Bao Hua

Posts by Bao Hua

• Learn Hiragana: Inku's Complete Guide

  Learn all 46 hiragana in three days with this complete illustrated guide. Audio, mnemonics, stroke order, and a printable worksheet.

  2026-04-21 · 28 min read

• Learn Katakana: A Practical Guide for Adults

  The complete katakana guide. 46 characters, side-by-side with hiragana, pronunciation audio, and the loanword patterns that make katakana click.

  2026-04-21 · 22 min read

• JLPT N5 Vocabulary: The Definitive List

  The 600 most useful N5 words, organized by category, with audio and downloadable flashcards. The exact list Inku's N5 deck is built on.

  2026-04-21 · 35 min read

• How to Learn Japanese: An Honest Roadmap

  If I had to learn Japanese from scratch again, this is exactly what I would do. Six phases, real time estimates, specific tools.

  2026-04-21 · 32 min read

• Spaced Repetition, Explained Without the Hype

  The memory science behind Anki, WaniKani, and Inku. Why spaced repetition works, where it breaks, and how to use it without wasting your time.

  2026-04-21 · 18 min read

• Japanese Particles: The Masterclass

  A complete, example-dense guide to every core Japanese particle: は, が, を, に, で, へ, と, から, まで, の, も, や.

  2026-04-21 · 26 min read

• Can You Actually Learn Japanese in 10 Minutes a Day?

  A brutally honest answer to the question every language app dodges. With real numbers from six months of self-logging.

  2026-04-21 · 9 min read

• Duolingo for 100 Days: What I Learned, What I Wish I'd Done Differently

  A journal, a scoreboard, and a reckoning. Ninety-eight green owls later, what actually stuck.

  2026-04-21 · 11 min read

• The Spaced Repetition Mistake That Wastes 90% of Learners' Time

  Most people set up SRS wrong on day one. Here is the fix that took my retention from 60 percent to 94 percent.

  2026-04-21 · 8 min read

• Wasei-eigo: 50 English Words the Japanese Changed Beyond Recognition

  Why マンション (manshon) means apartment, not mansion. A tour through the English words Japan quietly rewrote.

  2026-04-21 · 12 min read

• Moshi Moshi: Why Japanese Phones Aren't Answered Like Yours

  The real story behind もしもし, where it came from, and the ghost-related reason it sticks around.

  2026-04-21 · 7 min read

• Why I Stopped Using Anki (and What I Built Instead)

  Anki works. It is also a blank sheet of graph paper. After three years, here is why I stopped opening it.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• How Long Does It Take to Learn Japanese? A Brutally Honest Timeline

  Working adults, be warned. Here is a realistic month-by-month plan from zero to conversational Japanese.

  2026-04-21 · 13 min read

• The Best Way to Learn Hiragana in 3 Days

  A schedule, a method, and a set of guardrails against the mistakes that cost most people a week.

  2026-04-21 · 9 min read

• Japanese Pitch Accent: Why Most Apps Skip It and Whether You Should Care

  Pitch accent is Japanese's invisible grammar. Here is when to study it, when to ignore it, and how to hear it for the first time.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• Kanji Learning Strategies That Actually Stick

  Radicals, stories, writing practice, and the one strategy nobody recommends but everybody needs.

  2026-04-21 · 11 min read

• Inku vs Duolingo for Japanese

  An honest side-by-side. Which one is right for your first week, and which one you will outgrow.

  2026-04-21 · 14 min read

• Inku vs Anki for Japanese

  Anki is infinitely flexible. Inku is opinionated. Here is how to choose, and when to use both.

  2026-04-21 · 15 min read

• Inku vs WaniKani

  WaniKani is the gold standard for kanji. Inku starts earlier. Here is who should use which.

  2026-04-21 · 13 min read

• Inku vs Bunpo

  Bunpo owns grammar drilling. Inku owns kana plus vocabulary. Which you should start with.

  2026-04-21 · 11 min read

• Inku vs LingoDeer

  LingoDeer is a full curriculum. Inku is a focused flashcard deck. Here is what that means for you.

  2026-04-21 · 12 min read

• Inku vs Renshuu

  Renshuu is a wonderful web-first tool. Inku is native iPhone. Who each is for.

  2026-04-21 · 12 min read

• Inku vs Busuu

  Busuu teaches through full lessons and human review. Inku teaches through flashcards and voice. A clear-eyed comparison.

  2026-04-21 · 11 min read

• Inku vs Lingopie

  Lingopie teaches through TV shows and native media. Inku teaches through spaced cards. How they stack up for Japanese.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• Inku vs Noji

  Noji is a powerful web flashcard tool with a tool library. Inku is iPhone-first with native audio.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• The Best Duolingo Alternative for Japanese

  If Duolingo's gamification burned you out, here is the calm, grown-up alternative for learning Japanese.

  2026-04-21 · 12 min read

• The Best Anki Alternative for Japanese (if You Want Less Setup)

  Anki is infinitely flexible and infinitely bare. Here is the Japanese-specific alternative that has the cards built for you.

  2026-04-21 · 11 min read

• A Rosetta Stone Alternative for Japanese (at 1/10th the Price)

  Rosetta Stone's immersion method is decades old and $200. Here is the modern alternative that fits in your pocket.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• A Babbel Alternative for Japanese Learners

  Babbel's Japanese catalogue is limited. Here is a Japanese-first alternative built by someone who learned Japanese as an adult.

  2026-04-21 · 10 min read

• A Pimsleur Alternative for Japanese (for Visual Learners)

  Pimsleur is audio-only. Inku is audio plus visual plus writing. A side-by-side for the kind of learner who needs to see the kana.

  2026-04-21 · 9 min read