Goal: Japanese
Learn Japanese instead of scrolling Instagram
Sorry Scroll (sorryscroll.com) puts two new Japanese words in front of Instagram, TikTok or any app you block. Learn them, answer a quick check, and the app opens. At 25 opens a day that's 12 new words a day, so your first week covers 84 words and all 500 take about 6 weeks.
| Words | 500, the most-used everyday Japanese words, in a set order |
|---|---|
| With every word | Pronunciation, meaning, an example sentence with its translation, and audio for both |
| Learner tips | 134 of the 500 words, where there's a common trap |
| Each step | 2 new words, a check on each, then 1 older word to recall; about 30 seconds |
| Pace | Up to 12 new words a day · all 500 in about 6 weeks at 25 opens a day |
| Price | Free for 1 blocked app · Pricing |
Words are shown in Japanese script with romaji under them, so you can start before you can read kana.
Day one: your first 12 Japanese words
In the order the app teaches them, two per step:
| Word | Pronunciation | English meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こんにちは | konnichiwa | hello |
| ありがとう | arigatō | thank you |
| お願いします | onegaishimasu | please |
| はい | hai | yes |
| いいえ | iie | no |
| さようなら | sayōnara | goodbye |
| すみません | sumimasen | excuse me |
| おはよう | ohayō | good morning |
| こんばんは | konbanwa | good evening |
| 水 | mizu | water |
| パン | pan | bread |
| コーヒー | kōhī | coffee |
The rest of week one
Twelve new words a day, plus reviews of the ones before. By day seven you've met 84:
Day 2 お茶 · 家 · 犬 · 猫 · 本 · 机 · 椅子 · ドア · 窓 · 車 · 電車 · 駅
Day 3 町 · 国 · 道 · 学校 · 仕事 · 友達 · 家族 · 母 · 父 · 兄 · 姉 · 子供
Day 4 男 · 女 · 夜 · 朝 · 週 · 月 · 年 · 今日 · 明日 · 昨日 · 今 · いつも
Day 5 よく · ここ · そこ · 一 · 二 · 三 · 四 · 五 · 六 · 七 · 八 · 九
Day 6 十 · 百 · 千 · いる · ある · する · 行く · 来る · 見る · 知る · 言う · 話す
Day 7 食べる · 飲む · 寝る · 読む · 書く · 好き · 買う · 探す · 見つける · あげる · 取る · 待つ
Tips you'll meet first
134 words in the deck carry a tip, where there's a common trap. The first few:
こんにちは · konnichiwa
hello
Used from late morning to early evening. Written with は but pronounced 'wa'.
ありがとう · arigatō
thank you
Add ございます (gozaimasu) to make it polite: arigatō gozaimasu.
お願いします · onegaishimasu
please
Polite 'please' when asking for something. Also 'nice working with you' when starting something together.
はい · hai
yes
Often just means 'I'm listening', not agreement.
いいえ · iie
no
A direct no is rare; people soften with ちょっと (chotto).
さようなら · sayōnara
goodbye
Sounds final or formal. Friends say じゃあね (jā ne) or またね (mata ne).
How fast, by how often you open your apps
| Blocked-app opens a day | New words a day | All 500 in |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 6 | about 13 weeks |
| 15 | 8 | about 9 weeks |
| 25 | 12 | about 6 weeks |
Your own numbers: the calculator. Every word: The 500 most common Japanese words, with audio.
Also on Sorry Scroll: Korean, Spanish, French, German, English. How the language goal works step by step: the language goal.
Questions
Can you learn Japanese while scrolling?
You can learn Japanese vocabulary, a little at a time, in the moments you'd open an app anyway. Sorry Scroll asks for two new words and a quick check each time; words come back for review after 20 minutes, then 1, 3, 7 and 21 days, and a word counts as learned after two correct recalls.
How long does it take to learn 500 Japanese words this way?
About 6 weeks at 25 blocked-app opens a day, because new words are capped at 12 a day. At 10 opens a day, about 13 weeks.
Which words come first?
The most-used everyday ones, in the order shown above: day one starts with こんにちは, ありがとう, お願いします.
Is this enough to speak Japanese?
It's a vocabulary habit, not a full course. 500 everyday words make a course, a show or a conversation much easier to follow, but grammar and speaking practice need a course or a tutor alongside.
Can I see meanings in Hindi?
Yes. Meanings and tips can be shown in Hindi, as well as English, Spanish, French, German, Korean.