MARU: Learn Japanese Hiragana 4+
Free Beginner Kana Practices
Overdreamer, LLC
Designed for iPad
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- Free
- Offers In-App Purchases
Screenshots
Description
Hey there! (•u•) Interested in learning Japanese but don't know where to start? You've come to the right place! MARU Japanese Kana, loved by over a million learners worldwide with an average rating of 4.9 (thank you so much!), is just what you need. As a lifelong learner of Japanese myself, I created this app to make Japanese alphabets less intimidating and more enjoyable. It's a simple app that focuses on one thing but does it very well: helping you start learning Japanese. I wish MARU had been around when I started learning Japanese. Lucky you!
Stop learning with those robotic voices and non-native pronunciations. That will impede your learning effectiveness. Dive in and experience authentic Japanese through exercises voiced by a professional voice actress. With 14 different practice varieties, learning Hiragana and Katakana becomes a breeze. Reading, writing, listening, typing, and even building your vocabulary – it's all here, making it the perfect start to your Japanese journey!
What's the catch? You’ll see an ad after every five mistakes. Since MARU's launch in 2017, it’s been downloaded over a million times, yet ad revenue has been modest. But that’s okay! My goal is to spread the joy of learning Japanese.
To fulfill that goal, I try to provide tremendous value for everyone and keep as little as possible behind the Pro Version.
Here’s what you’ll find in the default Free Version:
• All 105 Hiragana and Katakana characters, not just the basic ones.
• A short ad after 5 mistakes. No mistakes = No ads.
• Over 300 everyday words for practice, like "hello" and "thank you."
• Clear voice recordings for all words and characters.
• MARU-kun, our adorable mascot, greets and motivates you each time you practice.
• Date and Time that changes every minute to teach you Japanese words for numbers and calendar.
• A smart feature that identifies your weak spots and helps you improve.
• A fun way to practice Katakana using familiar Hiragana words.
My app is completely free with minimal ads, but if you choose to upgrade to the Pro Version (one-time purchase), you’ll enjoy:
• An ad-free experience.
• Offline practice, anytime, anywhere.
• Writing and typing exercises.
• Timed challenges to test yourself.
• Access to more words for time, date, and Katakana.
Don't just take my word for it. Here’s one of my favorite reviews:
"This is MY #1 app for learning Japanese. I downloaded EVERY Japanese app I could find without paying a single dime. The app does exactly what it promises - nice graphics, great voice acting, and awesome practice methods. I'm in love with this awesome app!" - A happy user
Thanks for reading! If you're interested, just download and start your Japanese learning adventure with MARU! (•u•)
What’s New
Version 2.15
やっほー! Your favorite Hiragana learning app just got an update (•u•):
• New MARU(•u•) Design! I’ve given MARU a new app icon, brighter colors, and some new expressions. MARU’s lip-syncing is smoother now too.
Let me know if you liked it! Thank you for your support! Keep learning with MARU!
Ratings and Reviews
Great way to start
MARU app is great for learning hiragana and katakana (alphabets). The voice actor is fun and energetic (no AI voices or boring textbook readings). The interface is clear and easy to use.
There is 1 advertisement after 5 mistakes, which is a funny way to motivate you (I saw less than 1 ad per hour of practice, compared to a popular app where I saw 2-4 ads per 5 minutes lesson).
Learning your ABCs first makes it easier to learn vocabulary. While vocab isn’t the focus of this app, there is a word list that automatically grows as you unlock each row of hiragana. This feature really builds your confidence as you realise you can read the new words on your own!
I am happy to find MARU after trying many other apps. ありがとう、まるさん!(•◡•)
Wonderful interactive app
Big font size helps my eyes a lot. The interactive drill feature is the only way I can learn. I also like the introduction of new vocab in the later drills and the list of words I’ve come across. Will be cool if there are examples of real sentences in which those words are used. Maybe a short speech of Japanese to accompany it would be even better
I LOVE THIS
so easy to use and really really great for learning kana!!! completely free and ads only come after u make a few mistakes which is amazing, major props to the dev:)) super cute designs too, super highly recommend if you’re trying to self-learn hiragana and katakana characters !!!
App Privacy
The developer, Overdreamer, LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
- Location
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Data Linked to You
The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:
- Location
- Identifiers
- Usage Data
- Diagnostics
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
- Diagnostics
Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More
Information
- Provider
- Overdreamer, LLC
- Size
- 38.3 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
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- iPhone
- Requires iOS 16.0 or later.
- iPad
- Requires iPadOS 16.0 or later.
- Mac
- Requires macOS 13.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
- Apple Vision
- Requires visionOS 1.0 or later.
- Languages
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English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Traditional Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese
- Age Rating
- 4+
- Copyright
- © Copyright (c) 2023 Overdreamer, LLC
- Price
- Free
- In-App Purchases
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- Pro Upgrade (Lifetime) S$ 19.98