Learning guide · 20 minutes
A 20-minute Japanese study session you can actually repeat
A short N5 routine that combines recall, one lesson, and a reason to return tomorrow — without trying to do everything at once.
Good for: Starting N5 or returning after a break
01 / 03
Minutes 0–5: retrieve before you read
If you already have cards due, begin with a ten-card review. Try to answer before revealing the back. A wrong answer is useful information: it tells you what to revisit. If you have no cards yet, spend these five minutes reading kana aloud or recalling yesterday’s lesson from memory.
Do not clear a large backlog just to earn permission to study something new. Ten cards is a starting line, not a debt payment. The review queue can wait for another sitting.
Your move
- Open a ten-card review if you have an account and due cards.
- Otherwise, write down two things you remember from your last session without checking.
02 / 03
Minutes 5–15: take one lesson step
Open your next N5 lesson. Read the explanation, then complete one step and its recall check. If you miss a question, use the lesson’s return link to revisit exactly the word or pattern you missed. You can stop after one step; the rest of the lesson will still be there.
New to Japanese writing? Use the kana drill first. The lessons assume you can read hiragana and katakana, and slowing down here will make the lesson itself easier to use.
Your move
- Choose the current lesson rather than browsing for a perfect topic.
- Say or write one example from memory before moving on.
03 / 03
Minutes 15–20: test and leave a trail
Close the explanation and answer a tiny question: ‘What could I say or recognise now that I could not at the start?’ If you cannot answer, return to one example and try again without looking. That is a better finish than rereading three more pages.
Make tomorrow’s first step obvious: leave the next lesson ready, or note the item you missed. You are building a repeatable loop, not trying to complete Japanese in one evening.
Your move
- Recall one form, word, or sentence without the page open.
- Decide whether tomorrow starts with review or the next lesson step.