You've learned hiragana and katakana. You can read the sounds of Japanese. Now you need to understand what those sounds mean when they're strung together into sentences.
This is the step that separates people who study Japanese from people who read Japanese. Grammar is how you go from recognizing individual words to understanding what an entire sentence is saying — who did what, to whom, when, and why.
And here's why it matters: you cannot learn a language just by hearing it in the background. There's no magic moment where it all clicks because you passively watched enough anime. You learn by understanding input — by reading or hearing Japanese that you can actually break down and make sense of. Grammar gives you the ability to do that.
Without it, every sentence you encounter will be a wall of sounds and symbols. With it, those walls start to become windows.
Why Genki
The textbook I recommend is げんき (Genki).
Not because it's perfect. Because it's popular. And popular means there's an enormous ecosystem of free resources built around it that make self-study actually work.
If you've already worked through a different introductory textbook like Minna No Nihongo, you can skip this step. You already have the grammar foundation you need.
The Problem with Genki (And How to Fix It)
Genki was designed for a classroom. That means it expects you to have a teacher introducing grammar points, and classmates to practice with. If you're self-studying, you have neither.
But the internet has filled these gaps for free:
ToKini Andy on YouTube — Detailed video lessons that walk through the grammar points in each chapter of Genki. Watch the relevant video before you read the textbook. Think of it as your substitute teacher. He explains everything clearly, and you can rewatch anything that doesn't land the first time.
The official Genki companion website — Videos for each lesson's dialogue and grammar patterns, plus vocabulary and conjugation card apps. The Self-study Room has sentence pattern videos, culture note clips, and audio files.
With these resources, you get the benefits of Genki as taught in a college classroom without the downsides — rigid schedules, mandatory attendance, and tests you don't need.
A note on Seth Clydesdale's Genki Study Resources: If you've seen this site recommended elsewhere, be aware that the interactive exercises have been removed at the request of The Japan Times (Genki's publisher). The site itself still exists but the exercises are no longer available. This means you'll need the physical Genki workbooks and the answer key to complete your exercises. Don't skip these — they're the main way you'll practice what you learn. The Genki companion website above is your best alternative for supplementary digital practice.
What to Focus On (And What to Cut)
If you study Genki in college, you'll be forced to memorize vocabulary and learn kanji alongside grammar. That's because both will be on the test. But this isn't school. There is no test. Your goal is to learn how to put Japanese sentences together, so focus on what builds that skill and cut what doesn't.
Listening exercises — do them. Your goal is reading, but listening reinforces grammar by making you process Japanese in a different form. Complete every listening exercise before moving on.
Reading exercises — do them. Understanding what you're reading is the entire point. If you can't make sense of a reading exercise, go back to the grammar explanation until you can.
Output exercises — do them, loosely. Genki includes speaking and writing exercises. You don't need to perfect your responses — mastering output isn't your goal. But engaging with these exercises gives you another angle on the grammar. Treat them as comprehension practice, not performance practice.
Pair work and group work — skip them. These exercises are designed for classroom settings and don't translate well to self-study. If you want extra reading practice, go ahead and read the Japanese in these sections, but don't spend more time on them than that.
Kanji sections — skip them. Starting with Lesson 3, Genki introduces kanji in the "Reading and Writing" sections. Skip these. There are more effective ways to learn kanji, and you don't need kanji to start reading manga — furigana takes care of that. (Lessons 1 and 2 cover hiragana and katakana writing practice, which is worth doing as reinforcement.)
Vocabulary drilling — skip it. You need to know what a word means to understand a sentence that uses it. But you can look it up. There's no need to sit there drilling flashcards for every new word Genki throws at you. The words in Genki are limited and get repeated frequently — you'll pick up a lot of vocabulary naturally through repetition. Whatever doesn't stick, you'll learn later when you start reading.
How to Study Each Lesson
Genki has 23 lessons split across two books — Genki I (Lessons 1–12) and Genki II (Lessons 13–23). Together they cover all the major grammar patterns in Japanese.
Each lesson breaks down into eight parts. You don't need to do all eight in one sitting — in fact, you shouldn't. Group them into daily blocks spread across the week.
The Eight Parts
- Vocabulary. Before you touch the dialogue or grammar, read through the lesson's vocabulary while listening to the audio. Then quiz yourself. You're not trying to memorize every word — you're familiarizing yourself so the vocabulary doesn't get in the way when you encounter new grammar. When you hit additional vocabulary introduced before specific exercises later in the lesson, review and quiz yourself on those before attempting the exercise.
- Dialogue. Each lesson opens with a dialogue. Read it first without looking at the English translation. Try to work out what each sentence means by looking up the words you don't recognize. Then read it again while listening to the audio — the tone and pacing will add context and correct any reading mistakes. Only then should you check the English translation. The goal here is to struggle with the grammar before it's formally explained to you. That struggle is what makes the explanation stick.
- Grammar Introduction — Video. Watch the ToKini Andy video for the lesson without stopping. If a section confuses you, rewatch it. If it still doesn't click, don't worry — the textbook explanation will approach it from a different angle.
- Grammar Introduction — Text. Read through the grammar explanations in Genki. Take your time with the example sentences and make sure you understand them before moving on. Read the Expression Notes and Culture Notes sections as well.
- Grammar Practice — Textbook. Work through each practice exercise in the textbook. Skip any exercises marked as pair work, group work, or class activity — these are designed for classroom settings. After completing each exercise, check your answers using the answer key, and if audio is available for the exercise, listen to it. Your goal is to anticipate the correct answer before it's given.
- Grammar Practice — Workbook. Work through the corresponding workbook exercises. These tend to be harder than the textbook exercises, which is the point — they're a second pass at the grammar with a higher bar. Write out your answers by hand and check them against the answer key. The act of writing reinforces the grammar in a way that multiple choice can't.
- Reading and Writing Practice. Complete the reading exercises in both the textbook and workbook. For Lessons 1 and 2, do the hiragana and katakana writing practice. Starting with Lesson 3, skip the kanji writing sections but still do the reading exercises.
- Video Review. Watch the live-action dialogue enactment for the lesson on the Genki companion website. This was the very first thing you read at the start of the lesson when you didn't know the grammar yet. Now that you've studied it, your goal is to follow along and understand the conversation at natural speed. This is also a good time to re-listen to the lesson's dialogue audio.
Putting It Together: A Weekly Schedule
If you can dedicate an hour or more per day and want to move quickly, group the eight parts into four days:
Day 1: Vocabulary, Dialogue, Grammar Introduction (Video + Text)
Day 2: Grammar Practice — Textbook
Day 3: Grammar Practice — Workbook
Day 4: Reading and Writing Practice, Video Review
This gives you three buffer days each week for catch-up. At this pace, you'll cover one lesson per week.
If you're more time-limited, spread each lesson across two weeks by splitting the larger blocks in half:
Day 1: Vocabulary, Dialogue, Grammar Introduction (Video)
Day 2: Grammar Introduction (Text)
Day 3: Grammar Practice — Textbook (first half)
Day 4: Grammar Practice — Textbook (second half)
Day 5: Grammar Practice — Workbook (first half)
Day 6: Grammar Practice — Workbook (second half)
Day 7: Reading and Writing Practice
Day 8: Video Review
For reference, colleges typically teach Genki I and II over four semesters — two years. Even at the slower pace above, you'll finish in half that time.
Digital Textbook, Physical Workbook
I recommend getting a digital copy of the Genki textbook. The convenience of being able to read grammar explanations and review dialogues on your phone means you can get through your Day 1 material during a commute, a lunch break, or any downtime.
But for the workbook, go physical. Writing out your answers by hand and checking them against the answer key is more effective than tapping through exercises on a screen. It forces you to produce the Japanese, not just recognize it. Think of the textbook as your portable reading material and the workbook as your dedicated practice time.
If you want a detailed, day-by-day breakdown of exactly what to study in each lesson — which exercises to do, which to skip, and links to every resource — I've put together a complete study plan that covers all 24 lessons. You can get it here.
How Long Does This Take?
Six to twelve months. For most working adults, one lesson every two weeks is a realistic and sustainable pace. At that rate, you'll finish Genki I and II in about a year.
One lesson per week is faster but requires more than an hour per day. Only try this pace if you have the time and the motivation to sustain it.
Of course if you're one of the crazy ones you can just try and speedrun as much as your sanity permits. Just make sure to take a break if you're getting burned out — resenting and hating study will slow you down more than following a measured pace that is manageable with the demands of life.
When Can You Start Reading?
Here's something worth knowing: you don't necessarily need to finish both books before you start reading manga. Genki I and II together will take you to roughly an N4 level, which gives you a solid command of Japanese grammar. But the most ambitious learners can start diving into manga after just Genki I and figure things out as they go — looking up unfamiliar grammar the same way they look up unfamiliar words.
If you're the kind of person who learns best by jumping in, finishing Genki I gives you enough of a foundation to start. You'll struggle more than someone who finished Genki II, but you'll also be learning from real material sooner, and that has its own momentum.
Either way, once you have the grammar foundation, tools like the Ashiba App become powerful — teaching you vocabulary through real manga panels, in sentences you can actually parse. Understanding grammar is what makes that possible.