanese just for normal conversation then it won’t take much time for you to learn the language. But if you want to master the language then it is a bit time-consuming. If you determine your purpose of learning the language then you can focus on that and learn accordingly. Let me give you a rough estimation of how much time you may take for the following purposes:

If you are intending to learn Japanese for street conversations or small conversations then it may take about one year to learn the language. If you are focusing on learning for higher-level business conversation, for politics, reading full newspaper articles and local books, understanding Japanese music, or standup comedy then it may take about 4 years to learn. If you want to learn Japanese by reading emails, social media posts, and short articles, to understand movies and TV shows in Japanese then it may take up to 2 years. 

Then comes how much time you spend daily on learning Japanese? As there is a saying that the more you practice, The faster you will learn. And again this depends on your goal of learning Japanese. Suppose you are studying only one hour per day and doing nothing else to learn Japanese, then it may take approximately up to twenty years for you to learn the language.

That doesn’t mean I am telling you to sit with a book and study Japanese for five to six hours a day. As we know, there is something called passive study also. You can definitely study passively through exposure also. You can watch Japanese movies, tv-series, listen to Japanese songs, try to practice the new words you learn. You need to be motivated, you need to have a positive mindset and give your hundred percent to learn the language and this will lead you to learn the language faster. 

Your method of learning is also an important factor and it can make a huge difference in the speed of learning the language. Try to find a good mentor or a good institution so that you can be guided on the right track. There are some great institutions offering Japanese language courses. One of my friends chose to learn Japanese from a reputed online platform named Multibhashi and I have heard her saying that the mentors are really very helpful and she has learned a lot in just about a year. 

So don’t fear, don’t worry, and just have a positive attitude towards the language. Give your full effort, know your goals and surely you will be able to master the language.