- あのう、コーヒーをお願いできますか。Anō, kōhī o onegai dekimasu ka.Um, could I have a coffee?
- あ、それと、持ち帰りでお願いします。A, sore to, mochikaeri de onegai shimasu.Oh, and to take away, please.
- ありがとうございます。では、また。Arigatō gozaimasu. Dewa, mata.Thank you. See you, then.
Live AI speaking coach · 3 minutes free every day
Practise speaking Japanesewith Prima.
Talk, and Prima answers out loud in real time, in polite, everyday Japanese: she corrects you gently, at your level, and plays the other person in real-life situations. Every phrase you practise comes with its romaji, the reading in Latin letters. No class to book, no card.
Real-time voice1,250 lessonsNothing to install
Your first lesson
Order a coffee, in Japanese.
This is the first lesson of the Japanese course, as the app plays it. Prima is the barista; you have 3 things to say, and she scores you out of 100 at the end.
Prima opensいらっしゃいませ。ご注文は？
She corrects in the flow. Say “コーヒーが” and she answers “コーヒーをご希望ですね。”, with the right form, and you say it again. "を" (o) marks the thing you ask for, with "お願いします" (onegai shimasu) or "ください" (kudasai): "コーヒーをお願いします" (kōhī o onegai shimasu). "が" (ga) goes with wanting and liking instead, as in "コーヒーがほしい" (kōhī ga hoshii) and "コーヒーが好き" (kōhī ga suki), which is why the two are easy to mix up.
Stuck? Ask in your own language: “How do you say ‘to take away’?” She tells you (“持ち帰りで”) and carries on in Japanese.
TipGreeting"こんにちは" (konnichiwa) works from late morning; "おはようございます" (ohayō gozaimasu) is for before it and "こんばんは" (konbanwa) for after dark.
TipAsking"お願いできますか" (onegai dekimasu ka), "could I ask for…?", is softer than "お願いします" (onegai shimasu).
TipLeaving"ありがとうございました" (arigatō gozaimashita), in the past, thanks someone for what they have just done, as you leave.
Each lesson’s preview carries one short tip like these.Try this lesson →
How it works
Three steps. No placement test.
Prima Speak runs in your browser, on your phone or your computer. Allow the microphone and talk.
01Choose your levelPick Japanese and your level, from Beginner to Fluent. Prima adjusts as you talk, so there is no test to sit first.
02Talk. Prima answers out loud.Pick a lesson, like ordering a coffee or checking into a hotel, or just chat about your day. Prima plays the other person, corrects you in the flow and, when you are stuck, answers a question in your own language.
03A short report, then tomorrow’s minutesEvery session ends with the two or three things to work on next. The words you missed come back for review, and your 3 free minutes refill every day.
What you practise
Real situations, in Japanese.
Every lesson is a real conversation with a goal: Prima plays the other person and scores you out of 100 at the end. 1,250 lessons, from Beginner 1 to Advanced, all on the free plan.
Ask for directions
A street corner. Beginner goal: ask the way to the station and repeat it back.
You say___はどこですか。___ wa doko desu ka.Where is ___?
Check into a hotel
A small hotel lobby. Beginner goal: say your name, confirm one night, ask for the key.
You say部屋、お願いできますか。Heya, onegai dekimasu ka.Could I have a room, please?
At the pharmacy
A pharmacy counter. Beginner goal: say what hurts and ask for something for it.
You sayあのう、頭痛の薬をお願いできますか。Anō, zutsū no kusuri o onegai dekimasu ka.Um, could I have something for a headache?
The project kick-off
A meeting room. Beginner goal: introduce the team and the plan in five sentences.
You sayいつ時間がありますか。Itsu jikan ga arimasu ka.When do you have time?
And 1,245 more, from the market and the doctor to the first day at work.See every Japanese lesson →
Free and Pro
3 minutes free every day. No card.
Your first day has 10 free minutes, and every day after it 3. Go Pro when 3 minutes a day stops being enough.
Free
$0forever
3 min of live speaking a day
About one short lesson a day
- Every language, every lesson
- Results after every lesson, with words to practise
- Word review, transcripts and 50 text messages a day
- No card needed
Pro
$9.99per month, or $79.99 a year
10 min of speaking a day, on every device you use
A lesson and a real conversation, every day
- The first 3 days free
- Everything in Free
- Unlimited text chat with Prima
- Cancel any time in Settings
Card needed for Pro. Nothing is charged for 3 days; cancel before then and you pay nothing. Full refund within 14 days of your first payment. Everything about pricing
Questions
Can I practise Japanese with Prima if I am a complete beginner?
Yes. Choose Beginner and Prima speaks slowly, in short sentences with everyday words, and asks easy questions you can answer in a word or two. Every lesson starts with a short preview of what to say, and you can tap Slower or Say it again, or ask “how do you say…?” in your own language, whenever you are stuck.
Do I need to read kana and kanji before I start?
No. In every lesson’s preview each phrase is shown in Japanese script with its romaji, the reading in Latin letters, and its meaning, so you can speak from the first day. It is still worth learning to read as you go, because the conversation on screen is written in Japanese script.
How does Prima correct my Japanese?
In the flow: when something comes out wrong, she says it the right way in her next sentence and you say it again. An example from the first lesson: say “コーヒーが” and she answers with “コーヒーを”. "を" (o) marks the thing you ask for, with "お願いします" (onegai shimasu) or "ください" (kudasai): "コーヒーをお願いします" (kōhī o onegai shimasu). "が" (ga) goes with wanting and liking instead, as in "コーヒーがほしい" (kōhī ga hoshii) and "コーヒーが好き" (kōhī ga suki), which is why the two are easy to mix up.
How long does it take to learn to speak Japanese?
The US Foreign Service Institute, which trains diplomats, puts Japanese at about 88 weeks of full-time class, around 2,200 hours, for an English speaker to reach a professional working level. Nobody needs that much to order a coffee or to hold a first conversation: speaking grows by speaking, a few minutes out loud every day.
How much does it cost to practise Japanese with Prima?
Free: 10 minutes of live speaking on your first day and 3 minutes a day after that, the whole course and 50 text messages a day, with no card needed. Pro: $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year for 10 minutes a day and unlimited text chat, and a first subscription starts with 3 days free. Cancel Pro any time.
Do I need to install an app?
No. Prima Speak runs in your browser: open primaspeak.com in Safari on iPhone (iOS 15 or later), in Chrome on Android or on any computer, allow the microphone, and talk. You can add it to your home screen like an app.
More
Guides, and other languages.
Say your first Japanese sentence today.
10 free minutes on your first day, 3 every day after. No card, no class to book.