Japanese or English? Which one to learn? Which is more difficult?

In this article, I will explain which of the two languages is better for you to study. Let’s see which is more difficult, Japanese or English? We will also look at their differences and the advantages of studying both languages.

Japanese? Why Japanese? Why a language so useless? Why not English, Spanish, French…”. This is one of the responses you get from people when you say “I am learning Japanese“.

For people, English is an irreplaceable language, considered more important than any other language. See how learning Japanese can be good for you, and even easier than learning the English language.

Japanese easier than English

I personally find Japanese easier than English. Some may be shocked and contradict my opinion, but that is the reality. In my opinion, Japanese is easier than English, which is easier than Portuguese itself.

The only difficulty of the Japanese language lies in the writing, but this becomes satisfying when you master a large part of it. Other than that, Japanese is a simple and straightforward language, without many grammatical complexities, just a bit of formality.

I personally find English more difficult for one main reason: Pronunciation. Portuguese is much more similar to Japanese in pronunciation, which is why I find it much easier to learn to speak Japanese than English.

Of course, a person will probably learn English more quickly, but I don’t think it’s easier. In fact, most Japanese and Brazilians do not speak English correctly or do not even try to learn it.

English is much easier than Portuguese because of its simplified grammar. Japanese is even easier, with no plural, no complex conjugations, and even the writing can facilitate your understanding of reading text.

The way of thinking of Japanese people is much more simplified, specific, and direct than other languages. Have you ever tried to learn sign language? The Japanese language is similar to Brazilian sign language.

The advantages of studying Japanese and English

What do you think about studying both languages together? There are many advantages, some mentioned in the article about English, Japanese, and Portuguese, being a perfect combination. Shall we review some of these points?

Japan was westernized recently, so the English language has strongly influenced the Japanese language. Several words that the Japanese were unaware of were created from the English language, which makes learning both languages easier.

It is believed that there are over a thousand English-origin words written in katakana present in the Japanese language. Even other languages like Portuguese, French, and Spanish have had a strong influence on some words.

If you know Portuguese and want to learn new languages, Japanese and English go well together. By doing this, you will end up realizing that Japanese is much easier than English and see how they complement each other.

Don’t learn a language out of obligation

Ask someone who is learning English why they are studying the language. They will say things like:

• Because I want to have a good job;
• Because I need to get into a college;
• Because my parents force me;
• Because this is a useful language;
• Because it is the most spoken language in the world;
• Others;

If you pay attention, you will see that these reasons are totally linked to something external to you. The motivation of these people to learn English does not come from within them.

They just learn out of obligation. That’s why many try to learn English and fail. They lack motivation, desire, and effort. Those who study Japanese generally want to learn for the following reasons:

• Because I like anime;
• Because I like the culture;
• Because I find it interesting;
• Because Japanese women are beautiful;
• Because I want to understand RPGs and novels in Japanese;
• Because I have a Japanese girlfriend;
• Because I like J-pop (or vocaloid);

All these reasons are linked to a strong feeling within the person, an inner motivation, you! They may seem ridiculous, but they are things we have a strong feeling for, which motivate us a lot to continue learning.

The word “like” has a much deeper meaning than you imagine. I believe that to like can be synonymous with “love,” but the word “like” does not convey as strong an intensity as the word “love.”

These people are more successful in studying the language. Therefore, learn what you want and not what others say. I also really liked the words of the Korean teacher 바보 (AiLeen), who says:

“If the motivation to do something was genuine and came from within, the chances of the endeavor being successful increase exponentially!”

There is no useless language

People say that Japanese is useless, it won’t help you at all. However, they are completely wrong! There is no useless language; this idea is absurd.

Every language has some utility. The Catalan language, for example:

The Catalan language is spoken very little (just over 11 million speakers). Derived from Spanish, Latin, and French, it is spoken in Barcelona and in some parts of Spain and other places in Europe.

What can you do by speaking Catalan? Many things. You can travel to Barcelona, study the origin of Catalan, in addition to studying a very old language. Catalan was a language that dominated many regions in Europe.

So, remember that to learn a language, we need to have a strong, deep reason. It is not enough to see the language as a simple obligation. Knowing Japanese, you can even compete for scholarships in Japan! That would be a unique opportunity.

Of course, English is also essential. Knowing English, many doors will be opened, in addition to helping in the learning of other languages. We also recommend reading our article about online English courses.

The problem is that most people learn this language only out of obligation, and not because they like English. If you don’t like English, you will rarely get results!

Anyway, it doesn’t matter which language you are studying, regardless of the number of speakers of the language, if you have a strong motivation, it will be enough to generate motivation to learn and study it. Happy studying;)

Where to Start?

If you are still in doubt about learning Japanese, or don’t know where to start, below we will recommend some beginner books and courses. Remember that you always have the articles on our site as a great range of free content.

You can take a look at our article about online Japanese courses. There are complete courses that resemble a university, while others are cheap and basic, but help you have a better understanding of the language.

We have the course from Kenji Sensei that costs less than 150 reais and teaches using Anime and Manga. We also have one with Monica Velozo, the Nihongo Kakumei Japanese Club which costs less than 50 reais monthly, with unlimited content for all levels.