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Japanese Foundations

A practical A1 Japanese course for English-speaking adults.

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Adult English to Japanese A1

  • Structured lesson path with saved progress
  • Vocabulary presentation, quiz feedback, and review scheduling
  • 70 complete lessons across 10 units

Unit 1

Unit 1 - Greetings and Introductions

Start with the phrases you need to greet people politely and naturally.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Hello and Goodbye

Learn nine core Japanese greetings and politeness phrases.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - What's Your Name?

Ask someone's name, introduce yourself, and use the first-meeting phrases naturally.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - How Are You?

Ask how someone is and answer naturally with positive, neutral, and honest forms.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Please and Thank You

Request, thank, apologize, and offer with the everyday politeness toolkit.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Where Are You From?

State your origin and residence, and read country names in katakana.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect greetings, introductions, wellbeing, courtesy, origin, and residence before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Greetings and Introductions unit.

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Unit 2

Unit 2 - Numbers and Personal Information

Count in Japanese and share age, phone numbers, and other essential personal details.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Numbers 0 to 10

Count from zero to ten and choose the everyday readings of 4, 7, and 9.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Numbers 11 to 100

Build every number to one hundred from じゅう and the digits.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - How Old Are You?

Ask about age politely and answer with the さい counter and はたち.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Phone Numbers

Exchange phone numbers digit by digit and repair fast conversations.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Address and Email

Handle addresses and email aloud, and keep private details private.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect numbers, age, contact details, and privacy before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Numbers and Personal Information unit.

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Unit 3

Unit 3 - Family and People

Talk about family members, relationships, and the people in your life.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - My Family

Name your own family in humble terms and say who is in it.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Your Family

Ask about other people's families with the honorific word set.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Counting People

Count the people in your life and state your family size.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Describing People

Describe personality and features with both adjective families.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Friends and People

Introduce the people around you and ask who is who.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect family words, people counting, descriptions, and introductions before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Family and People unit.

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Unit 4

Unit 4 - Food and Drinks

Order, offer, and discuss common foods and drinks.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Everyday Food and Drinks

Name core foods and drinks, say what you like, and order anything.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Meals and Hunger

Talk about meals, hunger, and the phrases that frame Japanese eating.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Ordering at a Café

Call staff, ask for the menu, and order items with counts.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Preferences and Needs

State preferences, dietary needs, and allergies clearly and kindly.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Prices and Paying

Ask prices, order by pointing, and pay by card or cash.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect foods, meals, ordering, needs, and paying before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Food and Drinks unit.

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Unit 5

Unit 5 - Home and Everyday Objects

Name rooms, household items, and useful objects around you.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Rooms of the Home

Name the rooms of a Japanese home and learn the entryway custom.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Everyday Objects

Name everyday objects and sort out whose is whose.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Where Things Are

Place everything precisely with the location-word pattern.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Describing Your Home

Describe rooms with adjective pairs, chains, and compliments.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Visiting a Home

Host and visit with the full home-visit etiquette.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect rooms, objects, locations, descriptions, and visiting before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Home and Everyday Objects unit.

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Unit 6

Unit 6 - Daily Routine

Describe everyday actions, habits, and a simple daily schedule.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Waking and Sleeping

Anchor your day with waking, sleeping, and every-day habits.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - School, Work, and Home

Move through the day: destinations with に, workplaces with で, and かえります.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Evenings and Habits

Fill your evenings and grade how often with the frequency ladder.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Times and Schedules

Put the day on the clock with じ, に, and から〜まで.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - A Day in Order

Tell your whole day as one story with そして, それから, and あとで.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect the whole day — verbs, times, frequency, and sequencing — before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Daily Routine unit.

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Unit 7

Unit 7 - Time and Dates

Tell time, use dates, and make simple plans.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Minutes on the Clock

Tell time to the minute with ふん/ぷん, はん, and すぎ/まえ.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Days of the Week

Name the seven element-days and put plans and days off on them.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Months and Dates

Read the calendar with がつ and にち, the week trio, and the past with でした.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Making Plans

Propose, choose, and seal plans with よてい, に あいます, and じゃあ.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Changing Plans

Negotiate, decline kindly, reschedule, and close plans with warmth.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect clocks, calendars, and plan negotiation before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Time and Dates unit.

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Unit 8

Unit 8 - Shopping

Ask about prices, quantities, sizes, and everyday purchases.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Money and Big Numbers

Read real prices with the hundreds/thousands sound changes and the まん column.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Stores and Asking for Things

Navigate Japanese stores and ask for exactly what you want.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Sizes and Colors

Ask for the right size and color — and for 'a bigger one' with の.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Trying and Deciding

Try things on, compare with すぎます and もっと, and decide with に します.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Paying and Returns

Handle the register script, bags and point cards, and returns and exchanges.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect prices, stores, fittings, and the register before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Shopping unit.

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Unit 9

Unit 9 - Getting Around

Ask for directions and navigate common transport situations.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Getting Around Town

Ride trains, buses, and bicycles with transport で and のります/おります.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - At the Station

Navigate tickets, platforms, exits, transfers, and announcements.

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Street Directions

Turn, cross, and go straight with the path を and direction に.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Asking the Way

Ask routes with どうやって, durations with かかります, and point with ここ/そこ/あそこ.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - A Small Trip

Depart, arrive, get lost, and come home with おみやげ.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect vehicles, stations, directions, and travel before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Getting Around unit.

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Unit 10

Unit 10 - Everyday Conversations

Combine A1 skills in practical conversations from daily life.

7 published lessons

Lesson 1

Lesson 1 - Small Talk and Weather

Open conversations with the sky: forecasts, あつい/さむい, and そうですね.

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Lesson 2

Lesson 2 - Invitations

Invite with ませんか, accept with ぜひ, and decline with ちょっと….

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Lesson 3

Lesson 3 - Making Yourself Understood

State your level, ask meanings, and mine for words with なんと いいますか.

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Lesson 4

Lesson 4 - Feelings and Reactions

React with すごい and ほんとうですか, remember with かった, cheer with がんばって.

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Lesson 5

Lesson 5 - Warm Goodbyes

Exit gracefully with そろそろ, past-tense thanks, and the goodbye ladder.

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Lesson 6

Lesson 6 - Unit Review

Reconnect the whole conversation arc before the final assessment.

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Lesson 7

Lesson 7 - Unit Assessment

Demonstrate independent mastery of the complete Everyday Conversations unit — and the course.

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