Hi guys I’ve started quartet series after completing genki 2.
I’ve done all the exercises in both genki workbook, i loved them.
But starting quartet i feel like i always need to check for the grammar as I’m always forgetting some points and need to refresh…
Should I buy a whole grammar reference book like?
So:
1: should I buy something like ‘A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar’ dedicated book?
2: do you know if there is a n4/5 workbook where I can 練習 all the genki series? Do you think that is a good idea to practice it more? I feel like all the exercises i did is not enough maybe…
Another thing I’m struggling a lot is reading lectures in quartet. I feel like they are very hard.
The thing I’m struggling with is that Japanese sentences end with the verb.
In quartet many sentences are very long and I struggle to understand what each piece is used for into the sentence… Should I start from the verb to understand it?
手伝ってくれてくれてありがとう
6 comments
Have you tried slapping grammar points in Anki or using an existing grammar deck?
Also, are you doing any reading outside of your textbooks? This is definitely when you should be able to start branching out into reading a bit more comfortably. Reading will also give you more opportunities to review your learned grammar.
> should I buy something like ‘A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar’
not worth it, you can find all the grammar points explained online
You’re at the point where things start to get real.
Genki 1 and 2 basically are like a roller coaster that just goes on one track with a couple of predictable ups and downs. Everyone gets on and gets off with roughly the same experience.
That’s somewhere in n4.
You’re not doing anything wrong.
Except now you’re kind of expected to introduce yourself to a ton of repetition and random Japanese exposure so you actually get to hear and experience the things you’re learning.
The grammar dictionary books are excellent. There are guides on how to use them efficiently. But mostly they’re a resource to refer to for self study.
Quartet was a great choice. Tokini Andy goes into the grammar lesson by lesson and is worth watching. But you should still look up other sources.
Don’t keep going forward in lessons when you’re feeling a bit perplexed. You should be confident in the grammar and vocabulary before moving forward.
Going forward without proficiency just makes later lessons that much more difficult and can lead to burnout or feeling lost.
It’s better to take longer learning things properly than rushing into complications.
Not saying that’s where you are, but it’s common. So it’s perfect you noticed it’s a good time to ask how to proceed.
As mentioned above. You need exposure.
Now let’s assume you’re already using some form of flash cards or anki outside of your textbook. You still need to absorb more Japanese and have ways to identify things to work on.
First of all, get another journal or an app to keep track of things you’ve encountered.
Second. Turn off English subtitles on anything you watch. This implies you’re watching Japanese content. Which you should be. You’re at that stage. Like a baby learning English or any native tongue, you need to hear it over and over again for it to start to naturally translate in your head.
Third. Expand your exposure. Not just cartoons, or manga. There are podcasts and youtubers who specifically speak in certain levels of Japanese. Shun has videos literally titled “xyz situation n5/n4 Japanese ” where you’ll understand most of it. Teppei is a highly recommended podcast as well. Dramas are a big deal too. Cure Dolly is highly recommended for understanding grammatical concepts. There are a dozen others that you’ll find just from snooping youtube.
Four. That journal? Keep it handy! Even if Japanese is on in the background. If something catches your ear you better bet you’re writing it down to look up later. This is training yourself to identify useful language. Words, grammar, expressions, etc. You may find yourself writing the same grammar point down in different situations a lot. This is good. It means you’re getting exposure and trying to work through something useful. Go back and review your weeks worth of notes. Pick a day. That is review day.
Five. Review day. Ask questions. Reddit, hellotalk, anywhere. Find answers if people aren’t answering. YouTube and Google are going to be good enough for most things.
Six. Read. You’re at the point where we should be reading and getting used to processing stuff that way. There are news websites and apps that are designed for learners. Graded readers sound boring but they’re resources made specifically for learners to start off at almost no Japanese to read up to their comfort level so they can identify where they are and use that to understand how to move forward. Also, wanikani forums have a solid book reading community with a large list of books they have read already. Meaning you have free access to entire vocabulary sheets for manga and books. You’re about where most people are when they start reading Yotsuba in Japanese. I just picked up a copy for 9 usd for my kid who is learning. She’s right where you are and doing fine with the help of the vocabulary sheet, which has flashcards available for free on the same wanikani book club thread.
Seven. Rewind. You’re not watching Jaoanese shows for fun anymore. You’re doing it to learn. Don’t get too caught up In the show to rewind and listen again. Even if it’s just to write down something to work on later. Rewinding is important for all of these lessons you’re learning on YouTube or podcasts too. When you watch a quartet lesson X grammar video, it’s better than sitting in class in college because you can rewind as much as you need to so you can understand the lesson or identify what you need clarification on elsewhere.
Keep at it. You’re on the right track.
You got this.
My school moves from Minna no Nihongo 1 & 2 to 中級へ行こう – Chukyu e ikou before moving to Quartet.
Essentially, they call my level Pre-Advanced, and so far 2 chapters in, 中級へ行こう is nicely reinforcing and building upon all the Beginner and Intermediate grammars.
Is this the right step? I have no idea, but it seems like a logical increment before moving to Advanced materials.
Quartet 1 is supposed to get you to around N3, or in ACTFL levels, upper-intermediate. Complex sentences are going to be the norm from here on out.
The Dictionaries of Basic and Intermediate Japanese Grammar will be useful, especially the prefacing chapters in Intermediate. You might also want to look at [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/qzjr39/reading_japanese_beyond_the_elementary_level/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1) and [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/LearnJapanese/comments/p1iri1/intermediate_skill_reading_sentences_into/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_content=2&utm_term=15) where I provide some insight and tips on reading/parsing.
I downloaded Tobira grammar and vocab Anki deck somewhere and started reading Tobira. You’ll be searching vocabs/grammar points alot while reading Tobira BUT I think it helped me improve. Finishing tobira you’ll be low N3 for sure, and it is where it gets better/enjoyable.