Japan will feel like home.

Talk with people in Japan with confidence, from your first hiragana to JLPT N2. Real conversations, natural phrases, every answer explained.

Try the free N5 sample testJoin the waitlist

JLPT-style practice. Not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or Japan Educational Exchanges and Services.

Hanamaru app screen: a kana exercise. The learner picked “ma” for ま and the answer is marked correct.
Coming in the app

What staff will actually say to you, and how to answer.

Short scenes from everyday places. Hear the line, then pick a reply: simple or polite. Reading help in kana or romaji, you choose.

  • Konbini

    Illustration

    Staff

    「袋(ふくろ)はご利用(りよう)ですか。」

    “Do you need a bag?”

    Simple「大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です。」
    Polite「袋(ふくろ)は大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です。」

    “No, thanks.”

    After an offer, 大丈夫です means “No, thanks.”

  • Family restaurant

    Illustration

    Staff

    「ライスとパン、どちらになさいますか。」

    “Would you like rice or bread?”

    Simple「ライスで。」
    Polite「ライスでお願(ねが)いします。」

    “Rice, please.”

  • Clothes shop

    Illustration

    Staff

    「何(なに)かお探(さが)しですか。」

    “Are you looking for anything in particular?”

    Simple「見(み)てるだけです。」
    Polite「ちょっと見(み)ているだけなので、大丈夫(だいじょうぶ)です。」

    “I'm just looking, thanks.”

  • Hotel check-in

    Illustration

    Staff

    「チェックインでいらっしゃいますか。」

    “Are you checking in?”

    Simple「はい。スミスです。」
    Polite「はい、スミスの名前(なまえ)で予約(よやく)しています。」

    “Yes, the booking is under Smith.”

Illustrations with example lines, not final app screens.

Every answer explained

Every option has a reason. Every word has a source.

When you get it wrong, you see why. When you get it right, you see why too.

  • A short reason for every option, not only the right one.
  • Open dictionary data, credited where you read it.
  • Original practice questions, written for Hanamaru. JLPT-style, never copied from real exams.
N5-level · ParticlesIllustration

Choose the word that fits.

駅(えき)（　）行(い)きます。

  • へCorrect

    へ marks the direction you move toward. “I go to the station.”

  • をYour answer · Not quite

    を marks what you act on, or a place you move through. Here you need the destination.

  • の

    の links two nouns, as in 駅(えき)の名前(なまえ) (the station’s name).

  • が

    が marks the subject. The station is not the one going.

Illustration of an answered question. Dictionary data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0.
How you learn

One clear path, from kana to N2.

  1. Kana first, free

    Hiragana and katakana, with stroke order and writing.

  2. Lessons N5 to N2

    Short lessons with every exercise type: choose, build sentences, type readings, counters, reading.

  3. Reviews that remember for you

    Spaced repetition (FSRS) brings each word back right before you’d forget it.

  4. Real life

    Scenes, a dictionary that understands conjugated forms (食(た)べました → 食(た)べる), and reading with furigana and tap-to-look-up.

Speaking practiceIllustration

袋(ふくろ)は結構(けっこう)です。

Model
You

Your phone heard:袋(ふくろ)は結構(けっこう)です。

Coming in the app

Speak out loud, privately.

Listen, repeat and shadow with your phone’s Japanese voice. Record yourself, compare with the model, and see whether your phone understood you.

  • No scores and no judgement.
  • Always optional: you can skip any time.

Your recordings stay on your phone.

Calm by design

One thing on the screen at a time.

An uncluttered screen, clear type and one accent colour. Light or dark, it stays quiet so you can focus.

Today screen: the next lesson, the daily goal and reviews due
A new kana: ま (ma) with its sound and stroke order
A review question: how do you read ほ?
Progress screen in dark mode: streak, kana learned and activity
  • Learns offline
  • No ads
  • No account needed to start
  • We never sell your data
Free and Plus

Start free. Go further with Plus.

Free

Kana course

  • The full hiragana and katakana course
  • Stroke order and writing
Plus

Hanamaru Plus

  • N5 to N2 lessons
  • Reviews with spaced repetition
  • Dictionary and reading
  • Scenes and speaking practice

In-app subscription, 7-day free trial. Price announced at launch.

iOS and Android · coming soon

Questions

Is Hanamaru official JLPT material?

No. It’s original JLPT-style practice written for Hanamaru, not an official JLPT product. Not affiliated with the Japan Foundation or Japan Educational Exchanges and Services. Read the full disclaimer.

When can I download it?

There’s no public date yet. Join the waitlist and we’ll email you when it’s ready, and before that if a beta opens.

What does it cost?

The kana course is free. Everything else is Hanamaru Plus: an in-app subscription, 7-day free trial, price announced at launch.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Lessons, reviews, the dictionary and reading all work without a connection.

Do I have to speak?

No. Speaking practice is optional and you can always skip. Recordings stay on your phone and are never uploaded.

Where does the content come from?

Lessons and questions are written for Hanamaru, never copied from exam papers or textbooks. Words, readings and kanji come from open dictionary data (JMdict, KANJIDIC2, KanjiVG), credited in the app.

Which levels are included?

At launch: kana and N5 to N2. N1 comes later.

What happens to my email?

We only use it to email you about Hanamaru’s launch and beta, and you can unsubscribe at any time. This site sets no cookies and runs no analytics. Details are in the privacy policy.

Feel at home in Japan.

Join the waitlist. We’ll email you when Hanamaru launches, and invite you if a beta opens before then.

We only use your email for this. See the privacy policy.

Try the free N5 sample test