# Nihongo Lessons — Learn Japanese Vocab & Grammar

> Japanese language learning app with flashcards, SRS, and manga-based content. (iPhone/iPad app by Serpenti Sei Japan.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Serpenti Sei Japan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1767544234)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 126 App Store ratings · 33 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17 · 258 MB
- Languages: American English, Dutch, French (France), German (Germany), Russian, Chinese (Simplified, China), Mexican Spanish, Chinese (Traditional, Taiwan)
- Released: 2022-12-01
- Data updated: 2026-08-29
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews.md

## What is Nihongo Lessons?

A new app for people serious about becoming fluent in Japanese, from the maker of Nihongo: a modern Japanese dictionary.

Nihongo Lessons is based off the excellent Japanese Level Up (Jalup) series, and is made to help all levels of learners. 
* If you're a complete beginner, the app starts you off by teaching you to write the Japanese alphabets hiragana and katakana, and then quickly starts building your vocabulary and grammar fundamentals.
* If you're at an intermediate level, you can jump into content that will help you grow your Japanese grammar, vocabulary, and listening skills more efficiently than ever before.
* If you're an advanced learner diving into the world of native content or studying for JLPT N1, Nihongo Lessons can help fill in the gaps in your knowledge with vocabulary and grammar pulled directly from real manga.

Instead of a traditional textbook, everything in Nihongo Lessons is in a flashcard format. Flashcards are easier to take in, easier to know how much to learn and how often to review, and simplify the mountain of information you need to absorb. Each flashcard introduces one new sentence for you to understand, and every new sentence introduces exactly one new word, grammar point, or concept. This keeps you constantly moving forward in your learning journey - never bored, never overwhelmed.

* Learn to write hiragana and katakana, the main alphabets of the Japanese language.
* Progress from beginner to fluent across 7000 handcrafted sentences, each introducing a single new word or concept.
* Listen to sentences spoken out loud by a professional voice actor.
* Advanced Spaced Repetition (SRS) to help you retain everything you've learned for the long-term.
* Nihongo Lessons doesn’t just plop a fun game on top of the language. It engages the brain’s natural urge to solve problems by making learning the language itself the game.

## Key features

- Learn Hiragana and Katakana
- 7000+ handcrafted sentences
- Professional voice actor audio
- Advanced Spaced Repetition System (SRS)
- Vocabulary and grammar from manga
- Flashcard learning format

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| All Access Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginner Deck | $119.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $149.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $254.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Deck (Discounted) | $101.99 | one-time |
| Intermediate Deck (Discounted) | $83.99 | one-time |
| All Decks | $299.99 | one-time |
| All Decks (Discounted) | $299.99 | one-time |
| Beginner Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Champion Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Expert Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |
| Master Deck (Discounted) | $59.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (10 of 33)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nihongo-lessons/id1640204242/reviews.md

### 5/5 — Great app but still needs a few QOL improvements

*2026-01-21*

I’m learning a lot and the format is well structured. The app needs notifications and a way to add your own notecards for review. 
Would still highly recommend over Duolingo.

### 5/5 — Great app

*2026-01-17*

It’s a great app to learn Japanese.

### 5/5 — Learning to be the best

*2025-09-23*

I appreciate how the app tailors its lesson to my goals. Based on how people actually learn to speak, the curriculum draws from real life material and past lessons I’ve mastered, so I never feel like it’s useless pedantry. More intense and serious than Duolingo, it has set me on my goal to read all of Harry Potter in 日本語! Nice work! 素晴らしいアプリ!

### 4/5 — It’s great but, ¥50,000??

*2025-05-11*

I really wanted to practice more on the levels but when it was thinking about unlocking the other parts I got hit with 
20,000円 to unlock each section, and a hope crushing 50,000 for a full unlock of all cards. I get that there was a lot of hard work out into the app but god damn. I can’t even afford $345 for food much less on the app.

### 4/5 — Omgg!!! It’s SOOO expensive for more days to unlock!!!

*2025-04-20*

When I finished my first section, I pressed the unlock button on the next section and it says it cost $100?!?! For an app that is hella crazy!

Other than that the first section is good, maybe like the dictionary, maybe add the meaning for some of the words and why they are there?

**Developer response:** Nothing to announce right now on the pricing, but I've heard the feedback and am working on something!

Not sure I totally understand your second comment. If you want to elaborate, feel free to reach out to me at chris@nihongo-app.com!

### 5/5 — Is great if you actually want to learn Japanese

*2025-01-11*

It is definitely the best app for it but it costs a bit to use after a point

### 3/5 — Very expensive

*2025-01-07*

The app looks really interesting und motivating to me, but honestly - 129€ for only one level and 350€ for all levels - this is way too much. You should add monthly descriptions or cut the price to a level which is in relation to other high quality learning apps.
Regards

### 4/5 — 8/10

*2025-01-07*

This apps progression system is awesome. As your learn it changes the letters to what you learned. 

Ano, あno, あの

It also ties into their other app which is just called Nihongo. If you’d like maybe a more in depth definition there’s a book in the corner that takes you to their dictionary app.

Only gripe is the pricing. To pay 110 for each pack or 200+ for all 7 packs is a little rough. If you have their premium on the dictionary app you get 15% off. Not sure if you buy one pack if the pricing goes down.

Over awesome for beginning. Recommend.

### 5/5 — Amazing!

*2025-01-05*

I started learning Japanese with Duolingo and was looking for something to supplement my Duolingo progress. This app is very well crafted! I appreciate how it gives you review cards each day and builds your understanding of vocabulary alongside growing your familiarity with the hiragana characters. Highly recommend!

### 5/5 — Continues a great app

*2024-12-30*

Everything we love about Jalup cranked to 11. The app is a major improvement over its predecessor, which was already splendid. The dev has been maintaining the app, which has been a boon. Nothing gets you reading Japanese faster than these cards with consistent practice.

## Frequently asked questions about Nihongo Lessons

### What does Nihongo Lessons teach?

Nihongo Lessons teaches Japanese vocabulary, grammar, and writing systems. It covers learning the alphabets hiragana and katakana, building vocabulary, and understanding grammar fundamentals. For advanced learners, it offers content derived from real manga to fill knowledge gaps.

### How does the app help with learning?

The app utilizes a flashcard format, presenting one new sentence per card that introduces a single new word, grammar point, or concept. It also incorporates Advanced Spaced Repetition (SRS) for long-term retention and features audio spoken by a professional voice actor.

### Is this app suitable for beginners?

Yes, the app is designed for all levels. Beginners will start with learning hiragana and katakana, then progress to building vocabulary and grammar fundamentals. The flashcard system ensures a steady learning pace without overwhelming the user.

### What are the advanced learning features?

For intermediate and advanced learners, the app offers content to efficiently improve grammar, vocabulary, and listening skills. It includes vocabulary and grammar pulled directly from real manga, making it ideal for those studying for JLPT N1 or engaging with native content.

### What is the cost of Nihongo Lessons?

The application is free to download and use, with in-app purchases available. Specific details on the cost of in-app purchases for unlocking additional content or features are not provided in the description.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.4.10 — 2026-04-12

Updates to onboarding.

### 1.4.9 — 2026-03-23

* Turning flashcard audio back on now immediately replays the current card's audio when that side normally has audio.

### 1.4.8 — 2025-12-13

Fix the animation when flipping flashcards on iOS 26.1.

### 1.4.7 — 2025-11-18

* Updates to support upcoming Black Friday sale.

### 1.4.6 — 2025-10-21

Adjustments to onboarding.

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## More apps by Serpenti Sei Japan

- [Japanese Dictionary - Nihongo](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/japanese-dictionary-nihongo/id881697245)

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

## Related topics

[serpenti sei japan](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/serpenti-sei-japan) · [lessons](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/lessons)

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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 2026-08-29.*