When I first started learning Japanese it seemed completely impossible that I’d ever be able to understand these crazy symbols… 4 years later and although there are many people much better than me, it still amazes me that I’m able to read and understand this language. That I can read a normal book [like this ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7C4cHCV0AAv8FQ.jpg), written entirely in Japanese, and actually follow it the whole way through. That would have seemed impossible 4 years ago. And in fact, to a part of me it still does.
A part of me can’t believe I can actually do it. Before I read anything in Japanese, I get this strong feeling of like “wow bro you can really read this?! no way”. 100 books down and that feeling of disbelief still routinely appears.
Does anyone else know that feeling?
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Not Japanese, but I remember being 10 and watching the Sonic CD opening (Sonic Boom) on youtube. I would think “God, how incredible it would be if I could understand this. If I knew English to a point of being able to subtitle it. Yeah, like that’s ever gonna happen.”
10 years later, I am unironically the most proficient person in the English language I’ve met in person. And yes, the Sonic CD opening is quite easy to subtitle. lol.
Never give up on your dreams
It felt like that for me to although I’ve been studying a little half less than you.
Yeah, it is great. Also now that you know it’s possible to reach fluency at a language you can learn other languages more easily.
How did you learn if I may ask cuz I also spent 5 years learning Japanese and still can’t read a book like that.
I’m still shocked about that too, I remember looking at the politeness levels, and kanji and being like “no way in hell will I ever be able to grasp this language” to this day it still shocks me where I am in it now, and not just Japanese, Korean was the same way, learning languages is truly an amazing thing.
Not with Japanese but I have it with German. I only started learning it when I was 21 and I often still get the “holy shit I can understand this,” whenever I end up having to read some academic article that has not yet been translated in English without even struggling.
i know exactly what you mean tbh, when i first looked at japanese text with the attitude of “i wanna be able to read this” i was kinda expecting to spend like some ridiculous amount of time to get to that point or that becoming able to read the characters itself was like tapping into some knowledge that your average non genius american is not supposed to have or something lol. and every now and then i think about how ive read enough books in japanese that im not sure if ive read more in japanese or english and it’s just like wtf man i cant believe im at this point
What book is this?
Happened to me all the time, now it happens only with long paragraphs full of difficult Kanji that make the text look Chinese… I feel like the math meme everytime.
I get that feeling a lot, I spend a decent amount of time reviewing old material and it never ceases to amaze me how something that I struggled with six months ago is a breeze now. It helps me feel motivated when the stuff I’m currently working on is a painful slog (as new material that pushes one’s limits of understanding usually is). Because in six months, when I circle back to review the stuff that is new now, it will be way easier.
The one other thing I haven’t shaken yet that I hope goes soon is the knee-jerk “this is jibberish” feeling when I encounter Japanese at anything above beginner level. Like if I take a second look the likelihood that I will not at least recognize *some* kanji, words, or grammar is absolutely zero unless it’s that calligraphy that’s more art than words (and that really shouldn’t count).
But at first glance, as they say, it’s all Greek to me. Which is funny because I can easily sound out Greek and don’t have that reaction to Greek despite having never studied it (I did study a language with a similar enough alphabet).
But I will never tire of the “OMG I CAN READ THIS SECRET CODE” my inner child feels when reading Japanese.
I have been wanting to learn Japanese for years, but I look at the pic you posted and get immediately overwhelmed. I feel there is no way I will ever get that, so I have never tried.
Thank you for your post, maybe I should give it a try and in a few years I’ll feel like you ahah
Feels amazing. The best feeling was to start reading and seeing my progress overtime. Would definitely recommend to anyone.
I’ve only been learning for around 200 days and there were times where as long as i could look up words every now and then, reading is pretty comfortably, I was getting kinda overwhelmed because 60% of the time I spent inmersing was looking up words and making cards, but when I was reading, it was mostly just reading, and it felt overwhelming and good, though, they’re not really hard books, i still have a long way to go
This experience is part of the reason I’m learning Japanese in the first place. One day I realized I understood English and a whole new world opened up to me. I want to repeat that experience.