Learning Japanese as a Family: Lessons for Parents and Children
Learning Japanese as a family works best when everyone has their own level and goal but shares some practice. Usually that means separate short lessons for children and adults (or one shared lesson if you’re all beginners), plus a few minutes of Japanese at home every day: greetings, mealtime phrases, a song or a game. Families start for different reasons, such as a move to Japan, a Japanese parent or grandparents, a holiday, or a child who loves anime, and the plan should follow that reason.
Why families learn Japanese together
- Moving to Japan for work, with children starting a Japanese school. See preparing your child for school in Japan.
- A Japanese parent or grandparents, where the goal is talking with family. See Japanese for heritage learners.
- A family trip to Japan, where a few weeks of phrases make the trip easier. See travelling in Japan with kids.
- A child’s interest in anime, games or school Japanese that a parent wants to support.
Shared lessons or separate lessons?
| Option | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| One shared lesson | Everyone is a beginner, the goal is a trip or basic conversation, children are school age. | Different speeds; one person answering for everyone. |
| Separate lessons | Levels or goals differ (a child at school in Japan, a parent needing work Japanese). | Less shared practice, so add family time at home. |
| Mix of both | Children need their own pace, but you want a family session now and then (for example, before a trip). | Keeping a simple schedule everyone can stick to. |
Children usually do better with shorter, active lessons than adults. For more on lessons for children, see Japanese lessons for kids and teens.
Japanese at home: small daily habits
| Japanese | Say it | When |
|---|---|---|
| おはよう！ | ohayō! | Good morning |
| いただきます。 | itadakimasu. | Before eating |
| ごちそうさまでした。 | gochisōsama deshita. | After eating |
| いってきます。／いってらっしゃい。 | ittekimasu. / itterasshai. | Leaving home / seeing someone off |
| ただいま。／おかえり。 | tadaima. / okaeri. | Coming home / welcoming someone back |
| おやすみ。 | oyasumi. | Good night |
- Label the house with Japanese words on sticky notes: ドア, まど, れいぞうこ.
- Play together: card games for numbers and colours, or hiragana bingo. See learn hiragana and katakana.
- Cook a Japanese dish and use the names of the ingredients.
- Let children teach you what they learnt in their lesson; explaining is great practice.
Keeping everyone motivated
Set a family goal you can see, like ordering dinner in Japanese on your trip, or a video call with grandparents. Keep lessons regular rather than long, praise effort, and don’t compare siblings. For words for family members, see Japanese family words.
How Hanabuddies can help
Our native tutors teach online, one-to-one or in small groups, so you can choose separate lessons for each family member, a shared family lesson, or both. Tell us everyone’s age, level and goal in a free consultation and we’ll suggest a simple plan.