Learn the Japanese you will actually use

Tsukau means “to use”. It teaches the lines you hear at the konbini counter, on the train and at the ramen shop, and what to say back. Kana and JLPT words come with it, five minutes a day.

Join the Android test Try it in your browser
Tsukau home screen with today's word, a streak and Scenes

Scenes

Real lines for real moments in Japan

Each Scene is one place in Japan. You get what the staff will say to you and what you can say back, written by a Japanese developer. Kana readings under every line, a short tip on when to use it, and a button to hear it.

They say
ふくろはごりようですか?
Would you like a bag?
You say
だいじょうぶです。
I'm fine (no thanks).
Or
ふくろ、おねがいします。
A bag, please.
コンビニKonbini 電車Train ラーメン屋Ramen shop 夏祭りSummer festival ホテルHotel 居酒屋Izakaya 道を聞くAsking the way 学校の屋上School rooftop
The Konbini Scene in Tsukau, with the cashier's lines and your replies
A word card with Again, Hard, Good and Easy buttons showing the next review date

Five minutes a day

Take a few days off. Your reviews won't pile up.

Most flashcard apps punish a break: miss a week and 50 reviews turn into 500. Tsukau keeps a daily cap on new words and on reviews. If you miss a few days, the older reviews are spread over the next days.

A small daily set

A few new JLPT N5 words and kanji each day, with spaced repetition.

A cap on reviews

The day ends when you reach it, so a session stays short.

Spread, not stacked

Coming back after a break feels like a normal day.

Inside the app

Kana, words and your own name

Hiragana and katakana with stroke order, quick quizzes on the ones you miss, and your name written in katakana, letter by letter.

The list of Scenes
Eight Scenes so far
Hiragana chart with a stroke order animation
Kana with stroke order
The name Sophia written as ソフィア in katakana
Your name in Japanese
A kana quiz with four answer choices
Quick kana quizzes

Android testers wanted

Help me test Tsukau on Android

Before a new app can go public on Google Play, it has to be tested by real people for 14 days. If you have an Android phone, it takes three steps.

  1. Join the tester group

    Join the Google Group with the Google account you use on your phone.

    Open the tester group

  2. Open the test link

    Open it with the same account, tap “Become a tester”, then install Tsukau from Google Play.

    Become a tester

  3. Keep it installed for 14 days

    Open it now and then if you like. Feedback is welcome, but keeping it on your phone is the main help.

If the test link says the app is not available, the group join may not have reached Google Play yet. Wait a few minutes and open it again with the same account.

iPhoneThe iPhone version is in preparation.