Minna no Nihongo I: Translation and Grammatical Notes

みんなの日本語 [Minna no Nihongo] #1.1

by 3A Network

Spain Edition texts for the beginning Japan language learning, translation and grammar explanations.

Genres: Japanese Literature, Nonfiction, Language, Japan, Education, Textbooks, Reference

189 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Annette mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since my office caters to Japanese clients, I was lucky enough to get free Japanese classes from a Japanese teacher (Sensei). We all started with the Minna No Nihongo series.

It was tough in the beginning, but then Japanese was always a tough language. I was still not aware of Kanji at that time. Now I really know how tough Japanese really is.
The grammar, the infinite number of kanji's to learn !! The list is long.

If you are serious about learning Japanese, then you can start with this book. but you should have a good grasp of Hiragana and katakana before starting this book. I learnt the Hiragana and Katakana before starting the book
There are altogether 25 lessons starting from the basic introduction to full-fledged sentences.
I studied this book along with a workbook, which had exercises in it to work out based on the lessons found in this book.
I have not entirely shelved this book as this may come in handy while preparing for the JLPT Exams.
It is a never ending process you know, the learning of Japanese Language.Make sure you have fun while learning Japanese otherwise the interest wears off quickly. The more difficult it gets, the more the fun is.

Ganbatte

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

改めて勉強するために購入しまし ^w^

[Larosenoire299 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mong năm nay có thể học hết 2 cuốn Minna =)))

[Mizumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

(apply this to all my minna no nihongo books)

I'm very glad my university chose 'minna no nihongo' to teach us the beginnings of Japanese. It's clear, gives example sentences in the grammar, uses words you may encounter when you're in the target audience of students or business people, and has these cute little drawings (sometimes silly) to illustrate the point, even when it's already clear.

I do agree with my teachers who said that it might have been easier if the books had started with the dictionary form right away - you only learn it in lesson twenty or so, and even then, the vocabulary lists stick to the 'masu' form. It's not until the te-form is discussed that the groups the verbs belong to are indicated, so all lists in my copy have the dictionary forms scribbled next to them. Then again, you're most likely to use the 'masu' form in practice, so there's some sense in it.

Either way, I'm certainly keeping them to refer back to grammatical issues. Or when I want to have a laugh at their drawings. Or at Mike Miller-san. Or Santos-san. (Oh dear lord, the accompanying videos. The VIDEOS.)

[Karol Szczepański · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book greatly helped me get through the first textbook without a tutor while still getting through the material with no issues whatsoever, highly recommended to anyone learning Japanese without a tutor. I feel like I learned a lot (I probably wouldn't be able to get just from the main book's context) thanks to this companion book.

[Armando Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit outdated in some aspects but quite easy to follow and a good individual textbook. I finished it with a tutor which also improved my experience with the book, but I'd definitely recommend it to others who want to learn Japanese!

[Alyssa Blalock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good study guide for starting Japanese. Definitely have a good understanding of all Hiragana and Katakana beforehand or you wont get very far with it! I would also recommend knowing at least N5 level kanji but not required.

[Imene MELLAL · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Japanese Learning Manuals you would ever want to use.

[Novruz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is nice book for self-learning and also taught by the teacher if you want to learn Japanese.

[Kazi Shoaib · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read book for N5. Covers all topics for the test. But using a second book (like Genki) might be helpful for detailed explanation.

[Baguette Magick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Minna no Nihongo method could probably use an update. I mean... it's highly improbable in 2025 that you would need to go to the post office and ask if your stamp would be cheaper if you ship by sea rather than by plane. Also, the exercise directions are not always crystal clear: I sometimes struggled to properly understand what was expected of me, despite using it in a collective course. So a bit more clarity could be good, especially for solitary learners.

Despite these super tiny flaws, I still believe that this is the best method available. The units are well conceived, and its strongest point is that there is no romanji involved. With other methods, the romanji texts always catch my eyes, we instinctively look for it which delays progress. The Minna allows full reading immersion on this perspective.

If I might compare it to other methods:

Marugoto is way nicer visually, it's colorful and fun. But the content is less dense. It seems to me that while the Marugoto is great for learners who don't want to burn out (for example having only a little time to learn after exhausting days of work), the Minna is the best for people who want to go deep ASAP.

The Genki seems to be the biggest "competitor". I haven't used it myself but it seems that the main difference is having to learn verbs and conjugaison from the dictionary form rather than the masu form. Minna uses the masu which could sound a bit weird in some social contexts, but if you want to use Japanese for formal or professional situations, or would refer to sound a bit too polite rather than the opposite, Minna would be the best.

Another strength of the Minna no Nihongo is the available content around it. Tons of YT channels have awesome videos dedicated to each unit (Takashi's YT channel being my absolute fav) which makes the learning process way easier and nicer.

If you combine the Minna no Nihongo method with YT videos, a bit of other tools on the side (I recommend Renshuu, which teaches you the verbs in dictionary form, perfect to get you covered in all situations) and immersion in the way you like, you can definitively reach ambition goals in a class or by yourself.

がんばって！

[Tobi ﾄﾋﾞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Designed to enhance understanding of grammar and vocabulary, this book offers detailed translations and grammatical explanations for the content featured in the main Minna no Nihongo textbook.

At its core, the book provides clear and concise explanations of Japanese grammar points, supplemented with contextual examples extracted from the main textbook. By offering insights into the meaning and usage of Japanese phrases and sentences, this textbook is a good way to learn how to effectively communicate in Japanese in real-life situations, making it particularly beneficial for N5 learners.

[Tiffany Lillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Minna No Nihongo set takes some getting used to, but once you're used to it it works well. It's a little annoying that the set is divided into four books that you constantly have to switch between, but you'll get used to that as well. 日本語を楽しむ勉強しますください。

[Aimme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nihon go wo benkyou suru tame ni, ii hon da to omou yo..!

[Dina]

It easy to learn & read.

[Zuhud Rozaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

むずかしので、　たのしい　です。

[Cipu · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Japanese book (the only Japanese book that I can understand).

ii hon desu. Moshi nihon go o benkyoushitai, kono hon ha ichiban ii desu

[GONZA · Rating 4 out of 5]

教科書への説明は非常に明確である。

Le spiegazioni al libro di testo sono molto chiare.

THANKS TO GOOGLE TRANSLATOR.

[Hjj Jkkj]

fdfdfdfsdfsda dadf dfdf

[Iris Castillo mendoza · Rating 1 out of 5]

Esto debe ir en el otro libro ... Porque lo separan ;_;

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Genki books are better for learning Japanese.

[Eaglechen · Rating 3 out of 5]

siehe Minna no Nihongo 1