# The Inku Blog > Articles by Bao H. on learning Japanese, flashcards, study habits and building Inku. Canonical: https://inkujapanese.com/blog Opinionated writing on learning Japanese, flashcard apps and study methods. Read articles about learning Japanese and building Inku. Follow new posts in your reader with the [Inku RSS feed](https://inkujapanese.com/feed.xml). - ## [Renshuu vs Anki for Japanese: which fits your study routine?](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/renshuu-vs-anki) Compare Renshuu and Anki for Japanese by setup, prepared material, personal decks, daily workload, platforms, and cost. 7 min readRenshuuAnkiSRS - ## [Romaji Is a Crutch (and That Is Fine for Two Weeks)](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/romaji-crutch) Romaji helps you start and then holds you back. Here is the honest case for using it briefly and dropping it fast. 7 min readKanaBeginners - ## [Learning Japanese From Anime: What Works and What Doesn't](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/learn-japanese-from-anime) Anime is a real listening tool and a real trap. Here is what it is good for, what it teaches wrong, and how to use it without sounding strange. 9 min readCultureListening - ## [Hiragana vs Katakana: When to Use Each](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/hiragana-vs-katakana) Two kana scripts, same sounds, different jobs. Here is when Japanese uses hiragana, when it uses katakana, and which to learn first. 8 min readHiraganaKatakanaKana - ## [Is Japanese Hard to Learn? An Honest Answer](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/is-japanese-hard-to-learn) Japanese has a reputation for being impossible. Here is what is genuinely hard, what is easier than you expect, and how long it really takes. 9 min readLearningStrategy - ## [Japanese Counters: Why You Cannot Just Count to Ten](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/japanese-counters) Japanese uses different counters for flat things, long things, people, and animals. Here are the ones worth learning first and how to drill them. 8 min readGrammarVocabulary - ## [Wa vs Ga: The Clearest Explanation of は and が](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/wa-vs-ga) The difference between は and が in plain English, with a simple mental model and many real examples so it finally clicks. 9 min readGrammarParticles - ## [The Japanese Te-Form, Explained Simply](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/japanese-te-form) The te-form is the one conjugation that unlocks requests, linked actions, and the progressive. Here is how to form it and when to use it. 9 min readGrammarVerbs - ## [JLPT N4 Vocabulary: What to Learn After N5](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/jlpt-n4-vocabulary) What changes when you move from JLPT N5 to N4, how many words to expect, and how to study the next set without burning out. 9 min readJLPTN4Vocabulary - ## [Japanese Colors: Every Color Word and the Adjective Trap](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/japanese-colors) A clear guide to Japanese colors, with the i-adjective vs noun rule explained. Six colors can modify a noun directly; the rest, including midori and murasaki, need の. 8 min readVocabularyGrammarN5 - ## [100 Most Common Japanese Words for Beginners](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/100-most-common-japanese-words) The 100 most common Japanese words for beginners, grouped into greetings, family, food, time, travel, body, weather, numbers, verbs, and adjectives. Each shows kana, romaji, and English. 9 min readVocabularyN5Beginner - ## [Anime Japanese vs Real Japanese: What's Safe to Actually Say](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/anime-japanese-vs-real-japanese) Which anime Japanese phrases are safe to say in real life and which are rude. Two clear tables, the polite default to use instead, and why pronouns are the trap. 9 min readAnimeSpeakingCulture - ## [How to Say Sorry in Japanese: Choose by the Situation](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/how-to-say-sorry-in-japanese) Compare sumimasen, gomen nasai and mōshiwake arimasen, and choose an apology for the situation. 9 min readPhrasesPolitenessVocabulary - ## [How to Say Thank You in Japanese (Casual to Very Formal)](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/how-to-say-thank-you-in-japanese) How to say thank you in Japanese, from casual to very formal: arigatou, arigatou gozaimasu, the gozaimasu vs gozaimashita nuance, sumimasen as thanks, and when to use each. 9 min readPhrasesPolitenessBeginner - ## [Anki for Japanese: Why We Recommend Inku](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/is-anki-good-for-japanese) We recommend Inku over Anki for most Japanese learners: ready-made cards, bundled audio, and daily reviews. See the tradeoffs and practical Anki setup. 10 min readAnkiToolsSRS - ## [How Many Words for JLPT N5? Check the Official Scope](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/how-many-words-jlpt-n5) There is no official JLPT N5 vocabulary count. Learn how to evaluate a study list and use sample questions. 8 min readJLPTN5Vocabulary - ## [How Long Does It Take to Prepare for JLPT N5?](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/how-long-to-pass-jlpt-n5) Plan your JLPT N5 study schedule, understand the test sections and pass marks, and practise vocabulary, grammar, reading and listening. 9 min readJLPTN5Study plan - ## [How to Stay Consistent Learning Japanese Without Streaks](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/stay-consistent-without-streaks) A research-backed way to stay consistent with Japanese without streak pressure: set a tiny daily minimum, return after a break, and protect the habit, not the number. 8 min readStudy habitStrategyConsistency - ## [What Is FSRS? The Spaced-Repetition Algorithm Explained](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/what-is-fsrs) FSRS (Free Spaced Repetition Scheduler) predicts the moment you are about to forget a card and schedules the review for then. A plain-English explanation, and how it compares to SM-2. 8 min readSRSFSRSMemory - ## [Do Japanese Flashcards Actually Work? (The Honest Answer)](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/do-japanese-flashcards-work) Yes. For kana and vocabulary, Japanese flashcards are one of the most efficient tools there is, when you use active recall and spaced repetition. Here is what they are good at, what they are not, and how to use them right. 9 min readFlashcardsSRSMemory - ## [The Masu Form: Polite Japanese Verbs Made Simple](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/masu-form-conjugation) How to conjugate the polite masu form of Japanese verbs: the three verb groups, the u-verb sound shift, the two irregulars, and the four masu endings. 9 min readGrammarVerbsBeginners - ## [Days of the Week and Months in Japanese](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/days-of-the-week-and-months) The seven days of the week and twelve months in Japanese, plus the irregular days of the month, with kanji, kana, and romaji and the patterns that make them easier. 8 min readVocabularyBeginnersNumbers - ## [Japanese Greetings: The Phrases You Actually Need First](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/japanese-greetings) The Japanese greetings worth learning first, from ohayou gozaimasu to itadakimasu, with when to use each and the casual and polite forms. 10 min readPhrasesBeginnersVocabulary - ## [The Difference Between a Streak Trap and a Study Habit](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/streak-trap-vs-study-habit) A simple way to tell whether your Japanese app is helping you learn or just helping you come back. 4 min readLaunchStudy habit - ## [Why Inku Teaches Five Cards at a Time](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/why-inku-teaches-five-cards-at-a-time) Why small review sets make Japanese easier to start, easier to finish, and easier to remember. 4 min readLaunchFlashcards - ## [I Built the Japanese App I Wanted](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/i-built-the-japanese-app-i-wanted) A short launch note about why Inku exists: Japanese that sticks, without a phone that yells at you. 4 min readLaunchFounder story - ## [Kanji Study Strategies: Vocabulary, Components and Reading](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/kanji-learning-strategies) Explore kanji study methods using vocabulary, components, writing practice and reading. 11 min readKanjiStrategy - ## [Japanese Pitch Accent: Should Beginners Care?](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/japanese-pitch-accent) Learn the basics of Japanese pitch accent, hear examples and decide when to include it in your study. 10 min readPronunciationAdvanced - ## [The Best Way to Learn Hiragana in 3 Days](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/hiragana-in-3-days) A schedule, a method, and a set of guardrails against the mistakes that cost most people a week. 9 min readHiraganaStrategy - ## [How Long Does It Take to Learn Japanese? Plan by Task](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/how-long-to-learn-japanese) A Japanese-learning timeline depends on your goal and available practice. Build a time budget and check your progress. 13 min readTimelineStrategy - ## [Why I Stopped Using Anki (and What I Built Instead)](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/why-i-stopped-using-anki) Anki works. It is also a blank sheet of graph paper. After three years, here is why I stopped opening it. 10 min readAnkiFounder story - ## [Moshi Moshi: Meaning and Japanese Phone Greetings](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/moshi-moshi) Learn what もしもし (moshi moshi) means and how to use it for phone greetings, including business calls. 7 min readCulturePhrases - ## [Wasei-eigo: 50 English Words Japanese Changed](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/wasei-eigo) Why マンション (manshon) means apartment, not mansion. A tour through the English words Japan adapted. 12 min readCultureVocabulary - ## [The Spaced Repetition Mistake That Wastes Your Time](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/spaced-repetition-mistake) Learn why adding too many flashcards can create a review backlog and how to get back on track. 8 min readSRSMemory - ## [Duolingo for 100 Days: What I Learned About Japanese](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/duolingo-100-days) What I learned after 100 days of Duolingo Japanese, including what helped and what held me back. 11 min readDuolingoReviewStrategy - ## [Can You Actually Learn Japanese in 10 Minutes a Day?](https://inkujapanese.com/blog/10-minutes-a-day-japanese) A brutally honest answer to the question every language app dodges. With real numbers from six months of self-logging. 9 min readStrategyLearning