With the new technologies at our disposal, language barriers are no longer as debilitating as they used to be. If you have a smartphone, you can download any number of apps to learn Japanese. What's more, you can download apps to help you out of sticky situations. These platforms offer machine translations of words and phrases.
Thanks to these new technologies, you can understand what signs say and ask for directions, all without knowing a word of the country's language. If you are on your way to Japan for a language exchange program, you're probably deep into Japanese language studies. Even as a tourist, you're likely to pick up basic Japanese words and phrases ahead of your trip. Still, you may need such tools to help you get around.
At least, until you find your footing. Whether a student or a tourist, immersing yourself in the Japanese culture will enrich your language knowledge. But you don't need a long stay in the Land of the Rising Sun to drive your language studies. This app selection and related learning tools are just the resources you need to complement your Japanese lessons.
English to Japanese Translation: Is Google Good Enough?
You probably know plenty of websites to learn Japanese online. However, they might not be much help when you need a quick translation. For fast results, most people consult Google, especially if they want to translate an entire sentence. Google will even translate entire web pages.
But how reliable is it? As a mobile application, Google Translate works with data or a WIFI connection. You can use it to translate text from photos or use its text-to-talk feature. It's a great resource for when you are lost on the street in a strange city.
However, Google does some languages better than others. Japanese falls into the latter category. This application can be useful during your travels or even your self-study sessions, in a pinch. But you're better off using a different app to communicate with native Japanese speakers.
Japanese Translator App iTranslate
Suitable, reliable translation applications can be hard to find. That verdict might tempt you to stick with what's familiar and deal with mistakes as they happen. But don't throw in the towel just yet.
If you're an iPhone user, give iTranslate a try. It delivers more accurate translations even if they're not perfect. It's not always the app's fault, though. Japanese is a language where context acts on the meaning of a sentence.
In Japanese, verbs are not conjugated and there are neither gendered pronouns nor plural forms. These differences pose challenges to all translator apps, not just this one. Still, you can get the general meaning from this translator and then put your cultural knowledge to work.
iTranslate includes a 'voice' feature, meaning that the app translates your text and reads you the results. This could be a helpful tool while studying at home but it won't help you as you navigate the streets of Japan because it needs a WIFI connection to function. However, if you must rely on WIFI to hear spoken, Japanese, you're better off learning Japanese by webcam.
English to Japanese Translation Apps for iPhone: Japan Goggles
Just like Arabic, Korean, and Mandarin Chinese, the Japanese writing system often confounds English speakers. And sometimes translation apps, as we've already pointed out. However, this confusion needn't rule out all translation apps. The one in focus now provides a reliable translation even from photographs.
Let's say you're in Japan and can't understand what a Japanese sign says. Take a picture of it and the application will translate it for you. Language beginners who've not yet mastered Japanese kana and kanji will love this app. It even translates into romaji so you can speak the words.
The only downside is that the photos have to be in sharp focus for the app to find a translation. A smartphone with a good camera will solve that problem. Japan Goggles is a free application available for download in the app store.
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Japanese to English Translation: Imiwa
These days, hardly anyone walks around with a dictionary in their pocket. However, few walk around without their smartphone. Thus, if you download an app like Imiwa, you can have a multifaceted tool at your fingertips. Indeed, this translation app, available for tablets and smartphones, is top-rated, according to user feedback.
Unlike other translation apps, Imiwa does not rely on machine translation. Its entries draw on the independent internet community project Tatoeba and the Tanaka Corpus, a collaborative university language program. Using Imiwa, you will get precise definitions and example sentences that will allow you to use Japanese vocabulary depending on the context.
If you're using Japanese videos and movies to help you learn this language, Imiwa is an invaluable tool. You can conduct multicriteria searches with it, as well as create vocabulary lists, take notes and learn how to write kanji. Imiwa can also help you revise for the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test).
Japanese Translation App: PhrasePack
This is the conversation guide you need to dive into the heart of life in Japan! If you need to ask for directions or place an order at the restaurant, this application is for you. If you need or want more ways to learn Japanese, you should investigate this app.
PhrasePack Japanese contains 3,500 standard phrases (1000 in the free version) that you can adapt to common situations. They display in English, kana, and kanji characters, and also in romaji. This means you can easily repeat the desired phrases so people can understand you.
This application does not require an internet connection other than to download it. You will find a simple index with various headings, including people, eating, travelling, shopping and vocabulary for emergency situations.
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Japanese to English Translation With Quizzes: Ja Sensei
This app is not just for translation. Ja Sensei appeals to anyone who wants to learn Japanese because it is multifunctional. Whether you're taking Japanese lessons out of need or just for fun, you'll appreciate its simple index and practical tools.
Ja Sensei delivers Japanese lessons, complete with grammar instruction. It also covers vocabulary, verbs, and adjectives and helps learners master kana and kanji. Finally, this app delivers a conversation guide that gives you tips for good communication as well as conversation starters.
This app's main advantage is its 'personal lists' feature. There, you can build a collection of notes on vocabulary and how to write kana and kanji. It has built-in quizzes so you can learn the translation of ready-made phrases.
With JA Sensei, you will have audio recordings to practice your Japanese pronunciation. The app lets users save the phrases might later need in a 'favourites' folder. Its mildly gamified quizzes help you learn simple Japanese sentences while having fun.
If you have an upcoming trip to Japan, you can test Ja Sensei's abilities in real-life conditions. Should you find that it works well for you, you can continue using it alongside your formal Japanese lessons. Later, when you return to Japan as an intermediate Japanese speaker, you'll discover Japan in a new light thanks to JA Sensei.
English to Japanese Translation
To end this article, and since you are interested in the language of Mishima, let's talk about Hello-Hello. This app is not only a translation tool but it will help you advance your learning of the Japanese language. Download Hello-Hello ahead of your Japan trip to start memorizing the kana (katakana, hiragana) and Kanji syllabaries. While your plane jets through the heavens, you can even practise drawing them.
Often, people will visit Japan, fall in love with this country and culture, and then decide to study Japanese. There's no wrong way to decide to learn a language and if that's how you came to this intriguing tongue, good on you. Discovering kana on your way back can be the first step in your challenge to study the borrowed Chinese characters of kanji before starting Japanese classes.
This app also features a 15,000-word Japanese to English translation dictionary. Its grammar tab will teach you how to build sentences in Japanese. It is an app developed to deepen your knowledge and help you to learn to speak Japanese. You can even play vocabulary games on it.
We've explored only seven Japanese apps for translation and learning. Others - PapaGo, Waygo and Yandex also rank among the best English-Japanese-translation apps. Some, like Yandex and Japanese Translator, work offline as well as when connected. Others demand internet access, as you read throughout this article.
While this list of applications is far from an exhaustive selection, you no longer have an excuse to put off learning the Japanese language. Learning is easier when you have all the right tools and you can practise while having fun. You may even consider downloading one app for each of your devices so you'll have instant access as you learn Japanese with books.
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