Why You Should Never Learn Japanese with Romaji
Some argue that beginners to the Japanese language can skip the writing system and just use romaji. Here’s why that’s never a good idea.
By Jay Allen
Are you starting to learn Japanese? Are you wondering whether you should learn with romaji (Roman characters) to help simplify getting started?
Well, I’m here to tell you: don’t. You should never learn Japanese with romaji — and here’s why.
The Japanese writing wall
Look, I won’t deny it. For Western speakers, learning Japanese is a tall wall to climb. The writing system is often the hardest part of the scramble. With close to 2,000 standard kanji (ideographic characters) and two syllabaries, hiragana and katakana, there’s a lot for a newbie to pick up.
Given this, it’s no surprise we’re all scrambling for shortcuts. For example, some learners use systems such as Heisig’s Remembering the Kanji to slam as many of the characters into their heads as they can in big gulps. (I’m not a fan but to each their own.)
