# Nihongo - Japanese Dictionary — Kanji, kana, vocab and grammar

> Offline Japanese dictionary, translator, and flashcard app for learners. (iPhone/iPad app by Serpenti Sei Japan.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-japanese-dictionary/id881697245 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 1,850 App Store ratings · 261 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 18.6 · 491 MB
- Languages: Russian, American English, Dutch, Mexican Spanish, German (Germany), Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan), Chinese (Simplified, China), French (France)
- Released: 2014-07-13
- Data updated: 2026-09-18
- Monetization: freemium
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-japanese-dictionary/id881697245/reviews.md

## What is Nihongo?

Nihongo is an offline Japanese dictionary, picture-to-text translator, flashcard app, and reading assistant.

Our app helps you learn Japanese naturally, using the words you encounter in daily life—on menus, signs, manga, emails, books, and more. In addition to the dictionary, you can take a picture of Japanese text or paste it from any source. Nihongo will then translate the text, add furigana or romaji, and create flashcards so you can study and steadily build your vocabulary.

Here are the complete features of the app:

DICTIONARY
* Over 200,000 words, 205,000 example sentences, and 6000 kanji entries.
* Every word clearly marked as common, uncommon, or rare.
* Add your own notes to any dictionary entry.
* Quickly identify transitive/intransitive word pairs.
* Audio pronunciations of words and example sentences (Requires Nihongo Pro)

PHOTO LOOKUP (OCR) [Pro]
* Look up words just by taking a picture.
* Uses Google Cloud Vision to provide high-quality text recognition.
* Just tap on a word to look it up.

CLIPPINGS (READING ASSISTANT) [Pro]
* Adds furigana or romaji to text pasted into the app.
* Tap on any word to see its definition without leaving the clipping.
* Flashcard deck automatically created so you can study the new words in a clipping.
* Display text horizontally or vertically.
* Have Nihongo read any clipping out loud.

FLASHCARDS [Pro]
* Flashcards automatically generated from words you lookup in the dictionary or paste into the app.
* Nihongo learns what words you know, and won't bother you again with words you've mastered.
* Built-in kanji flashcard decks up through Middle School.
* Intuitive spaced repetition flashcard system for vocabulary and kanji drawing.
* Level up flashcards by studying every day.
* No penalty for missing a day of study, come back anytime.

SEARCH
* Search using English, Japanese, or romaji.
* Supports searching for conjugated words in both English and Japanese.
* Search for kanji using radicals and stroke counts.

SAFARI EXTENSION [Pro]
* Add furigana or romaji to webpages.
* Tap on words to see definition within Safari.

Nihongo Pro Terms of Use
Read our full Terms of Service at https://nihongo-app.com/terms_of_use.html.

This app is only possible because of the JMDict (edrdg.org) and Tatoeba (tatoeba.org) projects. I highly encourage you to support these incredible projects that make apps like Nihongo possible!

## Key features

- Offline Japanese dictionary
- Picture-to-text translation (OCR)
- Automatic flashcard creation
- Reading assistant with furigana/romaji
- Spaced repetition flashcards
- Search in English, Japanese, or romaji

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nihongo Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Nihongo Pro (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |
| Nihongo Pro (3 Months) | $11.99 | per 3 months |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Nihongo Pro (Lifetime) | $179.99 | one-time |
| Pitch Accents | $9.99 | one-time |
| Nihongo Pro (Lifetime) | $179.99 | one-time |


## What do users think of Nihongo?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 🚀 Excellent dictionary
- 👍 Comprehensive features
- 🔒 Offline compatibility
- 👍 Helpful example sentences
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 👍 Useful flashcard system
- 👍 Detailed kanji information
- 👍 Accurate OCR and translation
- 👍 Valuable for learning Japanese

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 💰 Subscription model could be expensive
- 🔍 Difficult to manage flashcards

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Freezing issues when tapping on kanji
- Font size problems
- Inconsistent OCR and translation accuracy

**Most requested features**

- Handwriting input support
- Customizable flashcard settings
- Monolingual dictionary feature
- Improved backup and sync functionality
- Statistics and progress tracking

## Recent user reviews (10 of 261)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-japanese-dictionary/id881697245/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Finally, pitch accent in pro

*2026-09-16, version 1.35.2*

I was initially disappointed the pro version didn’t include pitch accent for some time now but I’m glad you finally got it included for no extra fee.

### 3/5 — Kind of meh

*2026-09-13, version 1.34.4*

I wanted to use this app mostly to read kanji on the go but when I take a photo of Japanese products or text, it’s not uncommon that the app doesn’t recognize some or all of the text, even though the photo is very clear and even after retaking the photo several times.

### 3/5 — Great app, unfortunately subscription based

*2026-09-07, version 1.34.4*

This is a fantastic app, but I wish there were other pricing options than a subscription.

### 5/5 — Scheint etwas teuer zu sein, aber sein Geld wert

*2026-07-28*

Das ist ein wunderbarer All-in-One Japanisch Wörterbuch App. Wenn man es auf Deutsch einstellt, greift es bei den Bedeutungen von Wadoku (auch offline) zurück, die ziemlich gut sind. Auch Kanjis werden aufgedröselt und man kann mit der Kamera auf Wörter zugreifen. Verbkonjugationen sind auch enthalten.

### 5/5 — Kullanışlı

*2026-07-18*

非常实用！, ¡Muy útil!, Very useful!, बहुत उपयोगी!, খুবই উপকারী!, Muito útil!, Очень полезно!, とても便利です！, खूप उपयुक्त!, చాలా ఉపయోగకరం!, Çok kullanışlı!, 매우 유용해요!, Très utile !, Rất hữu ích!, மிகவும் பயனுள்ளது!, بہت مفید!, Sehr nützlich!, بسیار کاربردی!, มีประโยชน์มาก!, ખૂબ ઉપયોગી!, ಬಹಳ ಉಪಯುಕ್ತ!, വളരെ ഉപകാരപ്രദം!, Bardzo przydatne!, Дуже корисно!, Foarte util!, Heel nuttig!, Πολύ χρήσιμο!, Velmi užitečné!, Nagyon hasznos!, Mycket användbart!, Çox faydalıdır!, Полезно!, Өте пайдалы!, Juda foydali!, Kiswahili: Inafaa sana!, Molto utile!, العربية: مفيد جدًا! Многу корисно!, Zelo uporabno!, Vrlo korisno!, Vrlo korisno!, Veoma korisno!, Shumë e dobishme!, Շատ օգտակար է!, ძალიან სასარგებლოა!, Labai naudinga!, Ļoti noderīgi!, Väga kasulik!, Erittäin hyödyllinen!, Meget nyttigt!, Veldig nyttig!, Heel bruikbaar!, ཤིན་ཏུ་ཕན་ཐོགས་ཆེ།, Маш хэрэгтэй!, ມີປະໂຫຍດຫຼາຍ!, មានប្រយោជន៍ណាស់!, အလွန်အသုံးဝင်သည်!, Sangat berguna!, Napakakapaki-pakinabang!, Sangat berguna!, Rất hữu ích!

### 5/5 — Very helpful

*2026-07-18, version 1.34.4*

This app has helped me look up words I didn’t know

### 5/5 — Excellent !

*2026-07-07*

J’ai plusieurs applications pour mon apprentissage du japonais qui viennent en complément de mes livres (ex.: みんなの日本語). 

Celle-ci, c’est clairement mon dictionnaire de base et c’est celle que j’utilise de loin le plus.
Je retrouve toujours les mots que je souhaite en partant français ou du Japonais. C’est fluide rapide et pratique. La section kanji est bien faite avec les lectures on et kun ainsi que le tracé. Il y’a des exemple de phrase, une bonne partie de la conjugaison pour les verbes et les adjectifs (Pour ceux qui découvrent la langue, oui oui les adjectifs se conjuguent en Japonais 😬)

Je n’ai pas pris la version pro mais j’avoue que ça me démange 😁

Merci pour cette super appli

### 5/5 — Best Japanese Dictionary

*2026-06-20*

Great resource for learning Japanese.

### 5/5 — Nickel

*2026-06-17*

J’ai réalisé en lisant certains commentaires qu’il existait une fonction flashcards (je n’avais jamais remarqué car jamais cherché). Je ne me sers de cet appli que comme un traducteur (et tous mes collègues apprenant le japonais aussi par ailleurs) et c’est déjà largement suffisant. Je recommande pour ça en tout cas.

### 5/5 — Спасибо вам за ваши труды

*2026-06-06*

Это прекрасно исполненный русско-японский словарь. Использую его каждый день, пользоваться им одно удовольствие. Видно, что вдохновлён красным англо-японским словарём “Japanese”, но при этом ориентируется на Ру-сегмент. 
Из замечаний, могу выделить только то, что при поиске некоторых слов, в маленькой карточке слова показывается только доп. информация, но не перевод. Но это мелочь, по сравнению с тем, какой труд и любовь были вложены в данный проект.
心より感謝申し上げます❤️

**Developer response:** Thanks so much for the kind words about the app!

I'm not sure I totally understand the issue you're describing. I wonder if it's something specific to the Russian translation that I haven't noticed because I don't speak Russian?

I would love to dig into this and figure out how to fix it for you. Would you mind reaching out to me at support@nihongo-app.com with a screenshot of the issue?

Thanks!

## Frequently asked questions about Nihongo

### What does the Nihongo app do?

Nihongo is an offline Japanese study tool that combines a comprehensive dictionary, a picture-to-text translator, and a flashcard system. It helps users learn Japanese by analyzing text from their environment, such as signs and menus, and creating personalized study materials.

### What are the key features of Nihongo?

Key features include an offline dictionary with over 200,000 words, a photo lookup tool using OCR to translate text from images, a reading assistant that adds furigana/romaji to pasted text, and an intelligent flashcard system with spaced repetition for vocabulary and kanji.

### Is Nihongo free to use?

The app offers a freemium model. While some core dictionary and search functionalities are available for free, advanced features like audio pronunciations, photo lookup, the reading assistant, and enhanced flashcard capabilities require a 'Nihongo Pro' subscription.

### What devices is Nihongo compatible with?

The provided description does not explicitly state compatibility with specific operating systems (iOS or Android) or device types. However, it is described as a mobile application, suggesting it is designed for smartphones and tablets.

### How can Nihongo help me learn Japanese vocabulary?

Nihongo helps build vocabulary by allowing you to look up words from your surroundings via photos or pasted text. It automatically generates flashcards for these words, which you can then study using an intuitive spaced repetition system designed to help you master new terms effectively.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.35.2 — 2026-09-16

Improvements
* Refresh in-app tutorial screenshots throughout Nihongo.
* Refine dictionary navigation titles and compact word popovers on iOS 26.

Bug Fixes
* Fix an iPadOS 18 crash that could occur when resizing the app after canceling a back gesture.
* Fix the area around the Home indicator displaying incorrectly during flashcard sessions on iOS 18.
* Fix “View Conjugations” sometimes disappearing after resizing Nihongo on iPad.
* Fix the Sync screen’s navigation bar background displaying incorrectly while resolving an iCloud sync conflict on iOS 26.
* Fix Spotlight results becoming stale or failing to update after startup, dictionary updates, or system reindexing.

### 1.35.1 — 2026-09-14

Improvements
* Refine the Liquid Glass design in Photo Lookup, Flashcards, Example Sentences, and the Japanese keyboard on iOS 26.
* Replace the kanji drawing trash button with a clearer eraser control.

Bug Fixes
* Fix flashcard controls and the flashcard editor moving out of place during iPad multitasking and window resizing.
* Fix cramped flashcard and kanji drawing layouts on iPhones with a Home button.
* Fix Photo Lookup controls sometimes remaining hidden or displaying incorrectly after navigating, zooming, or toggling OCR.
* Fix dictionary titles, word-entry sections, and conjugation links displaying incorrectly after iPad layout changes.
* Fix visual gaps and incorrect backgrounds around the Japanese keyboard.

### 1.35 — 2026-09-14

Major Features
* Liquid Glass Design - Nihongo has a beautiful new Liquid Glass design on iOS 26 and later.
* Pitch Accents with Nihongo Pro - Pitch accent information is now included with Nihongo Pro, with no separate purchase required.
* App Shortcuts & Spotlight - Find saved Clippings and studied words in Spotlight, automate Nihongo in the Shortcuts app.

Other Improvements
* Add Visual Intelligence support to look up Japanese text in photos and screenshots on supported devices.
* Add Shortcuts actions to create Clippings, manage flashcard decks, start reviews, and look up Japanese text in images.
* Improve sentence parsing, with more common grammatical endings available to tap and explanations that better match their meaning in context.
* Improve handwriting search for 々 and small kana, and allow deleting one handwriting stroke at a time.
* Make Clippings open faster.
* Improve French and Russian dictionary definitions.

Bug Fixes
* Fix an issue where leaving the Clipping editor could discard unsaved changes without warning.
* Fix an issue where switching between reading and editing a Clipping would reset the cursor position.
* Fix missing furigana and pronunciation audio on flashcards for words with mixed hiragana and katakana readings.

### 1.34.4 — 2026-07-13

Update App Store metadata.

### 1.34.3 — 2026-06-05

Bug Fixes
* Fix a rare crash when finishing or leaving kanji flashcard triage.

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## More apps by Serpenti Sei Japan

- [Nihongo Lessons](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242)

All apps by Serpenti Sei Japan: https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-09-18.*